Dr. John Watson is back, and he’s better following a tumultuous inaugural season of the hit medical drama with a twist, CBS’s Watson, starring Morris Chestnut.
After being released from James Moriarty’s influence, Watson appears freer and somewhat less severe, at least for a doctor. For Chestnut, it ties into one of his primary goals as an executive producer and the series’ lead.
“One of the things that we definitely wanted to do in this season — we want more levity in the show, more fun, more humor, more wit, and yes, the challenge last season with James Moriarty was that it was such a dark cloud because he was affecting Watson’s mental state with all these prescriptions and medications,” Chestnut told Blavity’s Shadow and Act. “Then, just his presence in dealing with all of the people that Moriarty was wreaking havoc on in Watson’s life.”
He mentioned that without Moriarty’s looming darkness, “Watson is having a little bit more fun. He’s a little bit free, more free, and a little bit more relaxed to deal with things.”
Watson’s mission statement for Season 2
Along with a new attitude and approach to life, Watson’s love interest this season is portrayed by Tia Sumpter and seemingly suggests that he has come to terms with the end of his relationship with his ex, Dr. Mary Morstan (Rochelle Aytes). Yet, in the season opener, we’ll still see how much they need one another. One thing’s for sure, though, Watson definitely has a type — fellow doctors with his new lady being a pediatric oncologist.
“One of the things, as with everything that he does, his true goal in life is he wants people to live a happy and healthy life, and he wants to help,” Chestnut said of his character’s mission statement in this second season, adding that he ultimately wants to help people and solve these rare medical mysteries that are affecting their lives.
He continued, “There’s an episode, I think it’s Episode 203, where there’s literally a patient who doesn’t really care if they live or die. Matter of fact, they’re probably closer to wanting to die than to live, and so he makes it his mission to help improve their life and contribute. He wants to contribute to the world in that way.”
Chesnut’s favorite thing about this show is that it’s not your typical doctor show, but rather a hybrid series where he gets to explain medical jargon, diagnose patients, and solve mysteries.
The art of letting go
In terms of Watson’s freer approach to life, not only does that come from being released from the burden of his arch nemesis, but also because he’s let go of a lot of dead weight from Season 1.
Like art imitating life, Chestnut had to let go of expectations to fulfill his roles as both the lead in Watson and an executive producer on the show.
“Season 1 of a first-season original show is challenging,” he said. “You’re dealing with a lot of different things, and everyone’s coming together for the first time in front of the camera and behind the camera. Season 2, we’ve gotten into more of a rhythm. We’ve worked together, gotten a bit more comfortable. Things are a lot smoother. Season 2 has actually been more smooth relative to Season 1.”
At the end of the first episode, Watson is met with a blast from the past.
Find out just how he’s kicking off Season 2 with the CBS premiere of Watson on a new night, starting Monday, at 10 p.m. ET.