Watson season 1 episode 5 “The Man with the Glowing Chest” was probably the first time that this really felt like a TV show. By that I mean that I was taken out of the experience completely. And a lot of it has to do with the fact that I was waiting for something bad to happen to Taryn. Because we don’t live in a world where the cure for sickle cell is readily available to everyone. I wish it was available. And maybe the fact that she survived, the procedure worked, that she was pregnant, and that all of that took me out of the episode, maybe that was the point.
Maybe the point of “The Man with the Glowing Chest” is that it is ridiculous that there is a cure for something that cannot be accessed. Whether it’s from FDA regulations or because it carries a heavy price tag, science has advanced. And I’m trying to have faith in Watson as a show that they wouldn’t present this case to John without it being a lesson. But maybe the lesson isn’t for his students as much as it is for us the viewer. Because John can’t ignore the realities of the pitfalls of being a doctor and the limitations within it. He also can’t ignore sickle cell and how it disproportionately affects individuals of African descent with the National Institutes of Health estimating that 1 in 13 babies of African descent are born with the sickle cell trait.
If I were to not give Watson season 1 episode 5 “The Man with the Glowing Chest” the benefit of the doubt, I would say that this is the weakest episode so far. Maybe even weaker than the pilot episode of Watson. And in my review for Watson season 1 episode 4, I commented on how I felt like the show was finally hitting its stride. And if I weren’t giving this episode the benefit of the doubt, I would think that they actually stumbled with this. I wish it was this easy, or easier, to provide people with the care that they need. I wish. And it’s kind of a timely episode considering continued conversations surrounding medical care and what science can do for people in the limitations that come with it. But that’s out of my expertise to really break down.
On a positive note, I really enjoyed how “The Man with the Glowing Chest” seemed to be moving a bunch of pieces around when it came to the students or fellows. (I know they’re technically fellows according to John. But I like students.) For Stephens and Adams, we got to see a little bit more of their brotherhood. Something bad happened that led Adams to spiral and end up in the clutches of alcohol. But he has thrived and reached a 5-year mark of being sober. And it matters that Stephens was there for Adams. They don’t necessarily get along all the time. But when it’s an important thing, they’re there for each other. That matters and I really can’t wait to see when that is tested further along in the series.
When it comes to the women of Watson, we got a lot of good stuff. For Mary, she continues to show her knowledge, authority, and willingness to stand up to John. That makes her stand out and defines her. When it comes to the other two women, Ingrid and Sasha, I was glad to see them bonding. But I should have known. This is all a game to Ingrid. She doesn’t care what pieces she needs to move on her chess board f it means getting her end goal. And it’s not like I begrudge her for being sneaky to help her sister. This episode showed that there are limitations, clear limitations, to the healthcare system. Ingrid is doing what she can and what she knows to help her family. But the fact remains she could have asked. Sasha would have helped and done what needed to be done if Ingrid asked. No need to sneak.
Overall, the more that I see of Watson, the more I want to know about Ingrid. My eye keeps getting drawn to her. And even though I feel like this episode took me a little bit out of the experience, my interest is still peaked. There is something more brewing behind Ingrid’s everything. We got a clue about it in this episode with her sister and the notes she was taking about what John was doing. But I think John knows. He’s setting the stage and letting Ingrid think she’s a couple steps ahead. And it’s in these small and subtle moments that I understand why CBS picked Morris Chestnut to play Dr. John Watson. But I also understand why Sherlock implicitly trusted this version of John and confided in him before his demise.
Watson airs on Sundays at 9/8c on CBS.
