Time Season 3 Review: David Tennant And Siobhan Finneran Make This Gripping BBC Prison Drama A Powerful Watch With Strong Performances And An Emotional Story | 4/5 Stars

Time Season 3 Review: Prison is supposed to be a place where people face the consequences of their actions. But what happens when the system meant to help them change makes it even harder for them to start again? This is the question at the heart of Time Season 3, the latest instalment of Jimmy McGovern’s BBC prison drama.

Starring David Tennant and Siobhan Finneran, the third season moves the story into a young offenders’ institution, where teenage inmates struggle with violence, fear and the choices that brought them behind bars. At the same time, the prison staff have their own problems to deal with, making it clear that life inside the institution affects everyone.

Like the earlier seasons, Time Season 3 does not offer easy answers. It is a tense and often upsetting drama that asks viewers to look beyond a person’s crime and consider what happens when there is little hope of a better future.

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What Happened In Time Season 2?

Before getting into the third season, it is worth looking back at Time Season 2, which moved the story from a men’s prison to a women’s prison.

The second season starred Jodie Whittaker as Orla, a teacher who ends up in prison, Bella Ramsey as Kelsey, a young pregnant inmate, and Tamara Lawrance as Abi, who is serving a life sentence for killing her baby. Their stories showed how women from very different backgrounds deal with prison life, difficult relationships and the consequences of their past.

The series also explored the friendships that develop between inmates and how those relationships can offer comfort in a harsh environment. At the same time, it showed that prison does not erase the problems people carry with them.

Siobhan Finneran returned as prison chaplain Marie-Louise O’Dell, the one character connecting all three seasons. Her presence gives the anthology a familiar thread, even as the setting and main characters change.

What Is Time Season 3 About?

This time, the story takes place at a young offenders’ institution called HMYOI Alderwick. David Tennant plays Bobby Bailey, an experienced prison officer who is struggling with problems in his personal life while trying to manage the daily challenges of working inside the facility.