Parents' Guide to

Mr. Inbetween

By Mark Dolan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Foul-mouthed gangster show hides sly, tender dark comedy.

TV FX Drama 2018
Mr. Inbetween Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 2 parent reviews

James472
James472 Parent of 8-year-old
September 15, 2019
age 15+

Hilarious, but fairly edgy.

I’m not gunna write anything about the plot because it’s so brilliant and random that it’s best experienced first hand. Just know that there is some moderately bloody (and a bit gory) violence, though most of it is humorous. Also, the humor is EXTREMELY dark, so a lot of people may be uncomfortable with what this show find funny, but to me it’s incredible. Also, lots of swearing and some funny pee fetish references.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Bigguy29
Bigguy29 Adult
October 12, 2018
age 17+

This is kinda hard to rate

This I a very tricky show to rate I whole heartedly enjoy the show but due to some content I am not sure how much I recommend that you watch this it's hilarious and action packed but also very very filthy there's violence and near constant swearing

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

MR. INBETWEEN follows Ray Shoesmith (Scott Ryan), an enforcer for a loan shark in underworld of Melbourne, Australia. With his bald head, wispy goatee and no-nonsense manner, Ray presents himself as quite a menacing figure. But when he's not threatening or killing people who owe money, he's a loving father to his precocious 8-year-old daughter Britt and a caring sibling to his ill older brother. He even strikes up a new relationship with a pretty paramedic after they meet cute in a dog park. The show essentially follows Ray as he goes about his daily routine, bouncing back between the violent, foul-mouthed world of his job and more tender moments of normalcy (which he seems to long for) in his personal life.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

The latest entry in to the growing ranks of TV antiheroes, Mr. Inbetween treads some pretty familiar territory. And while it isn't groundbreaking, show creator and star Scott Ryan brings a certain charisma to the role of Ray that makes Mr. Inbetween worth the time. Not classically or even roguishly handsome, Ryan's bloke of a hitman feels like a cool supporting character who got a surprise promotion to leading man. He also is able to shift from believably menacing to tender to humorously bemused, sometimes in the same scene. It might be this unexpected dark comedic undertone that sets this show apart, and at the end of the day it might actually have more in common with fellow FX shows Atlanta and Better Things than it does with Breaking Bad or The Sopranos.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the duality of Ray's character in Mr. Inbetween. Is it believable that a someone who deals so easily in violence could also be such a caring father?

  • What is an antihero? Does Ray fit the definition? What are some other characters you've encountered that could be considered antiheroes?

TV Details

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