Mr Inbetween Explained

Genre:
Creator:Scott Ryan
Director:Nash Edgerton
Starring:
Country:Australia
Language:English
Num Seasons:3
Num Episodes:26
Executive Producer:
  • Scott Ryan
  • Nash Edgerton
  • Jason Burrows
Producer:Michele Bennett
Camera:Single-camera
Runtime:21–32 minutes
Company:
Network:Fox Showcase (Australia)
FX (United States)
Related:The Magician

Mr Inbetween is an Australian black comedy-crime drama television series which premiered on FX on 25 September 2018 in the United States,[1] followed by Fox Showcase in Australia on 1 October 2018.[2] The series is a serialisation of the 2005 feature film The Magician, which was created, written by and starred Scott Ryan.[3] Ryan reprises his lead role and is also the writer for the series, which is directed by Nash Edgerton.[1]

The program was originally commissioned for FX Australia as its first original drama production,[4] but instead launched in Australia on Showcase following the closure of FX Australia between commission and premiere.[2] Filming took place in various locations in Sydney.[5]

On 9 October 2018, FX and Foxtel renewed the series for a second season which premiered on 12 September 2019.[6] [7] On 26 May 2020, the series was renewed for a third and final season which premiered on 25 May 2021.[8] [9] The series concluded on 13 July 2021, after three seasons and 26 episodes.[10] The series received critical acclaim, with praise for its writing, directing, performances and tone.

Premise

Set within the suburbs of Sydney,[11] Raymond "Ray" Shoesmith (Scott Ryan) is a hitman for hire who makes a life out of balancing his criminal activities with his obligations to friends and family. He tries to be a father to Brittany (Chika Yasumura), his daughter with his ex-wife, Jacinta (Natalie Tran), a loving boyfriend to Ally (Brooke Satchwell), and a good caretaker to his terminally ill brother Bruce (Nicholas Cassim). Ray also covers for his friend Gary (Justin Rosniak) when needed, and follows orders from his boss Freddy (Damon Herriman) without question. Ray deals with criminals and monsters in his own violent way; this behaviour, however, starts to take its toll and affects his relationships.[12]

Cast

Main

Recurring

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Guests

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Episodes

Season 3 (2021)

Reception

Critical response

Mr Inbetween received critical acclaim for its writing and performances. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has an approval rating of 90% based on 20 reviews and an average rating of 7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Mr Inbetweens familiar setup is quickly forgiven thanks to its expertly built tension and a mesmerizing performance from Scott Ryan".[13] On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 75 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14]

The Hollywood Reporter called it "One of 2018's best shows... Creator-writer-actor Scott Ryan and director Nash Edgerton deliver a tour de force that gets a lot done in very little time".[15] Entertainment Weekly named it one of Fall 2018's Must-Watch TV, praising the show's dark comedic tone; "Ryan radiates a casual toughness, like he's cheerfully counting your most breakable bones. Mr. Inbetween gets wilder as it goes along, until the season finale becomes a fully surreal, Fargo-ish tale of a hit gone way wrong".[16] The Globe and Mail called it "a little masterpiece of quiet, compulsively watchable comedy/drama. There are no big ideas here, but the strength of its small-scale narrative is breathtaking".[17]

The New York Times included it on their "Best of Fall 2018 TV" list, stating "The balance between dread and deadpan laughs is adroitly maintained, and there's an appealing casual improvisatory vibe".[18] The Boston Globe said of the show's first season, "The killer with a heart of gold isn't a new trope, of course; viewers have repeatedly been put in the position of moral compromise in the past two decades, most recently with HBO's Barry. But Mr. Inbetween gives it a fresh and funny going over".[19]

In 2019, Season 2 premiered to additional positive reviews.[20] Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone praised it, stating "The huge improvement from an already solid first season to this tremendous second one has me wondering if Mr. Inbetween has another big leap in it — or if spending even more time in Ray Shoesmith's world might force Ryan, and us, to start empathizing too much with this very dangerous man".[21] Ben Travers from IndieWire said, "Pair these deeper thoughts with sharp dialogue, an ideally grubby aesthetic, and strong supporting characters, and Mr. Inbetween ends up a rewarding experience worth much more exploration".[22] Screen Rant gave it a positive review, saying "Season 2 elevates the series on nearly every level, from Ryan's writing and acting to the performances of the supporting cast and the directing of Nash Edgerton".[23] The Hollywood Reporter called the "exceptional" second season "a brilliantly taut drama — which jams more into its 23 to 25 minute episodes than most hourlong American dramas — with a lingering emotional after-effect".[24]

The third and final season, which premiered in 2021, received critical praise as well. The New York Times ranked it on their list of "Best TV Shows of 2021"[25] calling it "a smart, deadpan, quietly daft deconstruction of tough-guy clichés".[26] Critic Mike Hale of The New York Times praised it as "a small marvel of sustained tone. The slightest overstatement or sentimentality could capsize the delicate sendup of tough-guy clichés, but Ryan (who writes all the episodes and plays the protagonist, Ray Shoesmith) rarely makes a wrong step".[27]

Awards and nominations

Mr Inbetween has been nominated and won the following awards:[28]

