Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Directed by: Anthony Shaw
Jessica begins her new job as a university professor, but her enthusiasm's diminished when Wallace Evans, a cocky rival professor, challenges her to see which of them will stop the recent string of campus muggings. Initially refusing to indulge Wallace's ego, Jessica changes her mind about getting involved when the muggings escalate to murder.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Accidental Murder: Wallace Evans was trying to stop a mugging when he got over-excited and shot the mugger. The shot went through the mugger's arm and struck the mugging victim behind him, killing him, which explains the apparent escalation of the muggings to murder.
- Entitled Bastard: One of the students in Jessica's course only enrolled because he's a fan of her books and saw it as a chance to meet her. Jessica politely but firmly tries to convince the guy to give up his seat to someone who wants to take the class to learn. He immediately gets pissed off at her supposed ingratitude for all his "support" and asserts she owes him.
- I Just Shot Marvin in the Face: The murder happens when an ex-cop fires at a mugging in progress. The bullet passes through the mugger and kills the victim. The ex-cop then tries to cover it up by staging an Orgy of Evidence.
- Lack of Empathy: Wallace Evans treats the campus muggings like an intellectual game between him and Jessica he plans to win. Jessica's naturally disgusted by his attitude.
- Needle in a Stack of Needles: When Wallace Evans accidentally killed an innocent, he tries to flood the campus with clues that would indicate a profile of a killer. This is to disguise what he had done and get the police and Jessica off his trail.
- Not What I Signed Up For: Jessica's livid when she discovers the university hired her as a publicity stunt to get more enrollments, and only agrees to stay on until a replacement's found.
- Orgy of Evidence: In "Night Fears", the killer floods the police with a bunch of false clues pointing to a psychopath, hoping that this will drown out the one legitimate clue pointing to him.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Despite threats from his Captain, a professor, and his own mother, Kevin Bryce decides to follow his conscience and help out Jessica solve the case at hand.
- Sins of Our Fathers: Kevin Bryce is frequently confronted with his father's legacy in the NYPD.
