Little bit of this, little bit of that…
Main Cast: Scott Ryan, Justin Rosniak
Creator: Scott Ryan
Australian actor Scott Ryan has been in exactly two things: The Magician, a 2005 film he wrote, directed, and starred in on a budget of $3,000, and Mr. Inbetween, the three-season TV series that resulted from that film. To say that he has been criminally underexposed to date is an understatement.
Mr. Inbetween is the story of Ray Shoesmith (Ryan), a hit man whose unsavory occupation does not stop him from living a relatively mundane life in his hometown of Sydney. He kills people, then goes home and makes pizza for his daughter or takes care of his brother, who suffers from Motor Neuron Disease. He spends a lot of time shooting the breeze with his friend Gary (Justin Rosniak) and sitting on his couch in a grubby undershirt.
Ray is a cipher. He’s tough and street-smart, violent and remorseless. He’s also an extremely loyal friend, loves his daughter, and goes about his days in a mostly unremarkable way. His temper gets him in trouble, but never professionally. He seems to exist to bust every single stereotype about the glamour of hired guns. He’s very good at what he does, but in his off-hours he’s just a middle class guy.
What makes Mr. Inbetween special is the combination of Scott Ryan’s brilliant portrayal of Ray and the show’s steadfast refusal to bend to convention. It does not hurry, it does not over-pack episodes with action, and it never, ever fully lets us into the mind of its main character. There is no info-dumping about Ray’s childhood, or marriage, or how he came to this line of work. We’re just hanging out with him, watching his life to see where it goes.
Ryan completely inhabits this character, and showrunner Nash Edgerton is not afraid to let the camera linger during uncomfortable moments. Over three seasons we learn to read Ray’s facial expressions and Edgerton takes full advantage of every one. The liberal use of sly, dry humor softens Ray’s sharp edges and elevates the entire production.
Mr. Inbetween is very violent, sometimes crude, and always unflinching. Ray is something of a cross between Dexter and Walter White, but that characterization does a disservice to both Ryan and the show as a whole. This is a most unexpected character, presented in a most unusual way. The sum of these disparate parts is fantastic, with one of the most satisfying series finale scenes I have seen in a long time.
I watched Mr. Inbetween on Hulu.
Sue reads a lot, writes a lot, edits a lot, and loves a good craft. She was deemed “too picky” to proofread her children’s school papers and wears this as a badge of honor. She is also proud of her aggressively average knitting skills. TV and indie movies are her jam.
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