by Nick Ferro, Contributing Writer
Ever since Scrubs debuted in 2001, I have been a fan of Bill Lawrence’s work. Cougar Town, the incredibly underseen and short-lived Ground Floor, and of course the smash hit Ted Lasso. I also went back and watched as much Spin City as I could find back in the early 2000s. His brand of comedy that blends humor, heart, and the love of found family has me hook, line, and sinker. It was never a doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t love his most recent project, Shrinking. But even I wasn’t expecting Shrinking to really latch onto me as much as it has. The first season was a bit of a slow build, but upon rewatch, it plays like an almost completely different show. You feel more connected to the characters, and the sneaky way Lawrence writes allows for running jokes to hit harder, rather than becoming stale.
Something I’ve been missing from television nowadays is that episodic rewatchability. You can pick up an episode of Shrinking just as easily as you could an episode of Scrubs 20 years ago and not feel lost or confused by the overarching story. And just like Scrubs, there is a season long story that has a thematic through line that will satisfy audience members who are more interested in the newer long form story telling. It really blows me away how Lawrence is one of the few creatives who is able to mesh the old with the new so flawlessly.
Shrinking Season Two picks up shortly after Season One, with Jimmy (Jason Segel) juggling the consequences of one of his therapy patients pushing her husband off a cliff, having a “friends with benefits” relationship with his friend and colleague Gabby (Jessica Williams), and not letting his chaotic life hurt his relationship with his daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell). It also sees Paul (Harrison Ford) struggling to keep his Parkinson’s in check, while balancing his romantic relationship with his doctor Julie (Wendie Malick) and his own daughter (Lily Rabe).
The premiere does a great job of catching the audience up with all the major characters, while kicking us into the new season. Jimmy and Sean’s (Luke Tennie) relationship will change, as will Sean’s relationship with therapy as well as his father. Liz (Christa Miller) and Derek (Ted McGinley) go through a rough patch when an old flame of Liz’s (played by a fun cameo) shows back up. Paul makes friends with one of his former patients (Neil Flynn) and gets a new doctor. Brian (Michael Urie) and Charlie (Devin Kawaoka) try to figure out if they want to adopt a baby. And the biggest story driver of the season, the man who was responsible for the death of Jimmy’s wife and Alice’s mom shows up hoping to make amends, and he’s played by Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein in a very un-Roy Kent role.
If all of these arcs sound like typical sitcom fare, it’s because they are (the formula works for a reason). But what makes Shrinking stand above the rest is the witty and sharp dialogue, and the uncensored comedy that Lawrence has not really given us in the past. Writing for network TV meant being kept on a standards and practice leash. And Ted Lasso, while behind a paywall, was a much more wholesome show, despite the occasional dirty joke here and there. But in Shrinking, Lawrence doesn’t shy away from sophomoric humor. Rather, he embraces it and elevates it with more sophistication to turn a simple sex joke into a highbrow sex joke. Not to say that this show’s humor is just dirty jokes left and right — it also thrives on wholesome optimistic jokes, running gags, and interpersonal jokes that make you feel like you too are a part of the gang. The through line with Lawrence’s shows is that they are always about a group of people, whether they are neighbors, co-workers, or friends of friend, who become a family. And the love that they have for each other transcends everything else. The humor is there to keep you entertained and laughing, but the people are why you keep coming back week to week.
This season, much like Season Two of Ted Lasso, we spend a lot more time with our side characters, and as a result, the world expands and made the experience better. We meet Gabby’s sister and mother; we are introduced to a new love interest in Derrick #2 (Damon Wayans Jr.); Liz and Gabby help each other with their own perspective problems. In turn, they help Jimmy with Alice’s teenage girl problems. Derek buys a loft; Sean’s friend from the army reaches out. We are given so much more of these characters to love, and it never takes away from Jimmy, his relationship with everyone, or the struggles he faces. But unlike Ted Lasso Season Two, this season of Shrinking does not let its lead get lost in the shuffle of its ensemble. Each character touches another character’s life in so many ways that it’s hard to do the show justice by just talking about it spoiler-free
My favorite character this season is Gabby, mainly because Williams is a treasure when it comes to comedic timing and delivery. She is an awesome actress, and I really hope we see her pop up in more things. This year’s Road House remake was not enough. But on the flip side, she is capable of some powerful emotions, so when she is sad or hurting, I am too, and I feel for her so much. She is well-written and complex, especially for a side character who could easily have been the stereotypical Black best friend character. To have her feel so real is another testament to the writing.
But I’d be remiss to not acknowledge that the standout performance in the show: Harrison Ford, who is playing a character who is probably not all that much of a stretch from his actual personality. A curmudgeonly old guy who is rather grumpy. But where I am actually blown away by his performance is his ability to fit in with this group of crazy characters as the straight man to all of their shenanigans. He feels too big for the show, and yet he fits right in. Plus, he, too, can dish out the comedy when need be. I love how the writing allows him to have some separation from the main cast. If he was a regular member of “the gang,” it would feel weird and out of place. Instead, he is more like the revered elder that keeps himself at arm’s length. There is a hilarious running joke this season where, because he can’t drive anymore, the others “kidnap” him a lot to get him to help them in their lives. He even makes sure everyone at Thanksgiving knows that he’s there against his will, and it is hilarious. The distance is also good, because it feels like the show is working toward breaking down that barrier as time goes on.
I also should mention the therapy aspect of the show. I don’t have a ton of therapy experience, but the writers and actors have gone on record that they took inspiration from their own personal relationships with therapy. This brings a level of authenticity to the proceedings; however, there are some issues with the way it’s portrayed rather flippantly at times in the name of comedy. With any comedy, there is always the need to make light of a profession; in Shrinking, the characters sometimes have to do crazy things to get a patient to a breakthrough, which is probably not very realistic. However, it is the intention that matters. The show always gives you a moral or words of wisdom which allow the audience to see past the goofy, and understand the reason behind a particular way of thinking. There are some serious therapeutic messages that are baked into the script to hammer home the purpose of the episode but also can be helpful to anyone going through similar issues.
My only negative about Shrinking, and my least favorite thing about the show, is that it is an Apple TV+ exclusive. I only have until my free subscription ends to rewatch the season again (which I can’t wait to do). Shows behind a paywall stink, but shows behind a paywall that doesn’t have a library big enough to keep all year long really grind my gears. This is one of those shows that is so bingeable, and also worth owning on the shelf, and it annoys me that there isn’t a Blu-ray option at the moment. I implore everyone to burn a free subscription, or even sign up for a month to check this show out, because it will definitely be worth your time.
Rating: Loved It
Shrinking is currently streaming on Apple TV+
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