CBS’ ‘Elsbeth’ Is Officially Breaking the Format of Its Murder Mystery

Elsbeth’s fourth-season episode “Death of a Playwright” takes a break from the series’ usual “howcatchem” format, in which viewers see the killer at the outset, and instead keeps the murderer’s identity secret. The episode is presented as the show’s strongest case yet for occasionally using a traditional whodunit, where Elsbeth and the audience solve the mystery together.

The article compares it with two earlier departures: Season 2’s “Tiny Town”, praised for plausible clues and a surprising culprit, and Season 3’s “Basket Case”, criticised for an obvious killer and weak red herrings. “Death of a Playwright” has a manageable number of suspects and enough twists to make Elsbeth’s initial misjudgement credible. The supplied article text ends before explaining the final reveal.