In series 1, Marie-Louise served as a chaplain in a men’s prison, in which she met Sean Bean’s character Mark Cobden. In series 2, she worked in a women’s prison and provided a “glimmer of hope” for inmates like Orla (Jodie Whittaker), Kelsey (Bella Ramsey), and Abi (Tamara Lawrance).

Here’s a handy recap of what happened in series 1 and 2 of Time on BBC One.

***Warning: spoilers from Time series 1 and 2 ahead in this recap***

Time series 1 and 2 recap: What happened?

The first series of Jimmy McGovern’s Time landed on BBC One in 2021. It introduced former schoolteacher Mark Cobden (Sean Bean) who was sentenced to four years in prison for drink-driving after a fatal road accident. Consumed with guilt, he struggled to adapt to life behind bars at HMP Craigmore living with serious criminals. Unsurprisingly, the other inmates smelt his fear and began targeting him.

Stephen Graham portrayed conscientious and principled prison officer Eric McNally, who tried to protect the inmates in his charge. However, Eric faced an agonising choice when a dangerous inmate discovered Eric’s son was imprisoned in another jail.

Brian McCardie’s Jackson Jones, a dangerous gang leader, blackmailed Eric into smuggling contraband to keep his family safe.

Meanwhile, Mark refused to smuggle drugs, even though it meant getting beaten up. In the final episode, Eric eventually confessed to his own corruption to protect his integrity, and faced his own four-year prison sentence for his actions.

Meanwhile, Mark completed his sentence and reached out with an apology letter to the wife of the cyclist he killed. The final scenes of the series saw the pair meet and begin the path toward reconciliation.

The huge cast of Time series 1 also included This City is Ours‘ James Nelson-Joyce and Jack McMullen, Aneurin Barnard, and The Cage’s Michael Socha.

What happened in series 2 of Time?

Time series 2 shifted focus to a female prison. The 2o23 series starred Bella Ramsey, Tamara Lawrance, Jodie Whittaker, and Julie Graham, whose characters were all serving time together at Carlingford prison.

We met struggling single mother Orla, who found herself in a desperate situation after being sent to Carlingford prison. There she met young heroin addict Kelsey, and tough lifer Abi.

The three women are pulled into each other’s orbit when they arrive at Carlingford prison on the same day. After serving her time, Orla was eventually released from prison, only to face homelessness and face living in a tent. She eventually reconciled with her teenage son, Kyle, having met him in a café as she tried to rebuild her life after losing custody of her younger children.

Meanwhile, Kelsey choose to fight back against her abusive ex-boyfriend Adam, who tried to plant and smuggle drugs to her during a visit. She subsequently testified against Adam in court. This resulted in him receiving a 10-year prison sentence and reduced her own remaining sentence down to six months. She was then released to reunite with her baby.

Lastly, Abi was serving a life sentence for the infanticide of her son. However, during a prison support group session, she finally confessed to having deep postpartum depression, which caused her to drown her son.

What happens in series 3?

Each series of Time has a different story, setting, and list of characters. Apart from Marie-Louise O’Dell, a prison chaplain who travels to different prisons to offer guidance.

You can enjoy series 3 of Time without having watched the first two series. However, we’d strongly advise you watch all episodes. Series 1 to 3 are now available on BBC iPlayer, with each series consisting of three episodes.

Although each series can be taken as a separate entity, they are all linked. And each set of episodes see Jimmy McGovern tackle the justice system in the UK.

In series 3, we meet Marie-Louise once more. She moves to a Young Offender Institution while struggling through a crisis of faith. While there, she crosses paths with veteran custodial manager Bobby Bailey (David Tennant) following a prison tragedy.

In each series, Marie-Louise is a beacon of forgiveness and non-judgement to the offenders, and staff alike. The character weaves hope from the first series in 2021, to the third run, which will be the last.