Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Time’ On BritBox, About A Teacher Adjusting To Prison And A Guard Who Compromises His Ethics To Protect His Son

How many series about prison life revolve around a central character who doesn’t belong there in any way, shape or form? The fish-out-of-water scenario is always set up as a contrast between the outside and inside. But in Time, an excellent BBC series that debuts on BritBox here in the States, the main character is likely torturing himself even more than any of his fellow inmates might. That doesn’t mean life inside isn’t shocking and bleak, however. Read on for more.

TIME: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: In a prisoner transport truck, various prisoners yell and bang on the doors of their cells. In another cell, a middle-aged man in a suit tries to shut out the noise.

The Gist: Mark Codben (Sean Bean) is starting his 4-year sentence at Cragmore, a maximum-security prison; Codben was convicted in the drunk-driving accident that killed a bicyclist. Mark isn’t one of those prisoners who is going to Codben screaming that he’s innocent; he’s been haunted by the accident ever since it happened, and knows that he got what he deserved.

Still, prison is a shock to the mild-mannered teacher. His designated corrections officer is Eric McNally (Stephen Graham), who immediately tells Mark that he and the other COs should be addressed as “Boss”. The constant yelling by the other inmates disturbs Mark to the point when he shuts his cell door even when it’s allowed to be open. His first cellmate, Bernard (Aneurin Barnard), accuses him of spying and cuts himself to relive anxiety. When Mark hits the emergency button as Bernard bleeds out, McNally comes in with guards in riot gear to haul Bernard to the infirmary.

McNally, meanwhile, is confronted by Pete (Kadiff Kirwan), one of his wing’s more violent inmates; Pete knows that McNally’s son David (Paddy Rowan) is an inmate at another prison, and that if Eric wants his son to be safe, he’ll do Pete some favors. McNally tries to minimize their relationship, but Pete won’t hear of it. When Eric and his wife Sonia (Hannah Walters) go to visit David, Eric persuades him that it’s best if he gets transferred to another prison.

Mark sees some horrors in his first few days, like an inmate named Johnno (James Nelson-Joyce), throwing boiling sugar water in the face of another inmate, and Bernard ODing right after he returned from the infirmary. He puts on a brave face for his parents (David Calder, Sue Johnston), who are concerned that he’s still having visions of his victim. Johnno starts to bully Mark, including busting in on Mark’s phone call to his son Tom (Lee Morris); he tries to be aggressive but gets punched in the nose for his trouble.

After McNally requests the transfer and it’s granted, he pulls Pete into isolation for threatening his son. But Pete tells McNally some information that gets the CO uncharacteristically enraged.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Time stands somewhere in the prison drama spectrum between Oz and Orange Is The New Black, leaning more towards the Oz side.

Our Take: Time is a show that at times can be overwhelmingly bleak, and that’s likely what the show’s creator, Jimmy McGovern, intended. We’re looking at prison life from the perspective of a person who acknowledges the mistake that sent him there, and is haunted by it. But you know from the first moments that Mark Codben doesn’t belong there in spirit, even if he belongs there due to the letter of the law.

Both Mark and Eric are good men, and McGovern tries to show that in the first episode. Eric isn’t one of those COs that skirts the system or has a side hustle that is highly illegal. But now, he’s faced with having to compromise those ethics because his son is also incarcerated. What’s fascinating about Eric’s story is that he’s not concerned about the blowback on his career or his effectiveness in dealing with the inmates. It’s purely because Pete knows where David is incarcerated and thinks it can get him some leverage. Eric is looking to protect his son, no matter what.

Mark’s side of the story really looks dark at this point, and it’ll likely remain dark; he may get used to Cragmore, but the demons that follow him after the accident might end up torturing him more than these violent inmates would. His work with Mary-Louise (Siobhan Finneran), a nun who brings him in on a “Scared Straight”-style program for at-risk teens, will also help him during his stay. Will he exorcise the demons during the 3-episode series? Probably not. Will he manage not to be a “grass” (i.e. a snitch) and learn how to manage in this environment?

It’s not like fish-out-of-water prison stories are uncommon; it feels like most of them revolve around a person who is an outsider to prison culture. But Bean is so good as Mark, walking around with a countenance that’s equal parts “how did I get here?” and “I need to atone for my sins,” it makes the story fascinating to watch. Graham brings his usual intensity to Eric, and we can feel his rage at the end of the episode; we’re definitely interested in how he has to compromise to help his family stay safe.

Sex and Skin: None.

Parting Shot: After being separated from Pete, Eric walks out and down the hall to collect himself.

Sleeper Star: FInneran does a lot with her limited time as Mary-Louise in the first episode. As her influence on Mark increases, we look forward to seeing more of her.

Most Pilot-y Line: Not quite sure what Mark’s mother means when she says, “You’re in here as punishment, son, not for it.” We’re guessing “it” means “punishment.” She doesn’t want him to punish himself more than the sentence would. But it wasn’t clear at first.

Our Call: STREAM IT. While the writing in Time is strong, the performances by Bean and Graham are what will connect with viewers.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.

Stream Time On BritBox