NBC's 'The InBetween' Review: Thriller has all the right ingredients but needs to invest in character development
After a disappointing run of 'Game of Thrones' and hardly anything worth watching on TV, maybe thrillers are what we need this May.
NBC's 'The InBetween' might just be the answer. The show sounds very similar to Jennifer Love Hewitt's 'Ghost Whisperer.' Cassie Bedford is a woman who sees the dead and cannot figure out if it's a blessing or a curse, which of course is reminiscent of the CBS show.
The twist here is that Cassie uses her powers to help solve murders and not just lead the spirit into the light. She sees visions which help her detective father get to the bottom of the mystery.
However, how Cassie got the "gift" remains a mystery.
With dramatic music — the eerie 'Peter Rabbit' nursery rhyme is now ruined forever — the show sets the tone to take the viewers on a thrilling journey.
However, the show lacks momentum and there are parts that take an effort to understand. You really don't want to crack your brain up in a supernatural drama when there's a crime to be solved and a plot to be understood. Maybe it isn't important to know how Cassie got her gift.
In the pilot, the spirit of a little girl is living with Cassie. Unaware of how she died, and why her parents never loved her and why her grandfather was the villain of her story, the little girl's story is more interesting than Cassie's.
In the pilot episode, there was so much more we expected from 'The InBetween,' especially because 'Ghost Whisperer' was our favorite. The story is grimmer this time, and Cassie isn't as animated as Melinda Gordon. The pilot's ending scene was what gave the show a flavor of rightful suspense.
The season may need some more time to rise about the shell of cliches and go beyond its forerunner 'Ghost Whisperer'.
The murder mysteries, though well thought-out, aren't executed in a way that keeps the viewers engaged.
With a lot of ingredients mixed into one show — supernatural dramas and Sherlock Holmes murder mysteries — the pilot did not invest much time in character development, besides that of the little girl. The showrunners must understand that viewers don't need eerie music and soundtracks if the characters are strong.
The show needs to be given a chance, and we are looking forward to the rest of the season.
The show airs on May 29 on NBC.