'Professor T's Crime-Solving Tactics Turn Full Creep in “The Inspection”

This week on Professor T, Jasper lectures about crime statistics, informing his students 89% of killers use a single method, and most are men with histories of violence. Multiple methods of murder suggest premeditation. He warns his students that real-life crime will always have exceptions; of course, that will come back to feature in this week’s murder. At the precinct, Goswami briefs everyone about a spate of residential burglaries that are escalating in violence. The repeat burglar has started attacking the residents even if they don’t resist. Goswami initiates a push to contact the elderly and vulnerable population about home security.  

When Winters visits his father, Bob (Michael Lumsden), there’s already a community support officer there to warn him. Cameron (Tom Cray) advises strengthening the front door since Bob’s locks are easy to force. (If this already raises your suspicions, well spotted.) Taking a similar tack, Jasper warns Aunt Zelda about the break-ins, finding she’s purchased pepper spray to arm herself. Jasper admonishes that an intruder will easily disarm her and use it against her. He relieves her of the “illegal contraband.”  

Highsmith, bless her heart, took the national detective exam but didn’t pass. Goswami delivers the news with kindness, reassuring Chloe that she knows the answers; she just needs to pause before writing them down. Highsmith only gets one more chance at the exam.

This week’s murder victim is Tyrone Walsh (Simon Rhodes), who we learn was a controlling bully and abusive husband. Tyrone is found stabbed in his living room by police responding to his 999 call. His wife, Tilly (Melanie Gutteridge), has a clean alibi and no priors. There’s some sparring between Winters and Soco (Sharon Verdegem), the lead CSI investigator. Winters wants her to hypothesize Tyrone’s time and cause of death, but Soco won’t guess so as not to be wrong. She prefers to wait for the official reports. She makes a jab about Winters’ department not being able to catch the burglar, and Dan winces. (Are we witnessing the start of an enemies-to-lovers arc?)

Turns out Soco was right to wait: the forensic report shows Tyrone died of asphyxiation, not his stab wounds. The fibers in his lungs indicate the same cushion used to smother him was the one found placed under his head. It’s a strange detail that neither the police nor Jasper can decide is relevant or a deliberate red herring.

Suspects arise: two separate schoolmasters, Ash Robertson (Lace Akpojaro), and Harman Redpath (Nicholas Asbury). Tyrone filed a complaint claiming Ash vandalized his car and threatened him. Ash swears it’s a case of the bully claiming victimhood. He points to Harman, whose school was closed due to Tyrone’s efforts. Tyrone is also blamed for Harman’s failed marriage and financial ruin. (I’ll stop to point out that Tyrone had no children and simply took pleasure in targeting schools for wokeness.)

When they do interview Harman, he seems at peace. He doesn’t blame Tyrone for the school closing; Harman was just out of his depth. Though his demeanor is calm and his alibi is believable, Jasper tells Winters and Highsmith not to discount him as a suspect.

The team revisits the evidence. Jasper wonders what they’ve missed, attempting to lead the police to the answer in much the same way a teacher would. Highsmith notices a small and seemingly unimportant detail linking Tyrone’s wife, Tilly, to Harman. Jasper also presses that although they know when Tyrone died, they don’t know when he was stabbed.

The serial burglar gets bolder, breaking into Bob’s house in broad daylight. Winters arrives just after Bob has subdued the masked intruder with a cricket bat. But the burglar gets the jump on Winters, hitting him with a frying pan and escaping. Winters is bloodied but gives chase, rashly going after a dangerous man without backup into a scary garage with lots of blind spots. The intruder tackles Winters, and they tousle. Winters eventually gets the upper hand but uses the advantage to slam the guy’s head into the ground repeatedly. Bob, who has also unwisely chosen to follow his son, must tell Winters to stop. 

The intruder turns out to be Cameron, the friendly neighborhood cop who was advising Bob at the beginning. He’s even still wearing his uniform beneath a stealthy black hoodie. This makes Winters angry enough to thrash Cameron even more, and once again Bob must intervene.

In custody, Cameron admits to two of the burglaries, but swears he didn’t kill anyone. Goswami is satisfied: they’ve got enough evidence to tie Cameron to each break-in and ensure a conviction. There’s just one problem: Jasper declares Cameron didn’t kill Tyrone. Ever the pragmatist, Goswami is willing to entertain this idea but wants reasons. Jasper is sure that the person who stabbed Tyrone and the one who placed the pillow under his head are not the same. Not only must they reexamine the evidence and Harman’s newly disproven alibi, but they are also looking for two killers, not one.

For a fresh look at the case, Winters is meeting Jasper at Tyrone’s house. But Goswami intercedes first: Harman’s prints were found at the crime scene. While Winters reinterviews Harman, Jasper arrives at Tilly’s door and walks in as if he has full police authority. Not only does Jasper ask Tilly uncomfortable questions about Tyrone’s death without Winters there, he monologues about wasps, talking about their predatory behavior. He sounds like the creepiest serial killer, and Tilly is correctly alarmed.

Jasper is deliberately provoking her because he believes she’s one of the killers, but seen from Tilly’s perspective, she’s alone with a strange man who claims police authority but is terrorizing her. She asks him to leave repeatedly, and he won’t. It’s creepy and uncomfortable, leading to an altercation: Tilly grabs a fire poker to defend herself, and Jasper deploys Zelda’s pepper spray, hitting them both in the face.

Luckily, Winters arrives and brings Tilly in safely. When Harman learns Tilly is in custody, Jasper predicts correctly that he will take the blame. Despite the attempt to clear her, traces of Tyrone’s blood connect Tilly to the crime. While she did stab her husband, we see it was Harman who delivered the coup de gras after Tilly called him for help. He explains he helped because both he and Tilly were Tyrone’s victims. CPS is thrilled to have two full confessions for an easier prosecution. 

• The power dynamic Jasper exploits to extract Tilly’s guilt is distressing, and once again, the plot rewards him for bad behavior. (Even if Dr. Goldberg does confront him on Winters’ behalf for his repeated reckless actions.)
• Ms. Snares goes on her own investigative jag about Jasper’s paternity, surreptitiously obtaining samples from Wilfred (the Dean) and Jasper for a mail-in DNA test. Maury Povich, here we come!
• Wilfred comes clean to Jasper about his former relationship with Zelda and that she turned down his proposal. He wants to know his romantic chances now that she’s dating Peter.
• Jasper hires a drum teacher: the young, vibes-oriented Lydia (Kerry Bennett). She inspires a breakthrough: he alters his gloves so he can play more effectively.
• In session with her own therapist, Dr. Goldberg reveals jealousy after meeting the attractive Lydia and seeing her effect on Jasper.

Professor T Season 4 continues with new episodes on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on PBS, the PBS App, and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel. All six episodes are available for members to stream on PBS Passport, as are Seasons 1 through 3. Season 5 has already been greenlit. Check your local listings.