Ingrid Derian's admission of working with Moriarty led to her exit in Watson's Season 1 finale, but it looks like her story is far from over. Eve Harlow brought Ingrid Derian to life in the CBS medical drama series, and she was introduced as the lead neurologist in John Watson's clinic, known as the Unique Health Outreach Program (UHOP).
Ingrid had quite the journey in Watson Season 1, mainly due to her dark secrets involving the secret treatments she gave her sister Gigi in the past (that led to her spinal problem) and the confirmation that she killed their abusive father in the past.
These secrets came back to haunt her after she was temporarily dismissed from the program in Watson Season 1, Episode 9. Making matters worse, Watson's big bad, Moriarty (aka the archrival of Sherlock Holmes, portrayed by Randall Park), blackmailed her into working for her to sabotage Watson's viral vector to prevent him from making a cure that could save the twins, Stephens and Adam Croft, after they were infected with a genetically engineered strain of Herpes Simplex virus.
Is Ingrid Leaving Watson After Season 1?
Things took a turn in Watson's Season 1 finale after Ingrid came clean to Watson about her alliance with Moriarty to eventually double-cross him into acquiring his DNA so that she could make a genetically engineered disease to kill him.
While she did come clean to the team, it still wasn't enough for the twins to forgive her, as Stephens told her that he "can't work with [her]" and she has to go, leaving her status at the UHOP up in the air.
Despite her apparent exit in the finale, Watson showrunner Craig Sweeny told ScreenRant that they "plan a new and hopefully equally interesting arc with Ingrid in the second season," confirming that Eve Harlow's character will stick around in the show's sophomore run and her revelation about killing her father will be revisited:
"You never want to say case closed because you're cutting off options. I will say we plan a new and hopefully equally interesting arc with Ingrid in the second season, centered around the idea of, 'Is it possible for that character to change her ways?' Can she change, not just her behaviors, but who she is at her very core? We will be looking more forward than backward, but of course, the fact that she did that remains out there and open to be revisited."
Sweeny also addressed Stephens' distrust of Ingrid and its ramifications in the upcoming season, noting that she is placed in a situation "where she really had to consider the consequences of her own actions," despite being a character who doesn't care about others:
"I think we succeeded in putting her in a circumstance where she really had to consider the consequences of her own actions or become the kind of person who just doesn't care no matter what. She didn't know exactly what she was doing, but by virtue of what she did, she very nearly killed Stephens. Very, very nearly."
The Watson showrunner also implied that Ingrid's actions of working with Moriarty (despite turning a new leaf) served as a wake-up call for the character in Season 2:
"And we don't even know what side effects he might carry on an ongoing basis from that. It's not like he's just better, and it's all over. He's been through a lot of trauma, and his brain was damaged. It was such an extreme situation that it was almost like cold water immersion for Ingrid, where she finally had to consider the nature of what she did."
That said, Watson sets up a fascinating and complex character arc for Eve Harlow's Ingrid Derian in Season 2 following the decisions and actions she made in Season 1.
Created by Craig Sweeny for CBS, Watson is a medical drama and mystery series set in a world where Sherlock Holmes is presumed dead, placing the spotlight on his best friend, John Watson, as he honors his longtime pal by returning to his old life as a physician.
Watson Season 1 boasts a stellar cast of actors led by Morris Chestnut as John Watson, Eve Harlow as Ingrid Derian, Inga Schlingmann as Sasha Lubbock, Peter Mark Kendall playing double duty as twins, Stephens and Adam Croft, Rochelle Aytes as Mary Morstan, and Randall Park as Moriarty.
How Ingrid Derian's Dark Actions Impact Her Watson Season 2 Story
While Ingrid Derian is not someone who can be messed with, she is also clearly not in the good graces of her former team when Watson returns for Season 2, mainly because her actions led to one of their own (Stephens) almost dying in the finale.
Following her exit scare, Ingrid's confirmed return in Season 2 will likely revolve around her trying to redeem herself first as she reflects on her mistakes.
Early episodes could see her do some soul-searching while reconnecting with her sister, Gigi, before venturing back to UHOP to try and reconcile with her former team.
It will be interesting to see Ingrid's growth as she starts to contemplate her past mistakes, using that as fuel to make herself better as she works her way towards a potential comeback to UHOP (read more about Watson's real-life filming locations here).
