Critical Condition: The InBetween

The InBetween | Lightbox, from Friday

☆☆☆☆ “There’s something to be said for a TV show that knows exactly what its lane is and fulfills its duties enough to hold together. NBC’s The InBetween, Moira Kirland’s new procedural billed as a “paranormal drama,” is a fan of just about every procedural cliche in the book, right down to the cheesy music following everyone between obvious cliffhangers.” — Variety.

☆☆☆☆ “The plotting of the cases in the two episodes available for review is pretty predictable, and because one can see so far down the road – you may feel psychic yourself at times – the series lacks urgency, even when we are told that things are urgent … Not necessarily a bad thing, if you like your thrillers diverting but not distressing.” — Los Angeles Times.

☆☆☆☆ “The trouble with this series isn’t just that it gives its central character psychic powers, but that it seems to give her every psychic power. She has premonitions, talks to the dead, reads minds, and sees visions of the past. One of the reasons The Mentalist and some of its imitators are so successful is that they place restrictions on their protagonists.” — Common Sense Media.

☆☆☆☆ “The creator of The InBetween, Moira Kirland, is very experienced in procedurals (Castle) and with stories about clairvoyants (Medium). The experience shows in the casting and overall quality of the show … But the material is pretty much a standard procedural; it’s one of those shows that you’ll likely find entertaining but not remember much about after the credits roll.” — Decider.

☆☆☆☆ “A simple retread of Medium? Yet another tedious summer one-season wonder of no actual merit? Surprisingly, no. The InBetween is by no means an instant classic but it does have a lot to add to the genre that its predecessor didn’t cover …  I enjoyed it more than I thought I would … At the very least, I’ll be tuning in for more.” — The Medium is Not Enough.