Lifestyle
In the mood for a sweet, off-beat murder mystery? 'Elsbeth' is on the case
Carrie Preston stars an an astute but unconventional attorney in Elsbeth.
Elizabeth Fisher/CBS
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Elizabeth Fisher/CBS
Carrie Preston stars an an astute but unconventional attorney in Elsbeth.
Elizabeth Fisher/CBS
Carrie Preston won an Emmy Award in 2013, as outstanding guest actress, for her portrayal of a seemingly scatter-brained lawyer on the CBS series The Good Wife. Her character, Elsbeth Tascioni, really was a character. Her conversations tended to derail into unexpected directions. Her questions never seemed to follow any logical path, but they always had a purpose – and she was keenly, almost uncomfortably, observant.
Michelle and Robert King, the writing team that created The Good Wife to showcase the talent of Julianna Margulies, quickly recognized Preston’s Elsbeth as a valuable supporting player. She appeared in six of the seven seasons of The Good Wife, and won her Emmy there.
Then she returned as the same character in The Good Fight, which the Kings wrote as a sequel series starring Christine Baranski. And now, there’s a third series, this time bringing Preston front and center. It’s called Elsbeth, and the series pilot was written by co-creators Michelle and Robert King, with him directing the premiere episode.
So what are they up to this time? They’ve transplanted Elsbeth from Chicago to New York City, where she’s been hired to officially observe, and secretly investigate, some of the police there. In her new job, she’s given so much latitude, she even can serve as an ad-hoc murder investigator.
Elsbeth, the series, is structured like Poker Face, or, even more obviously, Columbo. I’ve previewed three episodes, and each begins with viewers seeing the murderer commit the crime … and then, and only then, does Elsbeth enter the crime scene and start putting the puzzle pieces together.
As with Columbo, each episode features a prominent guest star as the killer of the week. For the premiere episode of Elsbeth — no spoiler alerts here, because the murder is shown in the opening moments — Stephen Moyer from True Blood is the special guest star. He plays an acting teacher and director who has found a way to dispose of his much younger former student and lover, by making it look like suicide. When Elsbeth arrives at the victim’s apartment, she ignores the dead body and heads straight for the bathroom – where she pokes around until a detective notices her and objects.
The police aren’t sure what to make of her, of course. Wendell Pierce, that wonderful actor from The Wire, plays Capt. Wagner, who is exasperated one moment, impressed the next — which is how everyone reacted to Elsbeth way back on The Good Wife. Carra Patterson plays Kaya Blanke, an officer who soon becomes a friend as well as a colleague.
But as with Columbo, the most important dynamic is between the investigator and the killer. Elsbeth, like Columbo, is persistent and underestimated. But where Columbo kept his theories close to his vest, or his raincoat, Elsbeth almost delights in revealing her hole cards, to unsettle her prime suspect. Preston and Moyer worked together on HBO’s True Blood, and it’s fun to see them together again here – this time as adversaries.
Other episodes shown to critics feature, as the murderers of the week, Jane Krakowski from 30 Rock and Jesse Tyler Ferguson from Modern Family. Both of them bring a playful energy, sparring with Preston’s Elsbeth – and she really sparkles, with and without them, and carries the series with ease.
Also, the show’s New York locations add even more to the flavor, and the enjoyment. All together, they make Elsbeth an undeniable throwback to an earlier TV era. But so is Poker Face, which I love for many of the same reasons: Great leading role; delightful guest stars; decent, clever mysteries that are solved by the end of each episode. And in an era where so much TV is so dark and depressing, Elsbeth stands out as a sweet, happy little treat.
Lifestyle
Kumail Nanjiani opens up on his regrets, critical failures and embracing fear : Wild Card with Rachel Martin
A note from Wild Card host Rachel Martin: Here’s my theory about Kumail Nanjiani: He is not a person who is afraid of his feelings. I think he’s the opposite of that kind of person.
Kumail has made his emotional life part of his comedy – whether it’s his deep and abiding love for his wife (as told in the hit movie, “The Big Sick”), his obsession with his cat or the anxiety that grips him in the middle of the night – Kumail’s brand of comedy is often about how we feel our way through living.
His new standup special is on Hulu and it’s called “Night Thoughts.”
