Watson Season 2 Episode 7 “Giant Steps” is unlike any episode that the show has given us. Because we have seen various versions of John. We’ve seen a version of John that was spiraling and losing himself due to Moriarty’s meddling. We’ve also seen him surprised and frustrated with his doctors or even the return of Sherlock. But in all that time I’ve never seen John out of his depth.
MORE: Have you read our review for last week’s episode of Watson titled “Buying Time”?
Figures that the first time we see John not knowing what to do, it’s with his father Hamish. There’s nothing like family and all the not so healed wounds that throw even the strongest person off kilter. And that’s where John is in this episode. He doesn’t know where he stands with his father. But at the same time he’s playing it off with Mary like everything’s okay. And when they finally meet in that hospital room after God knows how long, they don’t even know how to greet each other. Because they don’t know each other. And it doesn’t help that John isn’t a little jealous of Annabelle and the bond she shares with his father.
Having John go through the motions that come with parental resentment is probably the most relatable that John has ever been on Watson. Because we all understand the pressures of living up to our parents’ expectations. We also understand that we have our own expectations of how our parents should treat us. And watching John work through that and come to a better understanding about how his dad is human, it really works at opening up John as a character and making him even more likable.
An unexpected part for Watson Season 2 Episode 7 is how Mary dealt with all of it. Because Mary and John were married long enough where Mary was calling Hamish dad. And the show creates defined lines that show that what they were is different from what they are. Because oftentimes women are seen as the ones to carry the emotional weight for our husbands. Mary is not doing that here. She’s not stepping into the role of loving wife again. Their marriage is over. At the same time she’s being kind because she and John are friends and she still cares about Hamish.
Watson’s John and Mary really have one of the most interesting relationships on TV. And it’s due to the fact that they have tons of respect for each other despite the troubles that led them to be divorced. It’s the kind of partnership that I wish I saw more often on TV. Because sometimes relationships don’t work out. And that doesn’t mean that the good parts disappear. Sometimes they are still there. And Mary and John are remembering those good parts while respecting each other’s boundaries on how things have changed, especially because they work together.
Talking about boundaries, I really really like how Stephens and Ingrid were having that conversation about Sasha. Because both of them care for Sasha in their own way. And that little moment that Ingrid and Stephens had, showed that there isn’t romantic competition for Sasha like I thought in the previous episode. They just care for her. And I love it even more that Stephen’s made it clear that he is there for her but he is not making decisions for her. So truly, whoever is writing this show, clearly they have a good relationship with their ex or understands that family comes in different shapes and sizes.
As for Sasha, the mystery with her “uncle” just got more complicated. But I don’t think that Sasha is going to let him go. It was a lie, yes. But it was a lie born out of desperation and loneliness. And who can’t understand loneliness? I know I can. And it goes back to what I’ve always found to be the strongest part of Watson: the family aspect. Found family. Blood family. All of it counts and all of it is enough. And this definition of family was elevated in “Giant Steps,” especially for our lead John and Sasha.
Watson airs new episodes Mondays at 10pm on CBS.
