“It’s elementary, dear Watson,” is the famous line from the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes. As cocky as he was brilliant, the sleuth developed by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle believed himself to be in a league of his own, matched only by the mind of Moriarty, his greatest nemesis. In truth, Sherlock Holmes was nothing without his partner, Dr. John Watson. A respected medical doctor, Watson brought balance to the detective agency of two, often grounding Sherlock from whatever manic episode he found himself in. But what would happen to Watson if Sherlock were to disappear? It is this question that carries CBS’ newest medical drama meets crime of the week procedural, Watson.
Developed by Craig Sweeny, who formerly worked on another CBS series based on the same characters, Watson explores what life after Holmes looks like for the medical doctor. Is there a return to normal for John Watson, played by the dynamic Morris Chestnut, after the loss of his partner? Only time will tell if he can truly escape the shackles of his past that threaten to snake their way back into his present. With both friendly and sinister ghosts from another life coming back to haunt him, he’ll have to chart a new direction for himself and the new clinic he’s establishing.
It’s never easy to start over, but CBS hopes that a renovation of this classic character will start something new and powerful for the Sherlock Holmes franchise. So, is this new series worth your time? The game is afoot and all the clues are within to solve this mystery. Are you ready? Let’s get moving and explore CBS’ Watson.
[Warning: spoilers from Watson are below!]
Tragedy births new life in Watson
Reichenbach Falls is a place that changed the life of Dr. John Watson (Chestnut) forever. Those familiar with the stories of Sherlock Holmes (or fans of the wildly successful BBC series, Sherlock, for that matter) know the significance of this place in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work. Here, Sherlock Holmes loses his life at the hands of his arch nemesis, Moriarty, one of the few people to match the mind of the brilliant detective. It’s here that Dr. John Watson witnesses the death of his friend as he plunges into the depths of the water, never returning.
Even though Watson’s life comes to a grinding halt after losing his friend, the world continues to spin. So, how exactly does he pick up the pieces of his life and move on? The answer is once again elementary, as the clinical geneticist returns to the medical field, opening up the Holmes Clinic in Pittsburgh. Here, he and a dedicated group of scientists band together to solve some of the strangest medical cases ever.
Think House, but set in the world of Sherlock Holmes. The patients that come to The Holmes Clinic are medical mysteries in every sense of the word. They have exhausted every opportunity to solve what’s going on, and they need the best minds to figure it out for them. Take Ingrid Derian (Eve Harlow), a talented neurologist whose off-putting personality sometimes makes her difficult to work with. Or how about Stephens and Adam Croft (played by Peter Mark Kendall), identical twin brothers who are the group’s infectious disease and functional medicine specialists? While they may look exactly like each other, they are nothing alike in personality. Closing out the group is Sasha Lubbock (Inga Schlingmann), who specializes in rheumatology and immunology.
There isn’t a mystery this group can’t solve, although they will have to learn to work together, which may prove to be the most challenging part of this journey. However, as Watson works to establish this new venture, ghosts from his past begin to creep in. Has he indeed seen the last of Moriarty, or has evil incarnate return?
This new medical drama has an excellent premise, but struggles with pacing
I’ve always loved the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as I saw a lot of myself in both Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. I’ve consumed so much media of the detective and his assistant, wanting to solve the murders and mysteries along with them. So when Watson was first announced, I couldn’t wait to see what CBS had in store for this character and his world after the death of his friend.
Watson is off to a solid start, thanks largely to Morris Chestnut, the perfect modern embodiment of the strong-willed doctor. However, one of the most significant issues with the series is the required setup of the narrative threads and the cast of characters, which ultimately causes severe pacing issues in the first five episodes. While this is branded a medical drama, it’s much more about the characters and their interactions with each other while also solving medical mysteries along the way.
Again, I understand that they want audiences to learn who everyone is, therefore building our relationships with those involved. However, the amount of explanation and exposition sometimes slows Watson down to almost a grinding halt. At times, I found myself bored or drifting off because it didn’t feel like much was happening on screen. As the series continues on, it vastly improves, both in pacing and story. After the series establishes who everyone is and how they know each other, it’s finally able to breathe and move past the weight of its own importance.
The show works best in the parts where it embraces the mystery and less about the medical, as it harkens back to the source material that brings many people in. There’s so much going on in Watson, with a large part of that being the mystery of Watson’s past life with Sherlock, which seems incredibly more intriguing than some of the other stuff at the forefront of the show. Perhaps that’s because we’re so familiar with his world before The Holmes Clinic, but the mystery of who has returned and why they are stalking him makes Watson all the more enjoyable.
CBS series Watson is worth a watch and a chance
What Watson has in abundance is something even more important than a perfect opening episode; it has potential. There is so much space for Watson to grow and untapped real estate that it can tap into. The world of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson is expansive and vibrant, which we are just beginning to see in this new CBS series. Chestnut is endearing, and dare I say sexy, supported by a group of talented actors bringing these characters to life. The biggest travesty will be if Watson doesn’t see life past this first season, as there is so much to come from this iconic character.
Watson airs weekly on CBS and the next day on Paramount+. Have you checked out this series yet? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus!
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