Why Does the Eponymous Star of 'Elsbeth' Carry So Many Bags? The Detail Holds Meaning

When The Good Wife's Elsbeth Tascioni was given her own series of the same name, she exploded onto the scene, brought to life by Carrie Preston. The quirky but extraordinarily capable character immediately stole hearts with her atypical approaches to problems and brilliant solutions.

But there was one fashion accessory decision that was instantly a curiosity: she carries multiple bags everywhere she goes. It's not addressed directly in the series, so why does Elsbeth carry so many bags? Elsbeth Executive Producer Brooke Kennedy thought up the interesting choice, and it makes a lot of sense when you consider Elsbeth's personality.

Fans are already familiar with the scene: Elsbeth walks onto the screen, and she's carrying anywhere from two to four large tote bags and purses. They're often oversized, colorful, and impossible to miss. So why?

While speaking with reporters at the Television Critics Tour, Carrie explained Brooke's idea and the interesting accessories sported by her character (excerpts via Deadline): "She needs to always be carrying a bunch of things. We got very specific about what those bags were. She won’t carry a briefcase. She doesn’t think of herself in that way. They became a fun accessory. She has bags in her brain, she has Rolodexes in her brain."

Carrie added, "She’s picking out little things that she put there 20 years ago, and she’s like ‘I can use that here.'"

She concluded, “The bags are [filled with] whatever she thinks she might need that day to help her with her work. I find it fascinating how many people are interested in what is in the bags. But are you interested in what is in her brain too?”

So when you look at the accessory choice as a reflection of the way Elsbeth organizes her thoughts and carries things around in her brain, it makes perfect sense.

The fact that she organizes her thoughts this way and has so many quirky personality and fashion choices has led audiences to wonder: is Elsbeth autistic, or does she possibly have ADHD?

On Reddit, multiple threads on autistic forums ponder the question, with users explaining that they feel connected to Elsbeth's character and her quirks. On one thread, a user muses that she sees Elsbeth as "FINALLY" being some positive female representation for autistics.

But is the character written to be autistic?

In an interview with the Washington Post, Carrie explained, "I don’t diagnose her. No one does. I mean, I think that’s good, because in that way, she’s not a representative of any one type of a thing. She just is who she is. And I think that’s wonderful. It makes her very unique. And so if people relate to her, I like to think that they’re relating then to whatever is unique about themselves.”

While Elsbeth doesn't have any official diagnosis and the show likely won't ever label her, it's clear that she is lending some visibility to those who have felt invisible in Hollywood.

And just like Elsbeth and her bags, it makes complete sense for the type of character she is.

Watch Elsbeth on Thursdays at 10 pm EST on CBS.