As Watson’s Season 1 Finale Promo Reveals Moriarty Meeting John, Are We About To See Why Randall Park Fit The Showrunner’s ‘Fantasy Casting’ For The Villain?

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As I count down the days, I can’t help but feel a sense of impending finality for “Watson” in CBS’s spring 2025 TV lineup. The first half of the two-part finale will air on May 4, with the remainder available for streaming on Paramount+ afterward, requiring a subscription. It wouldn’t be a proper “Watson” occasion without the appearance of my nemesis, but here’s the intriguing twist: John isn’t absolutely certain that Moriarty is even alive and actively plotting against him.

Indeed, it’s been confirmed that Randall Park will reappear for the final episode, and he’ll even share a scene with Morris Chestnut. This reminds me of what showrunner Craig Sweeny mentioned earlier this year about casting the star from “Fresh Off the Boat” as the infamous villain from Sherlock Holmes lore. In simpler terms, Park will be back for the finale and will act alongside Morris Chestnut, and his role was previously hinted at by the showrunner as a famous villain from Sherlock Holmes stories.

To begin with, here’s the gist: Before we dive into Part 1 of the finale, let me assure you that even though the preview is brief, it’s filled with enough suspense to make you apprehensive about what’s to come. One of the Croft twins seems to be in a precarious state, and it appears Moriarty might be executing a significant move that can’t be reversed. Here’s a sneak peek:

Before we get started with Part 1 of the finale, let me tell you, the short preview is brimming with reasons to feel uneasy about what awaits us in the episode. One of the Croft twins seems troubled, and it seems Moriarty could be launching a decisive move that can’t be undone. Check this out:

Moriarty has mainly operated from behind the scenes on “Watson,” manipulating Shinwell and Ingrid for blackmail and gaining an advantage over Watson. It seems that if he can’t harass Sherlock Holmes, then tormenting John Watson serves as a suitable alternative for him! The upcoming events suggest Moriarty will take a more direct approach with Dr. Watson, which doesn’t look good at all. His expression in the preview is quite unsettling!

Actually, it was his enthusiastic expression during the promo when he told Watson that he’s a “big fan” which brought to mind my chat with showrunner Craig Sweeny (previously a writer and executive producer for Elementary, prior to Watson’s portrayal of the Arthur Conan Doyle characters) and actor Morris Chestnut at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta earlier this year.

Initially, only the first episode of the show had been broadcast, showcasing Watson’s portrayal of the renowned literary antagonist, James Moriarty, as an ordinary man in a polo shirt, skillfully played by a comedic actor. This led me to wonder about the casting process for this role, particularly considering Watson’s previous work on WandaVision. After the series received positive ratings and both the star and executive producer responded favorably, Sweeny disclosed:

When creating a pilot script, you often envision characters being played by specific actors even before casting begins. For me, Moriarty was an open-ended character in my mind, but I had a prior connection with Randall. Suddenly, the idea popped up that casting him would be incredibly unexpected. He’s a wonderful individual, and his work truly reflects his kind, considerate nature. The task of transforming such a warm persona into a menacing and malevolent one seemed like an enticing challenge to me.

In the series so far, Watson has skillfully portrayed an air of kindness towards Moriarty, making him appear less reprehensible, even when discussing wicked schemes. However, it seems this facade may crumble in the initial part of the two-episode season finale, which could pave the way for exciting developments in Season 2 following its early renewal. Sweeny continued:

Previously, I had portrayed Moriarty on the show Elementary alongside Natalie Dormer. To bring a fresh perspective, I reimagined this character in a unique manner. When contemplating his persona, I asked myself, “How does he fit into society?” The polo shirt served as my interpretation of him wanting to be inconspicuous. In the script, he was labeled as Pittsburgh Dad. This was the image he wanted to project – a regular guy making his way uphill to work, seamlessly blending into the world around him.

In a surprising turn, Watson might have unveiled Moriarty through his Pittsburgh Dad character, yet it seems that a simple polo shirt wouldn’t suffice to conceal the villain’s sinister nature during the climactic episode. However, previews rarely give away major plot twists, so maybe we shouldn’t jump to conclusions about Randall Park’s brief appearances in the preview. As for what chaos Moriarty will cause in the final episode, given the limited footage available, it’s difficult to predict with certainty. Apart from Moriarty being recognized by Ingrid and meeting Watson, there isn’t much information on the mayhem he’ll bring about in the upcoming episode at this point.

In simple terms, The initial segment of the two-part finale for Season 1 of Watson airs on May 4 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, and the remaining part will be aired a week later on May 11. In the meantime, you can catch up on any previous episodes of this doctor/detective series on Paramount+ right now.

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2025-04-30 03:48