Again within the day, you didn’t want a lot to make a medical drama that folks may relate to.
All you needed to do was mix some fascinating characters with unusual sicknesses and hope all the pieces combined simply nice.
Watson doesn’t have it as simple.
TV has come a good distance from the likes of Dr. Quinn, Medication Lady however even that present had the gimmick of being set within the Wild West.
Fortunately, CBS has been within the medical drama enterprise for the reason that ’50s with Metropolis Hospital, one of many first medical procedurals on tv.
Now that the community has added Watson to its catalog of primetime exhibits, does the collection have sufficient to supply audiences one thing recent?
Properly, regardless of quite a few medical dramas about genius docs who favor data over emotions, none of them had the basic character of Sherlock Holmes’ trusted right-hand man.
Alternatively, Watson is swinging large by bringing a beloved literary character into the trendy world. Straight away, you realize there are going to be lots of people who’re flabbergasted by the thought, and never in a great way.
Watson Is aware of You Can’t Have A Profitable Medical Drama With out Some Eye Sweet
One factor the collection bought proper was casting Morris Chestnut (All American) because the titular character. To not get gross, however that man is okay as hell. He’s a tall drink of water, and I’m parched.
All kidding apart, the actor has been within the leisure enterprise occurring forty years. I do know as a result of he began appearing the identical yr I used to be born.
Consider it or not, the person is sort of in his sixties, trying like a smoke present together with his chiseled abs and flawless face. Plus, everybody is aware of you may’t have a profitable medical procedural with out some eye sweet — I’m taking a look at you, ER, and Gray’s Anatomy.
Chestnut’s ridiculous attractiveness apart, the person is as gifted as he’s good-looking, and his resume says simply that. Morris has a laundry listing of exhibits and movies going again many years. So, whereas not each viewer will know his title, they’ll probably acknowledge his placing options.
His method to Dr. John Watson is nothing in need of a genius tackle a personality that has been round for nearly a century and a half. Nonetheless, to my data, no iteration of the character has had fairly the smolder of Chestnut’s model.
What I gleaned from Watson’s Season 1 Episode 1 was that Morris is the fitting man for the job. Nevertheless, a present is just nearly as good because the sum of its elements, and Watson is working with many recent faces.
The Supporting Characters Want a Little Work, however There Is a Lot of Potential There
One other factor the collection has going for it’s the meta-approach to the solid of supporting characters. Within the pilot, Eve Harlow’s Ingrid establishes that Watson has employed all of the docs beneath him as an experiment — we’ll get to that in a minute.
All the new docs have distinctive personalities, and I’m not speaking about being germophobic or having OCD tendencies.
Whereas Ingrid’s factor is that she lies for the sake of her ambition, we will hardly name {that a} gimmick since what individual wouldn’t lie on their resume to advance their profession?
Then there’s Inga Schlingmann’s (So Assist Me Todd) Sasha Lubbock, who has the thickest Texas accent I’ve ever heard — and I stay within the South.
I’ve by no means heard the actress converse exterior of her position on Watson, so I don’t wish to offend anybody by calling out her accent, however she may as properly be sporting a Dalla Cowboys jersey in each episode.
Lastly, and this may simply be me, the weirdest addition to the doctor’s roster is Peter Mark Kendall’s (Chicago Med) twin characters, Stephens and Adam Croft.
I don’t even know what to say about these two as a result of it looks like the writers are attempting manner too onerous to distinguish between the characters. Placing glasses on one twin and a leather-based jacket on the opposite doesn’t work that properly with similar twins.
Whereas the premise is artistic and the subplots appear intriguing, how these docs are developed will resolve Watson’s endurance. Fortunately, there’s nonetheless another character who may make or break this collection.
Everybody Likes a Enjoyable Villain They Can Like to Hate, However Watson’s Would possibly Be a Little Too Likable
You probably have not watched the Watson pilot, flip round now as a result of I’m about to trot out a SPOILER. Then once more, it’s possible you’ll be like this TV Fanatic and revel in understanding the twists earlier than watching one thing.
I can’t be the one one who reads the complete plot of a film simply to see in the event that they just like the ending earlier than losing two hours, proper?
Anyway, right here’s the massive twist on the finish of the Watson pilot: Randall Park (Recent Off the Boat) performs Sherlock Holmes’s best enemy, Professor James Moriarty. Now, that’s what you name “swinging large.”
I’ve really heard it each methods about this casting. Some folks love the refreshing tackle the character with an actor identified for his comedic roles, whereas others usually are not fairly as on board.
I’m going to sugarcoat it, however mainly, a number of viewers really feel it is a travesty and an offense to the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and that the Watson writers ought to hold their heads in disgrace. Once more, this was me sugarcoating the feedback.
Personally, I’d wish to see what Park can do with the character. The actor has a number of charisma and appeal, which is why most individuals take pleasure in him when he seems in a film or collection.
To be sincere, I doubt Randall Park would have taken on this reasonably dangerous position if he didn’t consider he had the chops to do Moriarty justice.
Since I’ve solely seen the pilot, I can solely guess at his method, however I think about it’ll be the sort the place he says one thing sinister however then follows it up with a giant smile, Joker fashion.
Nonetheless, Park’s casting is probably the best danger that CBS‘s Watson has made because it has had such a polarizing impact on viewers — about ten million of them, to be actual.
Additionally, keep in mind that little experiment of Watson’s? For those who don’t, the titular character employed the docs he did as a result of all of them share traits much like that of 1 mysterious particular person. I ponder who it could possibly be.
One factor to bear in mind is that many exhibits make small however elementary modifications after a pilot airs as a result of the primary and second episodes normally have a number of time between their respective filming.
For all we all know, Watson may come again with much more “intriguing” characters when the collection returns for its second episode.
I used to be going to ask what sort of present takes a weeks-long break after its premiere, however then I remembered Matlock.
What did you consider Watson after watching the pilot?
Which supporting character do you suppose has probably the most potential to maintain the present going?
Drop a remark under to let me know what you suppose, and be a part of me once more after I deliver you extra enjoyable questions and opinions about Watson!
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