Warning: SPOILERS for Elsbeth season 2, episode 19, "I've Got A Little List."

Of all the unexpected developments in season 2 of Elsbeth season 3, although that remains to be seen.

As of now, Elsbeth remains one of the more unique procedurals on network television. That said, there’s always room for change and improvement, and The Good Wife spinoff could easily choose a new direction for next season. One thing Elsbeth would benefit from is a slight adjustment to its current villain model, and the most recent episode hints at just how that might occur. After season 2, episode 19, it would almost be a shame if at least one recurring villain didn’t take inspiration from one particularly unexpected plot twist.

Elsbeth Season 2, Episode 19 Ends With Elsbeth Being Imprisoned By A Non-Corrupt Judge

He Legitimately Believes That Judge Crawford Was The Good Guy

Judge Crawford’s villain threat on Elsbeth never became as deadly as it seemed for a while like it might, but the ending of that storyline certainly had ramifications for Tascioni. She was already thrust into a darker worldview in which justice means little, but now Elsbeth is finding out the hard way that Crawford’s colleagues blame her for his death. That becomes clear when she comes up against Judge Edwin Dousant, a man who doesn’t seem corrupt yet still regards Crawford as a hero.

To be fair, Elsbeth went out of her way to get herself into that position. She was directly ordered by both ICE and the NYPD to stop investigating her suspect. Nevertheless, she persisted. As a result, Dousant charges Elsbeth with criminal harassment and has her placed behind bars without bail because the nature of the case makes her harassment a felony. She’s now being transferred to a facility where she’ll face her own previous suspects once again. But if there’s an upside to all of this, it’s that this turn suggests an interesting new storytelling tactic for season 3.

Elsbeth Needs To Change Its Villain Type For Season 3

The Series Could Use A New Spin On Its Corruption Angle

Now that Carra Patterson is leaving Elsbeth as Kaya Blanke, there are several opportunities for the series to change up its usual vibe. One intriguing development would be to change up its focus on corruption. Elsbeth has been focused on corruption since the start because of Tascioni’s consent decree, with Wagner acting as the first suspected villain before Crawford took over as the main villain for season 2. But there are other ways to handle that storyline.

Judge Dousant makes fairly justifiable legal arguments as to why Elsbeth should be in jail, and he does so with enough authority that even a gifted lawyer like herself can hardly argue. Because he seems to truly believe in Crawford’s innocence, Elsbeth can’t get herself out of jail by recalling her original case against Milton. After two deliberately corrupt villains in a row, it would be interesting to see more obstacles in which Elsbeth’s beset by people using their power for what they believe to be truly noble purposes. And the series has already shown how that could work effectively.

Lt. Connor Already Showed How A Less Corrupt Elsbeth Villain Could Work

He Helped Establish A Blueprint For Future Seasons

One of the things that’s always made Elsbeth one of the best procedurals on TV is its quirky protagonist and appreciation of dark humor. But Lieutenant Steve Connor sought to put an end to that when he was first introduced in season 2. Connor wanted Tascioni fired for her constant tendency to work outside of standard procedure, but he softened when she attended Crawford’s jury duty and the precinct’s detectives began slipping as a result of her absence.

This put an end to the brief period in which it looked like Connor might be a threat, but it also draws attention to a new kind of villain from which Elsbeth would greatly benefit. Connor wasn’t corrupt, as one might expect from a show in which the main character is only justified by her consent decree. He legitimately thought that getting rid of Elsbeth was the right path to justice. In the wake of Crawford’s publicized death, there’s room to write even more villains with the same motivation. Season 3 wouldn’t hurt for making greater use of that idea.

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