I came across the Australian show Mr Inbetween by accident. I saw a short one day where this middle aged man was walking his daughter down a street when two thugs bumped into his little girl and knocked her ice cream out of her hand. The middle aged guy smiled creepily at the two thugs and told them to be more careful. They then insulted both him and his middle age (which I found a bit of a cheap shot as I am hitting 60) and his little girl. The next cutscene is this man tucking his girl safely into his car. She has a brand new big ice cream in her fist. He’s telling her he will be right back. He walks around the neighborhood and sees the duo. True to form these asshats insult him further and challenge him to a fight. What happens next is the most amazing and efficent display of low key martial arts where middle aged guy (Ray Shoesmith) decimates one of the duo and the other runs off terrified, aware that both have potentially made the misjudgement of a lifetime. I had rarely seen such carefully crafted narrative, such close attention to detail, such dark humour, such clever understated dialogue and camerawork, such poignancy and irony of motives and personalities, and such extreme violence shown by what appeared to be, by all accounts an ordinary guy one might meet literally anywhere.

I was immediately hooked. I raved about the show, which I watched through, to everyone I met. Then I watched it with my partner and together we agreed it was simply brilliant. Together we are planning a rewatch, very soon.

Again I am not going to regurgitate what the internet has already said about this show. It’s simply one of the best pieces of comedy drama I have ever watched in my life. Its simply brilliant, on every level. There isn’t a moment in it that isn’t compelling, heartbreaking, beautifully shot, and devastatingly thoughtful – right up to the last moment in the last scene where Ray just looks right into the camera’s eye and smiles that strange creepy smile that chills one’s soul. It reminds me of shows like Breaking Bad or Brideshead Revisited. It’s a masterpiece. Watch it and revel in its many brilliancies. Not for kids, despite the unicorns.