Mr Inbetween

[13 schoolyards]

I really hope so. I only watched this because a friend recommended it (which I then did to others) but I wouldn't have heard of it otherwise. Seems to have gone mainly unnoticed.

I do hope it's big in Australia and that means a lot more stuff to come from him. Not in a wank beast way.

It is depressingly all but unknown here in Australia (despite winning a bunch of awards) as it was on cable / Pay TV service Foxtel, which nobody but sports nuts has and everyone hates because it's owned by Murdoch. Who used his influence to fuck over a massive upgrade to Australia's broadband internet a few years back because decent internet would make streaming a threat to Foxtel, in case you needed another reason to hate him.

Anyway, every few months someone I know will go "has anyone heard of this series Mr Inbetween, it's amazing", so word is trickling out here somehow*, but I think international fame and fortune is the only real hope.

_{*The first two series were recently released on DVD locally but the transfer is absolute garbage, you're better off watching it on YouTube with our shithouse internet.}

[Small Potatoes]

I'm up to the middle of the second series (after all the recommendations here), and fuck me this is outstanding. Astonishing performance from Scott Ryan, and as somebody mentioned above it's incredible that this and The Magician are his only credits. He's really got that Willem Dafoe threatening grin down pat, and the direction is something else. Can't believe it isn't better known.

[Ron Superior]

Oh man, the snatched kid episode was gut wrenching. And the eye bit in the episode after that! I only started it yesterday and am on season 3 already.

That they manage to get some real laughs among such unbelievable grimness is amazing.

[Small Potatoes]

Oh man, the snatched kid episode was gut wrenching. And the eye bit in the episode after that! I only started it yesterday and am on season 3 already.

That they manage to get some real laughs among such unbelievable grimness is amazing.

You weren't wrong about the kidnapping episode.

I love Ray's playful, mildly exasperated relationship with his daughter, which plays a key part of the lighter moments. The actor playing the brother is fantastic as well - I had to check that he doesn't actually have MND, because his voice and movement are absolutely nailed-on accurate for that shitty, shitty disease.

[Mobbd]

The actor playing the brother is fantastic as well - I had to check that he doesn't actually have MND, because his voice and movement are absolutely nailed-on accurate for that shitty, shitty disease.

Yeah, it's really hard not to love that character. He's fucking ace.

[jobotic]

Just reminded myself of the last episode then started at the beginning again.

The scenes with the brother and the daughter are great, aren't they?

Get quite a feeling of dread watching them again. Some of it is bloody horrible.

[13 schoolyards]

Supposedly after The Magician there were a few attempts to get a TV series off the ground, and when that didn't happen Ryan gave up acting and went back to his various day jobs - he was only interested in making this one character work (with him writing as well).

Which has obviously paid off, but was probably the right move all along - he's such a distinctive performer it's hard to see him having much of a career in Australia without being able to steer things himself.

Actually, why not just read the profile: https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/he-was-decades-on-the-dole-and-going-nowhere-then-scott-ryan-hit-the-tv-jackpot-20221205-p5c3r6.html

[Mobbd]

Oh man, the snatched kid episode was gut wrenching. And the eye bit in the episode after that! I only started it yesterday and am on season 3 already.

That they manage to get some real laughs among such unbelievable grimness is amazing.

Dude. When I first saw your post I thought you meant the one where the bloke whose daughter was murdered years ago is reunited with her body and meets the killer with the toupee. I liked that episode but I didn't quite relate to the "gut wrenching" remark. I've now caught up with you and arrived at the actual kid-snatching episode. Fucking hell, that was tense!

-

Keeping in mind that I LOVE this show and I've done my share of cheerleading for it here, can we discuss how it's a tiny bit Black Tank Top. Calm down everyone, I fucking love this show. Ryan is a genuine talent. But when I consider the mindset required to write and act in this particular vehicle though, to position yourself as such a cool dude who is both stone cold and deeply humane and has a beautiful young girlfriend and is a great driver and now even murders paedos... it's maybe a little bit Black Tank Top. I hate myself a bit for having this thought because the show is so good, but I thought I'd put it out there anyway in the interest of a fully-rounded critical conversation.

(I haven't read the profile posted by @13 schoolyards yet but I'm looking forward to it).

[Ron Superior]

Haha, yeah I know what you mean and was thinking similar myself but more due to the fact that every time there's any sort of debate or argument about violence or whatever, he always wins that argument.

I don't think he lets himself off Scott free in that how he is clearly keeps costing him majorly, whether it's with his relationship or job or whatever, but other than that if you didn't know that he'd created and written the whole thing himself you'd probably guess he had anyway.

But that fact that it does veer so close to being the sort of show I think is shit and would never want to watch is testament to how funny and gripping and brilliantly made and acted it is.

