Created by Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein, the duo behind Apple TV+ hit Ted Lasso, Shrinking Season 3 returns for another round of ensemble-driven antics. And, as always, for the most part, it largely works. Despite the “toxic positivity” branding their last series evoked, the Jason Segel-led comedy continues to avoid a similar outcome, despite many of the same building blocks shaping its final portrait. Bouts of silliness, genuine, familial drama, and the ever-changing notion of grief throughout the passage of time. As old wounds heal, the threat of new ones fester.
All of which sounds dark and dire for a show with so many sitcom antics. But that’s part of the beauty of the series and of most Lawrence projects. The stories are always grounded in reality without getting consumed by the pain the characters are experiencing. When we first meet Jimmy in Season 1, he’s been on a year-long bender, doing drugs in his backyard and neglecting his daughter following the death of his wife. But the series finds levity in the fact that, even at rock bottom, here is someone who acknowledges the depths he plummeted but is striving to climb out of them.
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It’s this idea of self-improvement and acceptance of change that courses throughout Shrinking Season 3. Because most of these characters, no matter their hardships, are sitting in pretty positions of privilege. And, to the series’ credit, it does little to pretend otherwise. These characters are depicted with money in their lavish, sunlit houses and covetable bookshelves upon bookshelves. There are no longer external forces against them, aside from Paul’s (Harrison Ford) worsening Parkinson’s. So now, they all have to look inwards and ask themselves just what they want next for whichever season of life they’re embarking on.
Embracing the unpredictable tides of life.
Alice (Lukita Maxwell) is in her senior year of high school and is being scouted by a coach on the opposite side of the country. Jimmy, meanwhile, is dealing with the idea of an empty house while also struggling with whether he should or can move on and find new love. Paul is dealing with the fact that the career chapter of his life is closing, as he must contend with worsening health and the ugly, debilitating prognosis of what he has to look forward to.
It’s not just our leads who are dealing with the unwieldy tides of life. Brian (Michael Urie) is preparing for life as a father, while Liz (Christa Miller) and Derek (Ted McGinley) face the hardships of raising adult children who aren’t following the blueprint they laid out for them. Meanwhile, Gaby (Jessica Williams) is processing her own ill feelings about how Jimmy has handled life since Tia’s passing, perhaps stewing them, along with dating her boyfriend, the returning Damon Wayans Jr. And all the while, the more consistently underutilized Sean (Luke Tennie) is reigniting an old romance.
How they process these unraveling stories is where Shrinking Season 3 finds its narrative ammunition. In many ways, these characters aren’t super far removed from where they’ve already been. But when Sean, in Episode 1, says that they all have to move on, he’s essentially written the thesis for the season. They’ve all grown comfortable, and who wouldn’t with such an eclectic group of friends?
The group of friends is faced with big decisions.
There are a lot of small issues carried over from Season 2 that are thankfully written away, including the way they handle the Louis (Brett Goldstein) storyline. While there are clear therapeutic benefits in both Alice and Jimmy reaching out to him in an effort to understand how their mother/wife was taken from them, it was also a storyline that has limitations. We were never going to be able to accept the idea of him joining in for the rom-com-inspired sequence as the couples all dance at the wedding.
And this is driven home by Gaby, who more than anyone is reticent at the idea of accepting him into the fold. And it’s fair! Because, while the narrative is interesting, in theory, it also walks a fine line between wish-fulfillment and actual work. Jimmy helping him move on with his life and find healing, as a therapist and someone who has hit rock bottom, is one thing. Coffee dates and hiking trips are another.
The sitcom energy can also lean a little too much toward obvious gags, especially when they use the entire ensemble for quippy one-liners. But at that rate, it’s nitpicking because some of the best moments are when the entire group is together. Liz isn’t quite as in our face this time around, though Miller remains a standout with her signature barbed deliveries. And Derek continues to be a wonderful and off-kilter presence.
Harrison Ford and his star magnetism give Shrinking Season 3 its emotional core.
But it’s Paul’s storyline and his relationship with Julie (Wendie Malick) that truly grabs hold of our heartstrings in Shrinking Season 3 (though Paul himself would likely shudder at the thought) There’s a version of this series that could just be about Paul and Julie’s late-in-life love story and be just as thoughtful and effective with the bonus of being romantic. It’s genuinely refreshing to see the interiority and agency these characters have in their mid-70s and 80s, allowing them to be intimate and loving rather than merely responsive to younger generations.
Ford remains the series’ highlight, maintaining a well-earned gravitas and a penchant for humor (his reactions alone are worth it). But it’s his vulnerability this time around that truly guts us. He infuses Paul with this sensation of looming resignation, even as he’s going into this next leg of his journey with a screw-it attitude, ready to embrace all that life throws at him. But his face, his voice, at the end of Episode 1, involving a moment with his new acquaintance, Gerry (Michael J. Fox), is like a wound slowly reopening. It’s devastating and a reminder of Ford’s eternal star magnetism. Few are as good as he is.
Again, that devastation never takes over. The ugly, beautiful fact of life is we have to keep moving. And we do with our community of friends and family, who take over our lives when things grow sour, sad, and improbable. It’s what Shrinking understands best. We are who we are because of the people around us who do the silent work and major chores to keep us fed, housed, and happy.
Certain characters still need more time to grow, and some of Gaby’s storylines feel delayed (though Williams is superb regardless). But this intergenerational, heightened hang-out comedy remains an absolute heartwarming delight. Shrinking Season 3 is life-affirming, championing the wealth of good friendships and the generosity they inspire. Things may grow dark, but laughter is always waiting in the wings.
Shrinking Season 3 Episodes 1-2 are out now on Apple TV+, with new episodes airing on Wednesday.
Shrinking Season 2 | Shrinking Season 1
Shrinking Season 3 is life-affirming, championing the wealth of good friendships and the generosity they inspire. Things may grow dark, but laughter is always waiting in the wings.
