He Has Someone He Can Learn From

[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Season 2 of Watson.]

The CBS series Watson is back for Season 2, with new medical mysteries, this time hitting very close to home when Mary’s (Rochelle Aytes) mother appears to be rapidly progressing with her rare form of dementia. Down a team member with Ingrid (Eve Harlow) trying to sort herself out and Shinwell (Ritchie Coster) finding his footing again now that he can move past everything with Moriarity, John Watson (Morris Chestnut) is focused and moving forward with work and his relationship with Laila (Tika Sumpter). But when the previously presumed dead Sherlock Holmes (Robert Carlyle) resurfaces, it raises so many questions that need answered.

During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Chestnut discussed what he loves about bringing the Sherlock Holmes dynamic to Watson, what we can expect moving forward, rebuilding his friendship with Shinwell, how it’s going without Ingrid, solving such a personal case, figuring out the relationship with Laila, and what’s still to come in Season 2.

Morris Chestnut Is Excited to Have Robert Carlyle Join ‘Watson’ Season 2 as Sherlock Holmes

“We’ve had the best laughs of our lives.”

Collider: I want to start with the two most important words from the Season 2 premiere – Sherlock Holmes. We spent the first season with the presumption that he was dead while Moriarty was busy messing with everybody. After getting that out of the way, we’re now meeting Sherlock, who clearly is very much not dead. How do you feel about bringing Sherlock Holmes into things now?

MORRIS CHESTNUT: I love it. I love that we get Sherlock. Not only do I love Robert Carlyle as an actor, but the dynamic of the relationship between Sherlock and Watson, first and foremost, they’re longtime friends. We’ve had great, tremendous times. We’ve had the best laughs of our lives, but then we also had some very serious situations that we had to deal with and get answers. Watson has this young team of brilliant minds that he’s mentoring and teaching. However, on this end of the spectrum, he has someone who he can learn from, where he’s being taught. I love those dynamics.

With the decision to bring Sherlock Holmes into Season 2, what were the biggest questions that you had about where he’s been and what’s been going on? What were the things you wanted to see between these two characters, especially with what we learned about them in the first season?

CHESTNUT: First and foremost, what I love about the dynamic of these two characters is that they’re old friends. That’s something that we didn’t get to explore in Season 1 with Watson. He was always dealing with a very serious medical case and mentoring the team. But now, to have a friend, he can relax and have fun. That’s what excited me.

Were there conversations about the best way to introduce him and even what to have him say? All we get are three words, “My dear Watson,” and so much of an impression has to be made with just three words.

CHESTNUT: I wasn’t a part of those conversations. I didn’t even ask Craig Sweeny, the showrunner. I read the script, and when I read the script, I don’t like to have any knowledge of what’s going to happen. I like to read the script just like the audience would see the show. And so, I had no knowledge of that. When I was reading it, I was like, “Oh, wow, this is great.” The dynamic and what’s going to happen, Craig has all of that in his head.

Where are things between Watson and Shinwell this season. Watson chose not to let him go for the things that he did, so how did Watson make peace with what Shinwell did? Will Shinwell still feel guilt about everything that happened?

CHESTNUT: At the end of Season 1, Watson realized his goal of collecting all of this DNA and that everything he was doing, in the wrong hands, could have cost tremendous devastation to many people around the world. His goal to contribute to the world through science and healing is not about himself. He wants to help people. So, he’s able to let some things go, in order to do that, and look beyond some things. If he sees something that’s good in someone and that that person can contribute to helping people in the world, he’s willing to let things go, whatever has happened to him. He’s not a selfish person, in that way. That’s what he sees in Shinwell. In Shinwell, he sees someone that has a lot of good to offer the world.

The team is down to Adam and Stephens, as well as Sasha. How hard is it for Watson and the team to be without Ingrid? Even if they didn’t want to admit it, do they miss her?

CHESTNUT: Yes. Watson assembled a complete team, so when one aspect of that team is missing, it’s not working as it should. However, we’re going to see how we can complete the team again. What Ingrid did in the first season could have cost us the lives of two of the people on the team, so we’re not losing sight of that. We have to see if we can come to terms with that and move forward. I don’t know that yet.

As an actor, how weird is it to spend a season together as a group, and then have one of those people be missing? Was it weird to have scenes with the team, without her there?

CHESTNUT: Honestly, it was. For me, it was because we’re on set for hours at a time. For us to be in the same environment where all of us spent all of this time, and she’s not there, she’d come to a makeup test or come to set, and it was weird, her not being in those scenes with us.

The Medical Cases Are Always Personal for Dr. John Watson

“He wanted to do what was best for Mary.”

Image via CBS

It’s always interesting when a procedural gets a case that is personally connected to one of the characters. This first case back involved Mary’s mother, which allowed us to get to know a lot more about her family and her backstory. What did you find most interesting about this first case?

CHESTNUT: What I loved about the first case was that it was personal, but every case is personal to Watson. The episode showed that it’s not just about John Watson. He wanted to do what was best for Mary and her mother and her family. Bringing all of these people together to help solve this mystery, couldn’t have been more satisfying for Watson.

