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Who knew that Carrie Preston‘s quirky CBS procedural Elsbeth would be secretly brilliant at throwing subtle — yet fun — celebrity shade?
After originally appearing on The Good Wife and The Good Fight, Preston was reintroduced as Elsbeth Tascioni, who became a de facto detective that aids the NYPD in their investigations. The titular character’s unconventional methods led her to make unique observations that help solve crimes.
Elsbeth, which premiered in 2024, also stars Wendell Pierce and Carra Patterson. The procedural nature of the show meant each episode has new characters that need Elsbeth’s help with viewers usually knowing who was to blame for a crime from the beginning of the episode.
But the CBS series isn’t just about entertaining weekly cases or star-studded cameos, Elsbeth quickly cemented itself as the show with the best shade. From bringing up Justin Timberlake‘s DUI to mentioning Meghan Markle‘s issues with the royal family, keep scrolling for the highlights:
Joking About Justin Timberlake’s DUI
“What happened to all our high-profile cases?” Elsbeth asked when season 2 premiered in October 2024, to which Kaya (Patterson) replied, “Oh, they’re all in Martha’s Vineyard, Tuscany … [or] driving drunk in Sag Harbor.”
The joke aired four months after Timberlake got charged with one count of driving while intoxicated. Timberlake subsequently agreed to a plea deal, accepting a lesser charge of traffic violation. He was ordered to complete 25 to 40 hours of community service with a nonprofit, pay a $500 fine and issue a public safety announcement.
Getting the Royals Involved
Season 2 introduced a mystery at a high-end jewelry store — seemingly inspired by Tiffanys — where a woman tried to get approved for a membership-restricted floor.
“I heard Kate Middleton applied three times and she still didn’t get in,” Jenn Lyon‘s character Celeste told Vanessa Williams‘ Rosalyn Bridwell in a November 2024 episode.
An episode from January 2025 featured Elsbeth investigating a holistic wellness center after a patient is found dead in his car. Elsbeth immediately got a bad feeling about the facility’s founder (Eric McCormack) when getting the case assignment from Captain Wagner (Wendell Pierce).
“In the meantime, I need you on a case. A young man, Cole Campbell, was found deceased on the highway. His car ran off the road,” Captain Wagner said. “The last place he was seen was some fancy spa where celebrities and the royals go to.”
Pierce, who played Meghan Markle‘s dad on Suits, poked fun at the wellness center‘s popularity in character, adding, “The global press was already trying to frame Meghan Markle, and she wasn’t even there!”
Bringing Up the College Scandal
During a February 2025 episode, Matthew Broderick played an educational consultant named Lawrence, who promised an Ivy League future to high-paying clients with help from an assistant — played by the actor’s real-life son James Wilkie Broderick.
“Schools are cracking down. They are trying to be more meritocratic. Gone are the days when a simple 10 million donation guaranteed you a spot freshman year,” Lawrence told parents about their child’s future in the opening scene. “In the current climate, outmatch educational consulting is a real bargain. You don’t want to start too late then panic senior year and end up sharing a prison cell with a Desperate Housewife.”
The shady line referenced Felicity Huffman‘s role as Lynette on Desperate Housewives, which aired on ABC from 2004 to 2012. Huffman was arrested at gunpoint by FBI agents in 2019 for her involvement in the infamous college admissions scandal.
Following her arrest, Huffman pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. She served 11 days in prison in October 2019, paid a $30,000 fine and completed 250 hours of community service for her crimes.
The Jordon Hudson and Bill Belichick Episode
Elsbeth’s December 2025 episode about a basketball coach in an age-gap relationship featured several similarities to Hudson and Belichick’s high-profile romance. During the episode of the CBS series, Elsbeth looked into an athletic director’s murder, which thrust her onto a college campus. The prime suspect seemed to be the coach’s 22-year-old girlfriend, Peyton (Lana Condor), but Elsbeth wasn’t as certain.
“It is not his record [that is the problem]. It is the way he is letting this woman embarrass him. He looks ridiculous,” said a fan on the show about how the coach “should have stayed retired” if he was exploring a romance with a much-younger woman.
