Watson episode 1 recap: Watson takes center-stage

The series premiere of Watson begins in Switzerland, at Reichenbach Falls, as a chase involving John Watson (Morris Chestnut), Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty fall into a river and then down a huge waterfall to what looks like certain death.

Weeks later, Watson wakes up in a hospital bed, having suffered a traumatic brain injury. He can’t even remember the name of his old friend Shinwell Johnson (Ritchie Coster), who tells Watson he was the only one that survived the fall. Johnson says Holmes left Watson money behind to run a clinic and for Johnson to be Watson’s aid.

Where does Watson go? Can he emerge from Sherlock’s shadow? Here’s what happens in Watson episode 1.

Six months later

Watson gets his clinic up and running in Pittsburgh with neurologist Ingrid Derian (Eve Harlow), immunology specialist Sasha Lubbock (Inga Schlingmann) and twin medicine specialists Stephens and Adam Croft (Peter Mark Kendall).

Watson says they’re the four smartest doctors he could find, but Adam suggests Watson hired him and Stephens because they’re twins, and Watson wants to see how they work together. He also believes Watson hired Sasha because she was adopted from a poor region in China and raised in an affluent Dallas neighborhood. But Adam can’t figure out why Watson hired Ingrid.

Later, Watson tells Ingrid he hired her because he could see she’s torn over being a good person and having anti-social behavioral issues. He wants to see which side comes out on top.

What’s wrong with Erika?

While getting an ultrasound, pregnant patient Erika storms out of the clinic having bizarre visions. Watson is asked to treat her by medical director Mary Morton (Rochelle Aytes) — who Watson used to be married to. Erika hasn’t slept in seven days and there’s a family history of fatal familial insomnia, which sees the victim suffering from progressive insomnia and memory loss. Erika insists she saw her father and grandfather die from the disease and believes she only has eight months to live because of it. She wants Watson to keep her alive so she can at least deliver her baby safely.

Watson doesn’t believe Erika’s father Paul died from FFI. Her grandfather, meanwhile, died in a car accident, not from the disease. Watson believes Erika’s lack of sleep might be down to a cycle of anxiety.

The Croft brothers interview Erika’s worried family about Paul and find clips of him. Watson deciphers he was a steel worker, during which time he inhaled dangerous chemicals. Ingrid guesses this gave him the same symptoms of FFI. When doctors couldn’t tell Paul what was wrong with him, Paul convinced himself he had FFI, then killed himself.

The only way the doctors can convince Erika that she doesn’t have FFI is by making her fall and stay asleep. Watson decides to lie to Erika, telling her they’ve developed a test for FFI, and Erika tested negative for it. As he leaves, he tells Erika to get some sleep, which she does.

Mary scolds Watson for lying to Erika, calling it unethical. But Watson will never apologize for helping a patient.

Erika is still ill

But when Erika wakes up, she’s now blind.

Watson now believes Erika has SCID, otherwise known as boy in the bubble syndrome, and her faulty immune system needs to be replaced quickly. This requires a bone marrow transplant. Adam is dubious, especially as Erika was fine a week ago, she’s pregnant and a bone marrow transplant will have long lasting implications. But Sasha agrees, saying Erika will die without it.

They need to find a match for the bone marrow transplant. They start with her brother Damon. But he’s a heroin addict and has been missing for months.

Watson and Johnson go searching for Damon — sharing recollections about Holmes along the way. Autumn, Damon’s cousin and a former heroin addict, gives Watson the alias that Damon uses whenever he’s in trouble. Watson finds Damon and brings him to the clinic for tests.

But before they can do the test on Damon, Autumn reveals she has the same mouth-rash that made Watson realize Erika had SCID. Watson now doesn’t know if the disease is genetic or if Erika caught something and then gave it to Autumn. The team searches through their houses for clues. They find two dead birds. Watson asks Erika if she has a cat? She does. Watson diagnoses Erika and Autumn with songbird fever, a type of salmonella poisoning that usually appears in cats that hunt birds.

When the tests are done, Autumn has songbird fever, but Erika doesn’t. The antibiotics being used to treat Autumn aren’t working, either. It’s only a matter of hours before she goes into septic shock.

Watson just watches Autumn and Erika, looking for clues. By looking at the similarities in their eyes and toes, he realizes Autumn and Erika aren’t just cousins, they’re half-sisters. This means their diseases can be treated easily with some regular antibiotics. When Autumn still goes into septic shock, Mary has to quickly perform surgery to save her.

Watson is struggling

While talking to Erika post-surgery, Watson reveals he picked working with Holmes over staying with Mary. He admits that, when he thought he was going to die in the freezing water, his last thought was regret that he wouldn’t get a chance to repair their relationship.

Mary admits Watson is a better doctor after working under Holmes, that he can see into people's bodies and souls. She’s lucky to be around Watson, but believes their old relationship is never coming back. Mary doesn’t believe she’s the reason Watson survived that fall. There’s another reason and he needs to find it.

Moriarty is still alive and has a secret ally

Ingrid is helping Watson’s psychological recovery from the accident. Watson is slowly remembering things about Moriarty, such as his middle fingers being webbed, but he keeps hiding things from Ingrid. She threatens to quit as his therapist.

Later, Johnson gets on the Duquesne Incline with a mysterious person, who says that the city suddenly looks so vulnerable from this point. He notes that a fire, flood or even a disease could easily be unleashed on Pittsburgh.

The person has webbed fingers and is revealed to be Moriarty (Randall Park). Johnson gives Moriarty the case of samples that he wanted. Moriarty then departs, telling a regretful Johnson he’s always watching him.

Watson continues with new episodes on Sunday, February 16, on CBS. Episodes will also be available to stream on-demand on Paramount Plus.