Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 17 “Four Body Problem” Review
- Barbara
- Apr 11
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 15
David Alan Grier (Arthur Greene, Jr. owner of a family funeral home) and Ethan Slater (Officer Chandler, the new cop and Elsbeth’s new wingman) guest star on this Elsbeth episode. Let's dive into this Elsbeth review. Arthur Greene, Jr. discusses the funeral arrangements for their loved one. Their funeral home is an old, notable, trusted funeral home. He tells the family about the history of the Arthur Greene and Sons funeral home. His Dad is now retired, and lives in a retirement home. At that moment, Russell Greene visits Raymond Greene. Russell’s a conspiracy theorist and comes to ask about an author, N.D. Longacre, a famous mystery writer. He wants to know if he really buried this famous author. Raymond tells him “she’s not in there,” a cryptic message that makes no sense.
Russell’s uncle, Arthur, tells him his Dad has dementia. Russell refuses to stop chasing this particular conspiracy theory. Arthur says that the author died, and remembers her funeral, but later tells Russell he’ll tell him what really happened. They go to the cemetery and Arthur asks Russell to help him dig up the grave. Arthur hits Russell with a shovel and knocks him out. He takes his phone and removes the foil around it. He throws both it and Russell in a coffin he had in the hearse. Russell is still alive because he starts banging on the inside of the coffin yelling for help.Arthur returns to his office to get information before he takes Russell’s coffin to get cremated. He’s interrupted by Aaron who tells him about a VIP that has just died. They will be getting the bodies, and everything has to be handled discreetly. Arthur quickly hides the coffin he put Russell in in a storeroom.
At the police station, a conspiracy theorist, Barb (Jenn Harris), is frantic. She asks LT Connor for help about her missing friend, Russell Greene. She’s sure something happened to him because he missed their usual breakfast meeting. She and Russell share their phone location, and can track each other’s movement. Barb recounts Russell’s movements to LT Connor. Elsbeth overhears her and asks why she and her friend share their phone locations. Barb tells her she and Russell met in an online Media Manipulation and Alternative Thinking group. LT Connor says they are conspiracy theorists. Barb says they share locations to keep tabs on each other, due to possible threats. Elsbeth tells LT Connor it’s a case worth looking into. He refers her to CPT Wagner, who won’t assign a detective to look for an alternative thinker.
He does assign Elsbeth her new wingman, Officer Chandler. He tells her he’s a little annoying and wants him out of the office. Officer Chandler is very chatty, and Elsbeth takes him to the funeral home to investigate Russell Greene’s disappearance. They talk to Arthur, who gives them a fabricated story about his last meeting with his nephew. Elsbeth asked if he knew why his nephew visited a cemetery the night before. Arthur tells her no, but that Russell was involved in following online conspiracy theories. Elsbeth tells Arthur his friend who reported him missing thinks something bad happened to him. He explains to Elsbeth a family member like Russell is a disappointment and wasn’t expected to take over the family business. Elsbeth's numerous questions and astute observations annoy Arthur. He shows her out. Officer Chandler stops them and shows her a video made by Russell Greene. He states if they are viewing his video, he is probably dead. Arthur says nothing.
Elsbeth shows CPT Wagner the video, and tells him Russell set the video up to automatically post if he failed to log into his computer in the morning. CPT Wagner asks why a person would assume they would be killed. She says Russell was a very paranoid person. She concluded this after searching his social media. The video showed Russell explaining his tin foil/homemade Faraday cage. CPT Wagner asked what she thought about the case. Elsbeth tells him Russell’s uncle isn’t telling everything. A tip line and missing person’s bulletin was set up to help find Russell. Of course, Detective Kaye Blanke was placed on tip line duty. Detective Buzz Fleming volunteered her for that duty, because he says it’s a rookie detective’s right of passage. He is enjoying her misery. Russell’s conspiracy theorist friend bursts into the squad room and says she knows what happened to him. She says the FED got him. Elsbeth doesn’t think that’s a legitimate theory. She notices his notes on N. D. Longacres, and finds that more realistic. But to satisfy Barb, Elsbeth gets CPT Wagner to contact the FBI. His FBI contact never heard of Russell, but will make some inquiries.
