Mr Inbetween
I enjoy watching The Critical Drinker on YouTube for two reasons. The first is that I appreciate his snarky comments, and the second is that he has a real insight into what works/fails in a movie. His reviews have taught me a great deal about creating a good story, character development, and what pitfalls to avoid.
It is rare for him to recommend anything, so when he gave the FX series Mr Inbetween a good review, I started watching. Now, before I go any further, this three-season show contains violent and disturbing content. So, if this is not your cup of tea, I do not recommend looking into this program. Yet… this is the beginning of my point.
While there were many heavy topics, I enjoyed the premise, acting, and settings. So, I settled into a pattern of streaming two episodes. My life was going fine until one morning.
I do not wish to publicize my personal life, but the previous day was dreadful. As I wrestled with my dark emotions, I wondered absently how the star of the show would tackle them. So, I thought up a violent solution. Um, that was not good.
This uncomfortable incident rattled around my bonkers mind until I understood it was a random thought. Back to normal.
That evening, I was self-editing my next book. It also has a mildly violent scene (~5% as intense as a Mr Inbetween moment). And this got me thinking, “Hey, what are readers going to experience when they read my book?” That is a tough question.
The issue is that the creator of Mr Inbetween (who is also the star) had the choice of whether to begin his project. Meaning he chose to add something destructive to our great planet. And so was I. Um, really not good.
Writers are at the forefront of our society because they shape the majority of our entertainment. This means they write something, and if the public likes it, they write more. Of course, they get paid, but which content to write about is still a choice.
On the flip side, we know that timid creations are not exciting, and content with more intensity has great appeal. Plus, people (readers/viewers) are responsible for their own actions. And I will say that I, Mr Inbetween, had many enjoyable elements that were not aggressive. Yet, I cannot deny that the content negatively affected me.
This moment forced me to confront the fact that I am fully responsible for creating five books and must face any consequences arising from their publication. This leads to the central question: What happens when somebody reads one of my books and does something bad or gets upset by my content? What is my responsibility to them?
My answer is that it is unlikely my work will inspire violence because my books and articles do not take that deep a dive in that direction. Yet, I know for certain that my work has offended people because I read the bad reviews. This means I am responsible for upsetting people and will upset more in the future. After all, before they read my work, they were perfectly fine. Then bam! Their day turned sour.
I want to stand up for my creations and say: life is full of good and bad elements. When we do something, (most of the time) we do not know how it will turn out. Still, we take the risk. Thus, everybody has two choices. Avoid all contact and be a hermit, or experience life and face the consequences. When you bake a cake, you have to crack open the eggs.
Yeah, no. It is not that simple because I am avoiding the point. It is true that when I began writing, I mostly knew what I was getting into. Meaning, I knew there would be good and bad consequences. So, did the creators of Mr Inbetween. Let’s discuss the bad aspects.
The writer chose to have the lead character solve his problems violently. Watching the show made me think about how I solve my own problems and added (in a minor way) mental “tools” to my behavior.
And I am not singling out Mr Inbetween. I have seen/read many shows/books with all kinds of disturbing scenes. Plus, I have witnessed and been lightly involved in violent incidents.
Yet, a writer’s scope is so much broader. We capture every topic there is and then go ten steps further to imagine even more. Our effect is so powerful that fictional creations come to life in movies and plays. We are the very definition of creativity. That is a good thing. Right?
Yes, but I cannot deny that my books and articles have negatively affected people. Thus, a tiny slice of our society has slipped down a negative slope.
What about the good parts of my books and articles? After all, I did enjoy the Mr Inbetween show. It made me think a lot about crafting a complex character, the choices I make, and society as a whole. In summary, I am glad I watched it. Plus, the show received many positive reviews, which was the reason I watched it. Still, I cannot deny that negativity was added to this beautiful world.
In this article, I have danced around the topic but have not reached a solid conclusion. Well, let’s make one. What I am doing matters, and I need to think more about what I write about. Of course, the character in Mr Inbetween would likely pop me one in the face for writing that and yell, “Develop a better conclusion!”
