The following contains light spoilers for the Season 3 premiere of Elsbeth.
As a total film and TV buff, I’ve always been amazed by Robert and Michelle King. These are the masterminds behind shows like *The Good Wife*, *The Good Fight*, and *Elsbeth*, and they have this uncanny ability to predict what’s coming. Seriously, they foreshadowed things like Kim and Kanye’s divorce and even The Rock potentially running for president! It’s almost spooky. And get this – an episode of *The Good Fight* dealing with censorship in China actually *got* censored in China. Talk about art imitating life – or predicting it!
It’s fitting that the third season of *Elsbeth* will address the recent issues surrounding late-night talk shows. The premiere, airing on CBS October 12th before moving to its regular Thursday timeslot on October 16th, features Stephen Colbert – host of *The Late Show with Stephen Colbert* on CBS – playing a difficult talk show host. The character is reminiscent of the satirical persona Colbert famously portrayed on *The Daily Show* and *The Colbert Report*.
In this storyline, Stephen Colbert plays Scotty Bristol, a cruel boss on his late-night show, who mistreats his writing staff. Amy Sedaris plays Laurel, the producer who tries to manage him. Laurel, her husband Mickey (played by Andy Richter), and Scotty all used to perform together in an improv group. When Scotty refuses to give Mickey time off for a health issue, Laurel uses their shared history to manipulate and ultimately kill him.
This recent show aired just three months after the announcement that *The Late Show* will finish its current season in May 2026. The show’s cancellation followed host Stephen Colbert’s comments on his July 14th broadcast, where he described a $16 million settlement between CBS’s parent company, Paramount, and former President Donald Trump as a “big fat bribe.” Paramount required approval from the Federal Communications Commission to proceed with its merger with Skydance.
Following the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on September 10th, Jimmy Kimmel’s show, *Jimmy Kimmel Live!*, was taken off the air for six days after Kimmel made comments about the incident.
While the end of Colbert’s show was framed as a business choice, Jimmy Kimmel’s temporary removal from the air signaled a worrying trend of political censorship.
As Carrie Preston – who I absolutely love as Elsbeth Tascioni, that wonderfully eccentric lawyer we first met on *The Good Wife* and *The Good Fight* – told me, they filmed the very first episode of her new show right after the news broke about *The Late Show* ending. It’s pretty wild to think about that timing! Her character, now an internal investigator looking into the NYPD, is just brilliant at figuring out who committed murders, almost like she has a superpower for solving crimes.
During a September 25th appearance on *The Late Show* with guest Stephen Colbert, Colbert joked about being repeatedly interrupted by a musical guest, saying, “It looks like your writers are really bold to have me on and then cut me off!” He added playfully, “To do it twice in one week—I’m okay with it!”
This episode of *Elsbeth* doesn’t focus on government censorship, maintaining the series’ generally lighthearted tone, but it does playfully comment on current politics. For instance, when the show *Way Late* is interrupted due to a murder in Bristol, Elsbeth quips, “Oh no, what happened? Is it Greenland?”—a reference to former President Trump’s past interest in purchasing the island.
The episode highlights the competitive and often harsh side of the comedy world. Several characters, including a detective who also performs stand-up (played by Lindsay Mendez of *Merrily We Roll Along*), repeatedly express disbelief at the increasingly questionable practices within “this business,” such as joke theft and the mistreatment of newcomers.
One comedy writer perfectly captured the situation, saying, ‘It’s a tough place to work, but we’re all just thankful to be employed.’
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2025-10-13 05:07