[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Watson Season 1 finale “Your Life’s Work, Part 2.”]
Dr. John Watson … killer?! The Watson Season 1 finale, which aired on Sunday, Might 11, noticed the titular physician (Morris Chestnut) face off in opposition to the villain James Moriarty (Randall Park) with the intention to save certainly one of his fellows.
Moriarty used DNA in opposition to the group, concentrating on Adam (Peter Mark Kendall) but additionally infecting his twin, Stephens, after which due to what he had Ingrid (Eve Harlow) do — he blackmailed her along with her father’s stays, after discovering she’d killed the abusive man as a teen — there was just one dose of a treatment. However due to Ingrid then going to Watson, the physician was capable of make his personal virus to make use of in opposition to Moriarty — and the treatment, which he gave him after he helped them save Stephens, didn’t work in addition to he’d hoped, he stated, earlier than sitting with the villain as he died within the hospital. Two weeks later, we discovered that Watson formally had a brand new love curiosity, pediatric oncologist Laila (Tika Sumpter).
Beneath, Morris Chestnut reacts to that surprising finale, opens up about filming that final scene with Randall Park, shares his hopes for Season 2, and extra. (Plus, learn government producer Craig Sweeny’s deep dive of the finale and Season 2 teases right here.)
Watson primarily killing Moriarty — initially, is Moriarty actually lifeless?
Morris Chestnut: I can undoubtedly say that I do imagine that Moriarty is unquestionably lifeless. What I administer to him would undoubtedly kill any human being. Nevertheless, he has lots of people working round performing on his behalf, so he could also be lifeless, however is he actually really ever gone?
What was your response to studying that within the script?
So I beloved it, but it surely introduced up so many questions as a result of as a physician, I’m there to assist heal individuals and when you cross that line — as a physician, so that you cross that line as a physician and also you say to your self, wow, the whole lot that I’ve been doing, my complete apply, I’ve simply completed the precise reverse of the whole lot that I’ve been working for, working in the direction of if it’s serving to individuals and regardless that it was for an excellent trigger, there’s nonetheless that dilemma. There’s a dilemma of individuals understanding about precisely what occurred. After which I believe simply whilst an individual, when you crossed the road like that, how does it make you are feeling? Can you actually, actually reside with your self? Did you prefer it? Is it one thing you wish to maintain pushing? There’s so many issues that it brings up, which is, I’m excited for Season 2 as a result of I imagine Craig [Sweeny, executive producer] goes to be exploring all of these questions.
Sergei Bachlakov / CBS
How do you suppose Watson feels about what he did?
He’s undoubtedly remorseful. It’s undoubtedly one thing that he’s fighting. However for the entire turmoil that Moriarty has induced in my life, affecting Shinwell’s [Ritchie Coster] household, he affected the twins, for everybody that he has affected in a adverse method, I really feel that it was greatest for society that I finish his life at that time limit. It wasn’t simply private. Lots of it was private as a result of it affected me and the people who I like, however I believe it was greatest for everybody that that particular person was not strolling round on the planet Earth and it was simply good for me that I used to be the final face that he received to see after.
Speak about filming that hospital room scene with Randall.
I beloved, beloved working with Randall. Randall is so nice, and to see him play this character, completely different than the opposite character you’ve seen. Randall is such a giving actor. He actually provides and he’s there for you, like, Hey, do you want something? Can I do one thing completely different? And it’s at all times nice to listen to that we labored very properly collectively. It was a type of issues, there was a scene the place we’re within the room and I sort of threatened him, and it was like I actually needed to separate myself as a result of he’s such a pleasant gu,y and it’s like Randall Park and I’m threatening him. However at that second, in fact, he was Moriarty, however he’s an excellent man and he’s nice to work with.
The 2-week time leap reveals that issues are going properly for Watson and Laila. Is he actually prepared to maneuver on for Mary (Rochelle Aytes)? What’s it about Laila that he may very properly be?
That’s an unimaginable query. Have you ever talked to Craig? Did Craig speak to you about Season 2? That’s an unimaginable query that we’re wanting ahead to exploring. I do know that it’s going to be — what Watson gave up chasing after Moriarty and no matter that was and Mary having a miscarriage and him coming again and them not being collectively, that’s at all times going to have an effect on him. He’s at all times going to attempt to make up for that in some kind of method, form, or type. Nevertheless, along with that, he really loves Mary. Laila is nice, she’s unimaginable, and he or she has great attributes that if anyone might get Watson to maneuver on and at last launch Mary and let her go, it’s Laila. Whether or not that may occur or not, we’ll must see in Season 2.
