'Elsbeth' Season 2 Episode 5 Recap - A Recipe for Murder

Editor's note: The below recap contains spoilers for Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 5.

With the world of haute cuisine as stressful as it is, I'm surprised it took this long for Elsbeth to set an episode in a fine dining establishment. But better late than never — and actually, as I'll get into below, this turned out to be perfect timing for this episode — as Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 5, "Elsbeth Flips the Bird," takes Elsbeth (Carrie Preston) and Officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson) to the world of New York fine dining as they struggle to both crack the case and to perfect a chef's signature duck recipe. Both equally challenging, as it turns out.

The episode opens at the fine dining establishment in question, Chef Veev's, run by Chef Genevieve "Veev" Hale (Pamela Adlon), as she preps her staff for another night of dinner service. Her critiques for her staff are harsh but perhaps expected at that level of performance. She's understandably tense, though, as that night table 12 will be playing host to a "five-star VIP," but her maître d', Sam (Jack Davenport), assures her they have everything well in hand. Her attempts to stay calm but firm hit a snag when Jordan (Aaron Gonner), one of the prep cooks, misses her question about inventory because he's too busy texting. She dismisses him to get the update she asked for, and the team is otherwise underway for dinner service.

Missed Dining Reservations Cause Huge Problems in 'Elsbeth' Season 2 Episode 5

Image via CBS

Things start to go wrong when there's a crowd gathered at the host's stand, and it looks like there are problems with the reservation system. One man complains that he's had reservations for weeks, and suddenly his table is no longer available. Chef Veev gets involved when Mr. Montebello, her five-star VIP, storms off after seeing his corner booth was given away to a quartet of dancing influencers. Veev goes to Sam for answers, and he explains that it's been happening all night: people arrive and give him their names, and then later more people arrive with the same name. Fortunately, the impatient guest from earlier can shed some light on what's happening — albeit inadvertently — as he complains that he and his date are starving, and they expect better, having paid $500 for the reservation. Veev is confused, as the restaurant doesn't sell reservations, but a ping from the direction of the kitchen alerts her to Jordan's presence, as he watches the dining room, still on his phone.

Before she can confront him though, there is the dinner service to finish, and Mr. Montebello's bruised ego to soothe. She calls him, and the man agrees to return to the restaurant that Saturday, where Veev promises to serve him something extra special. She dismisses the staff after clean-up, telling her sous-chef Malcolm (John-Henry Hirozawa) that he can leave as well as soon as he gets a tray of duck started and sets the timer. With that handled, Veev turns her attention to Jordan. On her phone, she finds a reservation listing for Chef Veev's that Saturday, going for $415. She finds Jordan in the prep kitchen, who tells her he's going to wait up for their overnight deliveries. Veev books the table, prompting an immediate ping from his phone, confirming that Jordan's the one behind the messed-up bookings. At first, it seems like all she's going to do is fire him, but the two get into it over food, with Jordan frustrated that she won't let him out of the prep kitchen, and Veev justifying the choice by saying his culinary ideas aren't especially innovative. Jordan confessing he wanted to ruin Mr. Montebello's visit isn't what sends Veev over the edge though. Rather, it's him insulting the way Veev makes lamb shanks that prompts her to grab a meat tenderizer and attack.

While I was worried this delightful little police procedural comedy was about to take a turn for the extremely gory, Veev doesn't actually bash his face in with the little spiked mallet, hitting him on the arms instead, or alternatively hitting the floor. The frustrations she vents — that she had to claw her way up to where she is while mediocre men were promoted above her — are extremely valid, but in the court of public opinion, those would likely go unheard given the fact that she's trying to hit someone with a meat tenderizer. This is what Jordan is banking on, as he shows Veev that he was filming her whole attack, and plans to make the video public. Now if he was smart, he would have left without saying anything and released the video without telling her his plan first. But that's not the world they live in, and the two come to blows, with Veev eventually getting the upper hand. She dons a set of gloves and chokes Jordan to death, before deleting the video off his phone — removing the gloves to do so as the touch screen wouldn't respond otherwise. Veev then gets to work, staging the kitchen like it was the site of an attack. She throws produce on the floor, then takes the meat tenderizer to her own forehead before climbing the stairs to the basement and throwing herself down them just as the duck timer goes off. We've seen a lot of murders happen on this show, but I don't think we've ever seen a killer take as much care to hide their tracks as we see with Veev.

