Watson Season 1 Episode 6 Review: The Camgirl Inquiry
On Watson Season 1 Episode 6, “The Camgirl Inquiry,” we meet the girlfriend Stephens has been hinting for a couple of episodes. However, “girlfriend” might be a bit strong when he doesn’t know her real name.
“Portia”– named after the Shakespearian character, not the Porche car, is a camgirl he has regular appointments with. She appears ill in their latest meetings and eventually collapses on camera, exposing her apartment.
The team uses the view, a handful of Shakespeare posters, a dog named Brutus, and a mention of a rabbit farm in New Mexico to track her down quite quickly. But she’s already going into septic shock from a mutation of the black plague.
Thankfully, it’s the kind of mutation that makes the typically fatal disease survivable, and Portia — originally Annie and now going by Kathryne- survives to bond with Stephens and possibly plan some dates that don’t require Wi-Fi.
The incident also gives John time to reflect on his guilt over Sherlock’s death, which Shinwell roundly dismisses. Meanwhile, Sasha and Ingrid clash over the latter’s birthday, pushing Sasha to some reflection that causes her to break up with her fiancé.
Until now, most of the investigative elements of this particular Holmesian adaptation have stuck to the field of medical diagnosis. But this is good old-fashioned detective work, and it’s fun to see Watson push his team to learn the same skills he did.
I’m happy that we only spent a few minutes with the awkwardness of the situation. An emergency like this is a good push to get over any embarrassment. As John points out, loneliness is a common condition for people like them and humans in general. ‘
That shared sentiment gives us the most insight into the (allegedly) departed Sherlock that we’ve had yet. It’s typical pot-Reichenbach Falls fodder for Watson, left grappling with the weight of his loss and the trauma of witnessing it.
Since we’ve never met the man himself, there’s a little disconnect from that here compared to other adaptations. But that gives us the chance to learn about him totally from John’s perspective, and I’m curious to see more of that angle.
Our other platonic relationship focus is even more weighed, with a conflict over Ingrid’s resentment of her birthday and the secret Sasha keeps about her “engagement.” Honestly, I’m not sure I understand her reasons for taking it so seriously.
Regardless, it does affect Sasha enough that she gives the ring back for good at the end of the episode. I loved the growing friendship we saw between the women just one episode before, and I hope this doesn’t throw too big a wrench into those works.
Comparatively, Stephens and Kathryne are launching a full “meet-cute” love story. I really hope she becomes a recurring character—it’s about time we saw one of these characters get something that makes them happy, especially given Stephen’s past.
On that note, we meet his ex, Lauren. The one now dating his brother. It’s also uncomfortable, but not as much as you might expect. They seem to have made peace with the situation, but with characters like these, how long can that last?
What did you think of this episode of Watson? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Watson airs Sundays at 9/8c on CBS.
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Caitlin Wyneken
Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.