'Watson' Episode 8 Review: Two Iconic Sherlock Holmes Characters Join the Show

Editor's note: The below recap contains spoilers for Watson Episode 8.For better or worse, Watsonis a loose adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. Unlike other medical dramas that have drawn inspiration from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective and his loyal companion Dr. Watson, the CBS series is taking a surprisingly straightforward approach. Just two episodes ago, Watson (Morris Chesnut) name-dropped Irene Adler and, like clockwork, she makes her grand appearance in Episode 8, aptly named “A Variant of Unknown Significance.” The results of her arrival and the way in which Watson is choosing to draw in familiar characters — and plotlines — from Doyle’s work will likely have varying degrees of mileage for viewers. For the astute “Sherlockian,” there are certainly reasons to have qualms about the direction the series is headed — though those concerns have been ever-present since the pilot, when Watson chose to begin the series in the midst of one of the most iconic narrative arcs, without any emotional attachment.