Who is Inspector Lowbeer? The Peripheral character explained

Inspector Lowbeer is the newest addition to the ensemble of strong characters in Prime Video’s high-budget sci-fi series ‘The Peripheral’. Here’s who the character is and how she factors into the story moving forward.

Inspector Lowbeer is a fierce officer, sharp of tongue and of wit; not to mention a verbose manner of speaking the eloquence of which stands contrary to her intimidatingly composed demeanour.

Her arrival to the fray comes at a point in the first season of the show when things are starting to rev up before the ultimate finale goes down and chaos ensues. The latest episode illuminates several aspects of her personality and past.

A most clever cop

Inspector Ainsley Lowbeer gives the characters and the viewers a taste of who she is immediately after making her first appearance. It’s when she arrives at Lev’s abode uninvited and unannounced.

The surprise visit is nothing to be indifferent about, and Lev’s reaction to her arrival is that of nervousness, as he fidgets around screaming at his people to call the solicitors.

To evoke such a frenetic response in someone from the notorious Klept oligarchy, with nothing but a mere visit for questioning, is a feat not to be taken lightly. Lowbeer is a formidable new character among a slew of other powerful ones, and her arrival is enough evidence of that.

It also becomes clear soon, that the inspector is not one you want to lie to, as Lev advises Wilf, telling him to utter nothing but the truth in front of her.

It’s strongly implied that she can suss out the lies and catch someone being untruthful, although the show doesn’t make it explicitly clear what kind of technology she uses to achieve that.

However, it’s not surprising that she can spot the lies when she sees them, considering how she strips others down of any air they might have beforehand.

A powerful authority

Apart from her immediate qualities and intimidating aura, Lowbeer is also mighty power, being in a significant position in the Met Police.

Harkening back to the future world’s representation that Cherise showed Lev, it’s known that the Met Police is just as, if not more powerful than the other two factions.

It only makes sense then, as to why Lowbeer doesn’t have any fears and why the algorithms at the MET are able to track down the peripheral quantum tunnelling stuff.

Inspector Lowbeer The Peripheral
Image source: Prime Video

It also makes sense, then, how she puts forth her demands so directly. She’s also accompanied by a highly advanced AI robot, one that even Cherise is surprised to see.

But Lowbeer reminds her that she has the clearance for her, again indicating MET’s position and authority in the future society.

A benevolent character?

Is Lowbeer an ally of the protagonists or their enemy? That question seems to be pretty clear at first, as she makes her way into Lev’s residence and scares him out of his life. She comes with questions regarding Daniel’s murder and their connection to it.

To get straightforward and truthful answers, she bluntly states that she needs them in an aforementioned manner; one lie or untruthful thing and she isn’t afraid to prosecute those impeding her truthful endeavour.

However, as soon as she meets Flynne, her response and demeanour seem to be changed, with a much kinder-seeming demeanour. This changes again, though, when she meets Cherise, and in light of all she learns next, makes her future decisions rather ambiguous.

Cherise has asked her to wipe out Lev and his lackeys, as well as the Fishers, completely wiping them and their families out of the timelines. Lowbeer has no obligations to go along with the plans or wishes of RI but she doesn’t offer any answer to her brutal plans.

This is also preceded by the rare moment where Lowbeer is vulnerable when Cherise talks about her AI assistant who’s designed after her dead daughter’s persona. Is she silent on Cherise’s demands because she’s intimated?

Or is Cherise right about the standard MET procedure in cases like these, where the inspector is forced to comply with the orders from above?

The show hasn’t offered any concrete answers to these pressing questions yet so her response and how she plays her hand next in The Peripheral remains ambiguous for the time being.


Also read: What is Jackpot in The Peripheral?

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