January 27th, 2023 Apple TV series, “Shrinking,” first aired with ten episodes. Its quick-witted humor, paired seamlessly with heavy topics such as death and grief, shot this series to a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Headed by A-listers Jason Segal and Harrison Ford, “Shrinking” captivated audiences around the globe. “Shrinking” does a flawless job of creating a crazy, craveable, storyline. Its relatable plot creates a slice-of-life-like atmosphere drawing in the average viewer.
The story follows widowed shrink, Jimmy (Jason Segal), as he navigates the world without his wife who, was killed in a car accident. Being a therapist, Jimmy finds himself challenged when he attempts to advise others on the problems in their lives despite being unable to face his own. Stuck, he decides to change tactics and breaks the cardinal rule in his profession: never cross the personal line with your patients. Not only does he take an active (as opposed to passive) role in his patients’ lives, he also brings them into his own life, blurring professional boundaries.
Meanwhile, he struggles to re-establish his relationship with his teenage daughter battling with his protective neighbor for her favor. With advice from a spunky co-worker (Jessica Williams) and mentorship from a cranky old therapist (Harrison Ford), Jimmy learns the importance of maintaining work-life balance through a series of comedic incidents. Ultimately, what made the first season so great was that it was filled with really relatable characters that you find yourself loving and rooting for. In short, season one of “Shrinking” was nothing short of a booming success.
When season two was announced, comedy fiends around the world were thrilled. On October 16th 2024, the first two episodes aired giving fans a look into what this season of “Shrinking” was going to look like. The big question: would this be a flop – as so many second seasons are? Well, it’s safe to say that director Zach Braff did not disappoint.
As much as I loved season one, I really dragged my feet on watching the second season when it first came out. Like many others, I was worried the second season could just not live up to the awesome experience of the first. However, I was delighted to discover that the second season not only kept up the same witty charm, but it also advanced the first season in ways I didn’t think possible. While both seasons were great, season two was good in a different way.
During Season one the core characters and their struggles with grief are introduced; season two explores themes of forgiveness and acceptance by furthering character development and deepening the storylines of the supporting characters. We see deeper dives into more complex emotions as the characters evolve to overcome their grief to find contentment with their life. The storyline provides a sense of relatability as it shows us how much the characters struggle with their ongoing challenges rather than allowing them to easily move on.
Each character in “Shrinking” season two still suffers from wounds that they believed had healed. This is part of what makes the series so realistic, with an unexpected but much needed, heart-wrenching flashback dividing new season two. Season two perfectly demonstrates what it’s like to be stuck in the past but needing to move on.
Another absorbing aspect of season two is its further development of many of the supporting characters. Season one introduced several engaging and quirky, yet one-dimensional characters. We get to see a new side of the characters in season two, and it’s not all flattering. In this way, the show feels more relatable, since each character has a flaw that is very human-like, allowing them to seem more like real people with real emotions and less like actors playing roles.
Season two of “Shrinking” has undoubtedly been a big success, if not even bigger than season one. Being able to blend comedy and heavy life topics into one hit series is no easy task, yet “Shrinking” has done it splendidly. The best news yet- “Shrinking” season 3 has been confirmed and will begin filming in the next couple weeks! This means we all get to save the date for when this hopefully amazing new season airs.
