Mr Inbetween

**Mr Inbetween** is an Australian black comedy-crime drama television series which premiered on FX on 25 September 2018 in the United States, followed by Fox Showcase in Australia on 1 October 2018.

This series consists of three seasons. Story about a hitman for hire, Ray Shoesmith, who makes a life out of balancing his criminal activities with his obligations to friends and family.

## Synopsis

Criminal for hire Ray Shoesmith juggles a relationship, parenting, friendships and a sick brother.

## Cast

### Main

* Scott Ryan as Ray Shoesmith, a hitman
* Justin Rosniak as Gary Thomas, Ray's best friend
* Brooke Satchwell as Ally, Ray's girlfriend (seasons 1–2; guest season 3)
* Nicholas Cassim as Bruce Shoesmith, Ray's older brother who has a motor neuron disease (seasons 1–2)
* Chika Yasumura as Brittany, Ray's daughter
* Damon Herriman as Freddy, Ray's boss

### Recurring

* Matt Nable as Dave, another hitman and Ray's friend
* Natalie Tran as Jacinta, Ray's ex-wife
* Lizzie Schebesta as Tatiana, Gary's wife
* David Michôd as Peter (seasons 1–2)
* Jackson Tozer as Vasilli (season 1)
* Firass Dirani as Davros (season 1)
* Edmund Lembke-Hogan as Nick (season 1)
* Kenny Graham as Bill Shoesmith, Ray's father (seasons 2–3)
* Rose Riley as Michele (seasons 2–3)
* Eddie Baroo as Kevin (season 2)
* Josh McConville as Alex (season 2)
* Kieran Darcy-Smith as Vinnie Williams (season 2)
* Ben Oxenbould as Dirk (season 2)
* Mirrah Foulkes as Kate Hall (season 2)
* Sam Cotton as Adam Kelsey (season 3)
* Jackson Heywood as Matty (season 3)
* Tessa de Josselin as Karen (season 3)
* Jeremy Sims as Rafael, a criminal kingpin (season 3)
* Bryn Chapman Parish as James
* Brad McMurray as Cullen (season 3)
* Emily Barclay as Zoe (season 3)

## Reception

Mr Inbetween has 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 6.98/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Mr Inbetween's familiar setup is quickly forgiven thanks to its expertly built tension and a mesmerizing performance from Scott Ryan." On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 75 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

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". 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."[36] 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."

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."[38] 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."

In 2019, Season 2 premiered to additional positive reviews. 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."[41] 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." 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."

The third and final season, which premiered in 2021, received critical praise as well. The New York Times hailed it as one of the "Best TV Shows of 2021" and "a smart, deadpan, quietly daft deconstruction of tough-guy clichés." 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."