Elsbeth: Season 3, Episode 1 - Yes, And

Elsbeth returns from Scotland, still juggling her undefined relationship with Angus, only to walk into the chaos of a murder: her late-night talk show host Scotty is dead — strangled via his own shredder. While the police initially chalk it up to an accident, Elizabeth senses foul play. She convinces new officer-of-the-week Grace Hackett to help her unravel backstage skullduggery, improv lessons, and shredded evidence that leads her straight to the culprit: Laurel. Meanwhile, budget cuts plague the police station, and Wagner reveals that Elsbeth’s removal from the consent decree now makes her a liability — one that must be paid as a consultant. The episode ends with two major losses (Scotty and his sidekick Mickey) but a shift in power: new host, new sidekick, new tensions.

Timestamps
00:08 – Elsbeth returns from Scotland and learns of Scotty’s death
00:17 – We’re introduced to Grace Hackett, the new handler/cop
00:23 – Laurel’s seduction & tie‑in‑shredder murder
00:32 – Wagner reveals Elsbeth’s new status and its costs
00:42 – Improv session with Laurel helps crack the case
00:52 – Trash wrapper evidence solves the mystery

If you’re enjoying the pod, don’t forget to like, subscribe, rate, and review — and if you want to support the show, drop us a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/goodpod!

Creators and Guests

Host

Jason Reed

I’m a simple guy with simple interests. Pop Culture, Tv, Movies, Comics. Constantly chasing that nostalgia dragon. Podcaster talking Married At First Sight on A Perfect Match and The Good Wife verse on The Good Pod.

Host

Marissa Garza

MTv never told me the Real World would be like this // podcaster, consultant, and tv watcher

What is The Good Pod?

Calling all fans of courtroom intrigue and complex characters! Join us each week as we dive deep into the gripping world of "The Good Wife," "The Good Fight", "Elsbeth," and the entire legal drama universe created by Robert and Michelle King. Jason Reed and Marissa Garza, break down each episode, unpack intricate plot lines, and analyze the moral dilemmas faced by Alicia Florrick, Diane Lockheart, Elsbeth Tascioni, and their colleagues. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to these addictive shows, you'll gain fresh insights and catch details you might have missed.

Elsbeth S3E1
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[00:00:00] ​

[00:00:05] Welcome to the Good Pod, or today we're talking Elsbeth, season three, episode one. Yes. And I'm one of your illustration Reed with me as always, Marissa Garza. Marissa, you good? I'm good. And I am wondering if you're also good, but I guess I'm not supposed to do that. I really didn't pay attention to the improv lesson season.

[00:00:27] No, you, no, that's right. You were supposed to, uh, give me a question in, in return. Yeah. And how are you today? Are you good? I'm doing great. On a scale of one to 10, how would you say how good you are? How good I am currently? Yes. Uh, I'll be very honest with the audience and with you and with myself. I am probably like a five, uh, like internally, internally and like dealing with my own stuff in 2025.

[00:00:56] But you know, other than that, Jason. [00:01:00] On a scale of red to green, how are you? I'm so bad at improv. Welcome. I'm so bad at it. Welcome to Depression Improv Theater. I mean, listen, it fits for best. It fits for 2025, so it makes sense. It makes sense. Uh, Marissa, we're in season three. I we are. How did we get here?

[00:01:25] How did we get here when we started this little podcast enterprise on El Smith's se, season one, episode one? I don't know. I don't don't know if I saw us being like in season three, like, oh my God. Season three. Here we are. Well, it has gone by in like no time flat. Yeah, I know. Jason, I was just thinking about this because Elizabeth was the first like, good pot that we put out because we were getting ready.

[00:01:48] It was, it was on tv. So it was something that we could talk about within this world, within the good verse. And would you know that. When I post this on the feed, it will [00:02:00] be the 100th episode in the good pie feed. Oh my goodness. I had no idea. I know, I think I, I think I did see, like in our behind the scenes stuff that we were in the nineties, I did not realize this would be a hundred.

[00:02:13] That is crazy kismet that we are like landing exactly. A hundred. Exactly. On right. Episode one. Congratulations Marissa. We have podcasts about hundred podcast episodes. I mean, listen, not that's, I, I mean we've done more than that, but yeah. Well, I mean, for this particular podcast, enterprise for the Good, and it's not every podcast that gets to say that.

[00:02:35] It's not every, yeah. There's a lot of people that launch podcasts that don't, that don't make it past episode five. So I think we just give ourselves a little yes hat on the back. Yes. And uh, say, Hey, we are at a hundred episodes, and. We could not do it without the listeners and the viewers out there to keep us going, to keep us inspired because without you guys, we would've looked at the numbers and been like, yeah, there's no point of this.

[00:02:59] We'll, just a [00:03:00] video call. We'll get together and talk about it and not record it. Uh, but because we did get interest from listeners and viewers that you guys like what you're hearing, we got, we get feedback from people that they like to show. So without that, I don't think we would've been here doing this exactly, uh, recording the call.

[00:03:16] We would've, we would've talked over text or would've gone on a video call to talk about it. But without the listeners' interviewers, we would, there'd be no point of recording it. And, uh, having fun talking about our, our journey on ELLs Smith and on the Good Wife, if you are new to us, if you're. If you came looking, if you watching Elsbeth, you're like, I wonder if anyone's out there talking about ELLs.

[00:03:36] Beth, here we are. We are here to let you know we are the good pod. I am Jason Reed. That's Marissa Garza on the other side of me. Oh, thank you. Uh, we, we are the host of the Good Pod. We Talk, yes, we do talk Elsbeth, but the main point of our podcast, the Good Pod, is to talk about mainly the Good Wife, to be honest.

[00:03:54] That's, that's kind of the, that's what started this journey for us is say, Hey, I love The Good [00:04:00] Wife. You love The Good Wife. Uh, I also shout out to the show Hijack that Archie Punjabi was on, uh, that got this whole thing started because I was like, Hey, I know what that girl from Kalinda, and you were like, oh my God, I know her.

[00:04:11] As Kalinda we're like, do you watch a Good Wife? Yeah, I watch a You watch your wife? Yeah. Oh my God, let's talk about the Good Wife together. So that's how this whole thing got started. Uh, and you know, as we were starting, like, like Marissa said. Ellsworth was on. We're like, Hey, let's, you know Ellsworth is a good wife spinoff.

[00:04:26] Let's talk Elizabeth first. Get us warmed up for our, uh, good wife coverage. So we started that and here we are, uh, in our journey in The Good Wife. We are in the beginning phase of season four. So, yep, we're, we're deep in the, the Good Wife now. Like, there's no stopping us now. So if, if you came to ELs Smith based on your love of the Good Wife, boy do we have another side of this pod for you, because we have four.

[00:04:52] Uh, we're in season, like I said, we're in season four of The Good Wife. If you, that was a show you watched. We have a re-watch podcast for you on the other side of this podcast. Uh, we [00:05:00] we're doing a Concurrently This and Good Wife at the same time. Uh, so yeah. Welcome to new listeners watchers. If you've been with us for a while, welcome back.

[00:05:08] If you, if you just, if you just, if you skip out on the Good Wife stuff and just come in for the Elsbeth. Welcome back. Yes. It's been a while. Good to see you again. Uh, I will say again, if you're, if you love ELLs Smith and not watching a Good Wife, what's wrong? What's going on guys? Come on. It's, it's, it's also a Paramount Plus just well watch it and it really does like, have some really great ELs Beth End moment.

[00:05:31] Oh yeah. Like there are some really like standout episodes with Ellizabeth featured in them. So it's def not only is it worth the watch for like the show itself, but if you are a true, like. Diehard Elsbeth fan. Um, I highly recommend if nothing else, like looking at the episode she's in and finding our podcast, that we listen because we are able to bring these two shows, the perspective of these kind of two shows and the character itself together.

[00:05:58] And that's, I think, [00:06:00] something a little bit different about us. Yeah. Besides the fact that we're podcasting about Elizabeth. Yeah. If you wanna see where the, the origins of Ellsworth Kook, uh, Elizabeth's Kookiness started, you'll get that education on the good, on the Good Wife, because interestingly, like when we first started watching The Good Wife for the podcast, we saw Elsworth like, okay, this is like, we, we see them kind of fine tuning the Ellsworth character and by like the third or fourth appearance of Ellsworth, they got it right on.

[00:06:25] Yeah. Which, you know, carries on over to her own show. So yeah, that's, that's where we are. Uh. If you wanna support the podcast, if you are longtime listeners or watchers you wanna support, you know, you know what I'm gonna say? Those are easy and free ways for you to support this podcast. You can do that by reviewing rating and subscribing wherever it is you are watching and or listening.