[Mobbd]

But that fact that it does veer so close to being the sort of show I think is shit and would never want to watch is testament to how funny and gripping and brilliantly made and acted it is.

Darn tootin'.

[The Culture Bunker]

But when I consider the mindset required to write and act in this particular vehicle though, to position yourself as such a cool dude who is both stone cold and deeply humane and has a beautiful young girlfriend

I don't remember if it's written differently, but Scott Ryan and Brooke Satchwell (who plays his girlfriend in the first couple series) are only about seven years apart.

[EOLAN]

Just after first season of episode. With the dogs having been pivotal in forming the fenttal relationship, they seem to be largely absence since that meet-up.

[13 schoolyards]

Keeping in mind that I LOVE this show and I've done my share of cheerleading for it here, can we discuss how it's a tiny bit Black Tank Top. Calm down everyone, I fucking love this show. Ryan is a genuine talent. But when I consider the mindset required to write and act in this particular vehicle though, to position yourself as such a cool dude who is both stone cold and deeply humane and has a beautiful young girlfriend and is a great driver and now even murders paedos... it's maybe a little bit Black Tank Top. I hate myself a bit for having this thought because the show is so good, but I thought I'd put it out there anyway in the interest of a fully-rounded critical conversation.

If I had any criticism at all of the series as a whole, it'd be that Ray is just a little bit too good to be true. It's a tough line to walk with this kind of ongoing series where in reality you're making a show about an absolute scumbag - he's someone who kills strangers for money - but you want to keep him likable enough to keep people watching while still being realistic enough to not be an obvious outright fantasy.

On the whole I think Mr Inbetween does a much better job than most of pointing out that Ray probably wouldn't be the best guy to hang around with as he clearly has problems and can be a bastard - I'm thinking of the start of s3 with his new buddy, but there's plenty of other moments where he's shown to be ok with some piece of shit getting away with things, only for the POS to decide Ray is a loose end and Ray gets an excuse to take out the trash.

I was hoping / dreading the series ending would really show things going in the bin for him

Spoiler alert

and while they didn't really, the end does manage to underline that he was living a crap life that fell apart and it was really only luck (plus being the ultimate badass) that enabled him to retire to a caravan in the bush being bored out of his mind until the next lot of victims get into his cab and give him an excuse to kill again

[close]

And yeah, that final sequence

Spoiler alert

really does kind of underline that whoops, we may have been cheering on a serial killer for the last three seasons

[close]

[Mobbd]

If I had any criticism at all of the series as a whole, it'd be that Ray is just a little bit too good to be true.

Yeah, I think that's fair to say. Vince Gilligan didn't seem to care if people liked or identified with Walter White after a while. Can't decide if Gilligan wins the prize for not needing our love or if Ryan gets it for squaring the circle. (To be in a critical showdown with such a veteran of prestige telly after driving taxis around the arse end of the world's second-best hemisphere* is in itself a fucking miracle accomplishment).

(* edit: dick move)

That lengthy profile from the Sydney Morning Herald is well worth a read btw. Generally but also with regards to this criticism and my harsh allogation of Black Tank Toppishness.

(Can't read your spoilery content yet - just starting Season 3. Will come back to your points there!)

[EOLAN]

Just finished. Thanks for the promotion of this. Great fun stuff. Just need to go back and watch the Magician now.

[poo]

Why I not find this Disney+

[Mobbd]

Why I not find this Disney+

Because you touch yourself at night.

[Mobius]

I've nearly finished this and have enjoyed it a lot.

It does feel a bit aimless, no real overarching plot/villain or anything. Funny scene, kid scene, brutal scene, nonce scene, etc. But that's fine.

Definitely enjoy the overall "aussieness" of it, buying 'dimmys' and seeing aldi's in the background. Gives it a different vibe to the usual UK/US stuff. I've lived in Australia for 15 years now and tv here is unbelievably shite. This is the most well made Australian show I've seen anyway. As someone else mentioned, no one here knows what it is sadly..

I agree with Ray basically being a bit too cool for school and that though. Just watched the one where he cops off with that young woman he's running drugs with...

[Hat FM]

I agree with Ray basically being a bit too cool for school and that though. Just watched the one where he cops off with that young woman he's running drugs with...

haha yeah. surprised she didn't get three of her hot model friends involved or something.

[jobotic]

We have an endless loop of Little Lunch and Inbestigators playing in our house at the moment. It's nice when it's night time, the kids are in bed and I can get my dose of Aussie programmes from rewatching Mr Inbetween.

[Mobbd]

https://www.goldthread2.com/food/how-deep-fried-wonton-became-australias-national-snack/article/3001041

Dim sims—or dimmies as they're affectionately known in Australia—are hefty purses of dough filled with meat that are then steamed or deep-fried. They're ubiquitous at takeout joints, gas stations, and fish-and-chip shops in Australia.

