Morris Chestnut’s CBS drama doesn’t need Sherlock
Ever since Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes first appeared in print in the 19th century, the forensic detective and his comrade, Dr. John H. Watson, permanent figures in global literature and other media, including television. Recently, the BBC’s “Sherlock” and CBS’ “Elementary” both put successful spins on beloved characters Holmes and Watson. Now, ‘Elementary’ writer and producer Craig Sweeny delivers a new (and completely unrelated) take on Dr. John Watson. While Lucy Liu Dr. Watson starred in ‘Elementary’, veteran actor Morris Chestnut stars in ‘Watson’ as the titular character. Set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the series follows the confident and brilliant doctor six months after the death of his best friend, Sherlock Holmes. Holmes died at the hands of the evil Professor James Moriarty (a rather shocking guest star). While Chestnut is more than up to the task, a confused pilot and forced Sherlock knowledge make for an unstable opening.
“Watson” opens with the death of Sherlock Holmes. After a desperate attempt to save his friend, Dr. awakens. Watson emerges from a coma and suffers from traumatic brain injury (TBI). At the insistence of Holmes’ will, Watson returns to Pittsburgh to open the Holmes Clinic in the city’s largest hospital. He and a team of young doctors delve into unique and distinctive cases, allowing him to use his detective hat. Undeterred by his alarming TBI symptoms, Watson and his colleagues are taking on a growing number of patients, forcing them to look beyond the obvious.
Besides Dr. Watson, the Holmes Clinic team consists of Dr. Stephens Croft and Dr. Adam Croft (Peter Mark Kendall), identical twins with a broken relationship. While Stephens is stuffy and stoic, Adam is outgoing but has a sordid past. Joining the Crofts is Dr. Sasha Lubbock (Inga Schlingmann), a rheumatology and immunologist specialist whose sweet Southern attitude (including the thick Texan accent) keeps her locked in an unfulfilling romance. Yet the most intriguing doctor in the cohort is Dr. Ingrid Derian (Eve Harlow), who also serves as Dr. Watson’s personal neurologist. Cold, calculating and Watson’s clear favorite, Ingrid might be a sociopath.
Although Ingrid stands out at the clinic, Watson and his estranged wife, Dr. Mary Morstan (Rochelle Aytes), a highlight of the show. Mary is the director of the hospital where the Holmes Clinic is housed, and Chestnut and Aytes have fantastic chemistry despite their characters’ different patient care tactics. Additionally, the former couple’s past, which Mary is eager to put into the books and Watson is desperate to keep open, helps with the tension of this first season.
The glaring problem with “Watson” is that it is forced under the Sherlock Holmes tentpole. In the pilot alone, Chestnut awkwardly uses the word “Eureka!” and suddenly Watson’s driver, Shinwell Johnson (Ritchie Coster), whose ties to Scotland Yard are constantly mentioned (although this is Pittsburgh), turns into his fixer and closest confidante. It’s bizarre and twisting, making viewers work harder to get into the story.
‘Watson’ could have easily worked as a simple medical mystery drama instead of trying to shove a square peg into a round hole. The opening scene of the series plunges the viewer into a Sherlock Holmes-like adventure, but then the audience finds themselves in Pittsburgh in a flash. Renaming the characters would have worked without haphazardly trying to connect these two worlds.
Yet there is one important thing in which “Watson” excels. In an almost overwhelming landscape of hospital dramas, from ABC’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ to the Max newcomer ‘The Pitt’, ‘Watson’ manages to examine ‘typical’ medical crises with a fresh eye. In episode 5, the strongest of the five that critics screened for review, Dr. Watson for a woman in her twenties in the midst of her increasingly challenging sickle cell crisis. The series goes beyond medicine to explore ethical questions about our healthcare system and why specific treatments and cures are withheld unless purchased. “Watson” does something similar when exploring genetic markers for cancer in Episode 4.
A baffling beginning and the unnecessary Sherlock Holmes influences make for a shaky start, especially in the first few episodes. But with an endlessly charismatic Chestnut in charge, the addition of some much-needed backstory, and a focus on medical mysteries and the people who undergo them, “Watson” ultimately finds more solid ground. Amid countless other proceedings, however, the public may jump ship long before it stabilizes itself.
“Watson” premieres Jan. 26 on CBS, with new episodes airing weekly on Sundays.
