Professor T spoilers follow.
Professor T's season three premiere saw Call the Midwife star Jack Ashton play an important role in the professor's new life in prison.
Tonight's (March 27) episode opened with Ben Miller's Professor Jasper Tempest discovering the unfamiliar world of life behind bars and the dangers of being a successful criminologist in prison.
After narrowly escaping a brutal attack from a fellow inmate, Jasper found himself presented with the unique opportunity of being able to help solve a case while behind bars.
After Adam Bernard (Ashton) is locked up for the violent death of Leo Moore, he offered Jasper protection in exchange for using his criminology skills to assist him in proving his innocence.
Related: Professor T's season 3 debut is proof Jasper should be in prison
Despite his initial refusal to help, Jasper soon found the opportunity to solve a case from inside prison too tempting, analysing Adam and relaying his thoughts to DI Lisa Donckers.
Jasper's interventions are ultimately able to secure Adam his freedom, and he also gains a newfound safety as he proves his usefulness to the other inmates.
While it's not yet confirmed if Ashton's character will appear again in the series, the actor shared his praise for the show and its cast on Instagram, writing: "This episode gives as good a punch as it gets. Working with people you studied with is a rare joy.
"@andygathergood was always someone we all looked up to at Drama School (not just because of his height) but also @barneyjwhite and @_emmanaomi are too cool for school and @actualbenmiller is the nicest person on earth. Hope you enjoy."
Related: Professor T star teases huge differences for season 3
Prison also uncovered another set of obstacles for rule-orientated Jasper, as the unfamiliar environment forced him to reevaluate how he interacts with the world.
Throughout the episode, Jasper has brief flashbacks to his childhood – foreshadowing the professor's future discoveries about the truth surrounding his father's death – before his constructed facade finally begins to crack in the episode's final moments.
During a conversation with therapist Dr. Helena Goldberg, the professor offered up a moment of vulnerability, telling her: "When my father died, I constructed an edifice of rules and habits for protection... Under pressure, it is buckling."
Professor T airs Wednesdays at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.
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Brenna Cooper is a freelance journalist, who currently specialises in entertainment reporting. She joined Digital Spy in 2022, writing TV and movies stories for the site. After graduating with an NCTJ accredited Journalism Masters from the University of Sheffield in 2020 she has since embarked on a freelance career.
Brenna previously produced lifestyle content for Checklists.co.uk and has a specific interest in music, reviewing live acts and interviewing bands such as Confidence Man and Amyl and the Sniffers.
