Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Elsbeth Season 3, Episode 2.THE Elsbeth Season 3 Premiere“Yes, and…” set a high precedent for the new season, putting the second episode, “Doll Day Afternoon”, in a difficult situation: would it come close to the standard set by “Yes, and…”, or should it have been introduced in Scotty Bristol’s Mickey 2? Luckily, “Doll Day Afternoon” is the first, and by far the most fun. Elsbeth episode from afarthanks to a winning appearance by David Cross. Better yet, long-time fans will be in for a treat when they see Elsbeth (Carrie Preston) have the chance to show off his skills as a defense attorney with her The Good Wife/The Good Fight days.
A doll deal fails, and so does the dealer in “Elsbeth” Season 3, Episode 2
“Doll Day Afternoon” opens with two men seen making a shady transaction. One slips in the remaining $6,000 for “the goods”, the safe is opened and a package is handed over. Is it drugs, maybe illegal guns? No, she’s a Chrissy Spirited Edition doll, or at least that’s what she’s supposed to be. The dealer, toy store manager Patrick Palmer (Drew Seltzer), replaced the one sought by Nolan Hurst (Cross) with another doll. That won’t be enough, and while Nolan tries to get his money back from Patrick, Patrick falls and hits his head on a nearby cement block, dying instantly.. Nolan, panicked, looks around, closes the trunk of the car and runs away – with the doll.
The next day, Captain Wagner (Wendell Pierce) and Elsbeth meet at the scene of the crime. The evidence is scant, except for a lock of red hair that Elsbeth finds, made of…nylon? Curious, but with little to do, Elsbeth and young officer Mike Summerville (Angus O’Brien) go to the toy store where the deceased worked. The look on Elsbeth’s face when they open the doors is adorable.with Preston’s inner child expressing the wonder of entering a toy paradise. She plays with puppets and stuffed animals, and when she discovers that the store has a big one, and Bigkeyboard on the floor, Elsbeth is turned off, with a fun sequence of Elsbeth jumping and dancing on the moon on the keyboard.
Play time is over, Rufus (Eric Patrick Harper), a store clerk dressed as a toy soldier, escorts them to the back where they find Jen (Danielle Troiano), who is dressed as Raggedy Ann (or the real Annabelle), To agree (Charles Brice), a client, and Candice, the doctor doll. Oh, and the man at the counter is Nolan, here to trade the doll he has for the doll he was supposed to have. Elsbeth notices that the doll he has has red hair and assumes Nolan is the killer. She signals Summerville to call for backup, but Nolan realizes what’s happening and pulls the officer’s revolver from its holster. This is no longer a murder investigation: it’s a hostage taking.
Elsbeth comes out of the frying pan, but returns to the fire in “Doll Day Afternoon”
Nolan sends Summerville and Elsbeth out of the store, which they do, only to be greeted by police and SWAT officers as far as the eye can see. They are escorted to a nearby mobile command center where they meet Captain Tully (Anthony Thomas Larkin), long-time rival of Wagner, who holds the situation in hand. He finds out from Elsbeth how many hostages there are and who the hostage taker is, and discovers that Nolan, convicted of insider training, was recently released from prison.
Inside, the music playing on a loop in the store is driving Nolan crazy, and his hostages completely understand. This is the first sign that Nolan has no intention of hurting anyone and certainly has no experience taking hostages.. The strange dragon-shaped phone rings and Nolan goes to answer it. It’s Tully on the other end of the line and he wants to know Nolan’s requests. So Nolan starts by asking for a jet, but is interrupted when he hears Jen recounting the event live on social media. Angered, he tells Tully that he will free a hostage, but only in exchange for another hostage: Elsbeth.
Tully asks him to move Nolan away from the vent, allowing the police to intervene and rescue the hostages. The exchange is concluded, with Jen exiting and Elsbeth entering, without her ever-present bags. She joins the other hostages as Nolan gets back on the phone with Tully. Elsbeth quickly intervenes, asking Nolan to escort her to the bathroom, leading her away from the vent. It works, and as an added bonus, Elsbeth points out where the music is coming from.and, to everyone’s relief, Nolan destroys the receiver. Cue the officer going through the air vent, but he lands on the keyboard. Nolan runs around the corner and shoots, ripping the head off a giant teddy bear and causing the officer to miscarry.
Elsbeth Tascioni for the defense in the Elsbeth season 3 episode “Doll Day Afternoon”
The rescue mission fails and Nolan does the seemingly impossible: he silences Elsbeth with duct tape over her mouth. Tully tries to lure Nolan out with the promise of food, which doesn’t work, but, you know, they could all eat. Naturally, Elsbeth has an idea: a lemon cake made in an Easy Bake oven. While they eat, Elsbeth does her thing and asks Nolan to tell her what happened.. Patrick’s death was indeed an accident, and the doll was intended for his 14-year-old daughter, Bella (Bruna Novais), whom he had not seen for 5 years. The moment is cut short by Tully’s voice over the megaphone, prompting Nolan to walk away, leaving the hostages to debate which film Nolan got his hostage-taking ideas from: Dog afternoon Or Inside the man.