You’re the best -Bill
April 29, 2026
It is rare for him to recommend anything, so when he gave the FX series Mr Inbetween a good review, I started watching. Now, before I go any further, this three-season show contains violent and disturbing content. So, if this is not your cup of tea, I do not recommend looking into this program. Yet… this is the beginning of my point.
While there were many heavy topics, I enjoyed the premise, acting, and settings. So, I settled into a pattern of streaming two episodes. My life was going fine until one morning.
I do not wish to publicize my personal life, but the previous day was dreadful. As I wrestled with my dark emotions, I wondered absently how the star of the show would tackle them. So, I thought up a violent solution. Um, that was not good.
This uncomfortable incident rattled around my bonkers mind until I understood it was a random thought. Back to normal.
That evening, I was self-editing my next book. It also has a mildly violent scene (~5% as intense as a Mr Inbetween moment). And this got me thinking, “Hey, what are readers going to experience when they read my book?” That is a tough question.
The issue is that the creator of Mr Inbetween (who is also the star) had the choice of whether to begin his project. Meaning he chose to add something destructive to our great planet. And so was I. Um, really not good.
Writers are at the forefront of our society because they shape the majority of our entertainment. This means they write something, and if the public likes it, they write more. Of course, they get paid, but which content to write about is still a choice.
On the flip side, we know that timid creations are not exciting, and content with more intensity has great appeal. Plus, people (readers/viewers) are responsible for their own actions. And I will say that I, Mr Inbetween, had many enjoyable elements that were not aggressive. Yet, I cannot deny that the content negatively affected me.
This moment forced me to confront the fact that I am fully responsible for creating five books and must face any consequences arising from their publication. This leads to the central question: What happens when somebody reads one of my books and does something bad or gets upset by my content? What is my responsibility to them?
My answer is that it is unlikely my work will inspire violence because my books and articles do not take that deep a dive in that direction. Yet, I know for certain that my work has offended people because I read the bad reviews. This means I am responsible for upsetting people and will upset more in the future. After all, before they read my work, they were perfectly fine. Then bam! Their day turned sour.
I want to stand up for my creations and say: life is full of good and bad elements. When we do something, (most of the time) we do not know how it will turn out. Still, we take the risk. Thus, everybody has two choices. Avoid all contact and be a hermit, or experience life and face the consequences. When you bake a cake, you have to crack open the eggs.
Yeah, no. It is not that simple because I am avoiding the point. It is true that when I began writing, I mostly knew what I was getting into. Meaning, I knew there would be good and bad consequences. So, did the creators of Mr Inbetween. Let’s discuss the bad aspects.
The writer chose to have the lead character solve his problems violently. Watching the show made me think about how I solve my own problems and added (in a minor way) mental “tools” to my behavior.
And I am not singling out Mr Inbetween. I have seen/read many shows/books with all kinds of disturbing scenes. Plus, I have witnessed and been lightly involved in violent incidents.
Yet, a writer’s scope is so much broader. We capture every topic there is and then go ten steps further to imagine even more. Our effect is so powerful that fictional creations come to life in movies and plays. We are the very definition of creativity. That is a good thing. Right?
Yes, but I cannot deny that my books and articles have negatively affected people. Thus, a tiny slice of our society has slipped down a negative slope.
What about the good parts of my books and articles? After all, I did enjoy the Mr Inbetween show. It made me think a lot about crafting a complex character, the choices I make, and society as a whole. In summary, I am glad I watched it. Plus, the show received many positive reviews, which was the reason I watched it. Still, I cannot deny that negativity was added to this beautiful world.
In this article, I have danced around the topic but have not reached a solid conclusion. Well, let’s make one. What I am doing matters, and I need to think more about what I write about. Of course, the character in Mr Inbetween would likely pop me one in the face for writing that and yell, “Develop a better conclusion!”
You’re the best -Bill
April 29, 2026
