Viewers who miss the cat-and-mouse charm of Columbo will adore this bright, clever procedural anchored by a brilliant performance.
Series Analysis:
Elsbeth Tascioni lands in the NYPD like a confetti cannon at a funeral—unexpected, colorful, and impossible to ignore. This isn't a brooding investigation; it is a battle of wits disguised as polite conversation. Carrie Preston's singular attorney-turned-investigator uses her perceived flightiness as a tactical weapon, disarming high-society killers who mistake her tote bags for incompetence. The format borrows the open-hand structure of a classic howcatchem, placing the thrill not in the whodunit, but in the capture. With season 3 currently running, the show has settled into a confident rhythm: Elsbeth is no longer just a quirky visitor, but the sharpest mind in the room, picking apart alibis with cheerful devastation.
Tone: Eccentric, Cerebral, Upbeat
Last Updated: October 2025