Shrinking is a show that really should have more praise than it received earlier this year.
For those who have not seen it, it stars Jason Segel as Jimmy, a therapist who lost his wife in a car crash and has been floundering in grief ever since. At a therapy session he leads, Jimmy bursts out his honest feelings and feels liberated and thinks this will help his patients more, much to the chagrin of his mentor and owner of the practice Paul (Harrison Ford) and amusement from co-worker and his wife’s best friend Gaby (Jessica Williams). His “waking up” gets him more involved with his patient Sean (Luke Tennie), a soldier suffering from PTSD who becomes more of a friend. He also tries to reconnect with his best friend Brian (Michael Urie) and his teenage daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell), who has been raised by their next door neighbor Liz (Christa Miller) over the past year.
First and foremost, this show is very funny. I do not think there is a single episode that didn’t have me burst out laughing at least once. There are great one liners, wonderful dynamics between the entire cast that allows for jokes to land effortlessly, and the whole premise of the show that focuses on the idea of people trying to be better. There is a lot of room for comedy to be mined.
Second, the ensemble is terrific. While assembling them may at times stretch credibility, there was no one among this group that was a weak link. Jason Segel uses his manic energy but with a heavy dose of numbing grief, giving him his best role yet. He is a great anchor for all that is going on. He is never the steadiest of characters but rather someone who unites the cast and opens things up for everyone. Harrison Ford is playing the role I think he has been dreaming of playing since his twenties–a sarcastic old man. Ford is not resting on his laurels as a legend. His comedic timing is fantastic, delivering some of the best one-liners on the show. He portrays a man who is great at his job but knows he has done a bad job with his daughter as well as one who uses sarcasm to cover up his genuine feelings for his colleagues and friends. He allows vulnerability with his illness (he has early Parkinson’s) and has genuine regret. Yet, his ability to creatively tell Jimmy when he is being an idiot is monstrously impressive.
Overall, what makes this ensemble work is the fact that these characters actively avoid falling into cliches. Liz could have been just the nosy neighbor, who wants to still be a mom, with the annoying husband. Instead she gets to tell Jimmy off that he has been mentally gone and she has been there for Alice when he was not. We see that she suffers from empty nest syndrome as well, but that doesn’t lessen the fact that she is right. This leads to a calmer conversation with Gaby, who gets Liz’s point but needs to step back a bit. It allows Liz to be a fuller character and sets up a friendship with Liz and Gaby. It gives Liz another focus besides Alice and gives Gaby a girlfriend to hang out with, which increases that great banter the show was already doing. With Liz and her husband I could never pin the dynamic, which is a great benefit. First I thought he was the husband she is exasperated with, but then it is shown that she can be just as heavy to deal with. I thought he would be henpecked, but he gives as good as he gets. Or he could add the outsider to the dynamic, but he holds his own. He supports her, but isn’t a pushover. Basically they are a couple that is comfortable with each other, and both have good and bad moments, which was one of the biggest surprises.
This is a comedy overall but it takes on serious topics and lets you know the show is not just taking things lightly. Jimmy’s grief is real and almost always somewhere inside him even when he is being funny. Alice has teenage angst that is played for both laughs and seriousness. She is doing dumb teenage crap but also her mom has died and her father has mentally checked out. Gaby has a very needed divorce that is shown as good for her, but she still lets herself “be that woman” when she feels she needs to make a scene when her ex deserves it. What is impressive is that the show can keep this balance so well.
If I had one worry it was Gaby and Jimmy’s “relationship,” which when it first started felt a little out of nowhere even for a drunk hook-up. But that it became a safe zone for them was a better way to handle it. It may lead to something else, ironically giving it room to grow and avoiding the dreaded ‘will they or won’t they’ that kills most sitcoms. Plus it didn’t reduce Gaby to just the love interest. She still has her own goals and place in the show. If the idea is abandoned they already have an out.
Which is part of the whole point. None of these characters stay in any predetermined lane. No one is right all the time, everyone screws up and needs help, but also there is a sense of community among them and a genuine feeling of caring about each other. Dark times are here and more are coming, and yet there is someone there to help or make fun of it, whichever one feels right at the moment.