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In ‘Watson,’ Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick must pick up the pieces after his mentor’s sudden death.
Sherlock Holmes’ trusty sidekick John Watson is stepping into his own. Morris Chestnut stars as the detecting doctor in the new CBS series Watson, which follows Watson as he resumes his medical career following Holmes’ death.
The first episode of Watson aired Jan. 26, immediately after the AFC Championship Game. But those who enjoyed the fresh take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic characters will have to wait to find out what’s next. A new episode of Watson won’t air until mid-February.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Watson series premiere.]
‘Watson’ reimagines the classic character from the Sherlock Holmes stories
Watson’s first episode opens with a scene at Reichenbach Falls, where Watson is chasing Holmes and his nemesis, Moriarty. He watches helplessly from a distance as a shot rings out and the pair plunge over the cliff and into the raging rapids below. Watson jumps in after them, but he’s unable to rescue his mentor before he himself goes under.
Sometime later, Watson wakes up in the hospital. Shimwell Johnson (Ritchie Coster) tells him that Holmes and Moriarty are dead. “We’ve lost him,” Shimwell says of the brilliant detective, before revealing that Holmes has left his significant fortune to his friend.
The episode then jumps ahead six months. Thanks to the bequest, Watson is now running his own clinic in Pittsburgh, where he specializes in researching genetic disorders. He proves he’s learned a thing or two from Holmes when he uses his powers of deduction to solve a medical mystery involving two cousins. He’s also trying to piece together exactly what happened that day at the falls. Watson has only fragmentary memories of the event, but he knows that Moriarty has syndactyly, or two fused fingers.
In the premiere’s final moments, it’s revealed that Watson was not the only person who survived that day at Reichenbach Falls. Moriarty (Randall Park) is alive, and he’s in touch with Shimwell.
‘Watson’ returns with a new episode on Feb. 16
What’s next for John Watson? It will be a few weeks until we find out.
The 2025 Grammy Awards air Feb. 2 on CBS, so the new show is taking next Sunday off. On Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 9), CBS will air a repeat of the Watson series premiere at 9 p.m. ET. The show returns with a new episode, titled “Redcoat,” on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m.
Want to stream Watson? New episodes stream live and on-demand for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers and on-demand the next day for Paramount+ Essential subscribers.
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