Ray (Scott Ryan) is a hitman you cheer for, kind of, he’s a thug you don’t want to accidently bump into and not apologize, otherwise he’ll bash you. He kills people on the orders of his boss Freddy, a Kings Cross nightclub owner, but also looks after his wise cracking brother who has motor neuron disease and cares for his eight year old daughter Britt who demands money from people who swear, Ray is ‘Mr Inbetween’, the Foxtel TV series that’s a dark comedy with a flair for the dramatic.
He has to suffer though his anger management classes and also has to deal with a mate Gary (Justin Rosniak) who constantly causes him problems; Gary has a weakness for weird porn and a crazy Russian wife.
Ray also has a new girlfriend Ally (Brooke Satchwell) who he meets in a dog park; she senses Ray’s violent tendencies but sits with it, instead enjoying the moments of a new relationship.
Ray may be in the underworld, but don’t think of him as Tony Soprano, he’s not revered or in any position of authority, he does the dirty jobs but has street smarts, it’s what has kept him alive amongst the bloodshed.
Filmed around the suburbs of Sydney, you get a glimpse into what happens in the crime underbelly of presumed gamblers or business associates that don’t pay up and suffer the consequences amongst a backdrop of dark roads and deserted bushland that lead to them digging their own graves.
It’s a world that Ray lives in; eating Chinese with his new girlfriend at 8pm and blasting his new automatic weapon at fellow criminals around midnight, yet Director Nash Edgerton doesn’t make this seem unreal, the scenes are so matter of fact that as a viewer you never feel jolted, this is just Rays life, understated.
But just like Tony Soprano you cheer for him, even though he is a psychopath, it’s the gift of solid writing, you can thank Ray (Scott Ryan) himself for that, he created the series. Season 2 is currently running on Foxtel, it hasn’t been as consistent as last season but still shows glimpses of what its capable of. If you’re not already watching give ‘Mr Inbetween’ a run, its an interesting dark slice of Australian T.V.