Watson Season 2 Episode 17 Recap: Watson’s Hallucinations Expose a Life-Changing Diagnosis

Are They Alive?

This episode picks up from the end of last week’s cliffhanger. Laila and Watson are in a car accident. The car careens over an embankment, and the scene quickly switches.

Wait, WHAT’S HAPPENING?! Are they all seeing Watson’s hallucination?

In the Holmes Clinic’s bullpen the next morning, Ingrid finds a CT scan on her desk. She has no idea who placed it there. Adam comes in, and she asks him about it. Sasha and Stephens arrive a few moments later, and they all assume it was Watson. What’s strange, besides the mysterious CT scan’s appearance, is the absence of Dr. John Watson. There’s no patient information on the scan. Stephens studies it and calls it scary, while Ingrid describes it as terrifying because of the mass on the temporal lobe.

She has no clue what she’s supposed to do with it. Adam hopes it’s not a test, and if it is, he hopes it doesn’t take long because he and Lauren have an OB appointment. Brenda comes in, and they ask her about Watson’s whereabouts. She bluntly tells them she’s not a babysitter, and definitely not Watson’s. It’s his business that he’s not there—yet. She gives the Fellows permission to make themselves busy, something clearly foreign to them. Let’s see how well that goes.

The camera shows a confident stride as a man enters the Holmes Clinic. He’s greeted with smiles and admiring looks from the nursing staff and Brenda, who welcomes him and tells him the conference room is ready. It’s Sherlock Holmes. He enters the bullpen, where the Fellows are attempting to look busy. His voice is instantly recognizable before the camera pans up to reveal his face.

He’s glad they’re all there, and none of them seem to find it strange. Ingrid asks why he’s late, and Holmes says he’s been checking on a new patient. Adam didn’t know they had one, but Holmes counters that the patient didn’t know they were her doctors either. He tells them they’d better get started, they have a lot of work to do before Watson returns.

It’s unclear whether Watson is dreaming all of this or experiencing a massive hallucination while unconscious in the crashed car, but it’s definitely intriguing. The Fellows, along with Brenda and Holmes, assemble in the conference room as he briefs them on their new patient, Regan Anson. She presents with shortness of breath, bronzing of the skin, and a sudden collapse. She also has white forelocks in her hair. Sasha condescendingly informs Holmes that they already know about this genetic condition, thanks to working with Watson. Holmes appreciates the input.

He presents the case with Brenda’s help, even crediting her with fact-checking and grammatical corrections. Their dynamic is amusing as they openly disagree while presenting. Brenda explains that Regan was admitted to UHOP the previous night with shortness of breath and unusual skin bronzing. She later collapsed, hitting her head on concrete, and is currently sedated until the swelling subsides.

Ingrid interrupts to clarify whether Holmes is suddenly a doctor. He responds that he’s a detective, famously known as “the world’s greatest detective,” though he finds the label tiresome. Refocusing, he explains that Regan is connected to “Mister A,” Malcolm Anson, Watson’s mentor and a pivotal figure in his life. Brenda emphasizes that Anson is responsible for Watson becoming Watson.

There’s a flashback to Watson and Mary’s rehearsal dinner, where Malcolm gives a speech before suddenly experiencing shortness of breath. He steps outside and collapses. Stephens asks where Watson is, and Holmes admits he has no idea, suggesting Watson is off somewhere thinking. He asks them to give Watson time.

Lauren arrives, and Ingrid alerts Adam. Lauren tells him she doesn’t feel well and asks to see her OB doctor immediately.

Brenda explains that the case of Mister A was Watson’s greatest unsolved mystery. Holmes proposes they solve it before Watson returns, potentially saving Regan in the process. As an incentive, he offers a two-month rotation at the London Royal Hospital and the chance to study his methods at Baker Street. The reaction is underwhelming. Sasha notes it sounds a bit male-centric, and Holmes dryly points out she doesn’t have to live there to study.

Meanwhile, Stephens notices water dripping from a cracked ceiling. A drop falls, transitioning to rain hitting Watson’s face. He and Laila are still unconscious in the wrecked car as a fire starts in the engine. Watson’s consciousness flickers between the crash and the hallucination, with the latter taking over. Back in the conference room, the temperature rises. Holmes casually attributes it to the thermostat, though it’s clearly tied to Watson’s real-world situation. He moves the CT scan to the glass wall and begins pushing the Fellows harder, frustrating Ingrid.

Brenda outlines Malcolm’s medical history while Holmes provides deductive insight. A flashback shows Watson visiting Malcolm in the hospital, where Mary points out EKG abnormalities. Ingrid identifies left ventricular heart failure, though lifestyle changes failed to help. At the same time, Adam and Lauren see their triplets on an ultrasound. Malena assures them the babies are thriving. Adam briefly returns to the clinic but soon realizes something is wrong when Lauren is rushed to a birthing area due to possible preterm contractions. He’s understandably shaken.

Another flashback shows young Regan asking Watson if her father will be okay. She recalls getting sick at camp, being treated with antibiotics, and later her father contracting the same illness. Watson’s awareness spikes again as rescuers cut into the car. He’s pulled out moments before it explodes. In the hallucination, Holmes casually serves espresso while emergency lights flicker in the background. Reality and illusion continue to blur.

Adam later finds Stephens and breaks down, admitting he’s terrified but determined to be there for Lauren and their babies. Stephens reassures him, telling him how much he’s changed and how proud he is. It’s an emotional scene made even more impressive by one actor playing both brothers. A flood of memories overwhelms Watson, Malcolm’s decline, Regan’s childhood, and the unanswered questions surrounding his diagnosis. Holmes ultimately declares that Watson was wrong about Malcolm’s illness.

This pushes the Fellows into action. Sasha and Stephens work together, while Ingrid reluctantly joins in, determined to beat Watson at his own game. They revisit the original diagnosis and begin piecing together the truth. Holmes quietly exits, praising the Fellows to Brenda and leaving a message for Watson before disappearing. Whether Brenda actually sees him remains unclear.

The Fellows eventually arrive at the same conclusion and apply it to Regan’s condition. They reflect on the fear of passing illnesses to future children, tying back to Adam’s situation. Stephens realizes that parenthood is about accepting uncertainty and letting go of control. Ingrid later discovers the mysterious CT scan again, now labeled “606.” This leads her to a hospital room where she finds Watson.

Stephens, meanwhile, is with Adam as they both grieve a devastating loss. Watson wakes up in the UHOP ER. Mary explains what happened and updates him on Laila. He remembers everything from his hallucination, though the Fellows do not.

He immediately gets to work. He checks on Laila, guides her treatment, and helps save Lauren and the triplets by identifying polyhydramnios. He also revisits Regan’s case, correcting his earlier mistake and giving her a hopeful prognosis.

When Laila wakes, she asks him a simple question: was she part of those memories? It’s a quiet but meaningful moment for their relationship. Watson later reassures Stephens that he would make a great father before finally deciding to take a day off though that seems unlikely.

The episode ends with a major revelation. A CT scan confirms Watson has a brain tumor. Mary delivers the news, and Watson realizes this explains the hallucinations, including Sherlock Holmes’ presence.

It’s an effective ending, both enlightening and unsettling. The blending of timelines, hallucinations, and medical mystery works well, even if it leaves viewers slightly disoriented. Watson’s unconscious mind ultimately saves lives, forcing him to confront both his past mistakes and his current reality.

Will Watson get the help he needs? That’s a question for future episodes.

I give this episode 4.8 stars out of 5.

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