Elsbeth is celebrating Halloween with a star-studded episode that might be more trick than treat.
In Us Weekly‘s exclusive first look at the themed episode, which airs Thursday, October 30, Elsbeth (Carrie Preston) looks regal in a white ensemble with striped bows. In another still, she’s in a more fall-inspired outfit with a pop of orange. The scariest sneak peek shows Elsbeth with Sharon (Annaleigh Ashford), who is described as a murderous suburban housewife.
“Elsbeth must separate trick from treat in Sleepy Hollow when a rivalry reaches a ghoulish climax on Halloween night after a suburban housewife butts heads with a new neighbor,” reads the official description. “Meanwhile, Captain Wagner makes a frightening discovery about his daughter.”
Ashford is the newest celebrity to book a guest star role on Elsbeth, which also features William Jackson Harper, Julia Fox and more.
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“From the very beginning, we have worked hard to make Elsbeth a show on which all the best actors will want to appear,” showrunner Jonathan Tolins shared in a statement ahead of the season 3 premiere, which airs Sunday, October 12. “Our streak continues as we welcome Annaleigh Ashford and William Jackson Harper to our panoply of brilliant guest stars matching wits with the incredible Carrie Preston.”
Elsbeth, which premiered in 2024, reintroduced the title character after she originally appeared on The Good Wife and The Good Fight. The first two seasons showed Elsbeth becoming a de facto detective who aids NYPD investigations. Preston stars alongside Wendell Pierce and Carra Patterson.
Fans were in for a surprise when season 2 ended with Patterson, who plays Kaya, departing the show as a series regular.
“It’s been in development since the beginning of season 2,” Preston exclusively told Us in May. “We wanted to honor her and elevate her to detective. So it was very exciting when that happened for the character. Not as exciting for us though because we love Carra. I love Carra and I obviously love playing with her.”
Preston promised that wasn’t the last we will see of Kaya, adding, “She’s still on the show — it’s just in a different capacity. It’s nice because it adds some conflict and it adds some stuff for Elsbeth to wrestle with. It’s going to deepen my character.”
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The series has already been preparing for Elsbeth to have a new partner by pairing her off with a handful of other cops — including Officer Chandler, played by Ethan Slater.
“With Elsbeth having to deal with this person not being there who she really leans on, it’s a real testament to the writers that they did it in such a gradual and beautiful way,” Preston told Us. “It’s the good thing about Elsbeth, [she] is so positive and never met a stranger.”
The actress didn’t rule out potential “growing pains” as Elsbeth adjusts to “flying solo” in season 3, saying, “The writers have already started introducing other uniformed officers that Elsbeth really relies on to get onto the crime scene. The way our show is structured, it’s not the same detective with Elsbeth on every case.”
Preston continued: “So that always adds a little breath of fresh air as well by having different points of views and different people for her to either partner with or go head to head with in the pursuit of justice.”
Elsbeth season 3 premieres on CBS Sunday, October 12, at 9:30 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Paramount+.
