The twelfth episode of "Watson" kicks off with the team grappling with a unique case: a patient exhibiting symptoms meticulous stemming from a black mold infestation within the building. The duo tackles these cases with precision, their professional endeavors interspersed with a tangled web of personal drama. This personal aspect comes to the forefront during a double date orchestrated by the twins, where Adam starts displaying peculiar symptoms—forgetful and disjointed—leaving Stephens stunned, fearing his might brother be experiencing a relapse.
Back at the lab, Watson has reason to rejoice. Every patient who steps through their doors generously donates a DNA sample, and with the vast collection amassed, Watson decides to embark on an ambitious venture: the "Watson Database of Human Mutations." He's on the brink of publishing a groundbreaking paper in the esteemed "New Scientist" magazine, heralding a period of intense activity for the team.
However, their celebrations are abruptly interrupted by an unexpected visitor—Moriarty. Watson fails to recognize him, prompting Derian to seek a private conversation. Moriarty reveals his true intent: to liberate her, but with a catch—one final mission. This mission entails sabotaging Watson's DNA project by contaminating the adeno-associated virus vital for their experiments. Moriarty taunts her, insisting that this act will reveal her true self. His words hang in the air, leaving everyone in a state of disarray.
Meanwhile, Stephens' concerns escalate as Adam confesses that his test results will likely show traces of hydrocodone, indicating a relapse. With an engagement on the horizon and a book即将面世, Adam's struggle with addiction seems illogical and relentless. Yet, beneath the surface of addiction, there might lurk another factor exacerbating his symptoms.
Adam's arrival in the surgery room shortly after paints a chilling picture—he appears delirious, with a childlike curiosity and an insatiable appetite. Watson diagnoses him with Kluver-Bucy Syndrome, initially believing it to be a complication of a herpes infection treatable with a couple of weeks of antibiotics. Yet, reality proves far more grim. Not only does Stephens contract the infection, but the twins also exhibit resistance to antidotes, revealing that their affliction has been genetically altered.
Shinwell makes his entrance, confirming the gravity of the situation, and having been absent from the lab for several days, arrives precisely when Watson requires an expository unloading of recent events. It transpires that Watson's research has inadvertently poisoned the Croft twins. Shinwell meticulously recounts the chain of occurrences spanning the past dozen episodes, revealing Moriarty's constant manipulation and Shinwell's enforced compliance throughout. The DNA samples Watson diligently stored downstairs have been weaponized against those very souls within the lab. Watson is understandably incensed, yet when he learns of Shinwell's coercion, he grapples with the revelation, the ensuing silence heavy with unspoken thoughts. Eventually, Shinwell, burdened by the weight of his confession, decides to depart. Outside, in the parking lot, a sudden burn mars Shinwell's neck, raising the chilling question: has he too been contaminated? This poses a dire threat, for Watson's DNA lab, now, stands as a potential death sentence that Moriarty could execute at will.
Watson imparts this grim reality to the group before they dive into the urgent task of devising a cure for the twins. The remaining members of the lab – including Mary, Derian, and Lubbock – embark on a desperate quest to uncover an antidote before it's too late. They stumble upon a SNORA31 mutation, akin to finding a single grain of rice in a vast, unforgiving desert. This mutation could very well be their salvation. To secure her continued involvement in the search, Derian negotiates her position back in the lab in exchange for her relentless pursuit of a solution. Mary, with limited options, concurs.
Time is of the utmost essence, as Adams slips into a coma, his condition rapidly deteriorating. This territory is fraught with peril, and Watson frantically formulates a new enzyme tailored to combat the virus. To administer it, they must drill into Adams' skull, and initially, the procedure seems promising… until it takes a turn for the worse. Derian's sabotage of the cultures is revealed, dashing their hopes. With weeks needed to cultivate more, the Croft twins face an imminent fate. However, Watson manages to scrape together enough material to create a single vector. The dilemma now is stark: do they save Stephens or Adam? They are forced to make a heart-wrenching decision, with time relentlessly ticking away.