[00:06:44] If we're on YouTube, give us that thumbs up. Uh, that really helps us get into the algorithm of other people that are interested in this kind of content. Uh, like I said on the Apple Podcast, you can rate us and leave a written review on Spotify. You can rate us five stars. We, uh, we appreciate any and all support you can [00:07:00] give us in that way.

[00:07:00] If you wanna chop it up with us about the show, ask any questions, just communicate with us in general. You can always email us at the good pod [e-mail] and if you so choose to. You know, throw us something monetarily if you like. We do have a link over at buy me a coffee.com/good pod where you can donate monies, big or small.

[00:07:21] Uh, we really appreciate that. Uh, if you don't want to, that's, that's totally up to you. We, you are you free? Like what? You know, where that's going to is like, we're trying to cover our costs first, the cost of streaming, the cost of hosting some things. Um, that's the main reason why we are trying to drink as much, much coffee as we can.

[00:07:40] Yes. From buying a coffee. Um, because there are, you know, as much as we, I mean, we want to make the best show we can for you. And unfortunately because we live in America in 2025, that costs money. So, um, that's where we're at. Yes. Uh, so now that we've gotten that out of the way, a little intro [00:08:00] to our, our new, new and returning listeners and viewers, uh, let's get into the episode.

[00:08:05] Uh, Marissa, we are, we are back. There have been some changes on Elsbeth. I think most notable for those that I watched this show. If you didn't hear the news from last season's ending, uh, car Patterson, AKA Kaya is no longer a series regular on this show, uh, from what we heard last season. At the end of that, she's going to be back, like as a guest starring role.

[00:08:31] I think that really looms large here in this episode. When you hear, we heard about what Kai is up to, but there's some, there's been some changes going on behind the scenes and seems to be, uh, you know, in, in the actual world of Ellsworth, there's some changes as well. Uh, but let's, let's, let's chop it up by this episode.

[00:08:47] I, I think it's interesting that we, we come into this episode with Ellsworth coming back from Scotland visiting. Her man, Scotty. Oh, oh yeah. Well that, yeah. Well, yeah. There's a Scotty and Scotland [00:09:00] in here, uh, coming back from visiting her guy Angus in Scotland. Yeah. Who she like refers to like on the fly as her boyfriend, but then says, I don't know if I should call her that.

[00:09:10] And I don't know if that's a, I don't know because we haven't discussed, like, we haven't defined the relationship. We haven't had that conversation or something happen. DT RDTR as the kids say, define as, as there's a lot of things that the kids say that I don't really say sometimes the kids probably are, say that anymore.

[00:09:27] I think that's probably like a, if I, if my daughter heard me say that, she'd be like, Ew, we don't, speaking of what the kids say, for some reason they're saying chicken stars don't really know what that means. God that's haven't heard that thing that they're saying yet. But yeah, they had not dtd, so, um, or have they.

[00:09:43] We don't know. We don't really know because we only saw, um, Angus one time in this entire series, which was the episode that he was on. And I guess there was maybe like a video call that he was in, but it is nice to know that she did go visit him and came back safely and everything and [00:10:00] brought like a gazillion souvenirs for everyone.

[00:10:02] Mm-hmm. You know, very ELs be the end of her. Um, but I, I still kind of wishing to see a little bit more of Angus and Elle's Beth together to really kind of understand what's going on there. Yeah, I do. It's interesting that, 'cause when they cast Angus and it was, uh, I'm probably gonna get his name wrong. Uh, it's spelled, looks like it's spelled Ian g Griffol.

[00:10:23] Gr G Griffol. Mm-hmm. Uh, AKA from Mr. Fantastic for Fantastic Four, not the new Fantastic four, the old Fantastic four. Um, but anyway, when they cast him I was just like, Ooh, like that's kind of weird. 'cause I don't think that's someone that's going to be. Popping up all the time on Elle's Beth. I, I just, I just don't think he's that level of actor to be like, I'm on a procedural show now.

[00:10:45] So it was weird to me for him to be popping up and I was like, he's not gonna be here a lot. Which I, I don't know if it was a intentional step to be like, we don't want ELS's love life to be the focus of the show. We want the focus on the show to be her solving [00:11:00] crimes. Yeah. But I think that's, again, goes to my.

[00:11:05] What are we doing here? Like question, because you picked a character who stood out in the middle of a great series, brought her in, all of her quirkiness over here. The first season we had so much conversation about who she is now, what she's doing, why she's doing all of this. And here we are in the third season and it's kind of just like I am just moving through the paces of solving something I don't even know.

[00:11:30] Like I know in the first season we had a lot of conversation and, and learned what a consent decree is, um, which comes in handy. Uh, if you're reading the headlines in Chicago, I was like, consent decree. I know what that means. But, um. Like, we don't even know what her official role is or anything like that.

[00:11:48] And so I, I just feel like it's not serving the character at all for her to not have at least like something, if they took Kaya away, Kaya was away for us to see like how she cares, who she [00:12:00] cares about, like have a relation, you know what I mean? Like some other side of her. If we're not able to see that, then why can't we see Angus?

[00:12:06] Yeah. It feels like Teddy is going to be filling that like, personal life role, which I, I guess I just don't know if it's enough. I, I think, I think they, I, I think they're making a mistake by not leaning more into the personal side of Elsworth. I wanna see her on the job and also, you know, at home. What else she's up to in her.

[00:12:25] Yeah. In her off time. And I think, I think the, the signal of getting rid of Kaya and maybe breaking up this relationship between her and Angus and not having someone. Close by. That can be as a love interest, I think is is their way of being like, Hey, we're, we're just, we're gonna focus less on personal and just keep it on case.

[00:12:42] Which I don't love on a show that is about one person Right. Than is Yeah. Seth. Like, I feel like we should get to know ELLs Smith more and more. I feel like they're giving us less and less of her personally, which I don't, not not in love with. And let's talk about the case a little bit because Yeah. I think because of that, because we didn't [00:13:00] have like any of the personal stuff really shown to us.

[00:13:04] Mm-hmm. I feel this is just a Marissa Garza opinion. I'd love to know what you think. Um, I feel like the case part, even though we had heavy hitters here, we had Steven Colbert, we had, Amy Sedaris had Andy Richter, which was a surprise. They kept that one undercover for a while. I was like, that's great. Um, even though we had these heavy hitters, the case part itself felt like it dragged on.

[00:13:31] A little bit longer than I, I needed it to, and at the same time, uh, we'll get into the specifics of the, of the case in a minute, but at the same time, we had what's going on back at the station up above. And that even, like if I'm not gonna get personal stuff, like, let me get the more station drama or something like that.

[00:13:48] Mm-hmm. So kind of like balance this out. But I felt like the way that this case was solved by Elsbeth, like she pretty much had it solved. And this doesn't always happen, but pretty much had it solved in her [00:14:00] first showing up on the scene. Well, I mean, I, I think it happens more often than not, I think usually.

[00:14:05] Uh, and ELS's first interaction with the killer. Well, she has to find the proof. Like that's usually the thing. Yeah. She usually, she usually has like a, huh. I think this is the person I did it for. No reason. We talked about her elsewhere, the since before. Um, and while, while the case, while I think the, the heavy hitters like you put it, came in and, and did their work really well.

[00:14:24] I they had, I think we had a really fun time with, uh, Amy Ris, Andy Richter and Steven Colbert. I think this case shows how long of the tooth Elsbeth is, right? Because it felt like a very, like, paint by numbers case. It's like, yeah. The case, you kind of, you kind of guess what's gonna happen. Like there's gonna be ELS's gonna find, have eureka moment, ELS's gonna find something that, you know, she's gonna ask questions and get information.

[00:14:54] And I think we've, we've always said about this show, it's at its best [00:15:00] when it veers from mm-hmm. The routine veers from the suspected. And this, this really is kind of was like boom, boom, boom. This is gonna happen, this is gonna happen, this is gonna happen in route. Yeah, because we're introduced to the character of Scotty Bristol, played by Stephen Colbert as late Night talk show host.

[00:15:17] It was very sad because he is very mean. And I was like, Stephen Colbert, you cannot be mean. Um, but he, you know, like you said, he played his part well, and the whole reason Elsbeth is originally brought into this world is because Cheryl from last season, uh, wrote a book about healing and is going to be on the show.

[00:15:35] So she's like jet lagged, hiding behind her 800 gazillion bags of luggage. And we, we meet Steven Colbert and Amy Sedaris, who's walking around as Laurel, the executive producer. Yeah. I thought, you know, the, the whole introduction through Cheryl ends up being very superfluous. Like, we didn't, we didn't need to do that.

[00:15:57] It, there was no, there was no really. Through line [00:16:00] there, but I thought it was fun to give the, give us an extra thing. The only thing I think it does is show how much Scotty doesn't care, like Scott, like Scotty's in it for Scotty. Like Scotty, like Scotty's says to sba, did I say your name right, because I'm never gonna say it again.

