‘Elsbeth’ Is Full of Celeb Cameos—But Will Any Stars from ‘The Good Wife’ Appear? I Have a Theory

After all, Cary Agos—who was played by Matt Czuchry in The Good Wife—has already been mentioned more than once in the premiere episode of the new series, specifically as competition for Elsbeth and the new job she has been assigned to do in New York. Flashing back to his role in the original series, Cary’s rivalry with Alicia Florrick (played by Julianna Margulies) delivered some of the The Good Wife’s best plotlines. But was the name drop simply a fun way to connect the two shows? Preston says yes, but I’m not convinced.

“I think [the reference to Cary] was just a little Easter egg for those fans,” she recently explained in an interview with Variety. “When they were testing the show, the majority of the people had never seen The Good Wife or The Good Fight [another spin-off]. So they are hoping that this show is going to stand on its own and not be connected at all with The Good Wife and The Good Fight. Those little winks and nods about Chicago and her past and the people that she’s worked with are just that, for the moment,” she says.

Still, Preston says there’s always a possibility that some of her original Good Wife castmates would join her on-screen. She adds, “I have not heard that they’re going to be bringing back any characters. All that to say: Maybe? I mean, it would be really fun to interact with some of them again. They all have occasion to come to New York. So we’ll see.”

It’s true: Stern, Lockhart & Gardner—the firm where Agos and Florrick worked—was firmly planted in Chicago, not NYC, which is the location where Elsbeth picks up. That said, in The Good Fight—another spin-off centered around Diane Lockhart, who was played by Christine Baranski—it’s revealed at one point that Alicia has moved to NYC and started her own law firm. And back to Agos, couldn’t you easily see him coming to New York to compete with Elsbeth or, at the very least, defend a client that is somehow connected to a murder she’s investigating? I think the likelihood of more overlap is strong.

Of course, time will tell, but in the meantime, I’m happy to report that Elsbeth is a fun watch, whether you’re a fan of The Good Wife or not.