'Elsbeth' Season 2 Episode 16 "Hot Tub Crime Machine" Review
- Barbara
- Apr 5
- 11 min read
Mary-Louise Parker guest stars on Elsbeth as Freya Frostad, a decluttering guru, in an all-new episode. Freya discusses their calendar with her two partners, Axel (her husband) and Taylor, at their home. She notices there are more time blocks for Axel and Taylor than for her. They are a throuple. Taylor says she’s always welcome to join her and Axel, but Freya declines. She says their relationship needs equal apportionment to work. She feels like an outsider and arranges some alone time with Taylor. Freya gives Taylor an anniversary gift from Axel and herself—a beautiful decorative box. Taylor gives Freya her bracelet. Later, Axel and Taylor are in the hot tub, enjoying each other’s company. He gives Taylor his anniversary gift: a gold necklace with a locket. They passionately kiss as Freya watches them from the doorway. The Sopa moves on the floor nearby, cleaning. Later that night, Freya takes the necklace out of Taylor’s box, collects hair from their hairbrushes, and puts them in the hot tub.
At the hotel, Freya and Taylor are in bed, talking about relationship exercises. Axel’s in the hot tub alone at home and sees the necklace and hair clogging the tub. He reaches down to remove it, but his hair gets pulled into the tub’s suction vent. The Sopa bumps the side of the tub and automatically closes the hot tub cover. Freya is controlling both the hot tub and the Sopa from her phone at the hotel. The next morning, Freya and Taylor return to their home. Taylor notices Axel is missing but sees his phone on the counter. She knows something is wrong because he wouldn’t just leave his phone. They open the hot tub cover and find his body floating inside. Taylor screams and cries uncontrollably.
Elsbeth arrives at the crime scene and asks one of the officers if Detective Blanke is on the case. She’s carrying baked goods and several of her trademark bags. Detective Edwards walks up and tells her that Detective Blanke is not on the case. Elsbeth offers her New York Black and White Cookies, but she’s not a sweets eater. Detective Edwards briefs Elsbeth on the crime, and Elsbeth asks if there were any witnesses, but there were none. The rest of the family was at a hotel. Detective Edwards matter-of-factly tells Elsbeth that suction entrapments are common injuries and deaths every year. She doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary and says she’ll wrap things up. Edwards asks Elsbeth to skip her ‘Elsbethy’ thing in this case. Elsbeth doesn't hear her as she walks over to Freya and Taylor. Freya stops her and asks her to wear shoe coverings like her other colleagues. Elsbeth apologizes for her loss and introduces herself. Freya is struck by Elsbeth carrying baked goods, and Elsbeth tells her they’re great conversation starters, offering Freya and Taylor some cookies. They introduce themselves to Elsbeth, and Taylor mentions that the three of them are together.
Elsbeth realizes they’re a throuple, and she’s intrigued. Detective Edwards brings over a chain necklace and asks if Freya and Taylor recognize it. They lie and say they’ve never seen it before. Elsbeth asks them if they’re sure. Meanwhile, Freya is intrigued by all of Elsbeth’s bags and asks why she’s carrying around so much. Is she worried she’s not enough? Elsbeth responds that she’s too much. Freya gives her a copy of her book to help her organize herself. Elsbeth recognizes her and says she helps people declutter. “Less is More,” says Taylor. Elsbeth says she loves her excess. Freya says that people like that think they are in control, but they’re not. Freya and Taylor leave to grieve privately. Freya advises Elsbeth to start decluttering slowly by getting rid of one bag. Detective Edwards asks Elsbeth if she’s happy now that she’s upset the family. Elsbeth says there’s something odd about Freya. Detective Edwards thinks that’s odd.
Back at Elsbeth's office, she beckons Detective Kaya Blanke into her office. Elsbeth’s desk is covered with all her bags. She asks Kaya which one she should get rid of as part of her decluttering process. Kaya picks up Freya’s book and reads from it. Elsbeth asks if Kaya is working on a new case, and suggests they brainstorm. She offers Kaya Black and White Cookies. Kaya thanks her but mentions she’s reducing her sugar intake. Kaya has to leave, but Elsbeth blurts out how sad she is that they’re no longer working on the same cases anymore. Kaya says she enjoys the challenge.
Detective Edwards suddenly appears with Axel Frostad’s medical records. Elsbeth remarks on the numerous records. Detective Edwards says Axel’s been in urgent care many times. She adds that he’s either the unluckiest man in New York or someone’s been trying to kill him. Teddy brings Gonzo in from a walk at Elsbeth’s apartment. Teddy’s having issues at home with Roy, but he doesn’t want to talk about it. Instead, he deflects and asks Elsbeth about her new case. Elsbeth brainstorms with Teddy about why someone in a throuple would kill one of their own instead of just breaking up. She tells him that marrying his dad and later having him was well worth everything. Teddy says he hasn’t dated much other than with Roy. Teddy asks about Angus. Elsbeth says she was going to tell him about it eventually.
