‘Professor T’ Bids Adieu to a Beloved Character in “The Ring”

This week we all share a collective moment of grief which wasn’t wholly unexpected. Frances de la Tour’s exit has been written on the wall since Season 4, when she appeared only via FaceTime segments or prerecorded messages – nothing that required her to be on set. In “The Ring,” the second episode of Season 5, we get the carrot of her in-person return, only to get the stick once it’s clear that her character is dying.

Perhaps de la Tour herself dictated this departure. I just hope it isn’t conflict for conflict’s sake, now that the show has outlived its original Belgian iteration and is on its own storywise. I maintain there was plenty of room for two (or more) eccentric older women to coexist in Jasper’s universe.

(I see you, Ms. Snares.)

The murder case this week repeats the theme of familial bonds and dying mothers. In fact, overhearing Adelaide’s final wish sparks Jasper into realizing the killer’s identity. Going forward, how will Jasper cope with losing his central support system? Opinionated and intrusive though she may be, Adelaide loves her son and has done her best to protect him his entire life. Will Jasper lean on Helena? Will he throw himself into work? Will he regress into old patterns or start to stand on his own?