Watson Season 2 Episode 18 Review: Sic Semper Tyrannis

On Watson Season 2 Episode 18, “Sic Semper Tyrannis,” John plays games that may be even more dangerous than his tumor and Ingrid gets the final word in Beck’s own power play.

Facing possible cognitive damage with tumor surgery, Watson agrees a bit too quickly to treat President Freitas, who has become a tyrant and stopped all democratic elections in his country. He even “agrees” to help the man vet a successor.

The team works out that Freitas is being poisoned by his own supposed second-in-command, Miguel, who risks his own life to save his country. They also realize his initial diagnosis is wrong. Freitas actually has terminal lung cancer.

Given that all his possible replacements are terrible, it’s a relief when John offers a deal. The president will stay in New York for a potential miracle treatment in hopes the country can eventually reclaim democracy in his absence.

In the end, Watson agrees to stop delaying his own surgery and, when taking a call from Shinwell, tries to persuade him to stop looking for (the real) Sherlock. But we actually close the episode with something even more dramatic.

Ingrid works out that Beck is posing as Sasha’s mother. With Sasha about to head to China, she gathers evidence and finally confronts him during a hookup. That confrontation ends with him trying to strangle her and her stabbing him to death.

This is hardly the first medical drama to have plot center on the morality of the Hippocratic Oath when it comes to treating someone truly terrible, but having our characters asked to literally select a new potential dictator is a new level.

We expect Ingrid, supervising Watson while the tumor brings his judgement into question, to be into it. (She’s perhaps a little too into it, which may foreshadow later actions), but even John seems less reluctant that he should be.

Thankfully, his response to potential successors reminds us who he is. The deal he makes with Freitas furthers that. Will his actions have real benefit? Doubtful– though saving a country from tyranny would be a great way to end the series.

I’m not terribly worried about Watson’s ultimate fate, though there’s a real possibility it’ll end on a cliffhanger. For now, I’m still enjoying seeing Brenda get a bit more screentime and keeping the fellows in check.

Then there’s the matter of Sherlock. While it makes sense that John is now trying to avoid all mention of his friend, dismissing Shinwell when he says he thinks he may have proof the man is alive is…a choice. I think we’ll see its payback very soon.

But, at least for this episode, I don’t think people will be talking about much besides the end. There’s been little doubt that the toxic relationship between Ingrid and Beck would blow up. Perhaps their personalities make this inevitable.

I agree with Ingrid that Beck would have killed again, but now she’s killed two people herself. He made the first move with lethal force, but both her choice to not walk away and her acting when she calls 911 belie her conscience.

Of course, I don’t think anyone is the least bit upset to see that man get what was coming to him. In a lot of ways, Ingrid did it as much for Sasha as she did for herself or any future victims. At least she’s a good, if sociopathic, friend.

There may not be time for consequences in the two episodes that remain and I’m honestly fine with her getting away with it, especially it means we wrap up other storylines more thoroughly. There’s a lot to handle in the time we have left.  

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Watson airs Sundays at 10/9C on CBS. 

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