Captain Wagner, Detective Edwards, Cameron Clayden (the Medical Examiner), and Elsbeth review Axel Frostad’s drowning case. Elsbeth notes there was no blood at the crime scene and that it was strangely immaculate. They wonder if he fought with someone because Axel had bloodied knuckles. Captain Wagner asks Elsbeth and Detective Edwards to return to the scene. Elsbeth says Freya won’t be glad to see her. Edwards asks, “Why? Are you going to accuse her of murder?” Elsbeth replies, “Not yet.” Detective Blanke comes in and asks to speak with the captain alone. Elsbeth pulls Cameron into her office and mentions Kaya’s birthday coming up. He had no idea, so Elsbeth offers to handle the birthday planning for him.
Elsbeth and Detective Edwards return to the Frostad apartment and inspect the hot tub with the Tub Tops agent. Elsbeth emerges from the empty hot tub.
They think Axel may have tried to punch himself out of the closed tub, but the agent claims it’s a top-of-the-line model. The tops are indestructible. Freya listens quietly out of sight while the investigation continues. Taylor comes downstairs and asks if Freya is okay. Taylor says she can’t stay there anymore and wants to leave. She doesn’t do couples. Freya’s not ready for this and suggests they find a new third person because she doesn’t want to lose Taylor.
The police discover that the cover was closed on Axel while he was still alive. He tried to punch his way out, but there’s a motion detector that automatically closes the cover if no movement is detected after 30 minutes. If Axel had been moving, the top shouldn’t have closed. An app or a physical switch can be used to close the cover. Elsbeth finds the switch at the base of the tub. The Tub Tops agent says the switch location is a clear violation. Freya arrives and tells them she had the switch moved to its current location. She asks them to leave so she can grieve in peace. Elsbeth steps in and tries to calm everyone. She tells Freya that Axel was alive when the cover closed and shows her the evidence. Freya stealthily presses some buttons on her cell phone, activating the Sopa. It quickly moves to the tub and bumps the cover switch. Freya claims she must have activated it out of habit. Axel is always out of the hot tub by 9 p.m. She begins crying as she realizes her mistake. Elsbeth is suspicious and looks at Detective Edwards.
Elsbeth, Detective Edwards, the Tub Tops agent, and the Sopa Sweep Enterprises representatives meet at the police station to discuss who was at fault for Axel’s death. Elsbeth notes that the Sopa was too clean. She asks how long it would take for a massive amount of hair to accumulate in the tub. Both representatives agree it would take several months. Elsbeth suggests they run a test to determine whether it was user error or user intention. Captain Wagner agrees to the testing after the Tub Tops agent offers to pay for it. Detective Edwards comments that accidents aren’t really accidents, and Elsbeth mentions she found Freya and Taylor’s recently updated profiles on dating sites. They’re looking for a new third partner. Captain Edwards can’t understand the reasoning behind a throuple. Elsbeth educates him on the differences between dyads and triads. She’s been researching polyamorous relationships, and Detective Edwards suggests she’s living the experience herself. They clearly make Captain Wagner uncomfortable, and he sputters that a "couple" is good enough for him. Detective Edwards, upset by his judgmental comments, leaves.
Elsbeth returns the Sopa to Freya, who says it’s her favorite of her 44 things. Elsbeth intentionally searches through her bags, which drives Freya crazy. Freya gets containers to help Elsbeth declutter her bags and schools her on excuses and procrastination. Elsbeth notices that Taylor is not there and asks Freya about her. She realizes Freya cares about Taylor. Freya tells Elsbeth to take everything out of her tote bags. There are 67 items in them! Elsbeth remarks that it’s less than she expected. She loves a mystery, and it helps her think. Freya suggests that decluttering helps declutter the mind. Elsbeth comments that Axel’s accident still confounds her, and she hopes the decluttering can help her. Freya gets Elsbeth to focus on the current task, and they walk through sorting and getting rid of the clutter.
This is sometimes hilarious and sometimes sad, seeing Elsbeth’s attachment to certain items. Freya helps her let go of them. She tells Elsbeth about other clients she’s helped declutter. She says people hold onto things, but the value isn’t in the object—it’s in the memory attached. Elsbeth says sometimes the value is in the object. She won’t give up Teddy’s first Mother’s Day card. She says Freya’s method of letting things go must have helped in her throuple relationship. They talk about relationships. She tells Freya, “Less is More,” now that Axel is gone. Freya changes the subject and offers to dispose of Elsbeth’s unwanted items.
Roy and Teddy are walking Gonzo. They try to get him to go potty, and Roy tells Teddy how his mom used to do it. Teddy suddenly says things are moving too fast for him. Their relationship is on shaky ground. Teddy is reluctant to settle down right now, but Roy is ready to talk about commitment. Roy agrees to break up amicably if Teddy finds someone new, asking him to decide whether he wants Roy or to continue dating.
