Time could be “their best work yet”
“A prisoner consumed by guilt, an officer with an impossible choice. What does it take to survive? A tense story of punishment and principles, starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham,” reads the description for BBC’s Time.
Line of Duty left masses disappointed with the finale and even more with a gap in their TV schedule. Enter Time, a gritty depiction of life behind bars with Ned Stark (Sean Bean) at the forefront.
After accidentally killing a man, teacher, and family man Mark Cobden (Bean) grapples with an increasingly dangerous reality behind bars. Alongside him, Eric McNally (Stephen Graham) is a correctional officer who genuinely seeks to better the lives of those around him.
Spoiler Alert:
The series ended with Bean’s character being released from prison two years early. He had been involved in a horrific attack but was saved by a friend and fellow prisoner.
After being blackmailed, McNally is caught smuggling drugs into the prison and is sentenced to four years behind bars. The juxtaposition of the two central characters has drawn immense praise online. Though the show was initially a limited series, fans call for a second season that would follow McNally in prison and Cobden on his journey of forgiveness.
Watched TIME. Bloody hell. If @stephengraham73 and Sean Bean don't get major awards recognition I will be amazed. Some of the most brilliantly low-key show-don't-tell performances in memory. Superb stuff. Overwhelming. pic.twitter.com/aNER1c7ET3
— Mark Kermode (@KermodeMovie) June 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/Donna___Dempsey/status/1406723666579230725
What an absolutely brilliant drama, probably the best I've seen since the last time Jimmy McGovern and Sean Bean reduced me to an emotional wreck with Broken, a few years back. It's stuff like this that justifies the licence fee alone.#TimeBBC
— Mat 💙💛 (@MatTheExBot) June 20, 2021
Just watched #time on tv. So hard hitting. Sean Bean a fine actor & sublime performance. Watch it if you can.
— Lucy Alexander (@LucyAlexanderTV) June 20, 2021