‘Watson’ star Robert Carlyle debunks theories surrounding Sherlock Holmes’ death: ‘The whole idea…’
Currently, numerous fan theories about Sherlock Holmes are circulating on the internet. The speculations began when Holmes returned in the most recent episode of the medical drama 'Watson', which dropped on October 20, dividing fans on whether he is alive or if Dr. Watson was hallucinating; a primary reason for fans thinking the latter as a possibility was the fact that no one else in the episode saw Holmes. But now, laying all speculations to rest, one of the stars of the CBS show has revealed whether the famed detective is really alive or not.
During a recent interview with TV Insider, Robert Carlyle, who plays the role of the famous detective, was asked to comment on the current status of his character, and he shut down all fan theories suggesting Watson saw Holmes only in his imagination, helping him cope with all the trauma in his life. "Well, as far as I’m concerned, he’s very much alive. The whole idea of that is kind of like a Sherlock Watson type of thing; it’s a mystery in itself for the viewers to try and figure that out," Carlyle told the media outlet.
Later in the interview, Carlyle also shed light on the dynamics between Holmes and Watson. "Why should he believe him? I don’t know whether he does. I think by the end of that second episode, I don’t think that’s resolved in any way. I still think that Watson is very, very wary of what is happening, of what this guy actually is," he said, adding, "So I don’t know whether he should believe him, I think, to answer your question, and I think the audience also would be quite right to think, 'I’m not too sure. Is this a fake? What’s going on?'”
For the unversed, 'Watson' is a medical drama that revolves around Dr. John Watson (Morris Chestnut), a literary character from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books. Along with Chestnut, the show also stars Eve Harlow, Peter Mark Kendall, Inga Schlingmann, Ritchie Coster, and Rochelle Aytes in pivotal roles. The first season of the show premiered on January 26, 2025. Meanwhile, the second season was released on October 13, 2025. The show is available for streaming on Paramount+.