Are there any other cases that you’ve also found particularly interesting this season?

CHESTNUT: In terms of future medical cases, there are some cases that are pretty interesting. There’s one case with a person that is 30 years old, but they look 10. There’s another case with people who don’t really necessarily want to live anymore, so he’s trying to encourage him. He learns from all of these cases.

Because of this first case back, Mary learns that she has a brother she knew nothing about. The scene when John springs it on the two of them made me laugh because there’s this whole set up first. Why do you think he didn’t just sit her down in a quiet room alone and break the news to her? Why do you think he chose to do it in the way that he did?

CHESTNUT: Once he figured it out, he went to the location to make sure that guy was there, and so that he didn’t leave, he called Mary to that location because he wanted to explain it to her and break it down. She was in an emotional state. There was a lot going on. He just did it in the way that John Watson would do it.

There’s something so special about Miles learning that this mother that he didn’t know came to see him every morning, and the fact that she took time out to be there with a word of encouragement. It really gives you this understanding of why he would then want to save her life. What was it like to be able to close that case in such a beautiful way and to give that to Mary?

CHESTNUT: It was satisfying because that’s truly what he’s about. John Watson is about using science and medicine to make the world a better place, and he was able to bring that family together. At the opening of the episode, Mary didn’t know that she had a brother and nieces and nephews. Her mother didn’t know that she had grandkids. Bringing that whole family together and saving her life is the ultimate satisfaction for him. That’s what he wants to do.

Even Though Watson Is With Laila in Season 2, There Are Still Unresolved Issues With Mary

“He’s still grappling with some of the discoveries of last season.”

Image via CBS

Because a little bit of time has passed at the beginning of the season, we get to see John and Laila in a relationship. How do you view where they’re at in their relationship at the start of the season?

CHESTNUT: At the start of the season, they’re involved and he cares for Laila. He’s still grappling with some of the discoveries of last season and some things that he didn’t know, like the miscarriage. He still has some unresolved issues within himself about what transpired between his marriage with Mary. You’ll see that play itself out throughout the course of the season.

What do you feel that Tika Sumpter has brought to the show?

CHESTNUT: I love working with Tika. She brings a great element to the show. Laila is a pediatric oncologist. I love her approach to the dynamic that Watson has with his ex. It’s a very mature approach, for my ex-wife to call me in a moment of intimacy with my current girlfriend, and for me to get up and her to be okay with me going. She says, “Go help.” It’s a very mature way to handle the situation, and Tika does it so gracefully.

We hear Laila ask John, “What do you want?” As someone who’s always so busy with what everyone else needs, he doesn’t really spend much time saying what it is that he does want.

CHESTNUT: Very true.

What do you think it is that he really does want for himself?

CHESTNUT: In terms of that relationship, and somewhat of a triangle that’s building, he still is dealing with a lot of different things. That’s why he wasn’t able to answer that question immediately. Because he spends so much time helping people, we don’t really know what he wants, but he’s also still working within himself. You’ll see how that triangle and those relationships manifest and play themselves out.

Does it feel like he has everything he wants when it comes to work, and it’s just the personal that he’s trying to figure out?

CHESTNUT: He’s even shifting with work. That whole DNA database to contribute to the world could have gotten out of control in the wrong hands, so he has shifted. Ultimately, what gives him satisfaction is seeing people being healed and solving medical mysteries. That’s his contribution.

We see Ingrid in group therapy. What exactly does that mean for her? Is that the help that she needs? Is it going to be a long road for her?

CHESTNUT: I believe that therapy helps people who really want to take it seriously. We’ll see how seriously Ingrid takes it. We’ll see what type of character comes across in therapy.

It was interesting to hear the question brought up, “Is she brilliant like Holmes, or is she brilliant like Moriarty?,” because it really feels like it could go either way with Ingrid. Will it be challenging to know when she’s being honest and when she’s just manipulating?

CHESTNUT: She’s very mysterious and unpredictable.

More Will Continue to Be Revealed About John Watson in Season 2 of ‘Watson’

“You’ll see more levity.”

Image via CBS

What would you say to tease what you’re most excited about with Season 2? With what you’ve already shot and with what you know is to come, what do you think fans are going to enjoy most about where this is all headed?

CHESTNUT: With Season 2, you’ll see more levity in the show. We’ll get more into the character’s backstory. You’re going to learn more about John Watson. You’re going to see more of a dynamic develop between the team, inside and outside the clinic. You’re going to see some interesting medical mysteries as well.

Release Date

January 26, 2025

Showrunner

Craig Sweeny

Directors

Larry Teng, Bille Woodruff, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Jennifer Lynch, Kristin Lehman, Mario Van Peebles, Ron Underwood, Tara Nicole Weyr, Christine Moore, Clara Aranovich

Writers

Craig Sweeny, Jason Inman, Charly Evon Simpson, Shardé Miller, Anna Mackey

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  Morris Chestnut

  Dr. John Watson

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  Eve Harlow

  Dr. Ingrid Derian

Watson airs on CBS and is available to stream on Paramount+. Check out the Season 2 trailer: