Shrinking Seasons 1-2 Review

Shrinking (2023-)

Season 1 - 10 episodes (2023)
Season 2 - 12 episodes (2024)
Rent Shrinking on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Brett Goldstein, Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel
Starring: Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell, Christa Miller, Ted McGinley
Rated: TV-MA
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Plot
A grieving therapist starts to tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge changes to people's lives, including his own.

Verdict
It's about a therapist whose own life is in shambles, though that helps him relate to patients. This can be wickedly funny, but all of these characters are dealing with significant problems. We watch them try to overcome that by relying on family and friendships. This covers the range of emotions from heartfelt to devastating to hilarious. Life is messy and these characters often prove that, but there's an underlying theme of hope and the need to depend on others to be better because you can't do everything by yourself.  Sometimes one must reach out and ask for help. The characters only become more endearing and their plights more engrossing with each episode.
Watch It.

Review
The irony is a therapist trying to help his patients reach a breakthrough when he desperately needs his own. Jimmy Laird's (Jason Segel) story begins in Season 1 just as he's coming out of a depression. He's a poorly adjusted single dad that's using drugs, booze, and women to dull his pain. We soon learn his wife was killed in a car accident.

S1E3: Jason Segel plays Jimmy Laird

He complains to co-doctors in the practice Paul (Harrison Ford) and Gaby (Jessica Williams) that his patients could easily solve their problems if they'd do what he says. Paul reminds him that he can't rob his patients of their autonomy. They have to realize it on their own. Jimmy decides to take an active role in his patient's lives. He blows up at one, demanding she leave her emotionally abusive boyfriend. Jimmy makes progress with Sean (Luke Tennie), though that ends with a patient's spouse beating Jimmy up and Sean intervening.

With Jimmy's renewed passion to help his patients, this has led to breaching all kinds of boundaries, personal and professional. He's also trying to repair the damage he's caused by neglecting his relationship with his daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell). Their neighbors Liz (Christa Miller) and Derek (Ted McGinley) have basically been raising her as Jimmy has been all but absent while grieving. He's been struggling, but he's now trying to improve. He has a lot to undo. Unbeknownst to Jimmy, Paul has been chatting with Alice to make sure she's okay. Paul's goal is to provide patients with tools to cope.

S1E3: Lukita Maxwell, Harrison Ford play Alice Laird, Paul Rhoades

Despite the heavy topics and exploring how people deal with grief, this show can be really funny. Episode three is a great example of this shows humor. Amid the comedy, this does a great job of developing characters. They're dealing with their problems, trying to overcome them. Jimmy, Gaby, and Paul are all therapists that have difficulty following their own advice. Communication when the topic is personal can be difficult.

The first season covers so much ground. All of these characters are trying to improve, but their friendship are a huge help. This show proves that it does take a village.

To start Season 2, the person that caused Jimmy's wife's death show up to talk. Louis (Brett Goldstein) is thrown out by Jimmy, but it seemed from the first episode that the season was going to address the accident directly.

Paul demands Jimmy create boundaries with patients as one attempted to kill her boyfriend at the end of season one due to advice from Jimmy. Paul begins therapy with Sean as Jimmy has crossed so many personal lines. Sean relies on Jimmy for instant feedback whenever difficulty arises. Paul wants to help Sean learn tools to address stress on his own.

S2E6: Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Ted McGinley play Jimmy Laird, Gaby, Liz, Derek

Paul drops a longtime patient that he really likes. Despite Jimmy's pleas, Paul is adamant that he can't cross his boundary of not fraternizing with patients. We see Paul relent at the end of episode two. While Paul's Parkinson's diagnosis was revealed in season one, it's progressing which causes him to wonder how long he can treat patients and what the outlook for the rest of his life looks like.

Episode six is big. Alice meets with Louis while Sean's dad admits his regret and not knowing how to help Sean. Liz makes a decision that could impact her marriage to Derek.

Episode eight is the first episode I didn't really like. The show is exploring the past, and it just wasn't necessary.

The season ends with Jimmy admitting to Paul that he needs help. Jimmy also finally decides to meet with Louis. 

While this season may not be quite as overall funny as season one due to the subject matter and situations the characters face, as well as exploring Louis's life after the accident, this season does have the full cast together more often as they hang out frequently. The one liners can be really good.

All of the characters are great. Harrison Ford shines as the grumpy Paul, but everyone plays their part so well. You wouldn't think a show that focuses on grief could be so funny, but the ensemble cast coordinate well.