[00:16:15] Yeah. But, but, you know, could have done that. But that's it. We could have done that a billion other ways. But that is, I think that, like, that is the, the reason that is what they did. But I do do think it's, I do think it's fun because I think a, a, a good thing, a fun thing that the Kings do is world building, right?

[00:16:32] Mm-hmm. They have all these callbacks, you do all these things. Like, and having Cheryl, which I, I looked at Cheryl, I was like, I have seen Cheryl. Before, I don't remember where like, I feel like it might have even been on this show. Am I supposed to know who Cheryl is? And then, and then they were like, oh yeah, Cheryl was ELs Smith's partner in the wellness retreat episode.

[00:16:50] I was like, oh yes. That's where I know her from. And I think that's a very fun, uh, thing to do in this, in this world is a connected in that way. It wasn't needed, [00:17:00] but it was fun. I'll say that they love a callback. They a call, they love callbacks. They did like eight callbacks in this episode. Yes.

[00:17:06] Throughout different things. I think that was, or like, and references to each other. Yes. Because like another thing we see is like the writer's room on the show. And so there's a lot of conversation within the writer's room. And at one point, like Elba, like after talking to the writers who were like, we would never kill anyone.

[00:17:22] Like, this is a thing. Elba like this business, like Wolf won. Yeah. Then that was, that was like, that was like a, like a whole lot line in the, oh, you know, this business. Which is okay. And I think. I think it's very, you know, of course we need to introduce Elsbeth into the episode in a very cool way and have her being asleep behind all her luggage was fun.

[00:17:43] Having her in the Scottish garb was fun. And listen, if you wanna say nothing else about this show, the fits on this show are epic and iconic at all times. And we, listen, we, last season we thought Elsworth was like gonna relax with the tote bags. No, with the tote bags. Yeah. No, no. The tote bags are back.[00:18:00]

[00:18:00] The tote bags are back. She had like four tote bags in her arms. Uh, in this episode she's back in her bags for She's back. Sure. She back in. She elsworth is in her bag. A hundred percent. Yes. Um, so I thought, I thought it was fun introducing the concept that way and having Cheryl write this book about all the Wells retreat she's been to, which I guess gives her a lot of insight into wellness.

[00:18:20] I thought that was really fun. And just to, like you said, get a look at who Scotty is behind the scenes, which, if I was to guess, I would say like. Is, is my, do you think it's like a nod and a wink to like Ellen DeGeneres maybe? Oh, maybe. Like what do you think is a nod and a wink to like, who, who is the most, like who, who is the most like Scotty behind the scenes?

[00:18:43] Ooh, I don't know. I don't know what Mokey, I think it might be Jimmy Fallon. If we're looking at late, if we're looking at late night. If we're looking at late night possibly. I've heard some things about Jimmy Fallon. Yeah. Which is like, uh, maybe he's not the fun goofy guy. You might know him as all the time, but, well, like, yeah, [00:19:00] there could be a lot said about stealing jokes and stuff like that.

[00:19:03] Uhhuh, yes. That, that could be. But I do just wonder, I do wonder who they're winking and nodding to which, you know, we've heard like the, the stories about like Ellen DeGeneres or Epic, uh, like I said, I've heard things about Jimmy Fallon and so I think it was interesting to see this like. Character of Scotty on and off stage.

[00:19:21] That was fun. Stephen Colbert did a great job. Uh, I think, I think that's one of his like hallmarks is the dry, sarcastic wi Yes. And he really pulled that off in the behind the scenes version of Scotty. And even, uh, then he, in front of the camera, he was super me. 'cause he is interviewing Cheryl about her book and then saying, which wellness regimen would you recommend for Mickey?

[00:19:44] My announcer, my sidekick who just happens to be Andy Richter. But he's like, which, well, you have to think about it. Like, would it be his weight or would it be something else? And I just was like, so cringey first. Like, I was like, it's not real. I like you. The thing you have to know about me if you haven't picked this up, [00:20:00] is like, I love and adore Stephen Colbert.

[00:20:02] Um, have since I was at college, when I was watching the Colbert Report, like love the Man. But um. So like, I'm like, it's not real, it's not him. Uh, what, just, what an asshole type comment to say in front of, in front of the tv. And then Mickey's response is, um, like, but my soul is broken. And he's like, serious about it.

[00:20:26] And I, so we find out that just how, like the personality of Scotty, then we find out that Laurel, Amy Seras, and Mickey, Andy Richter are married in this situation. Mm-hmm. And also that all three of them have this history of being in the same improv troupe, all the stuff. Uh, Mickey has some health problems.

[00:20:46] And so, um, Laurel is really concerned that Scotty's not giving him any time off. And the way that Mickey's looking at it, he is like, we just owe so much to Scotty. Like it's, this is what I signed up for. This is what I wanna [00:21:00] do. And so at the end of the day, uh, Laurel says, go home. I'm gonna watch the edit.

[00:21:05] They won't even know I'm here. Yes. And we know as she's walking by, I'm like, oh my God, she's gonna go kill him. Yeah. That's it. Yeah. It's like, oh, she's a murderer. She's gonna kill Scotty. Okay, let's see how this goes. Now she walks into the edit, does little bit of thing, sneaks off into Scotty's, um, office, and has little conversation.

[00:21:24] He's like, of course you'd be here for the Mickey thing, but we learn we have to live by the choices that you made. And you chose Mickey. You didn't choose me. And Laurel uses this to her advantage, puts on a little seduction like. Takes off some buttons on her, on her shirt, pours some, some whiskey, does all this stuff.

[00:21:45] And basically like Scotty's like, are we doing this? Is this the thing we're doing? Had me looking at, uh, Amy Sedaris in a whole new light. I was like, oh, oh, hey Amy Sedaris also on The Good Wife. Yes. Also on the Good Wife in a very [00:22:00] different role. Uh, you know, for those what? Very flirty. Very flirty. Yes.

[00:22:04] Also, also, you know, uh, her name was Stacy Hall on the Good Wife. Very, very flirty, very like seductress, very like, you know, cheeky character as well. But this, she was in her like seduces bag big time. 'cause she is, you know, convinced like, like Scotty and her having a talk. And I, I think. She's letting Scotty believe that she's going to seduce him to, I guess, help him give some time off for Mickey and Scotty's all for it.

[00:22:32] Scott's like, oh, like, let's, uh, let's do this thing. And, uh, yeah, she's like, by this thing, I mean, I'm gonna drag you over to the shredder, put your back behind it, lean over, put your tie into the shredder, press the button, and then override the jam button then. Yeah. Very, very, very, a very different interpretation of, uh, blow your back out.

[00:22:51] Yeah. From what? From, uh, what I, what I bet Scotty thought was gonna happen, um, in this, in this, in this situation with, uh, with Laurel [00:23:00] here. 'cause, uh, she, she bends his, basically chokes him with his own neck tie, puts it in the shredder. 'cause we, we learn through the whole backstage, uh, saga earlier in the episode that, uh, Scotty is famous for his shredder that he uses to shred the writer's jokes in front of them.

[00:23:18] He uses it as a like, uh. I ha ha ha ha. Like, yeah, I hate, this is how much I hate you and your jokes. Let me just shred it in front of your face. Yeah. He, he's hoisted by his own guitar here, because that is what Laurel uses to feed Scotty's, tie through the shredder and choke his ass to death. You know, I, anytime I gotta wear a tie, I wear a clip-on.

[00:23:45] And this is part of the reason why, right? You know, it's just like in the Incredibles, when Edna Mill says, with no capes, this is why no capes, no ties. This is why, okay? Clip-ons will save your life. A clip-on would've saved Scotty's life. In this [00:24:00] instance, uh, God, what would Laurel have done if she put the tie in and it just went, clip off his, off his shirt, be like.

[00:24:06] She'd probably have to like, go through with it or something. I mean, she would have to like, you know, go on some, some very other murderous modes. But yeah, like she, she bends him over, feeds his tie to the shredder, chokes him out and kills him. Uh, a very like, listen, Elsbeth. I think something we can definitely say for Ellsworth, they have some very inventive ways.

[00:24:25] Yeah. On killing their victims. You'll never look at apple juice the same way again. Yes, for sure. Very inventive ways. They rarely do the victims die on Ellsworth via gun. It's always some like other means of interesting inventive deaths. And this was one of them Death via shredder. Interesting. Yes. Yeah.

[00:24:45] Elizabeth brings all of her bags, home and greets. Uh, Teddy, Teddy who apparently like has a new job, he is an investigative reporter. There was talk of him being a lawyer maybe that's still on the books, but Teddy was there the whole time taking care of gon with the dog [00:25:00] Dog. And this is when news breaks that Scotty is dead and Wagner is just on the other side of the line saying, Hey ELs.