I'd never heard of them and now I'm completely charmed.

[EOLAN]

I've nearly finished this and have enjoyed it a lot.

It does feel a bit aimless, no real overarching plot/villain or anything. Funny scene, kid scene, brutal scene, nonce scene, etc. But that's fine.

Binged Mr Inbetween while in the middle of A Breaking Bad rewatch. A great compare and contrast between them. Particularly on your point above.

Walter White and co. seem to be totally consumed by their illegal worklife activities, feeding into other aspects of everyday life. Whereas in Mr Inbetween, there are regular scenes of humdrum domesticity of cleaning dishes or watching regular TV, such moments. These are used as a clear break from the high intensity hit or whatever Ray has done and shows how he effectively compartmentalised his life.
In Breaking Bad, scenes of washing dishes are clearly shown to have Walt or whoever pre-occupied by what occurred or plan they have. And Jesse's TV viewing again does almost more to service the plot once he is settled back into things.

Guess I like both, though Breaking Bad is definitely more deliberately slower and stretches out as much as it can.

[Mobbd]

Just finished. Absolutely perfect.

It does feel a bit aimless, no real overarching plot/villain or anything. Funny scene, kid scene, brutal scene, nonce scene, etc. But that's fine.

A tad formulaic at times, yeah. I liked the meandering lack of plot though: these days I'm a bit tired of Big Bads and the likes, so give me vignettes and good images. I have this feeling that, maybe, plot is old hat. An overstatement probably but it's an idea I seem to be toying with in my head. Might rewatch Night on Earth to think about this a bit more.

Definitely enjoy the overall "aussieness" of it, buying 'dimmys' and seeing aldi's in the background. Gives it a different vibe to the usual UK/US stuff. I've lived in Australia for 15 years now and tv here is unbelievably shite. This is the most well made Australian show I've seen anyway. As someone else mentioned, no one here knows what it is sadly..

Can't remember if you were posting in the Colin from Accounts thread. That's Ozzie and it's good, if you're interested. Not as good as this though. A romcom basically, but a well-made and funny one.

I agree with Ray basically being a bit too cool for school and that though. Just watched the one where he cops off with that young woman he's running drugs with...

The sequel to that episode is so good.

Spoiler alert

I really hated whatshisname for killing the RV couple.

I loved how we see the kangaroo before Ray and the girl do. Really nice bit of direction.

[close]

Anyway, yeah. Fucking brilliant series. Will be putting people onto it for years to come, I'm certain of it.

[EOLAN]

Haven't seen any other of Nash Edgerton's directing, but definitely feel his stunt work background adds a lot to the show as well. And direction is nicely paced throughout. And was great as the brother of Ray's girlfriend at the Christmas party. Getting to do a nice bit of classic stuntwork himself for old time's sake as well.
His own daughter plays Brit as well. Can't complain about that choice much.

[Hat FM]

that bit was silly. 'hmm this guy looks like a bit of a tough nutter type. i'm going to wind him up...'

[Mobius]

yes the bit where the brother wanted that unicorn toy was ridiculous. no one's that much of a cunt. well, they are, but that was just silly.

but anyway my mild criticisms aside, loved the show as i said!

ending/last few episodes spoiler

Spoiler alert

ray telling rafael (big time crook) to take zoe (drug runner) to hospital immediately after watching the bloke very casually gun down the old RV couple, seemed out of character. like he musta known she was getting dumped in the bush. felt a tad contrived, to set up the action/revenge for the final episode (which was sick to be fair)

i did like the ending "someone might die out here tonight" *grins at camera, menacingly*

definitely leaves space for more, although he's said there won't be a season 4? :(

[close]

i've downloaded the magician so looking forward to that now.

[13 schoolyards]

The unicorn toy bit was a bit over the top, but I liked the way it highlighted that Ray's "code of honour" (or whatever) was pretty much bullshit. He'd clearly developed it over the years as a way to stop himself from murdering everyone at a drop of a hat, but in real life sometimes you have to let shit slide for other reasons - as we saw multiple other times where Ray would shrug off crap from his bosses or other tough guys because what are you going to do?

It was a nice way to show (without making it obvious) that his code was just a cover for him doing whatever the fuck he liked - pushing around dickheads where he thought he could get away with it, pulling his head in when it wasn't worth the trouble to him (and then usually murdering them later anyway).

[Rizla]

The scene with the brother and daughter doing Romeo & Juliet. Bring a tear to a fuckin glass eye, that.

[jobotic]

That bit when they go to see the unicorn was a bit silly. Should have thrown boiling water and jam in its face. More action!

[Mobius]

Well I spoke too soon. The Magician torrent has died on 97.9%. Fuck sake