Critics’ Rating: 3.5/5.0
3.5
In this golden age of broadcast television, medical procedures were a dime a dozen, with new ones released every season.
So leave it to CBS to revive the classic character Watson and give viewers something refreshingly ironic.
The network gave viewers a tall water, and Maurice Chestnut didn’t hurt either.
Right up to the end of the pilot episode, which certainly has its benefits.
But while there’s a lot of work for Watson, the show still needs to tighten up some of its purpose if it becomes a long-running series.
Watson rounds out the cast with some truly interesting, albeit bizarre, character choices
The story itself seems pretty dry. Holmes left Watson a pile of money so the doctor could return to medicine. It’s all simple, which is what Sherlock Holmes isn’t known for.
The show works hard in the pilot to make sure nothing seems like it. I don’t even want to make assumptions because I’d be wrong, but there’s definitely something going on.
The mysterious aspects of the story and characters elevate the plot from feeling like any top-notch medical show, especially regarding the other doctors at the clinic.
At the end of the episode, Watson specifically hires a doctor who shares qualities with the one and only James Moriarty to be mentioned later.
We have Inga Schlingmann’s (Help Me Todd) Dr. Sasha Lubbock from Big Country Texas. Sasha Lubbock comes from a wealthy Dallas family who adopted her from China.
And then there’s the impeccably dressed, with killer hair, Eve Harlow (Star Trek: Discovery) Dr. Ingrid Derian, she’s so talented and Smart enough that she feels the need to lay down her resume in art.
Finally, Dr. Stephens and Adam Croft are twin brothers, as they are played by the same actor, Peter Mark Kendall (Chicago Med). One brother seems to be a budding sociopath, while the other brother looks like he has a human-sized cage in his basement.
At least we can say that the characters are certainly interesting.
You can’t have a medical genius without a bitter ex
Of course, no medical genius would be complete without a disgruntled ex-partner. Everyone knows you have to have a broken relationship to be good at medicine.
From Nurse Jackie to Grey’s Anatomy, every show has proven that the cost of a successful career in healthcare is a tumultuous love life.
Luckily, Watson got the memo and delivered Dr. Mary Morstan to fill in as the protagonist’s voice of reason.
Then again, this is probably one I can live with because at least the show brought in the ridiculously talented Rochelle Aytes to play the character.
Sure, Aytes tends to play different shades of the same character, but she does it with the skill of someone who’s been doing TV rounds for over two decades.
But while the roles may seem similar, Rochelle Aytes isn’t afraid to diversify her project choices.
She has appeared in film records such as Trick’ Treat and White Chicks and TV shows such as SWAT and HAWAII Five to Zero.
Of course, I might be a little biased because she’s been in so many shows and movies that I love, but she’s still a talented actor. She brings all of this to the very calm and collected Dr. Mary Morstan.
She’s also a great anchor for the main character, as Watson seems to already have an understanding of events at the beginning of the episode.
Watson is a great window
The show takes a huge swing with the opening shot of Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland, which is Vancouver, but it helps the stakes and tone of the series.
In terms of medical procedures, the situation can feel somewhat claustrophobic as each scene takes place in a hospital or clinic.
By initiating the story’s ending, the world feels larger. Therefore, the figure automatically feels larger than the plot case. The larger the universe, the greater the possibilities.
The story will take a lot of space as Watson explores the events that led to his injury, but viewers will do well to remember that, like the characters, the CBS series will likely only show us what it wants us to know.
Who doesn’t like a bit of misdirection? This is why everyone loves magic shows.
What’s more, the series shows that, through life, Watson returns, and while he may be Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick, he’s still the protagonist of his own story.
With the big reveal at the end of the pilot, it’s shaping up to be one hell of a show. Warning readers, this is spoiler time.
There’s no denying that most of us were pretty excited at the final reveal. For one thing, we don’t have to wait to find out who Moriarty is.
This immediately frees up detective time, so we don’t waste any time suspecting that he’s from the Holmes Clinic, although someone could still be working for him.
The real treat is seeing who will play Sherlock Holmes’ greatest rival. It doesn’t get any more left field than Randall Park.
Known for his endless and hilarious comedic roles, Park has been starring on both the big and small screens in shows like Veep, Young Rock, and Fresh Fresh.
So it will be interesting to see him opposite the character he is famous for. Sure, he might be the wrong choice for the character, but I’m holding out hope.
In his scenes, he excelled alongside Pittsburgh’s only Scottish man.
I have to imagine that Parker will bring his trademark comedy to the character, but in a more sinister capacity. It wouldn’t hurt if he went the Disney villain route just to spice up the dramatic reenactment a little bit.
All in all, if Watson keeps twists and turns and interesting things happening, I see no reason not to enjoy this series during his freshman season.
Besides, no one is complaining about more Morris Chestnut shots.
What did you think of the Watson premiere?
Which characters from the Sherlock Holmes stories would you like to see appear in?
Leave a comment below to let me know what you liked about this episode, and join me again when I review another episode of Watson!
