Content warning: This article about In Limbo references to suicide and may be triggering to some readers.
Nate Webb had a perfect life – or so it seemed – until the day he took his own life. The devastation, grief and blame that are part of the ripple effect of suicide are explored in ABC’s new dramedy In Limbo.
Premiering on Wednesday, May 24, the Lucas Taylor (Five Bedrooms) and Tamara Asmar (Doctor Doctor) written series follows the friendship of Nate (Bob Morley) and Charlie (Ryan Corr). When Nate dies at just 38, Charlie is forced to face his grief in a way he could never have imagined as the ghost of his dead friend begins ‘haunting’ him. There are no levitating tables or flying books, but confronting the spectre of loss is the scariest thing Charlie’s ever done. The only comfort is that he’s facing it with his charming, witty and garrulous best mate by his side – albeit in apparition form.
“I watched the screeners and if I can step outside of my own ego and my own performance, it’s definitely one of the most unique Australian shows that I’ve seen in a while and unique in all the great ways,” actor Bob Morley told Mediaweek during an interview before the season premiere. “[It’s] Challenging and very moving and funny.”
While entertaining in most aspects, In Limbo also has the ability to shine a light on mental health challenges, especially the alarming male suicide rates in Australia. It also emphasises the need for society to redefine the modern concept of masculinity, all while retaining a heart-warming wit.
“It’s about losing someone who’s gone too soon and how you process that and how that affects everyone around you,” Morley said. “There are lots of laughs but there are a lot of complicated issues that come up with what they have to grapple with.”
Bob Morley and Ryan Corr. ABC
In Limbo’s Bob Morley says the series feels “true” to the Australian experience
For the 38-year-old, In Limbo feels “true to form”, because in his experience, “a lot of guys will turn to humour as opposed to talking about something that is vulnerable or makes you feel discomfort.”
“It’s easy to just kind of laugh it off and make a joke,” he said. “So it was an important aspect [of the show] and I think it’s one of the bigger things in the show, especially for men’s mental health. There’s courage and there’s strength in being vulnerable and I think that’s one of the important messages.”
Morley, who welcomed a son in March 2022 with actress Eliza Taylor, said that the way Lucas Taylor wrote it was “really quite intelligent and articulate”.
“I think he’s found a way to access that avenue of vulnerability through humour and to begin that conversation,” he said before adding: “I think it’s one way to open the door to start having those more complex or difficult conversations, not only with your mates but with your partner or your loved ones. I think accessing it through humour takes that edge off a little bit and allows you to then step into somewhere a bit more uncomfortable.”
Ryan Corr. ABC
How the cast and crew of In Limbo supported one another
The statistics on suicide worldwide are alarming. It is the biggest killer of Australians between the ages of 18-44, with 8.6 people taking their own life every day in Australia — 75% of those being men.
To approach these sensitive topics with truth and empathy, Taylor and producer Jennifer Cummins, collaborated with acclaimed researchers and practitioners from the field of men’s mental health and suicide prevention, an on-set, cast and crew worked to support one another during the tougher days.
“I’ve been on my own mental health journey for a long time,” Morley revealed. “And really, in the last our years, I’ve really focused in on it. In terms of that support [on set], I reached out to my family, and to Ryan and got to know the crew as well. It was a very welcoming environment to be part of. The whole crew had been affected by a mental health condition in their life at some point, so it was a really important story for all of us to tell and it felt like a really strong unit throughout.”
ABC
The series shines a light on how loved ones grapple with a loss
Though Nate’s journey and subsequent suicide are at the forefront of In Limbo, one of the more prominent themes is how loved ones cope with the loss of someone who decides to end their life. It’s also uncertain whether Nate is a ‘real’ ghost or a projection of Charlie’s grieving thoughts and the audience is encouraged to form their opinions.
“Even Nate’s mother Maria [Lena Cruz] is trying to find answers where they aren’t and Charlie and Freya [Emma Harvie] go through that as well, where they kind of go, ‘well, there must have been something else. There must have been this.’ And I think that’s what’s quite beautiful about the show. It depicts that there are no real simple answers.”
Emma Harvie, Kamillia Rihani, Lena Cruz. ABC
“There is nothing concrete, nothing tangible that they can hold onto because of x,y,z happened. There are so many mitigating factors. The one true thing — and I don’t want to say Nate didn’t have the courage, because to work through his own issues on his own is a really admirable thing — it was just that next step of being vulnerable, and being able to talk to his wife. It wasn’t like he was withholding information, he just wanted to be able to cope on his own.”
If you or someone you know is in distress and needs more information, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.
In Limbo premieres Wednesday 24th May at 9.00 pm on ABC TV and ABC iview with all six episodes available to stream on ABC iview from launch.