Watson returns with a new medical mystery that outshines the pilot episode by miles. To be fair, the pilot has the unfortunate duty of introducing the world and the premise, and in Watson’s case, throws in a bunch of Sherlock lore as well. Perhaps that’s what makes Episode 2, “Redcoat,” easier to take in. While the Sherlock references are fun, “Redcoat” allows more room to get to know the cast of characters better and lets Watson sound more like Watson instead of a Sherlock filter.
A man coming home from a war reinactment gets shot in the head but survives. Upon waking, he believes himself to be the very man he was cosplaying as. Mary (Rochelle Aytes) brings Watson onto the case to help diagnose the neurological problem and to find a good neurosurgeon who can get the rest of the bullet out.
This particular case works for the premise of Watson as a medical detective show. Watson and his team set about diagnosing the medical problem while he teaches another of his team, Dr. Sasha (Inga Schlingmann), how to think like Sherlock Holmes at the crime scene. The medical nature of the show and the detective aspect blend nicely here, and allows Watson to fully step into his own character, rather than be a stand-in for Sherlock himself. Sasha’s delight in walking through the deductions with Watson is a great reminder of just how much fun mysteries can be. It’s also a replication of the Sherlock-Watson dynamic.
In other adaptations, Sherlock always walked through his deductions with an arrogance and pace that was hard to keep up with yet Watson always was in awe of his friend in that regard. Here, Watson does step into that role, but also makes it his own for his new proteges.
“Redcoat” also expands on Dr. Ingrid (Eve Harlow). Her dual role as Watson’s brain doctor and part of his team puts her in an interesting position. She’s the one that’s closest to Watson who seems to have the best read on her. The neurosurgeon they find for their case is a former lover of Ingrid’s named Isaac. But according to Isaac, Ingrid’s a bad person. So bad, apparently, that he turns down Mary for a job at her hospital with a warning about Ingrid. There’s certainly more to Ingrid, otherwise Watson wouldn’t trust her to be a part of his team. It’s an intriguing development, nevertheless.
The twins are the weakest part of the group so far. Both played by Peter Mark Kendall, Adams and Stephens don’t have much distinction between them or a lot to really glean from. They bounce off each other pretty well, and there seems to be some tension between them of the estranged variety, which could be interesting. The pilot episode also referenced one of them dating the other’s girlfriend, which also accounts for the tension between them. There’s a hint of an attraction between Stephens and Sasha in this episode, so that’s a development to keep an eye on.
The dynamics between the characters feel more organic in this episode as well. They all bounce off each other easier, and the dialogue is more snappy, making the team feel settled into. With Watson and Mary, their dynamic feels lived-in as well. Their history is believable. Considering this is only Episode 2, the over-reliance on the Sherlock tie-in in the pilot episode can account for a clunky start to establishing the team. The fact that the dynamics feel fresh and well-developed in the following episode is a great sign.
As for the Sherlock bits of the episode, Shinwell (Ritchie Coster) is visited by one of Moriarty’s associates, who gives him a bottle of pills to switch out with Watson’s regular medication. Shinwell’s a minor Holmes character in the Doyle stories, a criminal turned informant for Sherlock. In this case, he’s now a main character, and acting as a reluctant informer and accomplice for Moriarty. At the end of the pilot episode, Shinwell delivered a case of samples of undetermined origin to Moriarty. A mystery worthy of Sherlock himself.
“Redcoat” makes a great case for how this show can work as both a Sherlock-inspired story and a medical procedural. The mystery of Sherlock’s death and possibly his current whereabouts don’t feel at the expense of Watson’s story. The show’s ability to keep that balance will be it’s greatest test, but it’s off to a great start after Episode 2.
Watson airs new episodes on Sundays at 8 p.m. Central on CBS
Images courtesy of CBS
REVIEW RATING
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'Watson' 1x02: "Redcoat" - 8/10
8/10
Katey is co-founder and tv editor for InBetweenDrafts. She hosts the “House of the Dragon After Show” and “Between TV” podcasts and can be read in various other places like Inverse and Screen Speck. She wishes desperately the binge model of tv watching would die, but still gets mad when she runs out of episodes of tv to watch.
