There are so many good shows on the 2025 TV schedule, and it’s hard to catch them all. So, sadly, I missed a few. Last season, my big miss was CBS’s Watson. While I watch and cover a ton of shows on this network, like Ghosts, Elsbeth and Fire Country, Watson was a blind spot. However, now I’ll definitely be playing catch-up with my Paramount+ subscription, because they’ve just announced who will be playing Sherlock Holmes in Season 2.
It’s officially been announced that when Watson returns to CBS’s 2025-2026 lineup, Sherlock Holmes will be included. Variety reported the news and revealed that Robert Carlyle will be playing the famed detective.
Now, while Watson has proved that you can have Watson without Sherlock (who seemingly died at the start of the show – I know that much), they are one of the most legendary fictional duos. So, the hope that the crime solver would join the series has always been there. The fact that none other than Robert Carlyle will be playing him, however, is what really got me excited about this update.
So, I know Robert Carlyle is very well known for his work in films like The Full Monty, Trainspotting and 28 Weeks Later. However, I grew up watching him on Once Upon a Time (which you can currently stream with a Hulu subscription). The ABC series that brought fairy tales to the modern world was a cornerstone of my childhood, and I was absolutely captivated by Carlyle’s portrayal of the iconic and morally grey Rumpelstiltskin.
He was so good on that show, and I loved how cunning, devious and at times evil his character could be. So, I’m thrilled that we get to see him step into the shoes of another classic character who is known for his clever intelligence, unique sense of humor and attitude.
Now, this whole situation becomes more intriguing considering Matt Berry voiced Sherlock during Season 1, and, as far as we know, the detective is dead.
According to the report, Sherlock Holmes will not be a regular character on the show, as Carlyle will be a recurring guest star. The role he’ll play in the CBS series sounds very exciting too, as showrunner Craig Sweeney said:
We are thrilled to have the mighty Robert Carlyle join the cast of ‘Watson’ in Season 2. The man has played iconic roles in projects like ‘Trainspotting,’ ‘The Full Monty,’ and ’28 Weeks Later’… and now he steps into the shoes of the most iconic detective of all, Sherlock Holmes. When Watson’s best friend and former partner makes a shocking reappearance in his life, Watson is forced to confront their shared past—and a secret that may lie buried within Watson’s own body.
So, is he actually alive? Is he a ghost? Will he come back in flashbacks? All this and more should be answered when Watson returns for Season 2, as Sweeney did say the detective would make a "shocking reappearance." However, while I have plenty of questions about that, I have more about this "secret" they'll have to face upon Sherlock's return.
Along with all that, this casting is exciting because we have already seen Randall Park’s James Moriarty and Whoopie Van Raam’s Irene Adler in Season 1. So, it’ll be incredible to see the titular detective of Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories in the mix.
Well, after learning this news that made my Once Upon a Time-loving self deeply excited, I’m now very motivated to watch Watson, and you should be too. Robert Carlyle's take on the iconic detective is coming, and I cannot wait to see how he’s incorporated. So, we'd better all be ready to watch when Season 2 begins on Monday, October 13 at 10 p.m. ET.
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