Watson Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Expletive Deleted

We live in a society that’s always chased youth, but Watson Season 2 Episode 3, “Expletive Deleted” takes the possibilities to the extreme.

Because of her appearance, Max has no normalcy. She is denied everything from a romantic life to entrance to adult films, and by the time she arrives at the clinic with symptoms beyond her most obvious diagnosis, she’s given up.

With an initial determination she may have cancer, she tells John she’s determined to die as soon as possible. He responds by having his team (with Ingrid newly rejoined) both find a way for her to live and give her a reason to keep going.

That second part involves finding someone else like her, but when Max is found gasping for breath, both endeavors feel impossible. Yet Watson persuades her to keep fighting and tracks down a 41-year-old who shares the condition remarkably quickly.

Ingrid’s return doesn’t exactly go smoothly. Despite advocating for her, Sasha is avoiding their friendship. And while the Croft brothers are somehow more forgiving, her attempt to diagnose Stephens with depression gets mixed reactions.

She may have bigger issues. The mysterious arrival of another purported sociopath named Becks is foreboding. It’s a good thing Watson is on good terms with both his ex-wife and new girlfriend, because tension is rampant everywhere else.

While people like Max may exist, she is expectedly played by an actual young actress, and it’s a heck of a performance. From her snark to her hopeless exhaustion (and of course her cursing), it’s easy to believe she’s seen 30 years of life.

John’s immediate dedication to her is heartwarming. He may be drawn into such cases because they are fascinating, but he stays with them out of the need to help those who are facing that which almost nobody else in the world can understand.

It’s also a good way to attempt to upend the precarious dynamics amongst his team. Ingrid’s burned bridges may be at the forefront of that, but nobody is very comfortable in the roles he assigns them (which is exactly why he does it)

I do find the contrast between Sasha’s attitude now and her earlier earnestness in pushing Ingrid’s profile back to Watson disconcerting. Her grudge is understandable, but where was it before? At least it pushes Ingrid to make the first new move.

Without the distraction of Sherlock’s reappearance, it’s more evident than ever that these people have a long way go to even reach where they were midway through the first season. That reconciliation and growth may be a large part of season 2.

That is if nothing else gets in the way. We’re given very little with Becks, who only appears in the final scene of the episode and, like Ingrid, maintains his air of mystery. I will take him at his word that’s he’s a sociopath, and that can’t possibly be good.

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Watson airs Mondays at 10/9c on CBS. 

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