[00:25:08] Yep. Great. Come on over. And we are introduced at the scene to ELs with's new handler. I don't really know what to call, call this person. So this is interesting. Right. Because this is Grace Hackett, who is the new, because El Ellsworth gets the, she comes on the scene wonder like, Hey, Elsworth, how you doing?

[00:25:29] Uh, uh, she sees sm she's like, oh, cool. Lin's here. Uh, so now that Kai is gone, do I have a police person handler like Kai would be? And at first I thought Madison were like, no. I's about to think we're past you getting a handler and you be just on, on your own with the detective. But no, she still has handlers, which I think, so we get when we get introduced to Grace.

[00:25:52] Yes. Who had a connection to the crime. 'cause Grace is a standup comic. [00:26:00] She's also Menendez. Yes. Uh, what's, what's Lindsay Mendez? Yes. Menez. Yes. Who as through, um, research found out, interestingly enough, she was in a stage reduction of merely we roll along. Yes, yes. Which gets, uh, referenced several times in this episode.

[00:26:17] Yes. With, um. Jonathan Goff and David, what's his name from the Wizard that I don't want, like talk about anymore? Oh, uh, Harry Potter. Daniel Radcliffe. Daniel Redcliffe. Yes. Yeah, yeah. Um, yeah. And so that's, that's, that's, that's interesting casting, right? That's casting. But to talk about who the characters. I wonder if this is going to be the Mo now will the, because I don't think, I don't think Grace is gonna stick around.

[00:26:43] I think it's gonna be a different copy every episode. You think they're gonna like do like the judges on Good way where we have Yeah. Famous ish people come in and like, because we got a jean curtain, we, you know, like we have like Yeah. Some people come in there. Um, we had, we had SpongeBob [00:27:00] last, last season.

[00:27:01] We did, we did have SpongeBob that popped in. But, or, or like, um, like the detective was earlier, like we had a different detective. Now we're gonna have like a different. Yes. So, and it, it might be famous. So it feels like our, our detective rotation is probably locked in or we're gonna have a different cop that's a new person every week.

[00:27:21] And I wonder if that cop is just coincidentally always gonna have some sort of connection to the crime where they could be like an expert on the crime in a way. Because Grace gave us some viable information here about joke stealing, about what, how comics submit packets. So I do wonder if that's going to be how we're gonna move moving forward.

[00:27:44] Is the cop always gonna have somewhere connection to the crime? I'm like, oh, hey. Like, uh, I, I'm actually, it's might be convenient. Yeah. Mighty convenient. Which is interesting enough, but yeah. So here, here we have grace. Alright. Grace. Grace was okay. Grace didn't, like, didn't blow [00:28:00] me away. She had, she had her, she had her line of the episode.

[00:28:03] This business. I almost wish it was just like a weird camera focus, like, like in the nineties. Yeah. Yeah. This business. Um, but yeah, grace is here. Uh, I liked grace. Grace gives us survival information, which is, which is good. Um, yeah. So that's, that's how we get introduced to like our new cop of the week format, which I think gonna stick around.

[00:28:26] Yeah. And so she meets Elsbeth and also like Grace is crying 'cause she's just so sad that, you know, Scotty is dead. Yes. By the way, God forbid anything happens to Stephen Colbert, I'll be a mess. Um,

[00:28:42] the small and like you said, is there, he thinks it's an accident, but Elizabeth of course is doing her like ELs bean thing. She's like, it can't be because he took out his ear, um, his earphones and put 'em, the AirPods, put 'em on the, um, desk. Like someone came in and interrupted [00:29:00] and he just happened to be listening to.

[00:29:01] Mely, we roll along. Mm-hmm. Where the plot is told backwards, which also seems really cool and makes sense to me, Elsbeth, that that's how we do it, because that's what we camera here on the show. Yeah. Wink. Um, yes. Small Mullan, who was like, okay. Like, you could have, you could have written it yourself. Smolan thinks this is an accident.

[00:29:21] M wants to wrap this thing up real fast. And El was like, not so fast. Not so fast. But then he does his, of course he does the work and he is like, oh, there's no print. So she might be onto something like, there's, there was no nothing here. Someone must have cleaned up. Listen, small Smolan came around faster than normal.

[00:29:39] I think. I think w even commented on that. Like, all right, we saved some time. Like, you, you round to the fact this isn't an accident rather fast. Usually it's halfway of the episode, you admit that, uh, this might not be an accident or this might be different than what it seems to be. Good job. Small. You're, you're learning, you're learning.

[00:29:54] Yes, yes. Lizabeth return to the office with all of her gifts for all of her peeps. And we learn at this [00:30:00] moment that there have been some budget cuts in the show. I mean, uh, on the floor. And, um, they can like, have to pay for coffee. Now they have like, no one has any supplies. So this is setting up this larger storyline where stuff is not available.

[00:30:20] And also poor Lieutenant Connor has to like, basically bear the brunt of all of this from all of the other officers in the building. They're coming up and bringing him trash, like doing all this stuff. And at the beginning, Wagner's just like, uh, I'm not doing anything. I'm not gonna do the any. Which was very surprising to me.

[00:30:38] I mean, because he's, he's kind of letting Connor take the fall for the Yeah. But for the budget cuts, which I don't think Wagner thought anything of it, because I mean, Elsworth approaches him about it. He is. What's the big deal? Like that's what he gets, basically, like that's his job is to be like my assistant person that like takes all the crap that I don't have to take.

[00:30:57] Like I had to do it. I was like, type of thing. Right. [00:31:00] So I think in the beginning when he was like, ah, hooey, you're just being, you're being sensitive else. But he's fine. He is fine. And then he kind of sees, you know, he, he, he has pity, he takes pity on Connor. Basically from the prodding of Elsbeth, he sees how much everyone's kind of piling on Connor, like you said, they're giving him his trash because he has cut back the trash collection in the office.

[00:31:22] So trash is piling up. So everyone, everyone gives Connor their trash and Wagner sees this, he's like, oh, I, I see it now. He's getting bullied. Yeah. And he goes and is like, you come to me if you have a problem. Yeah. But I just have to say Saab Andre utilizing we o Pierce and Annie, like thing, like the fact he was in the Superman had like, what?

[00:31:42] Three lines? Two lines. I was like, what is happening here? And also on this show, he could be doing so much more than eating sushi in the, in the, in the conference room. And give, I mean, like of course the speech he gives definitely has the gravitas that you would expect from him. Mm-hmm. And like the, the impact that you would expect from him.

[00:31:59] But I, [00:32:00] wait, what's going on with Wagner? What's going on with, uh, you know, uh, Gloria, Gloria Rubin, his wife. Yeah. Like, what's going on with all this stuff? Like, uh, give me some more. If we're not gonna have Kaya, then maybe we could have, you know, some stuff going in on, on the Wagner side of things. Uh, and also, like you, I don't know if this is like in his contract or whatever, like he'll do it, but like with minimal, with minimal scenes, but.

[00:32:26] Just, he's just such a good actor that needs to be utilized more. Well, Marissa, you can get all of that when the spinoff of the spinoff Wagner comes, comes to fruition. Okay. But for now, the show's name is Alsbeth. We have to focus on Alsbeth and we get our momentary, uh, scenes from Wagner when we can get them.

[00:32:50] Um, fine. Yes. Uh, but yeah, I did like Wagner, like, you know, uh, if you have a problem, uh, you know, I know we all don't like these budget cuts, uh, but you have a, if you have a problem, you come to me. [00:33:00] Apparently this works because a guy that just a second ago gave Connor his trash can, I know, walks back up to Connor and takes his trash can back.

[00:33:11] He's like, fine, I'll, I'll stop hassling you Connor. 'cause Wagner just told me to. Okay. Uh, cool. Well I guess it's a, it's an illustration of, hey, the message got through. Yeah, no one's listening to Wagner. Yeah. Uh, but yes. Uh, so yeah, that's, yeah. Office politics, office dynamics, which is like, I, I wanna talk about what the means when we get there later.

[00:33:36] What? I think we can talk about it now, we're, we can talk about, okay. Yeah. Because near the, near the end of the episode, you know, Seth, throughout, throughout the end of the case, Elsworth ends up getting a whole bunch of material from the show, from, uh, from up late with Scotty because, well, by, by the end of the episode, Scotty's no longer around.

[00:33:57] So all these supplies are no longer of use. [00:34:00] So Elsworth takes them and gives them to the, to the station so that they can use it. Uh, and Ellizabeth says, Hey, like, yeah, I got, I got us more supplies for the office, but it's not gonna last, uh, for a long time. So we need to figure this budget thing out. And Wagner looks at her and says, Wagner, uh, says Wagner, uh, says, Elsbeth, see, you don't seem to realize.

[00:34:21] Okay. The reason we have to have these budget cuts, the reason we are tightening our belts is because of you. If we want to keep you around, we have to use these budget cuts because Elizabeth is no longer on a consent decree from the Department of Justice. I feel like now they have to be like, now I have to pay you out of her own pockets to be a consultant.