Back in Captain Wagner’s office, Cameron meets with Wagner, Detective Edwards, and Elsbeth to update them on the tests. He confirms it was Axel’s hair in the drain, but it’s odd because the hair was from different versions of his hair. They also find traces of arsenic. Edwards and Elsbeth agree someone tried to poison Axel, but they disagree on who. Captain Wagner asks them to bring Freya in for discreet questioning. Wagner apologizes to Detective Edwards for his earlier judgmental comments and insensitivity. He says not understanding is not an excuse. He admits he should listen more and talk less. Detective Edwards awkwardly accepts the apology, then asks if he has anything else to say. He doesn’t.
At Elsbeth’s office, Cameron listens as Elsbeth tells him about “Project Sprinkle” (her plan for Kaya’s birthday). Cameron wants to share some of his own ideas for the birthday, but Kaya walks in. Cameron and Elsbeth pretend to be looking at some real estate pictures on the wall. Kaya notices and says they’re being weird before leaving. Elsbeth tells Cameron to come up with some ideas for Kaya’s birthday on his own because she believes he’ll do a perfect job. That real estate picture triggers something in Elsbeth’s mind about the Axel Frostad case.
Detective Edwards and Elsbeth interview Taylor first, asking about Axel’s accidents. They ask why she’s the only one who took Axel to the emergency room and whether she heard the Frostads fight. Taylor mentions that Freya had a temper. She also shares what each individual contributed to their relationship and tells them that Freya would make them soothing tea. They ask her about bank transactions, and Taylor insists that Freya’s not a killer, though Edwards and Elsbeth still warn Taylor to be careful.
Freya and Taylor interview Brock, a third partner, at their apartment. He asks what happened to their last partner. Taylor blurts out that he drowned. Brock changes his mind and leaves. Freya asks her what happened, and she says she was being honest. Freya suggests that Taylor’s jewelry might have contributed to Axel’s death. Taylor gets upset and leaves for a while.
At Elsbeth’s house, Teddy gathers his things to take over to Roy’s. Elsbeth helps, but Teddy says he doesn’t think he’ll take anything else there. He talks about how things are with Roy. He doesn’t want to make wrong choices and have the same thing happen to him and Roy that happened with his mom and dad. Elsbeth tells him she supports him, but he’s got to start acting like an adult and make his own decisions. She keeps giving him more stuff to take to Roy’s, but Teddy says he can’t take any more, or he’ll have to rent a self-storage unit. This triggers an Elsbeth Moment. She starts “Elsbething,” working through the Axel Frostad case, muttering and confusing Teddy.
Elsbeth shows Freya her “quantity” box and asks her to dispose of it. She tells Freya she was right: decluttering helps her mind. Elsbeth is now down to just one bag. Freya takes the box to a storage unit. Detective Edwards and Elsbeth follow her there. The unit is full of things Freya has secretly hoarded. Freya asks Elsbeth not to use that word to describe her. The items in the storage unit include discarded things from all Freya’s past clients, and Elsbeth even finds her stuff there. Freya tells Elsbeth about a client who lived in a $20 million West Village Carriage House, which triggers Elsbeth’s sleuthing skills. The house was owned by a family who made their fortune from pest extermination and had old flypaper. Detective Edwards finds flypaper from the 1800s in Freya’s storage unit. Freya insists Axel didn’t die in flypaper, but Elsbeth points out that Axel had several odd accidents.
Detective Edwards reveals that all one has to do is soak the flypaper in water to extract the arsenic. It was put in their tea. Elsbeth tells Freya that all she had to do was let Axel and Taylor go. She adds that Taylor will probably find more quality now, as the police take Freya away. At that moment, Taylor is already at a coffee shop, making progress.
Teddy arrives at Roy’s house with more of his things. They’re happy to start living together in a committed relationship. At Kaya’s apartment, Kaya and Cameron celebrate her birthday together. Elsbeth is at home, going through all the things she thought Freya disposed of while Gonzo looks on. She gets a call on her laptop—it's from Angus!
This episode was a sensation to watch! It was great to have this thoroughly entertaining, feel-good show back. They handled the different relationships so well and taught us a lot about why people’s lives get cluttered and how to declutter them. Mary-Louise Parker was remarkable! It was also great to see Detective Edwards and some of her personal side. The transition of Kaya to a detective was almost seamless. The only thing that suffered was the close friendship between Kaya and Elsbeth. It was nice to see Teddy and Roy take their relationship to a new level, and always a pleasure to see Captain Wagner. Elsbeth’s downsizing to one bag was tough to watch, but now I understand why she had all those multiple bags. The episode ending with a call from Angus hints at Elsbeth renewing her relationship status, too. It was absolutely a wonderful episode!
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