Time ending explained: What happened to Mark in the BBC One prison drama?

The disused prison where Time was filmed (specially painted grey) helped create the realistic and often bleak atmosphere, as both Mark Cobden (Bean in the cast of Time) and Eric McNally (Graham) face difficult choices and brutal experiences.

By the end of the “difficult to watch” series, their stories intersected, and we saw one character emerge from behind bars, and another head behind them...

Read on for everything you need to know about the ending of Time episode three, available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

Time ending explained

Mark Cobden, a soft-spoken former school teacher, was revealed to be woefully unprepared for the harsh realities of prison life. However, it was precisely his gentleness and empathy that saved him in the end.

At the beginning of the series he was being bullied by another inmate, and eventually enlisted the help of hardened older inmate Jackson Jones (Brian McCardie) in order to fight back.

But that meant that Mark owed Jackson a favour, as it became clear that Jackson was in fact the mastermind behind the prison smuggling ring - and by proxy, the same convict who had been blackmailing prison guard Eric McNally into smuggling drugs.

Mark was also pressured into smuggling something out of the prison, as he'd been invited to speak at a conference in the outside world, organised by Catholic chaplain Marie-Louise.

In the end, he couldn't go through with it, and back at the prison he was viciously attacked with a snooker ball inside a sock. However, he was saved by a fellow inmate whom he had taught to read earlier in the series.

Meanwhile Eric was caught smuggling, and confessed, explaining that he did what he did in order to protect his son, an inmate at another prison.

However, he refused to name any names and incriminate others, as he wanted to ensure that his son remained safe.

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What happened to Mark and Eric?

Mark was released early from prison following two years behind bars (he had originally been sentenced to four years in prison).

He sees Eric, his former personal support officer, who in the end is also sentenced to four years for playing his part in the prison smuggling ring.

We also saw a brief flash forward to Mark as a free man, during a meeting with Anne Warren (Anna Madeley), the wife of the man he killed while drink driving.

The meeting is awkward and emotional, but Anne reveals that she'll try her best to forgive Mark one day in the future.

Time season 2: Will there be a second series?

Time was planned as a standalone series, so there's no second season currently in development. RadioTimes.com has reached out to the BBC for further comment on the show's possible future.

The series completes Mark Cobden's arc, taking him from his first day in prison to his last. However, Time has received such a positive reaction from critics and audiences alike that the BBC could well explore options for a second season, which might follow Mark's journey as he adapts to the outside world.

It's also possible that the series could adopt an anthology format, with a second series following new characters in a new scenario, similar to ITV's Innocent.

If you want to find out what we thought of the series, make sure to check out our Time review.

Time continues on BBC One on Sunday 13th June at 9pm, and the full series is now available as a boxset on BBC iPlayer. Looking for something else to watch? Take a look at our other Drama coverage, or find out what else is on with our TV Guide.