Scott Ryan was a taxi driver when he first lived as Ray Shoesmith. That's not a metaphor. He literally wrote, directed, and starred in a micro-budget student film called The Magician back in 2005 because he couldn't get the character out of his head. Fast forward over a decade, and that scrappy indie flick evolved into Mr Inbetween Season 1, a half-hour FX (and Foxtel) masterpiece that feels less like a TV show and more like eavesdropping on a hitman's therapy session.
It’s weird.
Usually, hitman stories are all about the "hit." You get the high-octane sniper shots, the leather gloves, and the brooding silence of a professional who lives in a penthouse. Ray Shoesmith doesn't live in a penthouse. He lives in a modest house in the suburbs of Sydney. He shops at the grocery store. He deals with shitty ex-husbands and bureaucratic red tape. Honestly, Mr Inbetween Season 1 is more of a workplace comedy where the workplace happens to involve breaking people's fingers.
What Most People Get Wrong About Ray Shoesmith
People see the trailer and think they’re getting John Wick with an Australian accent. They aren't. Ray isn't a superhero. If he gets into a fight, he gets hit. He breathes heavy. He looks like a guy who works a trade, which is exactly how he views his violence—as a trade.
The brilliance of the first season, which runs a lean six episodes, is the juxtaposition. One minute, Ray is tucked into bed reading a story to his daughter, Brittany (played by Chika Yasumura). The next, he’s in a dimly lit garage explained to a guy named Davros why he’s about to have a very bad day. It’s not "edge lord" writing. It’s a terrifyingly grounded look at sociopathy mixed with genuine fatherly love.
Most shows try to make their protagonist "likable" by giving them a tragic backstory. Ray doesn't have a tragic backstory in Season 1. He’s just a guy who is very, very good at being bad. And yet, you can't stop watching him.
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The Nasnas Incident and Subverting Expectations
Let’s talk about the tone. There’s a scene early on where Ray is walking down the street with his daughter. Some guy bumps into her and doesn't apologize. In any other show, the protagonist would give a stern look or maybe a witty quip. Ray? Ray follows the guy and kicks him through a glass window. It’s shocking because it’s so casual.
But then, the show does something brilliant. It doesn't celebrate the violence. It shows the fallout. It shows Ray having to explain his "anger issues" to his brother, Bruce, who is suffering from Motor Neurone Disease (MND). The relationship between Ray and Bruce (Nicholas Cassim) is the secret sauce of Mr Inbetween Season 1. It grounds the show in a way that feels raw and, frankly, heart-wrenching.
Why the Half-Hour Format Was a Genius Move
Most dramas feel bloated. You know the ones—the "prestige" shows with 60-minute episodes where 20 minutes is just people staring at sunsets. Director Nash Edgerton (brother of Joel Edgerton) stripped all that away.
- Pacing: The episodes are 26 to 30 minutes. They hit hard and get out.
- Dialogue: It’s Ozy-slang heavy but never feels forced. "Good as gold" takes on a whole new meaning when it’s said after burying a body.
- Humor: It’s dark. Like, pitch-black dark.
Think about the conversations Ray has with his best mate, Gary (Justin Rosniak). They aren't talking about "the big job." They’re arguing about whether or not it’s okay to eat a certain type of dim sim or the etiquette of paying back a small debt. It’s Seinfeld, but if Kramer was a criminal and Jerry was a sociopath.
The Reality of the "Underworld"
The show's creator, Scott Ryan, refused to glamorize the life. Ray's boss, Freddy (Damon Herriman), isn't some suave godfather. He’s a guy who runs a strip club and deals with annoying problems. The criminals in Mr Inbetween Season 1 are often incompetent, scared, or just plain boring.
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This realism is why the show has such a high "E-E-A-T" (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) factor in the world of television critics. It feels lived-in. When Ray goes to a crime scene, he doesn't have gadgets. He has a shovel and some plastic sheeting.
Dealing With the Moral Grey
Is Ray a good guy? No. Absolutely not.
But he has a code.
In Season 1, we see him navigate the boundaries of that code. He protects those he loves with a ferocity that is admirable, but his "work" is indefensible. This creates a massive cognitive dissonance for the viewer. You want him to win, but you also know he probably deserves to be in prison. The show never tries to resolve this for you. It just lets Ray exist.
The Evolution from The Magician
If you’ve seen the original 2005 film, you’ll notice Ray is different here. In the film, he was almost a caricature—a documentary subject playing to the camera. In the TV series, he’s more internal. He’s quieter. Ryan’s performance is a masterclass in "less is more." His smile, which is famous among fans, is one of the most unsettling things on television. It’s a shark’s grin.
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The production value also took a massive leap. While it retains a gritty, "street" feel, the cinematography captures the suburban sprawl of Sydney in a way that feels both familiar and alien. It’s the "in-between" spaces—the parks, the parking lots, the quiet streets—where the most horrific things happen.
Essential Takeaways for New Viewers
If you’re just starting Mr Inbetween Season 1, here is what you need to keep in mind to actually "get" the show:
- Pay attention to the quiet moments. The show says more in a silent look between Ray and his daughter than it does in the action sequences.
- Don't expect a traditional arc. Life for Ray is a series of problems to be solved. Some get solved, some don't.
- Watch the background characters. The world is populated with recurring faces that make the "universe" feel small and interconnected.
- The violence is fast. It’s not choreographed like a dance. It’s messy, quick, and brutal.
Actionable Insights for Fans of the Genre
For those who enjoy crime dramas but are tired of the same old tropes, Mr Inbetween Season 1 serves as a blueprint for how to do "low-budget, high-impact" storytelling.
- Character over Plot: Always. Ray’s personality drives every scene. The "plot" of the week is almost irrelevant compared to how Ray reacts to it.
- Length doesn't equal Depth: You can tell a deeper story in 20 minutes of tight dialogue than in two hours of fluff.
- Embrace the Mundane: The most interesting parts of a criminal's life aren't the crimes; they're the moments they have to be "normal."
Ray Shoesmith isn't a hero, and he's barely an anti-hero. He's just a guy doing a job. He’s the man you don't notice at the grocery store, and that’s exactly what makes him so terrifying. If you haven't sat down with the first six episodes yet, you're missing out on the most authentic crime fiction produced in the last twenty years.
To truly appreciate the show, start by watching the first two episodes back-to-back. The first introduces the world, but the second establishes the emotional stakes with Ray’s family. Observe how the tone shifts seamlessly between the "work" and the "home" life. This duality is the core of the series. Once you finish Season 1, look for the subtle ways Ray's "code" begins to fray when the two worlds inevitably collide.