Review of Professor T Season 2 Episode 5 – The Trial

Donckers marches to Christina’s office to confirm that she is interested in the promotion and walks in on Simon and Christina kissing. Donckers is advised by Christina to keep this a secret from her team for now.

The scene shows Adelaide, similar to Donckers, marching to visit the Professor with a letter in her hand from Dr Goldberg inviting her to join his therapy session. The purpose of the shared therapy is so that Dr Goldberg can find the root of Professor T’s supposed hostility towards women.

Professor T and Adelaide are to list one another’s personality traits, both negative and positive and bring this to the therapy session. The Professor has made a start to his chart, Adelaide’s ginger cake recipe on one side and ‘turns up without warning’ on the negative side. Adelaide leaves in a huff and remarks that the Professor has to do better than just those two comments!

Professor T’s Lecture – The Sean Hallett Trial

The case:
At a trial we are hearing the case of the murder of Vincent Soames. 

Sean Hallett was employed by Soame’s as a groundsman and odd jobsman for the estate.

On the night of Soame’s murder, the police visit his house after a silent intruder alarm is triggered.  

The evidence for Sean Hallett:
Sean Hallett’s car was still at Vincent’s residence.
Vincent Soames had a single gunshot wound on his chest, Sean was found near the body when the police arrived.
Sean’s fingerprints were found all over the gun.
The police discovered that Vincent’s wife had lost her diamond engagement ring and that Vincent was planning to confront Sean on this. 

The evidence against Sean Hallett:
There were no fingerprints near the trigger
No gun powder residue was found on Sean. 

Professor T, speaks to his students and laments that evidence alone is not enough to determine the outcome of an investigation. By focusing on one piece of evidence it may cause investigators to overlook other information.

The Professor is using this case as a case study of the pitfalls in a criminal investigation that fails to marry criminal gathering with psychological insight. He makes it clear that the case pre-dates his work with the Cambridge police and he had nothing to do with the case on Sean Hallet. 

DC Winters looks for something on Doncker’s desk and comes across a paper detailing her expression of interest to be a temporary inspector. 

Winters is determined to get the promotion for inspector and visits Christina to see what he needs to do and if he will be supported by Christina. Unfortunately, Christina politely shuts this down as Winters needs a few stand out cases before he can be considered.

The next scene shows that Simon Lainsborough and Christina sleeping together, Simon leaves the room and logs on to Christina’s computer.

Professor T, then decides to interview Mrs Hallett and a hilarious duo of Ingrid and the Professor play ‘good cop and bad cop’.

Donckers, feeling guilty over being considered for the promotion over Winter creates a romantic surprise but it doesn’t go as she plans. 

Winters reveals he has been doing private security alongside his police work, the two argue as it’s not allowed.  

Adelaide arrives to the joint therapy session fashionably late. 

Professor T opens up to Dr Goldberg that on the day of his fathers suicide, he came home from piano lessons early. He reveals he saw that his father had hung himself. The Professor then hid in the cellar and reappeared later, having pretended he hadn’t seen his father hanging.

Dr Goldberg explains that the Professor blames himself and his mother instead of his father. Professor T witnessed his mother with another man, this he believes was what caused his father to turn to alcohol. 

Adelaide is hurt from the accusation that she was unfaithful and walks out of the session.

This episode deviates from the usual format with the Professor assigning himself on to a case that has already gone to trial. The sub-plots involving Simon Lainsborough spying on Christina’s work and DS Winters struggling with whether to go to private security for the money, was intriguing and it will be exciting to watch how this plot line further develops.

There hasn’t been a lot of gritty or suspenseful moments in this show but it appears that we are heading towards that for the final episode.

What were your thoughts?