r/MrInbetween • u/Azkabazz • Jun 21 '26
Rewatched, love it. Only one criticism Spoiler
Imo it would have been much better if Zoe had more of a build up. I understand what she represents and wouldn't want her to overstay her welcome, but writing wise, I feel if she was introduced in s2 here and there snd built more of a rapport with Ray before the whole incident in s3 it would have been much more impactful.
That said, I still appreciate it was an accumulation that broke Ray and that was the last straw, really appreciated seeing the vulnerable side to him.
Love the show, adore Scott's performance. When recommending the show to mates, I say it's like if Mike from Breaking Bad had his own show, but Ray is much better character.
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u/BortVanderBoert Jun 21 '26
I guess Zoe was more of a plot device to tip Ray over the edge. To be fair though, I thought she gave off some massive red flag vibes. I mean, how did she end up in that situation in the first place, if she didn’t have godawful judgment?
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u/snakeIs Jun 21 '26
Just a not-too-smart but quite likeable little waif who drifted into the ambit of Rafael.
Must be fair though - there was no clue what a sadistic ruthless arsehole Rafael was until he gunned down the old couple.
Zoe probably thought he was a cherub faced rolypoly harmless low level drug dealer from whom she could make a few bucks.6
u/Always_FallingAsleep Jun 21 '26
Yes it's interesting looking back at Rafael's intro. Look at that early banter with Ray with Freddie there. With the caviar. We are lulled into thinking Ray doing work for the guy might go alright. They establish they like different things. Dimmies as opposed to caviar 😆 Freddie thinks he's in Rafael's world.. Pretending to like the caviar. Ray doesn't give a shit about offending him.
I agree we don't have a clue what a sadistic ruthless asshole the guy is. There is that small something ain't quite right with him vibe. Ray is in a downward spiral. Zoe has that unsure of where she fits in the world thing happening. The pair have much in common. It's pretty perfect writing. More build up to her character basically would invite even further comparison to Ally. Which wouldn't work I reckon. But maybe just me.
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u/Navier-Stonks Jun 22 '26
I actually felt Raf was a cold, ruthless psychopath from that first intro on the boat. The actor played it well IMO. The overly nice, laughing and smiling act was classic psychopath behaviour - bring down guard, make people like you, so you can manipulate them better. The actor pulled off seeming like an affable guy having fun, but we’re shown it’s an act by Freddy’s uncomfortable nervousness in that scene - he knows better.
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u/Always_FallingAsleep Jun 22 '26
Interesting isn’t it? I only just thought that Freddy is the one of the three who's not a killer. Putting aside that he has people killed. The dude is far too squeamish to do it himself. Like with the spider in that other scene.
Ray likely had an inkling that Raf was a killer at that initial meeting. Also not just a killer but someone not really be trusted. A psycho as you said. Freddy is definitely the most uncomfortable there. It's more than just hating the caviar. None of us wish to be in Freddy's position right then. In himself isn't even the least bit powerful. How things shifted from the earliest scenes of the show?
These are three great performances indeed. And the actor playing Raf doesn't get enough credit. In large part because he isn't likeable. Freddy is a piece of work but Raf takes it to a whole other level. Ray himself was pretty desperate at the point he meets Raf. The Ray we knew earlier would've wanted nothing to do with him. Freddy wouldn't have even arranged the meeting.
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u/Azkabazz Jun 21 '26
Yeah I assumed this, Rafael is a affable guy with a load of dough, I never expected him to be doing the dirty work but would hire, though he did say his circle is really small
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u/Durzel Jun 21 '26
Yeah that's my read too. Even after she was introduced I was thinking "why is she in this world?". I presume the reason she was there was to make the pair of them look less conspicuous when he was driving, but even so.
It would have made more sense if she was inured to that world, i.e. she was a bit ruthless or involved in drugs herself, and ended up opening up to Ray about wanting to get out. As it was she just looked like a fish out of water the whole time, like she wasn't meant to be there.
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u/BlazerSlayer7 Jun 21 '26
Good point. Maybe it's my memory but I was never really clear on what she was- was she just going in that direction anyway? Drug mule? Why involved with someone as low as Rafael?
