‘Shrinking’ Season 2 – A Stellar Cast Takes Center Stage (of Grief) [Review]

Throughout the history of entertainment, there have been a number of television titans that towered over networks as they put out hit show after hit show after hit show. Norman Lear, Shonda Rhimes, Dick Wolf, and James Burrows are just a few of these legendary figures that were involved in some of the greatest TV shows ever produced. Now, after having a hand in creating fan-favorite series such as Spin City, Cougar Town, Scrubs, and Ted Lasso, Bill Lawrence has earned a place among the greats of the art form. However, he further solidifies his position with his work on Apple TV+’s Shrinking, which is just what the doctor ordered. 

In this charming dramedy, Jason Segel of How I Met Your Mother and The Muppets fame plays therapist Jimmy Laird. After the death of his wife and an extended stay in the depression stage of grieving, Jimmy starts to dabble in breaching ethical barriers in order to help his patients and himself. But as things slowly but surely migrate back towards something that slightly resembles his regular life, season two begins with Jimmy coming face to face with his traumatic past once again. 

Cast In Gold

Segel, who also co-created Shrinking with Lawrence and Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein, is a phenomenal leading man. Just like his role in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, he expertly balances between comedy and drama by being extremely relatable in his sadness. Many members of the audience can certainly relate to the feeling of “if I’m not laughing, I’m crying,” and so few writers deliver moments like that better than the ones in Lawrence’s writing rooms, especially the ones who cut their teeth on Scrubs. But the executive producer really hit gold once again with this show and its star. 

Although, Segel can’t claim all the credit for the top-tier acting of this cast. Jessica Williams, Luke Tennis, Lukita Maxwell, Christa Miller, and Harrison Ford play their roles perfectly. Even Michael Urie and Ted McGinley’s characters, who become bigger players as the story progresses, have some scene-stealing moments that make the audience fall in love with them immediately. And of course, there are those that feel like it’s not a huge reach for Ford to embody a lovable curmudgeon. Even if that’s the case, it feels so natural to see him in a comedic role. It’s truly too bad that it doesn’t happen that often as he’s best known for blockbuster action and adventure tales. But in a way, doesn’t that make it more special?

The Write Stuff

Again, I really have to hand it to the writers because it’s really hard not to get sucked into this world that they created. Although, this isn’t some perfect Leave It To Beaver sitcom world. There is an element of realism in Shrinking that isn’t as present in Lawrence’s other works. With that in mind, no one is perfect in the real world. And this is reflected in the two-episode season premiere of this show. 

While viewers have spent ten whole episodes empathizing with Jimmy and hoping that he takes positive steps forward in his grieving process, there is a point in one of the new episodes where it’s hard to remain on his side. There’s an excellent scene between Segel and Williams in the second episode that further emphasizes this idea, so it will be interesting to see where things go for Jimmy and Gaby from here. 

Despite this event that makes it slightly hard to continue to do so, I think we are all still rooting for Jimmy. He needs to be held accountable for his actions, which seems like something that will be happening a lot in season two, but he’s also thrown a huge curveball in the form of a character played by a special guest star from another acclaimed Apple TV+ series. And not only has their presence thrown Jimmy for a loop, but it’ll be interesting to see how it affects Gaby, Alice, and the rest of the gang as well. 

Analyze That

At the end of the day (or at the end of the session, if you will), Shrinking is one of the best sitcoms on television right now. If you don’t have Apple TV+, this show (along with other gems like Ted Lasso, Mythic Quest, and The Reluctant Traveler, plus a whole line up of awesome movies) is well worth the price of a subscription. And you still have time to sign up before the premiere. While we here at That Hashtag Show are not medical professionals, you probably should do what you have to to watch Shrinking because it’ll probably be good for your mental health. 

The first two episodes of Shrinking season two premiered on Apple TV+ on October 16, 2024. 

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