[00:34:43] And now we didn't, we didn't get a, we didn't get a confirmation yet. Uh, on, maybe we'll get a next episode of what else's title is, is she a consultant? I have no clue. Is she a full time consultant at this point? I think she has to be. 'cause they, they were introducing the term consultant last season, slipping it in here and there.

[00:34:57] So I think that's probably what her official title is now. So like, well [00:35:00] now we have to pay for you to be a consultant, so we have to cut back on the office supplies. Yeah. So, yeah. Where did your brain go on this, Jason? My, like what could be quote unquote the office if, I mean, we talked a little bit about this, uh, pro pre pod, is that like the king like to telegraph things to the audience?

[00:35:20] Yeah, you, you know, in good fight it's like animated things and the good wife, it's mainly through like Will and Diane conversations. Um, but here, what do you think they were trying to tell us? Yeah. You know, my big brain got to thinking, I was like, you know, are the kings trying to tell us something? Are the kings like trying to wink and nod at us, the audience?

[00:35:42] Well, because And also, yeah, go ahead. No, you go, you go. I was like, just gonna look up Who wrote it. Like, none. The kings didn't write it. There's Guess the kings still write this. Yeah. I, I guess there's still producers though. So the king, the Kings are executive producers. There is a show runner that is not the Kings.

[00:35:59] So I think, I [00:36:00] think the Kings are kind of like, they, they, they're, they, they're there. They're aware. They're aware. They have input. Yeah. So I'm like, maybe this is like through the Kings or through whatever writer. They're just kind of like, Hey. Because like Wagner's whole speeches, I know we don't like these changes.

[00:36:15] I know things are different, but just stick with us like we all have to get through this together. This is the new normal and just everyone calm down. I do wonder if this is a way for them to be like, Hey guys, hey, viewing audience. I know you guys don't like that Kai is no longer a main part of the show, but this is, that's a move we had to make to keep Ellizabeth around is like that's all we could do.

[00:36:41] Yeah. Like shows are expensive to make. We could not have a whole bunch of series regulars. Yes, we had to cut from three series regulars to two, but that was necessary to keep the show around. So you either get, you get ELs Smith or you get like if you would demand, Kay, there's gonna be nowhere ELs [00:37:00] 'cause it's too expensive.

[00:37:00] I did, I did wonder if it was like an undercover message of like. I know you got, I know you guys don't like that we got rid of Kaia, but that's what we had to do to keep the show around. There was no other way. Yeah. To, to co cut costs and all this. We had to get rid of Kaia. I just, maybe it's fact just my brain thinking like, no, no.

[00:37:18] I think that also that the fact that this, uh, episode was set in a TV setting and like all of the stuff, like with the writers saying, you know, because we haven't talked about what's going on with the case, which I know your listeners are probably like, get on with the case and I'll in a minute. But we're getting there.

[00:37:34] We're getting there. There. Um. But the writers like talk about how toxic of a work environment it is, but basically like, we'll never kill anyone. We're happy to just have a job and stuff like that. Yeah. And so, you know, I think they placed it here in a place. And also the fact that Mickey's character had health issues because he's not able to take time off and he is, um, you know, like it's, it is it, the whole episode itself could have been telegraphing to [00:38:00] us.

[00:38:00] Like, these are the circumstances we are dealing with. Like, we can't take time off. We, it's toxic work environment, but we won't kill anyone. Yeah. Like, you know, all of these things, including the budgetary cuts. And so I think you're onto something here. It'll be interesting to see, I mean, we're recording this on Tuesday.

[00:38:19] This came out on Sunday. Um, but if any press had come out or any like, conversations about the state of Elsbeth or if given the state of Paramount, maybe they're keeping that a little under wraps at the moment. Yeah. I mean, I don't, I don't think anything's gonna like. Come from it or I, I think it, I might have just been like a wink and a nod.

[00:38:36] Like, Hey, hey, for those, hey, for you Jason Reeds out there that are like, obviously, because they know us. Yeah. I mean, the kings love love us, like they like us. And for, for those of you out there that are like reading way deep into the episode, this is for you, like this, it's like. Like, uh, move over Taylor Swift.

[00:38:55] The Kings are here. Yeah. We are going to put all of this stuff, all little Easter eggs in for you. [00:39:00] Yeah. We're paralleling our situation to the real life eligible situation, but only some of you going to get it. Some of you going to get it. Not everyone's gonna get it, Jason. You get it. Uh, but yeah, listen, if, if you agree with my take, let me know.

[00:39:13] Like put in the YouTube comments, email us. I'm just wondering if I'm the only one thinking it if now that I put it out there is gonna accept your mind, you'll be like, Hey. Yeah, that does make sense. Let us know if you're down with my take on it. I mean, and also like if you disagree with him, you can email me out the good pod feedback.com.

[00:39:28] Yeah, yeah, yeah. I please Steve, Marissa on that one. We'll take it from you. I'll take it from there. Yeah, for sure, for sure. Uh, yeah, but just my thought was like, but for the record, I, it's, it's a pretty high Im possibility that that could be going. I just wonder if they're like kind of talking to the audience, you know?

[00:39:45] Yeah. At Wagner's speech to the office is like, the show's speech to us. Like yes, I know you don't love the changes, but it's what we have. But, and also, okay, but then if you look at the budget, you had Stephen Colbert and Richter Amy stares on the show at the same time. You [00:40:00] know what I mean? I mean, so I don't know if it's like per episode or whatever, but I think, listen, it is a lot.

[00:40:06] I love to see the numbers of like, if we got rid of Connor Yeah. And did it away with the rotating officer of the week. Like could we have enough money in the budget to get Kaia back? 'cause I might take that trade off. I mean, I'm just saying. Yeah. Or even, uh, having, uh. Ca Cameron, who we see for a little bit, her boyfriend.

[00:40:29] Oh, yes. Mm-hmm. Cameron, and also on the Gilded Age, come in, he comes in, delivers one line and says, Hey, Andy. Well, okay. Let's get to that. Let's get back. Yeah, let's, let's, let's, yeah, let's get into it. Okay. So after like the murder, Laurel and Mickey are at home and. He's telling Laurel like, Hey, I was gonna give, um, Scotty an ultimatum and laurel's.

[00:40:48] Like, I really wish I would've known that. Like, I really wish I did. Big old, oops, big old oops from Laurel. Be like, Ooh, wish I had known that was gonna take place. I probably would've done what I did, but okay. Oh, well [00:41:00] they have some footage of Mickey giving himself a pep talk at the elevator, which I found adorable and very relatable.

[00:41:06] And also just a, just amazing, he's like trying to, you know, pump himself up to go have this conversation. And this is being shown to Laurel and the police and laurel's just like, I can't believe this, this is, I can't believe this is what you're doing. Um, and else sees this. I mean, she's pretty much, I think got it pegged that Laurel did this.

[00:41:23] So she follows Laurel through the TV studio and says, I'd love it if you've helped me with, you know, proving that it wasn't, you know, your husband, because I think the cops got this wrong. I think there's somebody else here, which is. Always an Elizabeth think she's always gonna walk right up to the person who did it and say, I'm onto you in some way.

[00:41:43] Um, and she also lets Laurel know that she knows about the shredder who's named Mickey too, and is like, that probably didn't sound great and like, didn't make that make you or him feel fantastic. And so at the end, throughout all of this conversation, the end result is Laurel giving [00:42:00] Elsbeth an improv lesson because Elsbeth has convinced Laurel that improv could help solve this crime.

[00:42:07] Yeah, I mean, it's a Ellsworth staple, right? Ellsworth is going to make the, uh, murderer put their guard down by inserting herself into the world of the murderer and being like, Hey, I love this, uh, occupation, hobby, whatever it is you're doing. I'm into that. Teach me about it. Teach me how to dance. Teach me how to dance.

[00:42:28] Yeah. Teach me how to do you teach, teach me how to Dougie. Sorry. Anyone, anytime anyone ever says that's where, that's where I go. Um, but yeah, so this is a, this is a classic ELs move. She uses the, the interest of the murder to be like, oh, I'm gonna make you feel like you can talk to me and make you slip up and say something you probably shouldn't say.

[00:42:46] And that's pretty much what happens here, because pretty much, yeah. She like brings up the, this renaissance, famous Renaissance fair sketch, which was, or sketch, which was um, mentioned earlier, but. Earlier in the episode by Laurel to Scotty saying like, you had someone plant that [00:43:00] like recommendation. 'cause you had the skit in your bag, right?

[00:43:02] Like, this is, this is the thing that you were gonna do. He's like, luck takes preparation, which he has a point. But at the same time, it's Elizabeth letting Laurel know. She knows about Laurel and Scotty and Mickey's like past and everything. And so she goes through this whole thing, sets the Renaissance fair scene, and ends up dancing and says, would your husband mind?