Screen Producers Australia Awards
YearCategoryNomineeResult
2022Drama Series Production of the YearMichele Bennett, Nash Edgerton, Blue-Tongue Films, Pariah ProductionsMichele Bennett, Nash Edgerton
2018Drama Series Production of the YearMichele Bennett, Nash Edgerton, Scott Ryan, Jason Burrows
Logie Awards
YearCategoryNomineeResult
2022Most Outstanding ActorScott Ryan
Most Outstanding Supporting ActorMatt Nable
2019Most Outstanding ActorScott Ryan
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards
YearCategoryNomineeResult
2021Best Lead Actor in a Television DramaScott Ryan
Best Screenplay in TelevisionScott Ryan for "Ray Who?"
Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television DramaMatt Nable
Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television DramaJustin Rosniak
Best Drama SeriesMichele Bennett, Nash Edgerton, Blue-Tongue Films, Pariah Productions
Best Direction in a Television Drama or ComedyNash Edgerton for "Ray Who?"
2019Best Lead Actor in a Television DramaScott Ryan
Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television DramaDamon Herriman
Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television DramaBrooke Satchwell
Best Drama SeriesMichele Bennett, Nash Edgerton, Blue-Tongue Films
2018Best New TalentScott Ryan
Best Lead Actor in a Television DramaScott Ryan
Best New TalentChika Yasumura
Best Television Drama SeriesMichele Bennett
Best Direction in a Television Drama or ComedyNash Edgerton for "Unicorns Know Everybody's Name"
Best Screenplay in TelevisionScott Ryan for "Unicorns Know Everybody's Name"
Australian Directors' Guild Awards
YearCategoryNomineeResult
2021Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama SeriesNash Edgerton for "Ray Who?"
2020Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama SeriesNash Edgerton for "Monsters"
2019Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama SeriesNash Edgerton for "On Behalf of Society"
Australian Screen Sound Guild
Casting Guild of Australia Awards
YearCategoryNomineeResult
2019Best Casting in a TV ComedyKirsty McGregor
2018Best Casting in a TV ComedyKirsty McGregor
The Equity Ensemble Awards
Australian Writers' Guild Awards

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hale. Mike. Fall TV 2018: New and Returning Shows to Watch. 17 September 2018. The New York Times. 12 September 2018. en.
  2. Web site: Foxtel sets premiere for Nash Edgerton's 'Mr Inbetween'. IF Magazine. 18 September 2018. 28 August 2018.
  3. Web site: Knox. David. Production underway on local FX drama, Mr Inbetween.. 9 August 2017. TV Tonight. 31 August 2017.
  4. Web site: Mr Inbetween: First Look at FX's local production. Foxtel. 31 August 2017. en. 10 August 2017.
  5. Web site: FX Australia's First Aussie TV Show Mr Inbetween Starts Shooting in Sydney . Ausfilm . 31 August 2017 . 31 December 2021.
  6. Web site: 'Mr Inbetween' Renewed For Season 2 By FX & Foxtel. Petski. Denise. Deadline Hollywood. 9 October 2018. 10 October 2018.
  7. FX Networks Sets Fall Premiere Dates. FX. The Futon Critic. 24 June 2019. 27 September 2020.
  8. Web site: 'Mr Inbetween' renewed for a third season. 28 May 2020. 27 September 2020. IF Magazine. en.
  9. FX Sets Premiere Date for Third and Final Season of "Mr Inbetween". FX. The Futon Critic. 15 April 2021.
  10. Web site: Mr Inbetween – Listings . . 20 April 2021.
  11. Web site: 15 July 2021. 'Mr Inbetween': underrated Sydney hitman series mixes black comedy with dangerous drama. 31 December 2021. Luke. Buckmaster. NME. en-AU.
  12. Web site: Mr Inbetween . FX . 25 July 2021.
  13. Web site: Mr Inbetween: Season 1. Rotten Tomatoes. 17 July 2020.
  14. Web site: Mr Inbetween: Season 1. Metacritic. 17 July 2020.
  15. Web site: Critic's Notebook: FX's Australian Import 'Mr Inbetween' Is One of 2018's Best Shows So Far. Tim. Goodman. 24 September 2018. 17 July 2020. The Hollywood Reporter. en.
  16. Fall TV 2018: These are the 9 must-watch new shows. Kristen. Baldwin. Darren. Franich. 14 September 2018. 17 July 2020. Entertainment Weekly. en.
  17. Web site: Mr Inbetween: A marvelous tale of an ordinary thug. John. Doyle. 24 September 2018. 27 September 2020. The Globe and Mail. en.
  18. Web site: Hale. Mike. 24 September 2018. Review: In 'Mr. Inbetween', the Hit Man Feels Your Pain. en-US. The New York Times. 17 July 2020. 0362-4331.
  19. Web site: Matthew. Gilbert. 21 September 2018. TV's new shows this fall, from binge to cringe. 17 July 2020. The Boston Globe. en-US.
  20. Web site: Mr Inbetween: Season 2. Rotten Tomatoes. 27 September 2020.
  21. Sepinwall. Alan. 22 November 2019. 'Mr. Inbetween' Got Off the Fence in Season Two. 17 July 2020. Rolling Stone. en-US.
  22. Web site: Travers. Ben. 25 September 2018. 'Mr. Inbetween' Review: FX's Savvy Sundance Acquisition Puts Another Smart Hitman Story to Good Use. 17 July 2020. IndieWire. en.
  23. Web site: 12 September 2019. Review: Mr. Inbetween Season 2. Kevin. Yeoman. 17 July 2020. Screen Rant. en-US.
  24. Web site: Goodman . Tim . 12 September 2019 . 'Mr Inbetween' Season 2: TV Review . 3 July 2022 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  25. News: Poniewozik. James. Hale. Mike. Lyons. Margaret. 3 December 2021. Best TV Shows of 2021. en-US. The New York Times. 18 December 2021. 0362-4331.
  26. News: Hale. Mike. 2 August 2021. Three (White, Male) Tough Guys Sign Off. Is It a Moment?. en-US. The New York Times. 18 December 2021. 0362-4331.
  27. News: Hale. Mike. 24 June 2021. Your Summer Binge List: 10 Shows You Might Have Missed. en-US. The New York Times. 18 December 2021. 0362-4331.
  28. Web site: Mr Inbetween – Awards. IMDb. 17 July 2020.