As Nolan speaks to Tully about his demands through his own megaphone, he hears Elsbeth calling for him. Clarice has become seriously ill and needs medical attention, so Nolan sends her. Disease is a trick, aided by a packet of fake vomitand Clarice brings gifts: a link to a website written on her arm that connects to a nanny camera, allowing the police to see inside. The scene fades to black and the words “ONE BELLA SEARCH LATER” appear, after which we meet Bella, who is inside the command vehicle. She agreed to speak to her father on the phone, and Nolan begins the conversation with, “Hey, how’s school?” Talk turns to Nolan telling her that he got the doll she wanted, only for Bella to tell him that she wanted the doll three years ago, but he was in prison, and now that she’s 14, the moment has passed. Nolan, discouraged, can only repeat that he made mistakes and hangs up.
Tully, meanwhile, asks a sniper to eliminate Nolan. Wagner tries to talk him out of it, but even though the same tactic Tully previously used left a hostage dead, the leader gives Tully the green light. Back inside and with the nanny camera rolling, Elsbeth convinces Nolan to tell his story to the assembled fluff jury. Elsbeth plays his lawyer in their little drama, and she talks about how Peter charged Nolan 15 times the retail price, taking advantage of Nolan’s situation. Nolan is convinced to turn himself in, with Elsbeth promising to put him in touch with a lawyer, but cannot remember the name of the law firm, admitting that she “don’t know, the name keeps changing”. a humorous nod to the law firm often renowned in The Good Wife/The Good Fight.
But when Elsbeth sees the telltale red dot of a sniper rifle on Nolan’s forehead, she pushes him to the ground. Nolan is convinced that Tully wants him dead, which Wagner confirms after speaking to Elsbeth via the nanny camera. If Elsbeth wants to get everyone out alive, she’ll have to find a way that doesn’t leave Nolan as the target. What happens next is borderline hysteriaas all five of them leave the store huddled together, dressed like Elsbeth. The sniper can’t tell which one is Nolan, but he is ordered to shoot anyway. A gunshot rings out, but thanks to Summerville, no one is hurt, except Chrissy the doll, who was hit in the head. Nolan is arrested and Elsbeth promises to contact her lawyer friend Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski). Elsbeth finds Teddy (Ben Levi Ross), Tully’s rivalry with Wagner becomes a little more bitter and Candice spreads a sheet over Chrissy the doll’s body.
“Doll Day Afternoon” is good, very good, but is it hilarious? Yes, yes, with the writer’s humorous moments throughout. After learning that Nolan was released from prison, Elsbeth references the season 2 finale with a fun meta-quote: “Oh, I was there! We made a musical…or was it a dream?” Rufus responds dryly, “He made me fail my audition,” when Elsbeth asks how they’re all doing. Wagner tells Teddy, who had just arrived on the scene, not to worry: “Your mother is good at getting out of things”, immediately followed by Nolan taping her mouth shut. Nolan uses a toy megaphone to communicate, which makes him look like a cartoon character. And more. Elsbeth isn’t a heavy series by any means, but after seeing Elsbeth at her lowest point last season, “Doll Day Afternoon” is a welcome reminder of how uplifting and funny the series can be.
New episodes of Elsbeth broadcast Thursdays starting October 16 on CBS in the United States
- Release date
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February 29, 2024
- Directors
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Nancy Hower, Robert King, Lionel Coleman, Rob Hardy, Robin Givens, Ron Underwood, Rosemary Rodriguez, Aisha Tyler, Bille Woodruff, James Whitmore Jr., Joe Menendez, Kevin Rodney Sullivan, Lily Mariye, Nick Gomez, Peter Sollett, Sam Hoffman, Tyne Rafaeli, Darren Grant, Fong-Yee Yap, Mary Lou Belli
- Writers
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Jonathan Tolins, Erica Shelton Kodish, Bryan Goluboff, Sarah Beckett, Michelle King
- David Cross brings the comedy and shares a fun comedic dynamic with Carrie Preston.
- The writing, once again, is exceptional and filled with comedic moments and fun Easter egg references to Elsbeth’s past “The Good Wife/The Good Fight.”
- A few moments of disbelief too many, not the least of which is that of a seasoned officer who doesn’t look down to see the big keyboard he’s about to land on.
- Referencing Christine Baranski’s Diane Lockhart was fun, but an appearance, however brief, is a missed opportunity.