[00:43:24] And then Laurel goes, yes. And oh, would he murder me? Yeah. Would you, would you? Yeah. If, if you were reporting him, tell would you murder me if, if you were, we were flirting, which gets laurel's, hackles up, which is like, oh my God. Like, what do you mean? Like, I, I just murdered someone. Do you know I murdered someone?

[00:43:42] Which again, classic Ellsworth. Letting the, letting the murderer know. I'm onto you. I know I'm onto you. I'm on you. I know what you got going on. So, uh, be on the lookout. Be aware, uh, you know, it's a, it's a classic move. Yes, yes. Meanwhile, officer Hackett has found footage [00:44:00] of making the elevator. Apparently every single time he was made photo of on tv, he was pushed to a point where he was going to quit.

[00:44:07] And so he was giving himself the pep talk in the elevator, trying to do all, all this stuff. And this results in Smolen, of course, thinking that it was Mickey who did it, and Elba thinking, no, it wasn't him. And so they go and talk to Wagner, who is enjoying some sushi and not paying attention to the abuse that we talked about before, that Lieutenant Connor is getting.

[00:44:28] Yeah. First of all, I think I would've loved to hear. I, we heard a little bit of the Andy Richter talking to himself, but I feel like that that would be like a Andy Richter specialist to hear, oh my God. Like having a make-believe conversation with somebody. He's trying to like, give an ultimatum to, while being like nice and genuine while trying to give a stern ultimatum.

[00:44:49] Uh, I wish he would've done a little more with Andy Richter. 'cause I feel like, I feel like the Andy Richter we got, yeah, episode was great, but I feel like we could've done a lot more with him. I feel like, honestly, I feel like we could've done a lot more with all [00:45:00] three of our big time heavy hitters here.

[00:45:02] Uh, didn't get enough of any of 'em, which is a good thing because like, they're so good, we want more of it. Mm-hmm. Um, but yeah, I wish we could've, like, I wish we would've had audio in that elevator. Seemed to hear Andy Richter. Uh, kind of like being hard on himself while pretending to be harm on someone else that've been funny.

[00:45:17] Um. But yeah, I love the, the s mullen, uh, ELLs Smith kind of running to dad who was Wagner. He'd be like, I think it's this. I think it's that. What do you, so the tie dads all the time. And when like, ELLs Smith using Yes. And, and completely confusing s mullen. Like, why did you like, disagree with me, but also agree with me?

[00:45:37] Like, I don't know how to deal with this. Try try explaining improv to a boomer. Like sm um, at this point, um, Mickey asked Laurel why she lied to the police. 'cause when she was being interviewed by the police early in the episode, she said she never said anything about wanting Mickey to quit. And, um, she's like, why did you lie to the police?

[00:45:59] [00:46:00] And she's like, don't start asking questions. Don't start doing this. And then Mickey's like, oh, really? Like this is what you did. She's like, I just wanted you have time off and be able to heal to all the stuff. She's like, but without.

[00:46:14] And he does, like, it was like, at first I thought, oh, he's gonna hurt his head and he is gonna, but like, it's like fall body bag. Yeah. Like, that's it. Like, he didn't even hit the floor and then like cut to the body bag scene. And I was like, oh, okay. Which, I mean, listen, we, we kind of, I, I get it. We get it. I was like, we, I knew he was gonna die before the episode was over.

[00:46:34] Just, it was just a matter of how he was gonna die. Would it have been like, it, was he gonna go to the cops and uh, Laurel had to kill him to like, save herself? Or was he gonna just have a heart attack and die like this? And, uh, yeah. And so small, small comes, he is like, yeah. You know, he, uh, he was, he was so upset that he killed Scotty, that he had a heart attack.

[00:46:54] So guilty. So guilty. And I was like, yeah, yeah, that, and yeah, because [00:47:00] she was like, literally like somewhere else. And then Smolen says this and she's like. And Yeah. Yes. And that's exactly what he said before he died, which triggers ELLs Smith to be like you said. Yes. And you only do that when you're in improv, which means you're making this up, which I, I guess is what we, to surmise from Ellsworth being like, I got you now.

[00:47:21] Well, I, she's got, yeah. Like that's confirmed, but we still gotta figure out the how in terms of mm-hmm. Everything else, but Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So this is where Cameron comes in. Cameron comes in to let everybody know, Hey. Mickey did die of a Ry. Like there's really nothing else to discuss here. No foul play.

[00:47:40] This gets Elizabeth running after Cameron be like, Hey, hey, hey. Have you heard, have you heard anything from my friend Kai? I, I can't even say her name. Can I say her name? I don't know what to do. Oh. Oh, I don't know. And he's like, okay, chill out. Like I talked to her. She's ha she's enjoying her assignment.

[00:47:55] She's, she's doing fine. She's alive and also like, great. Let her know there's a stuff [00:48:00] Lockness monster for her later. And I'm just like, oh, this is not what I mean. Yes, but also I just miss Kaya. Yeah. Yeah. I, I think you definitely feel the absence of Kaia and you, we felt it a little in the end of season two, where Kaia and Elsbeth were not as enmeshed with each other.

[00:48:19] I think the show is at its best when Ellizabeth and Kaia were working off each other. Yes. And they were having this bond together. Uh, so yeah, I I we're definitely gonna miss that Kaya Elsbeth, uh, comradery and bond where it feels like we're gonna have to start over with a bond and comradery every episode with a new police officer, because Elsworth doesn't really bond with the detectives as much as, uh, oh, I love write, write the show.

[00:48:45] You know, I love when you write the show. Go ahead, Wagner. That's what I'm saying. Maybe Wagner and Elizabeth or be, because they were like a little team worky here with her saying, Hey. Check out what's going like basically in good [00:49:00] wife language, we've got Diane and we've got Will, and they're like, look around at the firm.

[00:49:03] The kids are getting a little, a little rowdy, like, we need to get this under control. And she and him kind of played that role here where it was like, do you see what I'm seeing? Yeah. Don't worry about it, but you see it. Right? Okay, now I see it. Let me go take care of something. So maybe, hopefully there will be something that brings those two together, whether it is looking into, I mean I still think there's credence to your, um, theory that his wife is corrupt in some sort of way.

[00:49:29] Like so maybe they bring that back in and Ellsworth has to like kind of break it to him or like have these, these conversations. That's really the only other person that I can see her bonding with besides who you talked about. Teddy and I have a feeling he'll be brought in as an investigative journalist to help her with some sort of case at some point.

[00:49:47] But again, we need like that out of. Outside of work, like the poker game or like, you know, like some sort of outside of work thing happening because, um, take it from me having all [00:50:00] of your friends at work not great. Like, you wanna have some friends outside of work so you can talk about things that are not work with the people that you're friends with.

[00:50:10] So, Elsbeth, I mean, I know she's gonna talk to Gonzo, but she's gotta find some new friends. Yeah, a hundred percent. And yeah, I, I love your idea of getting Wagner more involved with Elsbeth. I, I think it would be fun and interesting if, like, for some reason Wagner gets like busted down to detective and it is just like Wagner swith solving a case together, like a mess around, or because of budget, budget cuts.

[00:50:33] We don't have a, we don't have an office. Yeah. We're an objective. Yeah. Yeah. That, so we gotta, you know, he's gotta do that or something happens where he needs to get out of a bind or something. Mm-hmm. Something like that. So we'll see. Anyway, uh, back at the studio, they're reworking this tribute because originally there was gonna be a tribute to Scotty saying, oh, no, Scotty died, but Mickey's here.

[00:50:53] And now they can't do that anymore because Mickey's dead. So, um, Laurel, how, how is the [00:51:00] show not shut down? How's like the, the star and the sidekick of this show are gone, are dead? How are we still go moving forward with this show? If Jimmy Kimmel and Guillermo go down? I feel like we're still Yeah. That like, national on day of morning, at least for some of us.

[00:51:20] Yeah. I feel like the show's going dark right there. Show's going dark. I mean, there's certain people that are probably gonna be celebrating. Some people might, unfortunately in a certain seat of power, although, uh, no, no, because Jimmy has this bench of people that cover for him when he's on vacation. On vacation.

[00:51:37] So maybe we'll get like the Diego Luna show or maybe, but it's like, I feel like if, if they, if both of 'em go down, I feel like there'd be like. There'd be a tribute eventually, but not like the next night. Yeah. Yeah. It was so callous how, how Laurel was just going back to work as if nothing happened. She's like, oh, uh, but one of my best friends of years and my husband are both [00:52:00] dead, but I'm just going to still keep working.

[00:52:01] I, I mean, at least she was wearing black. At least there was, yeah. She had a black suit. At least that was, that was happening El I think. Oh, yeah. I think that probably also does like ping ELs Smith's radar that she is like right back at work and not even like in mornings like. This is weird. Yeah, well she walks up to her and says like, Hey, there still is this thing called spousal privilege.

