‘Watson’ Boss Talks Casting [Spoiler] as Moriarty

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Watson series premiere.]

Dr. John Watson (Morris Chestnut), you’re going to wish to preserve an in depth eye on the person closest to you! The Watson collection premiere ended with the reveal of who’s enjoying Moriarty — Randall Park! — when Shinwell Johnson (Ritchie Coster), Watson and Sherlock Holmes’ pal who now works as an administrator on the clinic, meets with him.

The episode begins at Reichenbach Falls, with Watson following Sherlock and Moriarty within the water. Solely he emerges. After he recovers (largely), he opens up the clinic with the cash Sherlock left him. The premiere introduces the group of fellows working with him, begins pertaining to his sophisticated relationship along with his ex-wife Mary (Rochelle Aytes), who has moved on and is his boss, and reveals that he’s nonetheless feeling the consequences of going into the water.

Beneath, govt producer Craig Sweeny talks about casting Randall Park as the enduring villain, what’s occurring with Shinwell, the long-term results on Watson, and extra.

Speak about casting Randall Park as Moriarty.

Craig Sweeny: I had a preexisting relationship with Randall. Not deep, however sufficient that I had his quantity and he had learn the script and I texted him and stated, “Why don’t you play Moriarty?” And he immediately was . It simply sort of occurred in a short time. I like the concept of taking — he’s kind of the friendliest man on the planet. So I prefer to ask the query, what sort of sinister factor may lie beneath that, that kind of veneer of pleasantness? How do you make Randall Park evil? It’s a enjoyable drawback as author.

What did you wish to do with Moriarty’s introduction?

I wished to shock and shock and provoke and get you to look at the remainder of the season.

When do you know you wished to be Shinwell who had that connection to Moriarty?

I knew that fairly early. The character of Shinwell has all the time me in canon and we used Shinwell in Elementary, which I additionally wrote for, in a really completely different context. However I knew I wished anyone from that world sort of across the clinic. Shinwell jumped into my head straight away.

What are you able to say about these samples?

Watson is a geneticist, so these samples are samples of DNA taken from the clinic, and Moriarty has a really particular and medically correct plan for these samples that’s the large story of the season.

What are you able to say in regards to the extent of what Shinwell is caught up in no matter that is? As a result of it doesn’t look like it’s by selection, proper?

No, Shinwell isn’t betraying Watson out of ardour for betraying Watson. He’s caught on the horns of a really, very savage dilemma that performs itself out over the course of the season.

How robust of a tablet is it to swallow when Watson finds out? Does any a part of him perceive due to what he’s caught up in?

As with all sort of immense information like that, he kind of processes it in levels, and his first response is to push Shinwell away from him — I used to be simply that scene immediately. However over time, he does come to kind of perceive, a minimum of to have the ability to monitor the why of it in a means that is smart for him. And there may be the potential for that relationship surviving into Season 2.

Colin Bentley / CBS

We all know that Watson remains to be very a lot affected by what occurred to him when he adopted Sherlock and Moriarty into the water. What are you able to say about how that’s going to play out and any long-term results?

Nicely, he has a really severe traumatic mind harm, and that’s going to be a serious plot level within the season. He’s self-medicating, and Moriarty’s means to monkey with these medicines is a vital factor as we advance by way of the season.

Mary tells Watson he’s by no means met her, referring to her new relationship. What are you able to say about that new relationship for Mary?

It’s anyone that she’s concerned with who’s of their orbit within the hospital, and the connection is a supply of solace for her, however it’s pressure between her and Watson.

Watson mentions Gregson within the premiere. How a lot are we going to be listening to about Scotland Yard and its inspectors and presumably seeing anybody?

We by no means see Gregson in Season 1. Gregson is on the market. Lestrade, in our universe, is a detective in Pittsburgh, they usually meet in Episode 10 of our season and collaborate in a case. And that’s very a lot going to be an ongoing relationship.

Watson, Common Time Interval Premiere, Sunday, February 16, 9/8c, CBS