The nadir of Watson's existence is Brilliant Minds, a show that shares enough similarities with it that comparisons are inevitable. Both are medical procedurals centered around unusual, often brain-related cases. Season 1 of Watson made it clear that it was more interested in being a medical drama than a Sherlock Holmes mystery, and Season 2 reaffirms this, but it struggles to resist the allure of Sherlockian territory, as evidenced in the startlingly apparent "A Son in the Oven."
The episode is a relatively conventional medical drama, but the unexpected appearance of Sherlock Holmes at the end feels out of place. It's a weird and jarring moment that highlights how Brilliant Minds' superiority hurts Watson, even when the latter is doing well. It's a lesser medical drama that can't commit to just being a medical drama due to franchise obligations and expectations pulling it in multiple directions. The rush to kill off Moriarty without jeopardizing the serial status quo was evident in the tail end of the first season, and it's apparent here as well, with the slightly undermined case being slightly undermined by the last-minute appearance of the presumed-dead Sherlock Holmes himself (played by Robert Carlyle, which is fair enough).
The writing in this premiere is brutal, with much of it dedicated to clunkily reminding audiences of what happened in Season 1. A cluster of opening scenes showing Watson with Laila, Sasha in bed with Stephens, Shinwell studying, etc., is bad enough for being on-the-nose, but the dialogue repeatedly reiterates key plot points. Shinwell gives the entire room a dressing down about Ingrid's departure, reminding them of their own low points – most of which constituted an episode or two – and paving the way for Ingrid's return. He later apologizes to Watson for his betrayal and thanks him for giving him a second chance, clarifying their dynamic.
There's even a very familiar reminder that Watson's hiring practices tend to focus on candidates he considers to be long-term genetic experiments; we had this same conversation in the first season, and it's all to set up Watson hiring Ingrid's replacement, who at this point will almost certainly be Ingrid herself. It's just so clunky and ungainly.
In the midst of the drama, Elizabeth's journey becomes a poignant tale of memory loss and redemption. Initially, it's assumed she accidentally poisoned herself during baking, but her symptoms don't align with cyanide poisoning and they only seem to worsen. She can't recall Watson, even though he's been married to her daughter for years, and eventually, she even forgets Mary. After a two-week time skip, her symptoms spiral out of control, leading her to believe she's twenty-five and pregnant. It seems as though she's grasping at straws to remember the end of her life.
Watson Season 2, Episode 1 employs a ticking-clock device, and the situation with Elizabeth's failing liver is urgent. The risks for Mary as a donor are too high, so Watson must find an emergency replacement in record time by piecing together clues Elizabeth has dropped along the way. It turns out she had a child with her husband when she was 25, before they were married, and gave him up for adoption. His name is Miles, and Watson is able to track him down to a nearby bakery. The entire situation feels contrived, but it somehow works. Watson's quipping "I'm a detective" whenever he figures something out is a bit unrealistic, but it fits the Sherlock mystery framework amidst the medical drama.
Miles is hesitant to give part of his liver to this strange woman, but when he visits Elizabeth in the hospital, he recognizes her. She has visited his bakery every day to see him, and he realizes in that moment that she was always there for him, ready to brighten his day or give him advice. It's a heart-wrenching moment that leads to Elizabeth surviving and getting to meet her grandchildren. It's almost too neat and tidy, but it works within the context of the show.
The episode ends with a tease of two things: the return of Ingrid, whose application for the neurology position is included with others who are unsuitable, and who is now facing the fact that she apparently has Antisocial Personality Disorder. The second tease is the return of Sherlock Holmes. This should stir things up, but I'm not sure it will fix any of the myriad problems that Watson still has.
