Did Watson’s Latest Episode (And F-Bomb) Suggest Something Is Seriously Wrong Since Sherlock’s Return? I Have Thoughts After One Star’s Comments

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Be warned: this contains spoilers for Episode 3 of Watson Season 2, titled “Expletive Deleted,” which is now available to stream on Paramount+.

The latest case on “Watson,” titled “Expletive Deleted,” follows quickly after Dr. John Watson’s emotional reunion with Sherlock Holmes. The episode, which surprisingly included a near-profanity on CBS, had a strange quality that made it feel as if the entire encounter with Sherlock might have been a hallucination brought on by a medical issue for John.

It turns out the very first episode of Sherlock, from Season 1, was actually a hallucination. However, recent comments from actor Robert Carlyle make me believe the Sherlock who assisted John with a medical case last week was genuinely alive and physically present. This creates some intriguing possibilities as we look ahead to the rest of the TV season. Let’s start with the basics!

The Case Of The Week: “Expletive Deleted”

I could tell it had been a while since Sherlock and John had parted ways again, but honestly, John barely had a moment to think about that strange case in Pittsburgh once this new one started. He was so focused, he didn’t even realize he was acting strangely, and it definitely alerted Shinwell that something was up. This week’s patient was Max, a really heartbreaking case – a thirty-year-old woman who, incredibly, looked like a little girl, and all she wanted was to be left alone instead of being constantly treated like a child.

I couldn’t help but chuckle when the character was finally diagnosed with lupus. While lupus is a serious condition, the TV show House – which, like Watson, draws inspiration from Sherlock Holmes – repeatedly ruled it out as a diagnosis, turning it into a recurring joke. It made me wonder what the character of Gregory House would think of this particular episode of Watson.

A running gag throughout the episode was Max’s habit of using language that felt far too mature for a ten-year-old – and definitely not suitable for CBS. To get around this, the show cleverly censored her inappropriate words, both by bleeping them out and visually obscuring her mouth with a picture. The image used was an old portrait of John Watson, the character from the Sherlock Holmes stories. It’s funny to see even he seemingly drop an expletive!

The episode neatly resolved Max’s storyline, sticking to the show’s typical format. It also marked Ingrid’s return to the team and included a cameo of Mary Morstan in scrubs. There was plenty happening, including progress in Ingrid and Sasha’s attempt to rebuild their friendship – as long as Sasha doesn’t lose trust in Ingrid again. Even though Ingrid almost caused his death, Stephens was willing to listen to her medical opinion.

Laila has noticed John hasn’t been himself recently, and when you consider he never talked about Sherlock pretending to die or hearing his voice in the first season, it’s understandable to be concerned about Sherlock’s well-being. However, Robert Carlyle’s comments about his new character have reassured me that Sherlock isn’t actually a figment of anyone’s imagination.

What Robert Carlyle Says About John And Sherlock

In Season 1, Sherlock’s initial ‘appearance’ was only his voice, provided by Matt Berry of What We Do In The Shadows, before Robert Carlyle was cast as the character in Season 2. This auditory hallucination was triggered by Moriarty manipulating John’s medication, meaning John wouldn’t normally hallucinate Sherlock unless he was under the influence of drugs.

Laila was asleep throughout John and Sherlock’s conversation in Episode 2, and John appears to be hiding the fact that Sherlock is back from everyone he cares about. However, Shinwell is starting to suspect something, having seen “The Pittsburgh Mystery” written on John’s window. Robert Carlyle, who plays Shinwell, told me before his first full episode of Watson that, from his character’s perspective, Sherlock is genuinely real—a living, breathing person.

It sounds like Robert Carlyle was simply discussing the character he played, not experiencing a hallucination! He shared his thoughts on his version of Sherlock Holmes, a character developed by Craig Sweeny, the showrunner of Watson and an executive producer on Elementary. He then stated:

I spoke with the show’s creator, Craig Sweeny, who previously worked on ‘Elementary.’ He was initially hesitant to combine the worlds of Sherlock and Watson. [laughs] But he came to see that they’re a classic duo, like Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello – simply Sherlock and Watson, a great team. He realized he could explore their relationship in a new way, not necessarily with them constantly side-by-side solving mysteries. He’s found other ways to make their dynamic work, and in the four or five episodes I’ve filmed, he’s done it exceptionally well.

Even after just one episode featuring Robert Carlyle as Sherlock Holmes, it’s clear that the dynamic between Carlyle’s Sherlock and Morris Chestnut’s Watson is quite different from the relationship between Johnny Lee Miller’s Sherlock and Lucy Liu’s Joan on Elementary.

Carlyle emphasized that the show’s focus remains entirely on Watson, as the title, ‘Watson,’ makes clear. He assured viewers that Sherlock’s appearance won’t turn him into a co-star or overshadow Watson’s central role, explaining that:

Sherlock adds a special quality to the show, making it more engaging. He provides Watson with someone to share thoughts and theories with, and their connection is fascinating. It’s almost like they’re reflections of each other, each seeing aspects of themselves in the other, which creates a compelling dynamic. This is especially evident in the questions Watson poses to Sherlock – it makes you wonder if Watson is also grappling with those same questions internally. It’s a wonderful and intriguing relationship, mirroring the complexity of a traditional Sherlock Holmes case itself.

Robert Carlyle didn’t explicitly confirm his character is real, but his statements, combined with the show’s history of surprising twists – like revealing Randall Park as Moriarty – suggest he might be. While it’s possible this version of Sherlock is a hallucination, several details don’t quite support that idea.

It looks like the team will face bigger problems soon, judging by the preview for the next episode of Season 2. Whatever’s going on with Sherlock Holmes might become less important. Here’s a sneak peek:

As a big fan of the show, I’m definitely planning to keep watching Watson on CBS every Monday at 10 p.m. Eastern. The whole thing with the bleeped-out language in the ‘Expletive Deleted’ episode was a bit of a surprise, but I don’t think we’ll be seeing that every week. And while we don’t know exactly when Sherlock will return, Robert Carlyle has said he’s committed to appearing in several more episodes, which is great news! If you missed it, or want to rewatch, you can also stream Watson on Paramount+.

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2025-10-29 07:12