Watson Season 1 Episode 8 “A Variant of Unknown Significance” sees the introduction of the iconic Irene Adler. And… she fell flat. It’s not even because of the women that have played Irene before. It’s the simple fact that Irene Adler is the one person that got one over on Sherlock Holmes aka the greatest detective in the world. So there’s a certain kind of reputation that comes with this. And no shade to the actress, the presence wasn’t there. She tried. I will absolutely give her that. She had the look and the little kid to try and scheme her way into this illustrious program where genius DNA is examined. But I didn’t sense the cunning nature of Irene Adler.
Playing devil’s advocate to myself, maybe this version of Irene is an evolution of her character. Because she doesn’t look like the type of person that would swindle you. And that’s exactly what Irene Adler would want from you. She wouldn’t want you to suspect. Honestly, she’s probably conned and duped a lot of men who saw her as this gentle flower that needed guidance through life. That would allow her the opportunity to take down any man that comes her way. And yes, that means even someone like Sherlock Holmes. She certainly almost got away with it when it came to John. Good thing he wasn’t alone and had his friend and colleagues to keep him focused.
MORE: Missed out on last week’s review? Read our review for Watson Season 1 Episode 7 “Teeth Marks.”
For John, “A Variant of Unknown Significance” was an opportunity to re-examine some old wounds. And I like that the show made some of the wounds pertaining to Sherlock Holmes. That was his best friend and he ended up with a head injury that changed his life. It continues to change his life to this very moment on the daily. And then here comes Irene Adler with a boy that she claims is Sherlock’s son. But on a more intimate level, John got to re-examine some old wounds from a romantic sense. His ex-wife Mary was pregnant and they were going to have a girl. That adds a new dimension to why he and Mary didn’t work out. And I really hope that Watson circles back again on the dissolution of their marriage. Because there’s still something there.
When it comes to John’s relationship with the other doctors aka his students, he mixed some things up. And I really like when shows do this, create different pairings within the ensemble of a cast. Because it’s like testing out the waters and seeing what pops up. Maybe two actors that you didn’t think had chemistry before, actually do, and you can explore that. But it also makes for a more strong weave when it comes to them as a found family. Because I think that’s where they’re going with the younger doctors. They are all outcasts in one way or another. And John is educating them but also giving them an opportunity to bond.
For Stephens and Ingrid, we saw a little jealousy and competition in Watson Season 1 Episode 8. Stephens is obviously keeping secrets for John. But Ingrid doesn’t know that. She just thinks that Stephens is cutting her out. And Stephens surprisingly pretends that he was cutting her out on purpose but also does a sweet gesture by giving her a trophy. That moment where she paused at the end with the trophy, that was a little chink in her armor. I also saw some changes between Sasha and Adams. He’s still kind of the douchey brother. But I think he matched well with Sasha when it comes to being competitive and looking at the problem in front of them from a different lens. This will make them stronger as a collective.
There was one small detail during “A Variant of Unknown Significance” that I want to break down a little bit. At the end, Ingrid, who would probably swear up and down she’s not there for a girl talk, notes that Sasha doesn’t have her engagement ring and there’s a painting from the guy obsessed with her on her desk. Sasha has started moving on and Ingrid is proud. But she made a comment about Stephens and rebounds to Sasha. And I’m really curious as to what Ingrid sees when she looks at Sasha and Stephens. Because we’ve been talking about a possible ship between Stephens and Sasha for episodes. Maybe it’s not all in our heads. Maybe Ingrid sees it too.
MORE: Watson Season 1 Episode 4 “Patient Question” really convinced us there’s something brewing between Sasha and Stephens.
Overall, Watson Season 1 Episode 8 “A Variant of Unknown Significance” left me feeling like a detective. And I think that’s advantageous to the show because it feels like we’re on a journey to solve a mystery with John and his colleagues. Nevertheless, I do still believe that the weakest part of the show is sometimes the cases and how they’re explained. But Ingrid did have a moment where it felt like she was dumbing it down a little bit when she shoved the kid to prove her point. Should she have shoved a child? No. Was it hilarious and helped us understand the case of the week? Yes. I’m not advocating for shoving more children in future episodes. I’m advocating for making the mysteries a little bit more accessible. Because I’ve invested in the people already. Let me invest in the cases.
Watson airs on Sundays at 9/8c on CBS.