She's found the next morning by Elsbeth, Blanke, and Detective Edwards (Micaela Diamond). They ask her what she remembers, and she tells them — after "noticing" that Jordan is dead, and acting upset about it — that "they" pushed her down the stairs, pointing Edwards toward multiple suspects. Sam, Malcolm and Grace (Keeley Miller) arrive for the workday, and Sam offers to cancel the dinner service for the evening in light of what happened, but she insists to her team, and to the police, that they will carry on as planned, with no specials and a reduced menu, as they won't have access to the prep kitchen while the police process everything. While she and the staff go to start their day, Elsbeth and Blanke investigate the kitchen, while also searching for the source of the delicious mystery smell in the air. Elsbeth wonders if it's odd that Veev was almost killed but is insisting on going right back to work, but Blanke tells her it's nothing she hasn't seen before. The two then wonder about the strange stains on the front of Veev's pants but are pulled from their musings by the sound of the timer, as Veev comes over to take the duck out of the oven. At least the two learned the source of the delicious aroma, so that's one mystery solved.

Veev's Anger Issues Come Back to Haunt Her in 'Elsbeth' Season 2 Episode 5

Image via CBS

Back at the precinct, Elsbeth and Edwards speak to the staff. Malcolm and Grace say that the night was rougher than usual, explaining the mix-up with the reservations. Sam tries to downplay it — this was his responsibility after all — but says that the worst he got from customers were threats of legal action. When asked if either Veev or Jordan had enemies, Malcolm and Grace hint that Veev didn't really get along with most people, though Sam adds that she was much better than she used to be after going through an anger management course. When it's Veev's turn to be questioned, she explains that Jordan stayed behind overnight twice a week to accept deliveries, and that she was closing up the office when two men arrived at the back door, pushed her down the stairs and hit her with something before attacking Jordan, but she adds she doesn't remember much else as she blacked out until the police arrived. Elsbeth notes that it's odd that Jordan would still be on the overnight shift after working there for two years, but Veev explains that that's life in a kitchen; upward mobility is very difficult. When Edwards asks again if anyone could have had it in for them, Veev suggests that it might have been the avocado cartels, who were upset after she turned them down.

As ridiculous as the term "avocado cartel" might sound, Captain Wagner (Wendell Pierce) confirms that it is, in fact, a real thing. The cartels, he says, go from restaurant to restaurant, forcing their product on them, and he tells them that eight chefs have been attacked by the cartel so far. Elsbeth suggests that rather than a cartel member, Veev might somehow be behind the attack, but both Wagner and Edwards dismiss it as Veev is the obvious victim, with Edwards going so far as to call Elsbeth a "victim blamer," something we're going to come back to later. Wagner instead gives Edwards the go-ahead to track down the so-called "avocado don," and see where that leads her. Dismissed, Elsbeth decides to call Veev's to see if she can get a reservation for that night, and asks Blanke if she wants to join her, but Blanke turns her down, telling her exams are coming up and she wants to study. Elsbeth instead offers to bring some food home for Blanke, which is a kind gesture that does not go unheard by Lt. Connor (Daniel K. Isaac). Elsbeth finally gets through to the restaurant, but Veev overhears her name, and orders Sam to not admit her to the restaurant ever. Though that avenue is closed, all hope is not lost for Elsbeth's social night, as she overhears Wagner inviting the floor to poker night at his place, and Elsbeth accepts the invitation, even though he seems reluctant to include her. This is another step in his plan to fix morale on the floor, he says, after everyone signed up to air their grievances to Connor, but the mood is far from low at the moment, as Edwards has managed to track down the avocado don.

She and Elsbeth head to the market the next day, with Elsbeth completely missing the mark on what it means to go incognito. Edwards goes off alone to find the avocado don, leaving Elsbeth alone. Just as she notices some of the market workers are wearing earpieces, she is approached and led to a hidden area where the FBI has set up a workstation. Agent Perez (Rocco Parente Jr.) tells them that they've been working the avocado cartel case for months, and when Edwards explains their theory that he was involved in the attack at Veev's, Perez tells them that's not possible, as they were operating out of Harlem on the night of the attack. With that angle now a dead end, Elsbeth returns home and tries again to get a reservation at Veev's. When she's rejected again, Blanke tells her not to take it personally, and that those places only let in supermodels and the like. Fortunately, Elsbeth just so happens to know a supermodel.

With Nadine Clay (Laura Benanti) in tow, Elsbeth finally gets that reservation at Veev's, much to the chef's disappointment. The two are seated at the counter, where Nadine explains how she and Elsbeth met, and Elsbeth catches Veev up on the investigation. She tells her that it couldn't have been the avocado cartel as they're under surveillance, and asks if there's any chance it was a rival chef who attacked them, as chefs are known for their tempers. Veev corrects her and says male chefs are known for their tempers, as women don't have the luxury of behaving badly the way the men do. Elsbeth asks Nadine how she knows Veev, and she explains that the two met in Paris when Nadine was a young model, and Veev was starting out at an upscale restaurant called Chalet de Boeuf. Malcolm overhears their conversation, and chimes in that though the restaurant was legendary, so too was the head chef's temper. He tells them that once Veev burned a soufflé and the chef beat her with a frozen swordfish as punishment.

Their conversation is cut short when Veev arrives with the first dish on their tasting menu, and the two dig in. Or Elsbeth does anyway, not that there's much to dig into. As their meal progresses, the two spy a pair of young women seated behind them who are busy capturing their food for content rather than actually eating it. Nadine is annoyed that this has become the standard at every supposedly exclusive restaurant these days, and Elsbeth wonders how they're even getting in in the first place. Nadine tells her about apps that sell reservations to high-end restaurants, and says that anyone with access to the reservations would be able to set up an account. Elsbeth heads over to the host stand and goes through Sam's reservation book. He tells her that he's the one that handles the book and takes all the reservations, though admits that the book stays there overnight, so anyone in the restaurant after he leaves would in theory have access to it. Add that to the fact that some of the names in the book are not written in Sam's handwriting, and Elsbeth might have just found a new lead. She notes the stars next to the names of the VIPs and asks about Mr. Montebello, who has 5 stars next to his name. He tells her Mr. Montebello left after the reservation mix-up, and following that lead, she asks Veev if it's possible Jordan was selling reservations online. Veev brushes off the question, not wanting to consider that Jordan might have played a role in her being attacked, and with that, Nadine and Elsbeth's dinner is wrapped up, with Nadine sticking Elsbeth with the $900 bill.

Related

Wagner Hosts Poker Night for the Detectives in 'Elsbeth' Season 2 Episode 5

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Elsbeth heads straight from the restaurant to Wagner's place for poker night, where they're joined by Detectives Edwards, Fleming (Daniel Oreskes), and Donnelly (Molly Price). There, Edwards confirms that Elsbeth is right and Jordan was selling reservations, as the tech team tracked his InsideTable account back to him, along with a second user. Wagner also tells Elsbeth that Montebello is a big deal in the hospitality industry, and just took over a major chain of luxury hotels. The woman on the account turns out to be Jordan's girlfriend Maddie (Emma McNulty), who tells them he was saving up to buy a food truck, and had been selling reservations for a few months. The night of the murder, Maddie explains Jordan messed up by double booking rather than selling vacant spots, which caused the confusion at the door. She also adds that Jordan had been planning to leave the toxic work environment, and was looking to capture evidence of Veev's bad behavior on video. For Elsbeth, this is enough evidence to point the finger at Veev, but Edwards tells her it isn't enough of a motive for actual murder, however angry she might have gotten. Elsbeth, again, points out that Veev got right back to work after being knocked out, and Edwards points out that the same is true of those who've just had a C-section. Since that's still not enough, she gives Elsbeth the go-ahead to follow her hunch.

In her office, Elsbeth and Blanke watch an interview Montebello gave after taking over his high-end hotel chain, where he explains the changes he's making, including a new chain of restaurants, to be led by a top-tier chef. He explains that he's been stopping at various high-end restaurants to sample the food, and Elsbeth points to this as a a better motive for murder. If Montebello missed his reservation, then Veev would miss the chance to showcase her food in the chain of hotels. Blanke agrees that there's merit to the angle, but still thinks it isn't enough, and mentions Jordan's desire to catch Veev on video as a possible further angle. However, she's called away shortly after, and as she leaves, Elsbeth refers to her as "roomie" loud enough for Lt. Connor to hear. He confronts Elsbeth at once, accusing her of exchanging favors with an NYPD officer even while she's meant to be an outside observer. Elsbeth counters that what she's doing is legal and permissible under the consent decree as Blanke is paying rent — though her expression seems to indicate that she is doing Blanke a favor by charging her less than she should. This placates Connor for now, though I have to wonder why Elsbeth didn't disclose their arrangement like she told Blanke she would last week.