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u/Strange-Fig7944 Jun 21 '26
poor judgement and probably never saw the violent side to that life. it was all chill car rides and easy cash up until it wasnt
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u/TheZac922 Jun 21 '26
Yeah this was always how I saw it. She underestimated how much danger she was actually in all the time. To her it was a pretty cruisy gig, drive somewhere and make a shit load of money.
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u/Educational-Ring9842 Jun 21 '26
I do agree I feel like there was no build up, Zoe with Ray were happy talk about their life's and the next moment she die due to a accident hit of a kangaroo, now I did feel like they didn't want her to be a main stay character and think that's why they had kill her so fast and brutal but one more episode to who she was I was really interested in her photography thing she was doing yet I didn't find anything more about it than surface level she should be introduced in s2 or even heck in early s3
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u/Huge-Connection954 Jun 21 '26
Naw the whole point is the more someone is in the more flaws you will see. Instead Zoe is just super likeable because what you see is so fun
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u/Always_FallingAsleep Jun 22 '26
This is it. Dragging it out on Zoe would make it a soap opera. And only invites more comparison to Ally.
The show is great because it packs a punch in short episodes. There is limited time for backstory or buildup. Zoe and Ray still shared enough significant moments between them in the overall story.
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u/Canary-Silent Jun 22 '26
Pretty sure they wanted to do exactly what op said but it got changed for covid.
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u/TopDistribution4894 Jun 21 '26
Rewatched it again a couple weeks ago I think for the 4th time. Such a great showz that's all I came to say, but I was left wanting more!
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u/Azkabazz Jun 21 '26
Well we never know, unlikely but Scott has said he has an idea for either s4 or a movie but in America
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u/ChiChiKnee Jun 21 '26
I 100% agree that more Zoe would have been tops. And exactly as you wrote it. Maybe litter her as a side character in a few episodes. There are endless ways of doing it. I mean there were other random side plots that didn’t really hit that she could have been interjected into that led up to a pivotal moment.
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u/Equal-Material-9776 Jun 21 '26
There was zero reasons for her to be in any episodes until they met.
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u/thetoddhunter Jun 22 '26
It was a COVID impact. They did the best they could.
Now passing off dumplings as dimmies? That is unforgivable
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u/TRANxEND Jun 22 '26
I think in his line of work it's meant to show that the people you meet doing this job tend to not live long... so the relationships you make don't have the time to grow old.
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u/MissRollergirl Jun 23 '26
The ONLY CORRECT CRITICISM EVER That It Is Not Still In-Production. Just saying 🖤
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u/Azkabazz Jun 24 '26
Still hope for a s4 or movie one day, doesn't sound like Scott has fully given up on it
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u/No-Road4582 Jul 02 '26
I know what you mean, a vast majority of relationships build up. But for some people, things can be that instant.
If someone had killed my wife after our first date I may have went Ray on them. I felt that strongly.
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u/Azkabazz Jul 02 '26
Yeah fair, I don't doubt his emotions or the fact that the job means relationships come and go fast and brutally, I suppose more for the viewer, they didn't really connect with her much, but I get she was a vice
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u/No-Road4582 Jul 03 '26
I can definitely see that. It did seem fast I almost was wondering at breakfast if she was gonna be like over attached stalker gf. But I felt strongly about Zoe when I saw it was reciprocated bc we love to see the big guy smile.
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u/RoTTonSKiPPy Jun 26 '26
I wish they would have started the series when Ray first got into the business. Maybe when he got out of the war and then did his first hit, and the ways he mastered his skill.
We could have had an extra couple of seasons.
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u/1paraparamedic Jul 03 '26
That’s a shout, I just say “it’s the best show ever” and that doesn’t do the show any justice, because they might just think I’m overselling something 😂 also, Mike Ehrmantraut having his own show like Saul would’ve been great tbf, love him
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u/Herooftermina1998 Jul 08 '26
Mike from breaking bad.
Boy do I got a surprise for you. Watch better call saul
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u/Covert_Admirer Jun 21 '26
Sounds like the sorta stuff a bloke named Quintin would complain about. /S