Spoilers for the Season 4 premiere of Elsbeth are ahead!
As Elsbeth returned to the 2026 TV schedule, I didn’t expect things to be shaken up romantically. I know romance is part of this show. I mean, firefighters have a thing for Elsbeth, and she’s had a few romantic storylines. Plus, there have been other little love stories, like the one between Elsbeth’s son Teddy and his partner Roy, throughout the show. However, at the end of Season 4’s premiere, we got two potentially concerning romantic developments that I can’t stop thinking about.
Is There Trouble In Paradise For Wagner And His Wife?
While Elsbeth’s whole premiere centered around relationships and a murderous marriage counselor (who is played by Nicole Scherzinger), I didn’t expect trouble to hit a couple we know and love. Well, technically it hasn’t yet; however, I couldn’t help but start to panic when the following happened during a conversation Wagner and Claudia were having about Detective Smullen and his wife breaking up:
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- Claudia: It’s so strange seeing old friends break up.
- Wagner: Well, these things happen to other people.
And then Claudia said “Yeah” in a tone that made me very suspicious. Plus, a big statement like that from Wagner makes me think something bad is coming their way…
Not to mention, right after that, Claudia tells Smullen that “sometimes people just need a fresh start,” and after everything that we just talked about, I can’t help but wonder if she thinks she needs one too. So, yes, I am concerned for Wagner and Claudia. However, they’re not the only pair I have thoughts about.
Hang On, Was There A Vibe Between Elsbeth And Smullen?
If you had told me at the start of this episode that Smullen’s love life would be a major part of Elsbeth, I wouldn’t have believed you. However, his separation from his wife in the premiere was a focal point of Season 4’s first episode, and the final seconds of this installment seemed to imply that there’s more to this story…and it involves Elsbeth.
Am I the only one who sensed a vibe between them in those last moments? After they spent the whole episode bickering like an old married couple, they ended by bonding about their respective breakups. Elsbeth even said that if Smullen “ever needed someone to talk to,” she’d be there.
However, that’s not what sent my romance radar into red alert. It was the final moment when they stood very close together, stared into each other’s eyes while dramatic and romantic music played, and nervously said they’d see each other tomorrow. I’m not kidding, the romantic tension in those last two seconds was wild, and they sent me into a tailspin.
Elsbeth and Smullen? Never in a million years did I entertain that as an option. However, now – whether this was intentional or not – I am. And the more I think about it, the more it both concerns and intrigues me.
So, when CinemaBlend had the chance to interview Elsbeth’s showrunner Jonathan Tolins, we asked if there was anything really going on between Smullen and Elsbeth. Here’s how he responded:
I don’t know. I mean, part of it was just the fact that they were thrown into this world of couples counseling, and it makes the characters evaluate how they relate to each other, which was interesting and funny to us. But, you know, Elsbeth has chemistry with a lot of people. We were all kind of delighted by the way that plot turned out. And all I can say is stay tuned.
We hear a lot about Elsbeth’s ex-husband, Mike (Will Patton played him when he guest-starred on The Good Wife), and now Smullen is dealing with a situation not unlike what she went through. To me, it seems like their bond will grow over that, as the detective takes on single life, and based on those last few seconds, their relationship could potentially take a step in a romantic direction. However, they do work together, and because of how unexpected this was in the first place, I have no idea where things will go.
That scares me, but it also excites me. I guess we’ll just have to do what Tolins told us, and “stay tuned.”
So, now, to see where things go with Elsbeth and Smullen as well as Wagner and Claudia, you can catch new episodes of Elsbeth on CBS every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET, or you can stream them the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.