BBC One viewers were left "shocked" following a violent ending to the first episode of the new prison drama Time. The third series, consisting of three episodes, is set inside a young offender institution called Alderwick, bringing together David Tennant as officer Bobby Bailey and Siobhan Finneran as prison chaplain Marie-Louise O'Dell.
Series Premise and Cast
Written by Jimmy McGovern and co-writer Samuel Bailey and directed by Paul Whittington, Time follows Marie-Louise, who arrives at the institution having lost her faith, where she meets veteran officer Bailey, a man in the midst of his own crisis. Away from his day job, Bobby drinks while staring vacantly at the TV as his relationship with his wife, Erica (Vinette Robinson), comes under intense strain.
Back inside the prison, Bobby and Marie-Louise lock horns over how to handle Ushindi, formerly Christopher (Chukwubuikem Molokwu), a young man with a stammer who has recently reconnected with his birth mother. Meanwhile, two teenage offenders, Peter (Ollie McNulty) and James (Louis McCartney), struggle through the terrifying first weeks and months of their incarceration, but they are hiding significant secrets.
Shocking Ending
The most jaw-dropping scene came at the end of episode one, as a mediation meeting between Ushindi and seriously violent offender Patsy Flynn (Louis Shelton) goes horribly wrong, leaving viewers in shock. Despite the brutal final act of the first episode, Time viewers were left wanting to see what happens next to Patsy and vowed to binge-watch the whole series on BBC iPlayer.
Taking to X, one viewer wrote: "What an ending to EP1, gonna have to binge the lot tonight! #bbciplayer #time", while a second agreed: "2 more episodes on iPlayer, now #Time."
Viewer Reactions
"Don't think I've been so traumatised since I saw Scum about 45 years ago #Time", confessed one viewer. "#Time.. wow, the best yet. Fantastic writing and acting by all involved. A really shocking watch", said one impressed viewer of the series. "What was grim but utterly brilliant! Nobody does hard-hitting drama like the BBC. #Time", added another.
The next episode of Time airs on BBC One at 9pm on Monday (October 12), while the final episode broadcasts on Sunday (October 18) at 9pm. Time continues on Monday at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer, with all episodes available now on iPlayer.