Kylie Jenner
Ultimate Showgirl with Backless, Curve Hugging Gown
… At Kylie Cosmetics Holiday Party!
Published
Kylie Jenner showed up to her Kylie Cosmetics holiday party in full showgirl glam … slipping into a skin-tight, feather-trimmed, backless dress that put her hourglass figure on display.
The makeup mogul was clearly feeling herself as she posed in an IG video she shared Wednesday night, playing with the pink feathers that framed her neck and making sure to give fans a shot of her junk in the trunk as she turned around to show off the halter gown from the back. She let the drama of the dress take center stage … opting for a simple makeup look and doing her hair up in a sleek, slicked back bun with a single curl placed on her forehead.
Kylie gave more love to her fun ‘fit on her IG story, twirling around in a video set to audio that said … “Kylie Jenner! What? Oh my God, you look like a Christmas fairy.”
Last night’s showstopping ensemble was just one of the sexy looks Kylie has gifted us with as of late — just a few days ago, she showed off her famous curves in a cheerful red latex dress at the OBB Media holiday party in West Hollywood.
And before that, she was nearly spilled out of the bright orange cutout gown she wore to support her beau, Timothée Chalamet, at the Los Angeles premiere of his latest film, “Marty Supreme.” And how can we forget the figure-hugging, cleavage-baring leather jacket she showed off on the ‘gram earlier this month?
Kylie just keeps on giving this holiday season with the jaw-dropping looks — she’s certainly on our nice list!
Tom Felton, left, who played Harry Potter’s nemesis Draco Malfoy in eight films, is now playing him live on stage.
Matthew Murphy/Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
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Matthew Murphy/Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Almost eight years after Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opened, it has become the highest grossing show on Broadway. Why? Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter’s nemesis at Hogwarts in the eight films, is now playing him onstage.
After every performance, crowds gather at the stage door to get autographs, selfies or just a close-up glimpse of Felton.
Anna Chan flew to New York from San Francisco to see him in the show. “I grew up watching the movies and reading the books as a kid,” she said, “so just seeing him reprising his role as Draco Malfoy is really exciting and just heartwarming to see. It’s kinda like a full circle moment for him.”
Felton feels the audience’s warmth. “I’m somewhat of a bookmark in their youth on the films,” he said. “To see them as excited as I am to be doing that again on the stage was… well, it’s overwhelming and it still is every night.”
Now 38, Felton spent much of his childhood, adolescence and young adulthood getting his hair bleached blond and sneering as the bully Draco Malfoy in the films. For 10 years, he worked with some of the finest actors of British stage and screen, including Dame Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman and Gary Oldman. Felton — and all the other young cast members — learned by example.
“You know, Alan Rickman making teas for the grips,” recalled Felton, “and Jason Isaacs telling anecdotes, Helena Bonham Carter sort of just being playful. I think that’s something that made the early Potter films very special — the adults around us did not take themselves too seriously. And so that allowed us to be playful.”
Tom Felton, right, with John Skelley as Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, now on Broadway.
Matthew Murphy/Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
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Matthew Murphy/Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Post-Potter, Felton has written a memoir and has appeared in films and on London’s West End. When he was given the opportunity to play an adult Draco Malfoy on Broadway for six months, he jumped.
“I do understand the character somewhat,” he said, “although Draco now is a dad.” In the play, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy’s sons become friends and get into a mess of trouble.
In the first act, he and the older Harry have a wizard’s duel and Felton said that, during rehearsal, he added a familiar line from the films that wasn’t in the script.
“When Harry and Draco first decide, ‘Come on, let’s have a scrap, let’s have a battle,’ I think it just came up voluntarily. I said, ‘Scared Potter?’ Felton recalled, laughing. “And then it was sort of looked over and then someone came back to me a few days later and said, ‘We’ve got it in, your line suggestion.’”
The audience gets to see Malfoy and Potter fly through the air and electrical arcs come out of their wands live onstage. “Every night you can hear or feel, rather, at least half the audience go back to their childhood or older memories,” Felton said. “The first time that they saw Draco and Harry duel. And because this one’s live and in front of your face, it’s just only more exciting, I think.”
Felton said he’s proud to be part of the Harry Potter World, on film and on Broadway. He’ll be appearing in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child through May 10.
Jennifer Vanasco edited this story for broadcast and digital. Chloee Weiner mixed the audio.
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