EW breaks down the musical high and emotional lows of the final episode of “Elsbeth” season 3.

Elsbeth season 3 concludes with Patti LuPone-led homage to cabaret and a heartwarming proposal

EW breaks down the musical high and emotional lows of the final episode of "Elsbeth" season 3.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Entertainment Tonight and Popsugar.

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May 21, 2026 10:45 p.m. ET

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Wendell Pierce as Captain Wagner and Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni on 'Elsbeth'. Credit:

Michael Parmelee/CBS

**This article contains spoilers about the *Elsbeth *season 3 finale titled, "That's All."**

*Elsbeth *Is never afraid to sing for its supper, especially when it comes to the final murder of the season.

Season 3's finale had everything that fans have come to love from the CBS crime procedural: Elsbeth Tascioni's (Carrie Preston) solving a murder in the quirkiest manner possible, the perfect mixture of heartfelt family moments and theydunit shenanigans, and iconic musical moments that bring viewers a front-row seat to Broadway's finest.

Thursday's episode featured Broadway legend Patti LuPone as diva cabaret vocalist Ruby Lane, who becomes Elsbeth's prime murder suspect after the slaying of a duke at a fictional classic New York City hotel, The Reilly. But the episode utilizes it's star-studded finale to do more than deliver some of the season's best musical moments; it also serves to close the door on some of the installment's biggest plots and open the door for future ones — including the futures of the titular character's bestie Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson), as well as Elsbeth's son, Teddy Tascioni (Ben Levi Ross).

And, since* Elsbeth* has already been renewed for season 4, there's no fear that the show won't pick up on those stories in the next entry! Keep reading for the breakdown below.

What is season 3’s final mystery?

Patti LuPone and Carrie Preston on 'Elsbeth'.

Michael Parmelee/CBS

As mentioned, Elsbeth and Captain Wagner (Wendell Pierce) find themselves at the Reilly to investigate the murder of Duke Sebastian Mason, Lord of Sussexford. The Duke was killed after he returned to New York for a vote among the Reilly's long-term residents that was meant to determine whether or not the hotel would be sold.

As viewers learn within the first moments of the episode, the Duke was killed by Ruby, who lives at the Reilly where she also serves as their resident cabaret vocalist. And despite seeming hard up for cash, Ruby is shown liberally making use of the hotel's amenities, and requesting it all be "put on my tab."

Unsurprisingly, Elsbeth quickly has Ruby as her prime suspect soon after meeting her, but it's only after a lengthy investigation into her finances and several meetings with the lady in question herself, that Elsbeth figures out that Ruby murdered the Duke to ensure that the hotel isn't sold. As Kaya reveals, Ruby owes the hotel a *lot* of money for maintenance and keeping it from being sold allows her tab to remain uncollected.

It's with the help of the singer's resident pianist Jolly (Broadway alum Nathan Lee Graham) and the insider knowledge of two-time Drama Desk Award winner Michael Urie as philanthropist Montgomery "Monty" Blakemont III that Elsbeth is able to catch Ruby with the murder weapon, her 1987 Mable Short Cabaret Performer of the Year award.

How do the musical numbers play into the season 3 finale?

Ben Levi Ross on 'Elsbeth'.

Michael Parmelee/CBS

While most of the musical numbers in the episode serve to showcase the powerhouse that is LuPone, there are other performances that are used to hone in on the emotional notes of the episode.

One such scene occurs between Elsbeth and Ruby at the cabaret bar during a rehearsal that leads to Elsbeth revealing that she's afraid of Teddy pulling away after he shares that he intends to propose to his boyfriend, Roy (Hayward Leach). "I'm wondering, you know, how I'll handle that," Elsbeth tells a surprisingly empathetic Ruby.

Jolly plays several notes on the piano, prompting Ruby to sing "What'll I Do?" to a teary-eyed Elsbeth, giving voice to the mother's emotions about an uncertain future.

In another great musical scene, Ross — a Tony nominee — gets to show off his Broadway vocals in a scene in which Teddy sings to his boyfriend to propose.

Does Kaya return to the NYPD permanently?

Carra Patterson and Carrie Preston on 'Elsbeth'.

Michael Parmelee/CBS

After briefly returning to her role as a detective at the NYPD earlier in the season, it turns out that Kaya is back to her work undercover. Captain Wagner and Elsbeth find her at the Reilly under the alias Deandra Jordan, where she's been working as one of the staff at the direction of the hotel's current owner, Havenford Realty Group. She was meant to find out the identity of the Reilly's buyer, but the murder of Duke Sebastian postpones the vote for the sale.