Watson packs up the At all times and In all places shirt into the Holmes field that he places below the mattress. Does that signify him closing the chapter on Moriarty and Sherlock, that he’s prepared to maneuver on from that, even when that a part of his life may not be completed?
Yeah, it undoubtedly signifies that. He needs to maneuver on to the subsequent chapter. Whether or not he’ll be capable to try this or not nonetheless stays to be seen as a result of there’s nonetheless a universe on the market with plenty of completely different characters. And though Moriarty is lifeless, I imply, is he really gone? We’ll must see.
Yeah. We don’t find out about a community that he might have on the market.
Precisely.
And the way they could react. There’s a lot to go to there.
There’s a lot to go there. Precisely. So we’ll must see. That is a type of issues that Craig is, significantly after seeing the finale and the whole lot that sort of culminated with the finale, at a sure level, I believe it was in all probability Episode 8, nobody was capable of calm down. Shinwell had his scenario, Ingrid had her scenario, and naturally the final two episodes, the twins had their scenario. So he’s been such a looming presence over our lives and affecting us. I don’t know if that pressure goes to be relieved for some time. It’s a type of issues to the place I believe we’re probably going to have some kind of PTSD as a result of it’s been so traumatic coping with him for the entire season.
How does Watson really feel about shedding Ingrid as a part of his group, no less than for now?
So when Watson assembled the whole group, not solely did he think about them and he actually revered their mind, and he introduced them collectively as a group due to what all of them might present individually to finish the group, however there was undoubtedly one thing intriguing about Ingrid that was even simply past her being part of the group. He didn’t notice that it was going to be the whole lot that ended up taking place, so he received greater than he truly bargained for there. However I believe there’s a facet of Watson who has not been good by any method, form, or type. And I imagine that he believes in redemption tales. So I wish to suppose that he could threat it yet another time. He could. I don’t know, I haven’t talked to Craig, however he could threat it once more and maintain her round
And he wouldn’t care about Stephens’ emotions. That’s the factor. I really feel like if he needs Ingrid on the group, he wouldn’t care.
No, he wouldn’t care. I believe everybody has redeeming values. I believe everybody can redeem themselves, however she helped remedy a few circumstances this 12 months, individually. So I believe he undoubtedly values her contributions to the group.
Ed Araquel / CBS
Has Watson forgiven Shinwell?
Now, that’s a troublesome one. So we noticed Shinwell come again, and Watson was glad to have him again as a result of he put himself apart as a result of he believed he might contribute to assist remedy what was taking place. I believe firstly, and with the intention to assist individuals, Watson will be capable to forgive. I’m unsure how he’ll be capable to overlook.
What are your hopes for Watson in Season 2?
I can’t wait to speak to Craig in much more depth about it as a result of he hasn’t actually informed me something. We had a few transient conversations. I wish to discover his previous a bit of bit extra. How did we get right here? I do know at first, simply after the waterfall, growth, we’re within the clinic, however how did we get to that time of who he’s as a person, who he’s as a physician, and why does he do the issues that he does and exploring the non-public relationships, the non-public relationship with Laila, the love curiosity, and Mary, how does that work? Am I going to have the ability to let Mary go? She’s a lot part of my life. Along with that, simply extra mentoring of the fellows. He actually will get excited and impressed. He’s impressed by their mind, impressed by educating and instructing and mentoring them.
As Shinwell says to Watson, what occurred to the Crofts, with Moriarty, and the truth that he used his DNA samples, it’s so much. Do you suppose that is going to alter his strategy to his work in any respect?
That’s an excellent query. I believe it has to alter the strategy as a result of contemplating how such extraordinarily delicate DNA was used, it was weaponized, how the whole lot was weaponized, he has to alter the strategy for positive — probably much less trusting, probably extra guardrails. I’m unsure how Craig goes to discover it, however he has no option to as a result of it will’ve been due to my life’s work that we might have misplaced twins. And everybody who got here into the clinic and had given their DNA, their life was in danger. And due to me, they trusted me. It was my clinic. So I undoubtedly suppose that he can’t simply go blindly — and he didn’t go blindly earlier than. He simply didn’t notice that somebody was able to doing such a devious factor. So yeah, I believe he undoubtedly has to alter.
Watson, Season 2, 2026, CBS