Elsbeth's Past Haunts Her Again in Season 2 Episode 5

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Elsbeth's day takes yet another turn when she steps outside the precinct and is soon stopped by yet another large car, this time a limo, with orders to get in. Inside, rather than Carter Schmidt (Christian Borle), this time she finds the subject of their past conversation, TruRose (Ciara Renée), the pop star seeking a divorce from Carter and Elsbeth's former client Mark Van Ness. TruRose tells Elsbeth that she's seeking a divorce because Van Ness is, in her words, "dangerous," and she wouldn't have married him if she knew all the awful things his first wife said about him. She accuses Elsbeth of not believing the first Mrs. Van Ness when she told them the truth about her husband, and adds that in the time since their divorce, Van Ness has made his ex-wife's life miserable, resulting in her having a nervous breakdown. She asks Elsbeth for her help, but she tells her she isn't available for that sort of work, not to mention the possible conflict of interest this would be for her. TruRose then dismisses her by saying that she could have helped if she really wanted to.

I don't think I was expecting Elsbeth, or really any network procedural crime drama, to quietly layer in commentary about the societal difficulties women face — from double standards, to whether they're believed after an attack, to how their character is maligned by powerful men — but it's interesting to see this become a recurring theme this season. And that's not to say Elsbeth willingly engages in this sort of behavior, but as a woman in a very male-dominated industry, who probably had to change her way of thinking just to survive, it'll be interesting to see whether this leads to her unpacking her own unconscious biases at some point later this season.

She then tracks Veev down at the market, and opens with an apology for treating her like a suspect after she was attacked, calling out the fact that they both had to survive male-dominated industries, and if the lawyers Elsbeth worked with made her life hell, then she can only imagine what Veev had to face. Veev tells her that while some of the tattoos on her arms were designed to cover up scars from kitchen accidents, some of the scars she's covering came from her mentors, with Chalet de Boeuf's François le Duc (Christopher Borg) being far from the worst. Elsbeth then asks her how it's going with Montebello's search for a chef for the hotel, and tells her the police know Jordan intentionally messed up his reservation, but Veev says Montebello is coming back, and that she'll be making him a duck confit cassoulet. While she doesn't give in to Elsbeth's hints that she wants to try the food for herself, she does direct her to an online class that she can purchase.

Elsbeth and Blanke's Friendship Hits a Snag in Season 2 Episode 5

Back at home, Elsbeth is ready with three whole, raw ducks and a whole host of other ingredients to try and make the cassoulet for herself and Blanke, while Blanke studies in the other room. Unfortunately for Blanke, the online cooking lesson is far from a quiet exercise, with the sound from the video, and the smoke alarm. When the video doesn't pan out, and cookbooks don't pan out, Elsbeth turns to the internet, and finds a video from le Duc himself that finally does the trick. Blanke finally comes down to check on Elsbeth, and the two have their first roommate argument when Blanke sees that Elsbeth used some of her groceries without asking first. Elsbeth apologizes and Blanke then excuses herself to go to bed, but not before asking why Elsbeth would tell Connor they were living together. Elsbeth apologizes again, saying it was a mistake, but she promises Blanke that she isn't breaking any rules by living with her. Elsbeth's phone timer interrupts them. She quickly realizes she's missed a step, because when she takes the duck out of the oven, she finds it's stuck to the pan. She might be down, but she is not out, as this triggers an epiphany.

At Veev's restaurant the next night, Montebello has returned for his meeting with Veev, and she serves him the cassoulet as planned. He's on the verge of striking a deal with her when Edwards, Blanke and Elsbeth arrive, asking Veev about the night of Jordan's murder, specifically about why her InsideTable account would have bought a table from Jordan right before he was killed. Blanke tells her that she used the app to catch him in the act, and killed him once she realized it was him. Veev reminds them all that she was attacked too, and Elsbeth says while they aren't sure what she used to hit herself with, they are sure that her timeline doesn't line up, as she told them she passed out right before Jordan died, but if that were the case then the duck she was preparing in the oven would have burned. But because she was still conscious, she dragged herself over to the oven to flip the duck when the timer went off, which also accounts for the bleach stains on the front of her pants.

As the final nail in the proverbial coffin, Edwards tells her that the tech team also found her fingerprints on Jordan's phone, and found the video she deleted after he died. The episode ends on a sweet note, with Elsbeth and the detectives back at Wagner's for another poker night, this time with Blanke joining them just in time to realize that despite her bubbly, naive demeanor, Elsbeth is every bit the sharp-eyed poker player she told Wagner she was. Then again, maybe that demeanor is just the greatest poker face of all.

Review

Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 5 turns up the heat on a new mystery while pushing the season's arching narrative forward in interesting ways.

Pros

• Elsbeth Season 2 Episode 5 continues to draw attention to when and how women are believed by others.
• The season-long plots were pushed forward in a major way this week.

The first five episodes of Elsbeth are out now. New episodes premiere on CBS on Thursdays, and stream next day on Paramount+.

Watch on Paramount+