Watson Creator Addresses Whether Sherlock Holmes Will Ever Appear In CBS Medical Drama

With Watson kicking off by depicting one of the most pivotal Sherlock Holmes scenes, series creator Craig Sweeny weighed in on whether Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective could ever appear in the show. Created by Sweeny for CBS, the series is a modernized reimagining of Doyle's influential works, with Morris Chestnut's Watson assembling his own team of hopeful doctors to solve mysteries. Watson's first episode premiered on January 26, and featured Ritchie Coster and Rochelle Aytes as Shinwell Johnson and Mary Morstan alongside Chestnut's portrayal of Watson.

As Watson opened on an adaptation of Holmes and James Moriarty's (Randall Park) final and fatal struggle at the Reichenbach Falls from "The Final Problem", Sweeny opened up to Deadline about whether Holmes could have survived the event and appear in the series following the reveal of Moriarty's survival. For Sweeny, opening on Holmes death felt like a natural way to allow the series to focus on Watson without having to worry about him being overshadowed by the detective. Despite this, the creator did acknowledge that Holmes does return from his fate in Doyle's works:

If you have Watson front and center, to allow that character to shine, you definitely don’t want him competing with the most famous character in all of literature, so a very natural construction for me was to begin with the death of Holmes at Reichenbach Falls. Now, of course, even in Conan Doyle’s stories, Sherlock is not truly dead.

As such, while Holmes is gone, Sweeny hasn't ruled out a future appearance, though it is unlikely that Holmes will appear in a recurring capacity should he return. Check out Sweeney's explanation below:

My belief is that Holmes is gone. I don’t want to be held to that if there’s some great story that presents itself, but I don’t believe that we’re ever going to feature Sherlock as an ongoing character in the show Watson at this time.

What Sweeny's Response Reveals About Watson's Potential Sherlock Holmes Appearance

There Are Several Ways That Holmes Could Return

With Park's Moriarty emerging from the Reichenbach Falls incident, it is possible that Holmes could have survived, too. When Watson wakes, he is told that he is the sole person to be found after the event, implying Sherlock and Moriarty had fallen to their deaths. However, within the six months that have passed since the fateful event, the criminal mastermind is working in the shadows to collect samples for some nefarious goal with the aid of Johnson.

Though, with Sweeny implying that Holmes may have survived too, it is possible that the series could bring several of the character's traits to screen to explain his absence. With it being implied that neither Moriarty or Holmes' bodies were found at the scene of the crime, it is possible Holmes could be operating on his own in hiding. One of Holmes' defining traits is that he is a master of disguise, able to take on a new persona so well that even Watson is unable to detect him. Such traits could find their way into Watson down the line, meaning that Holmes could be operating in the shadows the same as Moriarty.

Our Thoughts On Watson's Potential Sherlock Holmes Return

The Series Is Set On Focusing On Watson Moving On

Within Watson's pilot episode, the series firmly stated that it is about its titular character moving on from his time with Sherlock. Though his time with the detective had a detrimental effect on his relationship with Mary, she acknowledges that Watson's time with Holmes left him a more capable doctor.

As such, even though Moriarty is operating in the shadows, Sweeny's response makes it clear that Watson will primarily focus on its titular character rather than let him be overshadowed by his most famous friend. In which case, udiences shouldn't expect a permanent reunion between Holmes and Watson, as the latter has a new life to lead.

Source: Deadline