"Business as Usual"
Mr Inbetween is the anti-Breaking Bad. Instead of a mild-mannered man becoming a criminal, it's about a criminal trying to be a man. Ray Shoesmith is a hitman in suburban Sydney. He has a daughter he adores, a brother with MS, a best mate who's a stand-up guy, and a job that requires killing people. The show's genius is making the mundane and the violent feel equally ordinary.
Scott Ryan created, wrote, and stars as Ray. He looks like a guy you'd see at a bar—balding, stocky, unremarkable. His Ray speaks in mumbled Australianisms and wears track pants. When he kills someone, it's efficient and unglamorous. When he picks up his daughter from school, it's loving and ordinary. The contrast isn't played for shock; it's just Ray's life.
Half-hour episodes make the show feel like a comedy. There are genuinely funny moments—Ray's deadpan observations, his strained politeness with people who annoy him, the absurdity of criminal negotiations at a child's birthday party. But the comedy makes the violence worse when it comes, because you've relaxed into thinking this is just a show about a dad with a weird job.
The supporting cast is excellent. Chika Yasumura plays Gary, Ray's best friend and partner in crime. Justin Rosniak plays his brother Bruce, whose MS creates genuine stakes beyond Ray's criminal entanglements. Damon Herriman plays Freddy, the organized crime boss who gives Ray work. Everyone feels like a real person whose life Ray interrupts.
This is a show about compartmentalization—how Ray keeps his work separate from his family, how he rationalizes what he does, how he maintains relationships despite being objectively terrible. It's also about Australian masculinity: stoic, violent when necessary, loyal to a fault, emotionally constipated. Ray is all of these things, and the show never judges him.
Characters & Acting (9): Scott Ryan is Ray. He created the character, understands him completely, and plays him with a naturalism that makes you forget you're watching a show. The supporting cast matches his tone.
Narrative Drive (8): Half-hour episodes fly by. The format forces efficiency—every scene matters, no padding, no waste. The cumulative effect across seasons is powerful.
Resolution (8): The three-season arc completes Ray's story. The ending is inevitable and earned. Not everyone gets what they deserve, but everyone gets what they get.
US: Hulu
UK: Disney+