It takes me completely out of the show. Does anyone else notice? Why couldn't they have set this show in the real world? Otherwise the only reasonable possibility is that both Jimmy and Gaby have a lot of family money and Paul does as well. No one makes that kind of money off of one hit psych book.
I absolutely love Shrinking but I cannot stand Marisol's character (absolutely nothing against the real actress bc she was given the role of a deplorable character which people cannot wait to be gone and she is probably great in real life) but I hope she is not going to be in this much longer bc every single time the storyline of her character comes up I just want to turn my TV off. Again, this is nothing against the actual person because she played her part really well but she was given a crappy role.
Did anyone else feel the kind of happiness you feel on meeting a very old friend after a loooong time, after watching her on the show? It made me so happy I couldn't believe it. I always loved Cobie as Robin and it was good to see her in another role. The show felt so much more familiar since her entry.
I just started watching this show last week, and now I'm nearly done with Season 3 and feel the need to blah blah about it. What I've noticed is that the show has a tendency to introduce things strongly, smartly, well thought out with a lot of heart. And then... it gets loose, and becomes either diluted or a caricature of itself. For instance, the first season plots and emotional arcs all feel so solid and great. But Season's 2 and 3 have mostly lacked heart or meaningful consequences for any the characters. Add a laugh track and it could be HIMYM.
It's not just the plot that has suffered, several characters have too. I loved the character of Sean in Season 1 - but in S2 and S3 it was like they didn't really know what to do with him anymore, so they just kept making Blind Side jokes and shuffling who his therapist is.
Brian was introduced as a really interesting supporting character in S1 - a loyal friend who was brave enough to show how grief alienation had injured him. ...and then they turned him into a cartoon. He's now just a shrieking banshee that reminds me of Billy Eichner's character from Parks & Rec (who I also loathed).
In a very short time, they've done the same with Sofi. The first episode that she appears in, Sofi is charming, clever and flirtatious and very self-aware. In the last two episodes that I've seen, she's awkward and cringe and very unaware. It has nothing to do with the Robin/Marshall thing (although Jason Segal IS just playing Marshall Erickson). Cobie Smulders did a good job with what they gave her for Sofi. I didn't see Robin in it at all. And yet they trashed a really solid character immediately. The only reason I can think of for why they did so is that Meg is endgame (which I think they've been pointing to since Season 1) and Sofi was TOO good as introduced.
Honestly, the only character who I think has had a strong arc in every season with no character dilution is Gaby. Jessica Williams is great. I don't remember seeing her in anything before this, but I hope she has a big, big career.
I’m halfway through S3 and I’m starting to feel like this show is not a great representation of therapy and its usefulness. I’ve been in therapy and at times the sessions revolved around serious topics to dissect but a ton of it was just talking about the mundanity of life. I love the show but it kind of represents an antiquated vision of therapy. Does anyone feel this?
We just finished S3 and they sure wrapped everything up pretty nicely. I wondered if they hadn't been expecting to be renewed for another season. DGMW, I am stoked about it and can't wait for 2027. It will be interesting how they handle Paul and Alice both being so far away. Lots of options, looking forward to seeing which of those they choose.
I just did a rewatch of the whole series. I just finished S3E3. I usually watch while working so I must've missed this line on my first watch.
Today, I heared Paul say those lines and boy. Idk how else to describe the heaviness it caused my heart. Having lost loved ones recently. Shrinking has been my go to shows and I definitely did not realize at first how much it would also wreck me.
I'm looking forward to S4 and more of Harrison Ford. I hope they dont kill him the show.
I hope it continues for years and years.
I love this show so much. What's your favorite line in this show too?
I feel like I might get downvoted for this, because it’s such a popular topic on this sub to talk about how the show has gone downhill…
BUT
I’ve been a loyal Shrinking fan and I did watch season 3, and even though I felt like it wasn’t as good I enjoyed it well enough. But I just decided to do a rewatch for the first time from season one, and WOW now I remember why I FELL IN LOVE with this show! I forgot that Paul starts off super guarded and then opens up, Liz has a huge amount of growth, I feel like in season 1 all these characters are starting off at like their un-evolved form and they all have like a huge arc and huge growth.
By season 3, it’s just a show where everyone hangs out all the time. Makes me think maybe it really should have just stopped after 1 or 2 seasons…
Anyway I just wanted to share- and if you’re feeling a bit disillusioned with the show like I was, try a rewatch and I promise you’ll remember why you loved Shrinking in the first place
I love love LOVEEEEEEthis show. I've seen season 1 and 2 start to finish at least 7 times if not more.
I'm very late to the party due to awful things happening in my life but I'm back and I wanted some comfort and is it just my opinion that this show seems to have become a caricature of itself? I've paused 3 times so far in the first 22 minutes because everyone is being SO CRINGE! they are all funny. They were all kind of extra but why are they being cartoons in this one? Is it just me? Did no one else think that? Does it get better or is everything the same tonal quality through out?
Edit: so with a little support I was able to power through episode 1. One final thought. What the fuck did they do to Meg? Lily rabe is my beloved but fucking hell why did they make her into a cartoon! I really really hope it picks up from here.
other than that one scene in episode 1 of season 3
i really like her actor im just a little lazy to watch 3 whole seasons . but i might if its really good
I see a spinoff where Gabby converts the practice as a trauma center, while juggling pregnancy, marriage and caring by proxy of her aging mom.
We follow along her journey of her therapy practice delve deeper into PTSD, neurodivergents with cPTSD, dispel common myths around BPD, DID/plural systems, and women navigating perimenopause & menopause.
We see her and Derek’s parenting skills, see them navigate conscious parenting and school.
We see her, Liz and the Dereks navigate vacationing with children, expanding their circle to other therapists with children, and a move to another location that brings surprises.
We see Liz advance in her teaching profession and mitigate challenges there too. Maybe she writes a bestselling book or is invited to cohost a TV show. Or maybe she decided to take a hiatus from an overwhelming career and just focus on being a wife and mom. Whatever the case, we’re along for the journey.
I just came to say that I think Ted McKinley character Derek is underrated. He is hysterical! Especially after eating Matthew's candy! **Edit - another user pointed out I used the wrong word to explain what I was saying. I meant underutilized. I wish he had a bigger part!
Cheater cheater cheater cheater cheater cheater BITCH!
Hey everyone.
This show coincided with me finally addressing my own mental illness and trauma. It helped me turn small steps into leaps. I laugh and cry as hard as I did on the first viewing. I don't know how many more viewings there will be. I am looking forward to all of them.
Thank you Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, and Brett Goldstein.
Hey everyone we watched season 1 episode 9 yesterday where Alice takes Jimmy's car to drive to the college student and in this episode it seems a lot like Michael Urie, the actor of Brian, has an intermittent vertical deviation or some kind of vertical strabism. Anybody knows anything about it or noticed it too? Couldn't find anything about it in the internet but once I see something like this it vexes me as an ophthalmology resident. Thanks a lot guys✨
I just think it would be beautiful for them to do a comedy, drama type thing together. Something like Jeff who lives at home. Really let Harrison’s comedic style shine. I mean, that’s basically what shrinking is, but we need more Harrison! Any ideas on what you’d like to see? They’re great together.
The album Psychopomp was written while Zauner was caring for her mother. In Zauner’s memoir Crying in H-Mart, she writes about how her relationship with her father was strained after her mother’s death.
There are many parallels between the two and I wonder if the writers added that bit about Japanese breakfast intentionally but maybe it is not that deep