Elsbeth sparks outrage as Julia Fox’s grief influencer commits murder, Kaya returns

Julia Fox plays a grief influencer who commits murder in Elsbeth season 3 episode 3. The episode aired on Oct. 23, 2025 on CBS. Carra Patterson makes a stunning return as Kaya Blanke. Fans are sparking outrage over the shocking plot twist.

How Julia Fox’s Character Becomes a Murder Suspect

Raquel Drabowski, played by Julia Fox, is living a lavish double life. She built a massive 15 million-follower empire as a grief influencer after her firefighter husband Johnny supposedly died in a helicopter crash 18 months ago. Her reality show Black Veil helps widows find second chances at love.

Then Johnny walks through her apartment door, very much alive. His sudden return threatens everything she’s built. She can’t maintain her grief-influencer brand if he’s alive, and that massive income vanishes instantly. The sponsorship deals crumble. Her custom line of little black dresses disappears. She panics.

Raquel’s solution is brutal and dark: She pushes Johnny off the Staten Island Ferry while screaming “I’m nobody’s wifey!” His body later surfaces in the Hudson River. Divers find him attached to a wine cage with evidence scattered everywhere. The case seems open and shut.

“It’s not a stretch to imagine Julia Fox becoming a viral sensation who is capable of a cute little murder.”

Why This Murder Case Divides Fans and Critics

Audiences are split on this dark twist. Some viewers find the social commentary brilliant and cutting. Raquel’s murder feels believable because her wealth depends on her grief persona. Killing Johnny becomes a business decision, not a crime of passion.

Other fans find the plot disturbing and outrageous. Her character creates content from grief, monetizes her pain, and then commits murder to protect her empire. The satire cuts deep. Some viewers question whether the show went too far portraying social media influencers as morally bankrupt killers.

Carrie Preston delivers her signature quirky interrogation brilliance. She eventually breaks Raquel’s livestream alibi using LiveClock technology, proving she prerecorded content to fake her whereabouts during the ferry murder.

The Evidence and Investigation Details

The NYPD team pieces together the case through methodical detective work. Detective Fleming and Officer Hackett follow the investigation from a voice-mail tip from Johnny’s mother Marie, played by Cathy Moriarty.

Evidence Found	Significance
Orange ferry paint under Johnny’s fingernails	Confirms ferry murder location
FDNY harness and carabiner attached to body	Links victim to firefighter past
LiveClock app prerecorded livestream content	Breaks Raquel’s alibi proof
New harness and carabiner in apartment	Financial motive and premeditation

Officer Hackett’s “Theory of the Case Red String board” maps everything out perfectly. The trucker Darryl connects Johnny to a hitchhiker named Don in Weehawken, Delaware. DNA evidence confirms identity matches.

Most damning: Raquel wasn’t even on the ferry passenger manifest. She’s caught using technology to fake her social media presence during the murder. Elsbeth prosecutes the case brilliantly while dressed as a reality-show host.

What Viewers Are Talking About This Week

Carra Patterson’s return as Kaya has fans buzzing with excitement. She appears undercover as Denise Jackson, working at the docks during Operation Starboard, a multi-state investigation into dock corruption.

• Kaya’s secret reunion with Elsbeth at a bar tugs at emotional heartstrings.
• Fans debate whether Elsbeth broke up with Angus too quickly in Scotland.
• The episode ending leaves viewers anxious: Elsbeth calls Kaya’s burner phone and gets a disconnected number.
• Questions swirl about whether Kaya is in genuine danger during her undercover assignment.

Is Julia Fox’s Evil Influencer Too Dark for Network Television?

This episode pushes boundaries that daytime crime procedurals rarely explore. Raquel represents a dark cultural moment where social media success matters more than human life. Her motives are purely financial and narcissistic.

The satire zips through influencer culture, empty grief performance, and the monetization of personal tragedy. Some network viewers find this refreshing and honest. Others argue it’s shocking and inappropriate for CBS.

Julia Fox fully commits to the role. Her character reads as utterly believable: ambitious, calculating, and willing to murder to protect her brand. She’s neither sympathetic nor cartoonish.

Does this dark storyline signal a shift toward edgier content on traditional network television? Or will Elsbeth pull back toward safer police procedural territory? Fans eagerly await the next episode.

Sources

• Vulture – Episode recap and character analysis featuring Julia Fox’s performance
• CBS Official – Season 3 episode details and broadcast schedule information
• Paramount+ – Streaming availability and episode confirmation

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