We can tell you firsthand these days: the fantasy genre is becoming more and more lucrative in the modern entertainment business. Fantasy IPs are quickly having their rights snatched up by studios that want to adapt them into film series and/or TV shows. Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson, The Wheel of Time, The Legend of Vox Machina, Arcane… there are different flavors of fantasy currently resonating with both older and younger generations, and only more of that content on the way (God of War, Fourth Wing, etc.).
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However, not every studio was willing to commit big resources to fantasy content. Seven years ago, in fact, NBC had a promising fantasy series that it canceled after just one season (ten episodes), leaving viewers twisting on one of the most frustrating unanswered cliffhangers ever.
NBC’s The InBetween Could’ve Been A TV Pioneer
On May 29, 2019, NBC premiered The InBetween, a show from TV veteran Moira Kirland (Dark Angel, Castle, Madame Secretary, and the Quantum Leap reboot). The series followed Cassie Bedford (Harriet Dyer), a bartender who finds out she “has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts,” as well as clairvoyantly viewing events that have occurred in the past. Unable to ignore these “gifts” that are tormenting her, Cassie tries to put them to use to avoid ending up a broken drunk, like her mother: She partners with her foster dad, police detective Tom Hackett (Paul Blackthorne), helping him and his new partner, Damien (Justin Cornwell), solve their cases. However, not everyone loves the arrangement, such as Tom’s therapist husband, Brian (Michael B. Silver), who worries if indulging Cassie is truly good for her fragile psyche.
The InBetween was canceled at a time when fantasy was still in a pretty traditional lane – not so much anymore. Netflix’s Arcane is a prime example: an action-adventure series with a steampunk aesthetic, it’s often listed as “science fantasy” for being a hybrid of both genres. The InBetween was a mix of crime-drama and supernatural fantasy, not to be confused with supernatural horror. Cassie’s role as a “seer” was a flip on a classic fantasy trope of “The Seer,” i.e., a character who possesses extraordinary perception, able to “see” events across time (past, future) and/or across faraway distances (clairvoyance). Cassie mixed the “cryptic oracle” and “incomplete visions” tropes in fantasy, which was then set against a modern police procedural backdrop. The titular “In-Between” was a fantasy realm where souls with unfinished business in life lingered before being sent either to heaven or hell.
It’s easy to see how The InBetween fell between the cracks: The supernatural fantasy element would’ve been too fantastical for fans of standard police procedurals like Law & Order, while the procedural element might’ve been too bland for fans of supernatural-themed shows or traditional fantasy stories about prophecy and quests. However, as stated, today’s audiences seem to crave new spins on familiar genres and tropes, and genre mashups are some of the best ways to make the familiar feel new again.
The InBetween‘s Cliffhanger Is Still Bothering Fans
The InBetween Season 1 ended by wrapping the major storyline the show was dealing with at the time (the “Ed Roven Saga”). (SPOILERS) A major twist in the season was Cassie learning that her “spirit guide,” Ed Roven (Sean Bolger), had been a sadistic serial killer in life, and was using the In-Between to carry on his “work,” through living “conduits” like Mark Waterman. It was an exciting “big bad villain” reveal, and highlighted the kind of dangers Cassie could face from the In-Between and her gifts.
After Ed Roven has been defeated and banished to Hell, Cassie and Co. had to deal with a more “normal” threat: Tom’s husband Brian needing life-saving surgery. Cassie sits with Brian to talk about where she is, mentally, and what he plans to do next after recovering. Instead, Cassie sees a mirror reflection of Brian turn “evil,” much like Ed Roven’s ‘true face’ when his dark nature was revealed. It suggested that Cassie’s perceptions may start to crash right into her personal life, and vastly complicate the character relationships in Season 2.
There’s little reason to believe that The InBetween will ever get a revival. However, you never do know: if more fans go back and check out the show, the hype (and the streaming metrics) may shake something loose.
The InBetween can be purchased on DSPs like YouTube and Amazon Prime Video. Talk fantasy and sci-fi with us over on the ComicBook Forum!
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