"My read of the season so far is that Elsbeth appears to be making two significant, intertwined arguments. First, connectedness, trust, teamwork, and open-mindedness are crucial for people to hang on to and develop their humanity, particularly in Times Like These. Second, the billionaire class (both actual and aspiring) and their isolationist, misanthropic hoarding of wealth and social capital are dangerously mistaken if they think what they're doing will insulate them from the worst of what this world can throw at people."
"As played by Tony Hale, Craig Hollis has fashioned himself into a particularly unsympathetic rich boy, isolating himself from the world outside ( oooooh the terrifying wilds of the Upper East Side, full of clamoring hordes shouting "eat the rich" and other Zeitgeist-y slogans!) and swaddling himself in high-tech solutions in an attempt to temper his increasingly paranoid fantasies. His loathing and distrust of other people is so extreme that my increasingly beloved Lieutenant Connor raises his voice a few decibels"
Elsbeth pairs a Columbo-style procedural format with season-long arcs that deepen thematic stakes. The season advances two linked claims: interpersonal connectedness preserves humanity in crisis, and wealthy isolationism and hoarding of social capital dangerously miscalculate protection from societal harms. The episode "Bunker Down" centers on a paranoid tech billionaire who retreats into technology, drugs, and AI replacements while imprisoning an employee in a panic-room-like setup. The billionaire’s paranoia and misanthropy drive self-destructive choices, illustrating how isolation and contempt for others produce harm rather than safety.
Read at Vulture
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]