[00:52:21] Like you didn't have to tell us anything. And she, and then Laurel goes, yeah, but I didn't want anyone else to pay for Scotty's murder like myself. Like I really, I really didn't want that to happen. And else was, continues to question like, if he confessed, why didn't it ease the burden? And then again, in improv fashion, laurel's, like, uh, Mickey thought that Scotty loved her me.

[00:52:41] So that's why it's like you found out, which there could be some truth to that, but you know, whatever. 'cause there were some vibes, um, earlier in the episode. But basically what cracks this case is the fact that ELs Elsman sees trash in her office and is like, that's not my trash, it's Detective [00:53:00] Small's trash.

[00:53:00] 'cause it had the short, the wrapper of the shortbread that she gave him from Scotland in it. And she's like, that's it. So she goes back to the set, like sets up the whole thing. I know. I know you did it for him. You didn't, um, I know you didn't want it to turn out this way. It's just like, what are you talking about again?

[00:53:19] Marilee will roll, roll along is mentioned. Mm-hmm. Um, and Elizabeth has like called in reinforcements with the page who we had seen throughout the entire episode giving a tour of, um, of the studio. We knew that he had the keys to both Laurel and Scotty's office. And it turns out that the way this ca case was solved is that once Scotty was like stuck in the shredder, Laurel had to put some sort of shredding into the shredder because Mickey two had been emptied.

[00:53:49] And so she went over to her office, shredded something, took that shredding, put it into Mickey too. And apparently no two shredders are the same. So because we had one width of shredding [00:54:00] and one shredder and one width of shredding in another Baa Bing Baa boom. Case solved. Yeah, it's almost like ballistics, right?

[00:54:08] You can tell what gun fired a bullet. You can also tell what shredder shredded is certain. Yes, exactly. Office supplies are interesting. Are they not Jason? They are. They very much are. Uh, so yeah, I, I thought I was an interesting way to close it out. I was like, okay, that's, it's interesting. I I can find that.

[00:54:29] It's okay. Yeah, it's alright. It's good. It's good. Like, you know, they always, there's have to be some innovative, interesting way to solve the case. I was like, this is as good as any, I feel like, I feel like else elsewhere is at its best when it tricks the murderer into revealing themselves in a certain way.

[00:54:45] I don't love when they just like. I got this piece of information and now you're cooked. Now you're found out. It's like, uh, as not as theatrical as I would like it to be. I remember, like in season one, they'd be very theatrical with their revelations, with their, like they would, they [00:55:00] would trick people into revealing themselves.

[00:55:01] I was like, oh, that was fun. Like, it was a good, good way of revealing, uh, how else was found out. But now it's just like, Hey, we got the paper that was in the shredder and we found out it was from your shredder. So you're caught smaller, integral, I, yeah. Yeah. Not, not as, not as flashy as we would like, but I think very interesting in the way that they found the killer and the, and the aha moment of Elsa's being like, oh, small switched out my trash.

[00:55:28] Maybe, uh, Laurel switched out the shredder pa the, the paper, the shredder paper. Yes. And also in this episode, I just have to say like, I know. I know that this is a TV show. Okay. I know, I know. I'm very aware. Put that on the record. Marissa does know that it's tv. She does know it's not real life. However, some of the stuff that Ellizabeth put together in this one is stuff that Wagner should have known, or Smolan should have tested or like, you know what I mean?

[00:55:56] Like, did they not look at the evidence? Did it not do the stuff? Like, did they not [00:56:00] sit out in that whole, at the beginning when she's walking through everything, someone had to know that this man was bent over backwards, over the shredder in order to be strangled by the shredder and like ask himself like, how do we get there?

[00:56:11] There was nothing to me that was like extraordinary Elsbeth that could have been brought to this case. I don't, I don't, I think I disagree. I think, I think the things that she came up with earlier in the episode of like, Hey, he had to be bent this certain sort of way. I think that, I think it takes like a, it takes a different mind to.

[00:56:33] Reenact the things like that. I don't think we, I just have the Elsbeth mind. Hey. Yes. And we have a, if anyone, if anyone I know in my life is like an Elsbeth, it's you, Marissa. So Totally agree. I would bring you back a pencil with a i with my hair. I know on it. I know. I, and listen, we've, we have established in previous seasons of this show that the cops are not good at their jobs.

[00:56:59] Yeah, I [00:57:00] know. Okay. I know. In, in this fictional world, I'm, I'm not saying nothing about real world cops do not, do not put that on me. But the fictional cops in this fictional world are not good at their job. Ellsworth has to come in here and do the cops job for them. So it's, it is not, it doesn't, it makes sense.

[00:57:19] That's fair. That they did not figure out this stuff. We have three seasons. We have, you know, two whole seasons of proof that these people are not good at their jobs. And it takes an elsworth to come in and point out things that Marissa thinks should have been obvious. Well, okay, listen, as we've established through, they, they put a French horn in the show.

[00:57:39] They put the University of Illinois in the show. Like there are ties to me. So it could be, it could be like, can you think of a mercy? It could be from me. Yeah, it could be. It could be. They we're, we're gonna f right to find out that elsewhere is based on you. I know. Well, I do have a lot of toe picks. Um, but yes, at the end of this whole entire episode, it does turn out well though.

[00:57:57] I just wanted to mention for Matt the page [00:58:00] because Yep. He ends up being the new sidekick and the head writer ends up being the new host. So in the end, which again, I don't think the show would be like, because this is like two days after the star and the psychic are, are dead, and so like we have a whole brand new star and so I, I, I feel like for outer respect, for the star of the psychic, we should have gone dark for at least a week.

[00:58:26] They would've done something known in the biz as a, a rerun. Like they could have put a rerun on instead of doing all this. Yeah, exactly. Like, you know, maybe a, a best of compilation for like a, a week, like, you know, just a little like, uh, you know, respect to the Dead. It's just, it's like, uh, but I mean, I get that also might be their way of being like, Hey, that, that's the business, you know, with the business moves on rather fast.

[00:58:52] Yeah. The show must go on from, from traumatic, uh, things. So we, we've already got new host and psychic for you [00:59:00] two days after the death of the Star and Psychic. It was just so wild. It was funny to me, just like, as a real world observation, like, wow, they are already back on the air with new episodes two days after Scotty and Mickey are gone.

[00:59:14] Um, but yeah. So yeah, all's well and ends well. I guess there are two people that are dead, but. But two people have no jobs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Great. In this economy. Amazing. Hey, we, we love, uh, we love promotion with, from within, I think is what, what Ronan says, um, on the show. Yeah. Um, from, from a, uh, from a, you're, you are like a museum guide Yeah.

[00:59:38] From a, from a museum guides standpoint, kind of like a page, right? Mm-hmm. How, how is Matt, how is Matthew the page Good energy? Good, like, yeah, he was really good. Uh, just for FYI, uh, pages are on studios to like attend to the things, but they also do tours. And in the museum world we're called docents and we give tours and we do little things like that.[01:00:00]

[01:00:00] Um, so the key to being a good tour guide is obviously you have to know the walk backwards at times. Mm-hmm. You have to be walking backwards and. Points with two fingers. Always good. Like over here you'll see, and not using your f 'cause people the, it could be offensive or whatever, but he had like little like insights.

[01:00:21] I don't know. Have you ever been on a studio tour? Jason? Have you ever done any of that? Like, um, in New York, gone to like NBC or anything like that? Last time we were there, my sister, we got tickets and, and it was pretty accurate to what we saw here on the show. It's just like, here is where this happens.

[01:00:40] Look at that. This is happening in real life. There's people here, there's actually working. Oh, that's so funny. Oh, look it over here. Um, but I do think that Matt, the page also played the office politics games by sucking up to the right people so he didn't have to stay a page forever. Yeah, I mean it, listen, the, the page, they, they really did adjust to the, to the pages.

[01:00:59] [01:01:00] They're like, Hey, the page shows everything. The page gets all the dos. There are many actors they can't think of 'em off the top of, but many actors start as pages. I know. Um. Jack mc Breyer's character on, uh, 30 Rock. It's based on pages and just like how vital they are to the production of a show, because they're basically handling, like in this case, we saw not only tourists to the public, but he was responsible for emptying the, the yeah.

[01:01:26] Shreds. They're, you know, around all the time, they're kind of like PAs like, but backstage PAs, not like onset PAs where they can, like, they're doing stuff for people, so it's not just walking, smiling and pointing. He was vital to solving this case because, yeah. Well, and he, everybody tells him everything, right?

[01:01:44] Like, that's, that's the thing. Like you give it to, or you meet a lot of people, you're at different places. You can overhear some things. So, yeah, and I mean, listen, you come here to Elsbeth for the reenactment of the murder that Elsworth does with, with Matthew the page, which she's like, she's like [01:02:00] demonstrating on Matthew.

