'Watson' Season 2 Episode 2 "Back from the Dead" Recap
- Barbara
- Oct 21
- 4 min read
John Watson hears a noise downstairs in his home. He grabs a baseball bat and goes down to the kitchen and finds Sherlock Holmes, his dead mentor, best friend and hero, rummaging around in his fridge. At least, he thinks it's him, because he remembers him dying. Watson saw him drown as he fought with their rival, Moriarty. A shocked, disbelieving John Watson asks Sherlock how he is alive. Sherlock rattles off numerous answers, skullduggery, sleight of hand, trickery, while he builds himself a sandwich. He distracts John by asking if he has an overnight guest. John cautiously approaches Sherlock and asks why he used trickery on him. Sherlock says he unwillingly had to do it. He explained that it had to be done so he could spend his remaining days in peace and the way he wanted. He tells John to hit him with the bat if he wants. John smiles happily and hugs his friend. They sit and talk. John asks him where he’s been. Sherlock goes around and around the actual facts. John is angry he left him to deal with Moriarty alone. Sherlock agrees to start again, and asks John how he was, and how his day was.
John begins to tell Sherlock about his day which starts with a conversation with a psychiatrist, Dr. Ivan Ferry. He tells him how difficult it is to diagnose ego-syntonic personality disorders. He asks Dr. Ferry if they can be cured. He happens to be treating Ingrid, his needed neurologist. He can’t hire her back, but needs someone with her expert skills. Ferry never gave him an answer.
Anyway, Mary calls him in for a consult on a patient, Amelia Woodward. She has flu-like symptoms. She tells Watson she is Dr. Woodward, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at Pitt. After talking with her, she is meticulous, organized and intensely detail-oriented. She warns him about a disease she has brought to UHOP. She’s certain Dr. John Watson has never dealt with anything like this. She’s researched the Arctic permafrost, her life’s work. No one’s really knowledgeable about what’s below the permafrost surface. There are frozen pathogens, possible pandemic viruses, exotic viruses that could extinguish entire populations if released. She and her team found remains of three frozen, now thawed, wooly mammoths that died from a zombie virus.
The story flashes forward to the night chat with Sherlock. Sherlock says they have a new case to solve, “The Case of the Zombie Virus”, and he’s in. John is not amused and finds the term “zombie” overused and imprecise.
Dr. Watson presents it to the fellows and Shinwell. Sasha doubts a virus could resurface from bygone millenia. Stephens says they need to consider the possibility. Adam is skeptical, also. Shinwell tells Watson news of a possible pandemic is spreading through the nurses’ rumor mill.
Flashing forward to the night in Watson’s kitchen with Sherlock, again. He fills him in on his team in the clinic. Sherlock finds them all fascinating and congratulates Watson on helping Shinwell find his true path. He is impressed by what each team member contributes to the investigative side of their work. Stephens identifies Dr. Woodward’s team, and is about to begin contacting them when Watson gets a call. They are all in the ER. Presenting with a respiratory, flu-like condition like Dr. Woodward.
Sherlock tells Watson he had lots of money, but forgot to tell him. He has a fortune due to his brother, Mycroft’s, business acumen. He gave lots of it away, hence Watson’s clinic. Sherlock no longer has access to that fortune because he’s supposed to be dead.
The mystery develops and they have more questions than answers. The scenario of what’s currently happening is in Dr. Woodward’s book. Mary says Woodward predicted an exact scenario. They have no clue what the virus is, if it’s contagious, or how to fight it. Watson deploys his team and the investigation begins. Sasha and Stephens go to see a wooly mammoth, and Adam’s stuck reviewing records.
What’s the true culprit that caused one of Woodward’s team member’s death? Why did Dr. Woodward write her book? What’s Sherlock’s favorite porridge? What personal issue is Sasha dealing with? Where did they find the wooly mammoths? What is the zombie virus? Does Watson have the right suspect? Who’s Dr. Watson’s nemesis? How did Sherlock Holmes survive?
It’s interesting how they developed this episode. They use flash forwards and flashbacks to reveal the story with Watson as the pivotal character interacting in both planes of time. His interactions with the team and Sherlock weave a mystery, investigative skills and a possible solution to fight the virus together. Along the way are mini-plots that have characters sharing personal information, and bringing them closer together. Another character makes a surprise visit to the clinic. A patient dies from the zombie virus. There’s also the elusively, mysterious Sherlock Holmes that only seems to exist in Watson’s kitchen throughout this episode until the end. He is very interested in the zombie virus and continues questioning Watson on his investigation. Watson asks Sherlock again how he survived, but he redirects again. Watson and Ingrid are confined for observation because they were exposed to the zombie virus. The team and Shinwell interview Woodward’s team members. Watson has a theory, and presents it to Mary. It’s partially right.
The investigative, deductive, storytelling and skilled scientific character interaction make this episode an exciting one. Throw in the mysterious Sherlock Holmes theorizing along with Dr. Watson. Also, I love how Sherlock does the rundown of the clues, and Watson adds the medical diagnosis. Sherlock supplies the motive and the search for a suspect unearths personal issues of Woodward and her team. Watch the episode to find out how Sherlock survived. It’s quite good, and a true Sherlock Holmes sleight of hand, skullduggery and trickery plan. I enjoyed the whole path taken to solve this medical mystery, with a prehistoric mammoth added. The background music adds to the mystery and intrigue. What is Sherlock Holmes’ true reason for returning? He still talks in clever riddles. It was well-written and keeps you guessing. Although it was a bit confusing, and light on medical jargon, seeing the Sherlock Holmes deductive investigative skills at work was absolutely worth it!
I give this Watson episode 4 out of 5 Stars.
What did you think?
Loved it
Hated it
So/So
Well written and new challenge begins with the new mystery awaits. Third act surprises