In the final moments of the episode, Kaya reveals that she's been promoted by the hospitality group to work in the Havenford Group office, which the captain of her undercover team thinks is a great opportunity for her to do further investigation. She won't be returning to the NYPD anytime soon, but as Elsbeth says, we kind of love seeing her pop up in all kinds of places.

Kaya also reveals that she was never able to find who wanted to buy the hotel, just as Urie's art-appreciating Monty takes his leave with what suspiciously looks like the edges of one of the hotel's paintings in his bag.

What happens with Teddy and Roy?

Fans will be happy to learn that Teddy and Roy take their relationship to the next level in the show's finale. After seasons of waffling (mostly from the former), the couple decides that they want to get married. But, as Teddy tells his mother, "I'm pretty sure Roy wants me to propose because I'm basically allergic to overt romantic gestures."

Elsbeth if instantly full of ideas for her son — including skywriting over Times Square — but Teddy is adamant to go with something more lowkey. "Like during the finale of a show we're watching on Thursday, sharing a frozen Hawaiian pizza with a thrift store ring hidden under a piece of Canadian bacon," he explains.

See 'Good Fight' stars Sarah Steele and Carrie Preston reunite on 'Elsbeth' (exclusive)

'Elsbeth' star Carrie Preston, showrunner dive into season 2 finale's musical number and sad goodbye

It all comes to a head when Roy meets up with Elsbeth to get her permission on their maybe engagement, during which he confesses that he's hoping for a grand romantic gesture despite knowing that Teddy isn't the type to do such things.

"That's why I want a super romantic proposal scene, and we both know Teddy will never," Roy tells Elsbeth. "What can I say, I'm old-fashioned. Brought up in the suburbs, repressed but very performative. Teddy better get used to it."

When Elsbeth tries to nudge Teddy into a more romantic proposal, he lashes out about her getting in his head about the idea. "I don't want him to get a false idea of what life with me is going to be like," Teddy laments. "There's going to be more nights of TV and pizza than there is flowers and skywriting."

A chance run-in with Captain Wagner as he storms out of his mother's office leads to the older man sharing his story of proposing to his wife, which leads Teddy to understand how much a proposal can truly mean.

Struck by inspiration, Teddy brings Roy to the Reilly and takes the stage to serenade Roy with the jazz standard, "That's All," made famous by Bobby Darin in 1959. It's a perfect mix of his low-key nature and Roy's desire for a super-romantic proposal, and ends with the pair dancing together with their new engagement rings.

The moment also gives the show another chance to emphasize that Teddy "could be on Broadway," wink wink.

What happens with Elsbeth and Alec Bloom?

Carrie Preston and Ivan Hernandez on 'Elsbeth'.

Michael Parmelee/CBS

Nothing, if you believe Elsbeth. At the beginning of the episode, Captain Wagner reveals to Elsbeth that Alec Bloom (Ivan Hernandez) has been spotted with a "mysterious brunette" in the paper, officially putting an end to the PR relationship between the attorney and the new mayor orchestrated by his campaign manager Marissa Gold (Sarah Steele reprising her role from *The Good Fight). *

"The mysterious redhead is officially yesterday's news," Wagner tells Elsbeth. "You must be relieved."

Although Wagner seems to believe the news should make Elsbeth happy, considering how rocky the relationship between the two became after Teddy revealed the truth behind Alec's lies during his mayoral campaign, she doesn't quite seem to receive the news the way he intended.

But Elsbeth never reveals exactly how she feels about the supposed end of her relationship with Alec, which got complicated just as she was developing true feelings for him. Even when Teddy inquires about how she feels about the news, Elsbeth puts on a forced smile that doesn't quite live up to the real thing. Considering how Alec's policies continue to loom over the NYPD as mayor, it's definitely not the last we've seen of him.

Is Elsbeth renewed for Season 4?

Carrie Preston, Michael Urie, and Wendell Pierce on 'Elsbeth'.

CBS renewed *Elsbeth *for a fourth season on Jan. 22. The new season will premiere in the 2026-2027 broadcast season, likely in September or October.

Where can I watch?

*Elsbeth* airs on CBS and streams on Paramount+.

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