HOW WOULD YOUR life change if you stopped filtering your thoughts and instead shared what was really on your mind? This is the question at the heart of Apple TV+’s Shrinking, a tear-jerker of a comedy that follows therapist Jimmy (Jason Segel) and his teen daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell), who is grappling with the loss of her mom and the emotional withdrawal of her grieving dad. In the months following his wife’s unexpected death, Jimmy turns to women and substance use to numb his pain. As Jimmy checks out of actively parenting, other people in Alice’s community step in — including the neighbor Liz (Christa Miller), who makes dinner for Alice and cheers her on at the soccer games her dad has forgotten. After a particularly flagrant parenting fail on Jimmy’s part, Liz confronts him, saying, “I have to ask: Is this you forever?” Jimmy’s response is relatable to many who have lost themselves in the wake of losing a loved one: “I don’t know.”
Yet with assistance from Liz, candid conversations with co-therapist Gaby (Jessica Williams), and unwavering friendship from Brian (Michael Urie), viewers watch Jimmy return to himself. And in the process, he breaches all guidelines about boundaries between patients and clients.
Although it usually takes me months to finish a show, I watched all 10 episodes of Shrinking within a week. The dark comedy blends the poignancy of Ted Lasso, the hilarity of Dead to Me, and the emotional resonance of Fredrik Backman’s book A Man Called Ove. Harrison Ford absolutely shines as Paul, a crotchety but lovable character reminiscent of Backman’s eponymous Ove. Paul is Jimmy’s mentor and a co-therapist at the same practice. Some of the best scenes of the show arrive during Paul and Alice’s informal bench chats in which he dispenses witty one-liners and meaningful advice on how to navigate life after loss. “Nobody gets through this life unscathed,” Paul says to Alice during one such conversation. “You’re faced with a choice: Are you going to let your grief drown you? Or are you going to face it, come through the other side?”
I won’t say that watching Shrinking was my therapy, but I did watch every episode in the same position: on the sofa with a box of tissues. And the last time my grief threatened to overwhelm me, I used a newly learned coping mechanism from the show: I set a 15-minute timer, cried it out, and felt just that much better for it. (Turns out, Alice isn’t the only one to benefit from Paul’s advice.)
Got something to say about what you're reading? We value your feedback!
