Review: 'Watson' Season 2 Starts Strong with “A Son in the Oven”

Watson’s Premiere episode of Season 2 begins with Dr. Mary Morston’s mother, Elizabeth Morston, talking to her daughter via cell while she prepares an old family tea cake recipe. She tastes an ingredient and has a violent reaction to it. She begins throwing up and passes out in her kitchen. Meanwhile, Dr. Bynum and Dr. Watson passionately enjoy each other’s company on a date. He gets a call from Mary and leaps into action. He assembles the fellows.  Mary got her mother taken to the UHOP, University of Pittsburgh Hospital. Watson, Dr. Sasha  and Dr. Stephens Croft met Mary in her mom’s room. Adam Croft breaks into Mary’s mom’s house, after getting how-to instructions from Shinwell Johnson.

He asks Watson if she’s suffering from early onset dementia because of all the sticky note reminders posted along the walls of the house. Mary says there were no signs that she’s noticed. They find out she was baking legendary family tea cakes. Watson asks Stephens to find a bottle of bitter almond extract, he does. Mary’s mom was poisoned by this ingredient that turned into cyanide. They inject her mom with an antidote. Crisis averted.  Elizabeth later experiences an unexpected side effect. She doesn’t seem to recognize John Watson, her daughter’s ex-husband. She says she never met him before. Oh OH!

Two weeks later, Watson, the fellows and Shinwell all begin the day. Shinell is studying to become a nurse, and is in his first year of training. He receives a call from Mary and she tells him her mother’s condition has changed. She is experiencing early-onset dementia, cognitive decline. It’s quickly worsening and she now doesn’t recognize her own daughter. Sasha says dementia does happen to sneak up on people. Watson is convinced there’s something mysterious happening, especially after she tells him she’s 25 years old.

She’s exhibiting frustration and an angry temperament.  Watson consults the fellows for help, but they think it’s not an unusual case. Adam expresses frustration at Watson’s hesitancy to work on new cases. Shinwell hinted to Watson earlier it might be because of what happened with Moriarty. Watson denies this. He tells the team they need to add a neurologist to the team, and directs them to  find one. 

Watson calls Shinwell in to join the discussion with the fellows, and provide a fresh perspective on Elizabeth’s case. He gives everyone their assignments, and asks Shinwell to join the Croft twins. They are to re-exam Elizabeth because her walking pattern has recently changed. He’s not sure but will review Lewy body dementia symptoms to determine if this is causing Elizabeth’s condition. Watson and Sasha will revisit Elizabeth’s house for some missed clues. He teases the fellows stating he’s not done with them, and disputes Adam’s earlier statement of how Watson’’s only interested in mystery cases. He loses interest once he thinks he’s solved them. Watson tells the fellows they are all still mysteries to him, and asks them to help find a neurologist to add to the team. Dr. Ingrid Derian is no longer with them. 

Shinwell gets Elizabeth up and out into the hospital hallway. She has difficulty walking. She still thinks she’s 25. The Croft brothers wait for their return, and start looking for potential neurologists while they wait. They are expressly searching for someone with an intriguing mystery they can add to the group. They discuss why Watson shut down the lab and stops seeing clinic patients. Adam is frustrated and wants more than just being doctors in a regional clinic. 

Watson’s personal life is becoming demanding. Dr. Bynum wants to know what he wants out of their relationship. She tells him what she wants, but he hesitates in sharing. He’s called away before answering.

Watson meets Mary in Elizabeth’s room. This time Elizabeth believes she is carrying a baby. She lists names in a notebook and shows him. He immediately sees the difference in her writing ability. He compares the recipe handwriting to her current handwriting. It clearly shows a serious change. Watson tells Mary that he believes her mom doesn’t have Alzheimer’s or Lewy body dementia. He theorizes her mother’s condition isn’t any of those nightmare diagnoses. 

The mystery continues in this new season of “Watson”. Medical investigation is working overtime, and old status quo diagnoses are challenged. Can see that the interesting science and medical jargon also continues. The fellows team has lost a member, but they are still an eager group ready to discover new life-changing solutions through their unique style of research, personal abilities and resources to push boundaries and save lives. They have a clinic to explore all manners of new clinical mysteries. Shinwell is changing his path of deceit and manipulation. He’s got a new calling, and is studying to become a nurse. Sasha and Stephens are exploring a new romantic relationship, and Laila and John are questioning theirs. 

This episode had awkward moments, sadness, frustration and challenges, and a few shocking discoveries. The fellows also had an awkward meeting with Ingrid. Shinwell adds clarity about Ingrid, and gets the fellows to refocus. Watson is frustrated about not finding a quick solution to save Mary’s mother, and isolates himself in a new area of the hospital. Of course Sidwell finds him there. Watson and Sidwell have a heart-to-heart. There’s also tearful, heart wrenching, warm, beautiful, smile worthy moments. 

What are tea cakes? Will Watson’s theory be proven? What will the cause of Elizabeth’s rapidly deteriorating condition be? How can the team and Mary save her? What surprising discovery does Watson find? What sacrifice was made?  Do they find the neurologist that fits into their quirky, sometimes irrationally neurotic team? The fellows continue to interview neurologists, and Maddy seems great. Do they recommend Watson hire her? Is Ingrid really gone? What is antisocial personality disorder and who has it? Who is the surprise guest raiding Watson’s refrigerator? Watch, and find out.

The surprises kept coming in the first episode of the new season! I loved the medical and science jargon, the heartwarming scenes, the touch of danger and dread Ingrid seems to bring, and the shocking surprises. What a way to start the new season. I give this episode a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

What did you think?

Change Image

• Loved it
• Hated it
• So/So