[01:02:00] So you, you bet him off with the tie and Matthew's all in on, he is like, ah, he is like pretending to be dying. Uh, I thought that was really funny. I was a, a really great, fun moment in the show. Uh, and that's what you come to Ellsworth for the kind of like the slap sticky Ellsworth acting that's like the, that is a, a staple of icon of this show and what we love about the show the most.

[01:02:20] I, I wanna say, I know you're critical of this episode and of Elsworth you were too. I said we, I say you. Oh, okay. Uh, but we love the show we love, but we were able to talk about it for an hour. So yes, we love ELLs with the character. We love the show. Yes. I just wanna put that out there. I don't want any like, comments being like, if you don't like the show, why are you talking about it?

[01:02:41] We, we do love the show. We just know the show. We have ideas about the show of how they could do better and we wanna put that out there. Well, it's because we loved the show and the character so much that we have those criticisms, that we have those things. I mean, if, if I came into this world without knowing the, the [01:03:00] king verse, without knowing what's possible on shows, like The Good Wife and The Good Fight to find an episode of television, it's a find.

[01:03:07] And I know that we've talked about like where Hell's this place in this and how it's such a different show. And that's part of the reason, at least for me, why it's fun to podcast with you about this is because we have that frame of reference. Yeah. Um, but we do really like, love the show. And, and just because we find things that could be improved or better, that doesn't mean we didn't enjoy the episode.

[01:03:29] It's like, it's because we care. I enjoy the episode. I really like as a, as a. 40, 43 minutes of television. I enjoyed. Yeah, I enjoyed the Amos Darris, uh, performance. Yes. Performance. The, uh, Andy Rich Performance Director and Carrie Preston, who's al always great as Elsbeth, always bringing the kookiness and the quirkiness.

[01:03:50] Can we just have ideas? Okay. We just have ideas and we'd like to put 'em out there. Okay. Yeah. And listen, and as we, as we talked about the good wife of it all, we are at some point in this season [01:04:00] going to get that link to the Good wife that we've been asking for, for all these seasons. The one, you know, the one and only Marissa Gold is gonna be back.

[01:04:10] The Marissa's Marissa's, real name sake, Marissa Gold is gonna be back, I mean. Sure. That's a little impossible, but well, other way around. I am. Yes. His named after you is what I mean, obviously. Yeah, obviously. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So we are gonna get that link we've been looking for, we've been asking for, since Elwin started, uh, rather than just a mention of.

[01:04:31] Someone or a ra, a very random, I forgot the guy's name, was his name Carter, something from last season that popped up and was like, oh, who was, yeah. Remember this? Totally like random cameo from the Good Wife, which was like, that doesn't count. Well, in the first episode they mentioned S and you and I were both like, oh my God, God, yeah.

[01:04:52] We were like, yeah baby. Bring him on. Bring him on, let's go. And they're like, no, we just kidding. We just kidding. We just never mentioned his name. And then we got Carter West's [01:05:00] face last season. Now this Marissa Gold bringing in the big guns, that's a heavy hitter from the Good Wife. It's like, okay, we're getting into it now.

[01:05:08] Let's go. Don't fumble a bag El Smith. Don't do it. Make it, make it matter. Make it count. We love that. We love the connections to The Good Wife. 'cause The Good Wife is what brought us to this show. And the fact that you're getting giving connections now is great. So love it. Yes. I'll say again, like the episode, we had ideas.

[01:05:27] We like, I think it's fine. We like Als Smith don't, I don't wanna hear nothing about like, oh, they don't even like the show they're covering. Why aren't even talking about it? It's not a hate cast, it's a love cast because it's a love cast. Like we said, we love it so much. This, it wasn't a hate watch. Like if this was a hate watch, this would've been a very different episode.

[01:05:42] Jason and I know how to have a hate watch. Believe us. We have covered other shows that we did not like, like a You dear Edward. Yes. But, uh, I mean, and Citadel looking at you too. Yeah, we hated a lot of shows. We covered This is not one of them. Yeah. This is not one of them. [01:06:00] This is not one of them. So I thank everyone for, you know, sticking with us with this episode and sticking with the show.

[01:06:06] I mean, it's obviously here for three seasons and, you know, so people love it. We, we being some of those people. And we want to hear your thoughts on it. We want to hear if you liked it, if you didn't like it, why you liked it, why you think we're wrong. Respectfully, respectfully, why you think we're wrong, why you disagree with our opinion.

[01:06:25] We would love to hear from you. Uh, I'll put it out there again. Uh, the good, the good pod [e-mail]. If you wanna talk to us, you can also put your comments in the YouTube if you're watching and chopped up with us. There's, uh, Spotify comments if you're looking at, at Spotify, and we will interact with as much as you, as we, as we can.

[01:06:41] If you write in, we wanna have a discussion, we wanna make this interactive. So if you have any thoughts and opinions, we would love to hear them. Yeah. And if you wanna check out the good way, there's stuff there for you too. Boom. We got a lot for you. We got a lot going on. Uh, so yeah, that was, uh, that was the case.

[01:06:56] Uh, yeah. I'm trying to think. Did we miss anything? Was there anything else [01:07:00] that we missed? Uh, I think we got it all. Like I, we mentioned, uh, Elsworth bringing all the supplies from the, from the late show to the office, uh, kind of fixing the budget problem. And that's where wagon goes, listen, it was either you or office supplies, so, well, he's like quiet, but then he's like.

[01:07:19] And giving you up is not something I would entertain. Yeah. I was like, oh, look at you, Wagner. A very, a very, uh, different tune than what he was singing in season one where he was really trying to get rid of Elsbeth. He, I think he now sees SBE as the asset that she is. Yes. Because without ELLs, Beth, y'all would be solving no crimes.

[01:07:37] Y'all will think, y'all will think everything was an accident. Y'all will think everything was like the easiest solution. You could, you could get ELs would've to come in here and school y'all fools. And I'd like that. Wagner's seeing her value now. Yeah. I guess Small Mullin's easier to come around at now.

[01:07:51] I was like, all right. Yeah. I guess ELs was right. Yeah. ELs was always right. Um, but yeah, that was the episode. Marissa, do you wanna fill the people in on where they can find you and what else you're up [01:08:00] to out here on these internet streets? Sure, thanks. So obviously we mentioned here on the Good Pod, talking about The Good Wife.

[01:08:06] Um, those episodes come out weekly on Mondays, so check those out if you're interested. I'm over on Whirlwind podcast talking about Pretty Little Liars, but only one previously on App a time. So if you're in for Good Chaos Pod, that's a good one. Um, or I'm talking with my sister at the US s sister, the USS sisterhood about Star Trek, the Next Generation, because we've never watched it.

[01:08:31] So it's just me and her talking about, I mean, it sounds, I I I it's more entertaining than I just made it sound, so go check it out if you'd like. Can't confirm. Can't confirm. Yeah. Thank you. Links to all of that is at, it's me marissa g.com. Jason, it is a busy, busy month for you, so why don't you tell the people what's going on?

[01:08:50] Yeah, October is full of mess. Uh, if you know me, you know that I a purveyor of mess. I enjoy mess and drama on my TV shows, and [01:09:00] so I cover a, a, a couple different shows on a couple different networks. Overall, Rob has a podcast network over at, on that network on the 11 first sight feed. It's a lot of, a lot of titles.

[01:09:09] Stick with me. We're co, we're covering. Love is Blind over all the love of First Sight Feed on Arrives podcast, if you like. Love is blind. If you're into this season, love is blind. We are covering every drop. We just dropped the, uh, the recap of this latest, uh, episode drop of seven through nine for season nine of Love Is Blind.

[01:09:27] Me, Asia Welch and Mary Kowski are covering that. We'll be back with the next drop that drops. Uh. Wednesday whenever you're hearing this. Uh, so that's gonna be coming up here. Low's mind. Interesting season. Not the best season, not the worst season, but we're having fun talking about it. So come on over there.

[01:09:44] I'm also talking to Asia Welch about the show. Married at First Sight. I have a Patreon called A Perfect Match, Patreon. We're talking about older season of the show, season 11. We are on right now. We are gonna be gearing up to talk about the new season of Murder First Sight, season 19, when that comes out, later this month on the [01:10:00] 23rd.

[01:10:00] We'll be talking about that over on that same lover first sight feed you get. The love is blind at. We'll be talking about the new season when that comes up. Uh, it's uh, like, like, uh, Moses said, busy, busy month for me. So come on over. If you, if you like something that I'm talking about, come join me. I love to have you.

[01:10:18] Uh, but that's it for us this week. Uh, we have a episode. This episode came out Sunday. We have another episode Thursday, so we'll be back really soon with another episode. Uh, if you can't get enough of us this episode, come back to the next episode. Um, so that's gonna be coming out soon. But until then, stay good.

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