The InBetween Review: Where the Shadows Fall (Season 1 Episode 3)

The InBetween Season 1 Episode 3, “Where the Shadows Fall,” starts with Cassie and Ed Roven right outside the hospital about to visit Sally. I so appreciate an episode that just dives right into the action. 

A leisurely breakfast is great in the morning. I usually watch TV at night — no need for too much exposition. 

A hospital is a great setting for an episode of The InBetween because of all the spirits, even though that’s the same reason why Cassie hates them. Cassie seems to be hiding something about her hatred that goes deeper than the fact that there are tons of spirits stuck there.

It is great that she’s there, but I’m definitely more impressed by the serialized aspect of the show than the procedural one, and I think this marks the third time out of three episodes. 

This particular case is absurdly hard to follow. I can’t lie and say that I do or that any amount of re-watching would get me there. Usually, if a case makes sense, the main characters can fill in minor details I miss with dialogue. Tough love is a must here because this time the show falls very short. 

Any viewer could guess that Shane is the angel of death when we are first introduced to him. No matter his divorce record he just has a creepy killer vibe about him. 

As far as the middle journey we’re supposed to follow everyone on to get us there, too many people are involved. Grace’s affair is a part of her death theory, but only because Shane knows about it before he kills her.

We also have to learn about medical chemicals, figure out who the mother spirit in the basement is…there’s also a key card path to follow. Entertainment shouldn’t be this overwhelming. It’s a crime show, so viewers want a mystery. There are just a few too many people involved here. 

Avery does not have to be involved at all. The news she gets about her cancer being in remission is great, as is her speech about being too tired to fight death. 

But she’s superfluous. Cassie doesn’t even need her to know that Ethan is safe and healthy. At this point, shouldn’t Cassie assume she’s done her job if the spirits have moved on from the place she found them? 

Plus, if Avery’s in remission isn’t she farther from death? That makes her speech to Cassie less impactful unless her cancer comes back and Avery returns later in the series. It is very strange that Avery asks Cassie to help her crossover if she finds herself stuck in the inbetween in the afterlife. 

The case this week is a confusing mess to understand, and the characters have to tell us most of the key facts. There is no way viewers could possibly guess this ending on our own, and this time that’s not a good thing at all. It’s worth saying again because it’s so frustrating. 

At least Shane’s motivation for killing is different than the people we’ve met on the previous two episodes. He’s not avenging his mother’s death, he kills her as a result of his delusional thinking.

It’s a small win for a rather disappointing episode. 

I spent the whole hour wishing Sally wound give Cassie a message. I’m not sure whether the scene between Cassie and Damien is him absolutely telling her not to visit Sally anymore and try to get answers. 

Either way, Sally is still one of the biggest draws of the series for me. 

We learn a lot about Cassie’s mom. She pushed her gifts away before her death and drowned out spirits with alcohol. So, it’s great to see Cassie helping others instead of hurting herself. 

The main characters’ lives are still intriguing. This episode suffers only because the case is impossible for viewers to follow, let alone solve themselves. 

What did you think of this episode of The InBetween? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The InBetween airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.

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