32 Minutes Later, Elsbeth is surprised by a visit from the FBI about Russell Greene. They asked if he was bothering her, and could put a stop to it if needed. They confuse her more by admitting they have a file on him. Why?! The FBI don’t have good things to share about him. They said he was harassing them with his nuisance inquiries. They did keep an eye on him though. They suggest he may be off the grid somewhere living in the woods. Things calmed down at the Arthur Greene and Sons Funeral Home, giving Arthur Jr. a chance to move the coffin he put Russell in.
Moments later, the VIP bodies arrive. Arthur rushes out with Russell’s coffin. Elsbeth tells Barb the information she got from the FBI. Russell was harassing the government agency, and that’s why they have a file on him. Detective Blanke walks into Elsbeth’s office with a witness, Jaye, who was probably high on mushrooms, might have seen Russell Greene. Jaye says he saw Russell get abducted by a spaceship at the cemetery. He was there paying respects to N.D. Longacre. Barb interjects her theories and an Alternate Thinking Battle breaks out in Elsbeth’s Office. Elsbeth pulls up a picture of Arthur Greene, Jr. and the family hearse on her monitor. She asks Jaye if that’s the spaceship he saw, and he confirms it.
Elsbeth and Barb go to the cemetery to see N.D. Longacres grave. Barb explains to Elsbeth the theory of N.D. Longacre’s ‘not dead’ story. Elsbeth collects evidence, and sees tracks that could be a hearse. She theorizes a coffin is a perfect place to hide a body. Elsbeth takes her theory to Wagner. She believes the case is now a murder investigation. Chandler already called crematoriums inquiring if the Author Greene and Sons Funeral Home brought a body for cremation. Wagner tells Elsbeth Barb now claims she’s working with the NYPD, more misinformation. Wagner tells Elsbeth he can’t give her a search warrant, but she can still check out their showroom. Elsbeth assures Wagner she’ll get Barb to take down false posting.
Elsbeth and Officer Chandler walk to the funeral home. Chandler is chattering away. Elsbeth and Chandler check every coffin on display. Elsbeth talks to and gives a big hug to a saddened customer, Juniper Dell. She tells her that her sister would be very pleased with the time and great care she’s putting into her burial process. Elsbeth goes to another room and tries to open a coffin. Arthur catches her, and asks her why she’s back.
She asks him if she can see inside the casket. He opens it, but there’s no body inside. Arthur insists Elsbeth get inside to test the coffin out. He’s intimidating! Later, Arthur goes to the body storage room and sees that Russell’s body is gone. He later finds it when the temp is wheeling it away.Outside, Elsbeth searches the funeral home’s hearse. She finds aluminum foil inside. Some time later, Elsbeth meets Barb to ask her to take down the post. She agrees, and just wants justice for her friend. Elsbeth talks to Longacre’s sister in her office. She says her sister’s casket was a closed one upon recommendation by Arthur Greene, Jr. Detective Blanke stops by to see Mrs. Henderson, a person from the tip line.
She thinks Russell is stealing from her. There’s a noise! It’s a raccoon. Detective Blanke later tells Fleming she solved Mrs. Henderson’s mystery, and is now done with the tip line. Elsbeth goes to see Raymond Greene about Russell. She asked about N.D. Longacre. Raymond says Russell was going to exhume the body. He told Arthur to keep the coffin closed. Elsbeth goes to the Dell Family burial ceremony. Juniper invited her. They begin the cremation process, but Elsbeth asks Juniper to check the casket again. Arthur opens it and Russell’s body is inside with Juniper’s body. Arthur is arrested, but won’t say anything more. Elsbeth later tells Barb that Raymond Greene mistakenly cremated his dog Polly instead of N.D. Longacres’ body, due to early onset dementia. Barb immediately assumes Longacres is still alive. Elsbeth assures her she’s not. Case Closed. CPT Kershaw calls CPT Wagner with a warning if he’s going after a sitting judge. Elsbeth’s latest episode has a great mix of the macabre, comedic moments and superb investigative detective work.
The writers execute excellent character development with Blanke AND Elsbeth. Elsbeth’s taking the lead in more detective work. She also has reduced her bag numbers. Loved how Wonderful David Alan Grier was in this episode. He played the character perfectly. Really like Elsbeth’s new wingman, Ethan Slater/Officer Chandler. The cast delivered another Superbly Entertaining episode.
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