The Shrinking (Season 1/USA/2023) series focuses on the chaotic lives of 3 therapists. The series title name is taken from the word Shrink; as the word Shrink means the Psychiatrist. As you all might be aware that a psychotherapist is a doctor who is trained to treat people with mental illness.
So in this comedy-drama show, Paul (Harrison Ford) leads a team of three psychiatrists, which includes Jimmy (Jason Segel) and Gaby (Jessica Williams). All of them are considered to be good and successful therapists. But the show highlights that even these good therapists need empathic healing in their lives, too. So, all three of the therapists named above deal with their personal and professional issues like all of us, the regular common folks. And this is what makes it a charming drama about the highs and lows of life in general.
Everyone May Not Needs Shrinks, But They Do Need Healing…
Spoiler-Free Review of the Shrinking (Season 1/2023) Series
The introduction & the synopsis
All of us have faced problems and adversities in our lives. These bad situations can arise either in our personal and/or professional lives. And there is no escape. So, we all have to deal with these challenges. Moreover, we take our own sweet time to recover from such setbacks. After all, we are all humans. To err is human.
A grieving therapist, Jimmy (Jason Segel), starts to break the rules by telling his clients exactly what he thinks. Please Note:- We have mentioned in our recent article that it is one of the top ten shows of the year 2023, so far.
Complicated lives of the three therapists
In this series, Jimmy (Jason Segel) is grieving the untimely death of his wife for an extended period. Then, one fine day, Jimmy decides to break free and junk all the theoretical learnings and professional ethics to treat the mental issues that his patients are dealing with. In a sudden change, Jimmy starts offering his honest and unfiltered opinions to his patients. So, his blunt advice (s) started having a profound change in his patients’ lives. Furthermore, his colleagues, both Paul (Harrison Ford) and Gaby (Jessica Williams), are facing troubles in their lives too. But unlike Jimmy, both of them try to maintain professional standards.
The pain and grief have no easy, quick fixes. So, these three therapists (Paul, Jimmy and Gaby) are no different. They, too, are facing complications in their lives. And that is the simple reality of our lives, in fact, everyone’s lives. And this is what happens in this comedy-drama series. We simply loved the human stories of the extended family members, friends, patients, clients, and other characters in this series. They are interesting characters, to say the least. In other words, they are all fascinating and realistic characters who remind us of our own lives, in some way or other.
Spoiler Alert: bonus info. about the 3 therapists
Paul Rhodes – focus on his story
1st therapist – Paul (Harrison Ford)
Although Paul (Harrison Ford) enjoys a close and honest rapport with Alice, Jimmy’s daughter, he has a distant and complicated bond with his daughter, Meg (Lily Rabe), in the show. After his divorce, apparently, Paul was an absentee father to his daughter. So he finds it really difficult to reconnect with Meg. Then there is a medical condition, Paul has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. And he finds it really difficult to share his medical problems with Meg. In the end, he manages to find a way to get closer to Meg as well as get romantically involved with his attractive Doctor.
It is interesting to note that the character of Paul (Harrison Ford) was based on a real-life Psychotherapist. Phil Stutz.
And Netflix, along with Jonah Hill, made a documentary titled Stutz (2022) Documentary about him.
Jimmy – focus on his story
2nd therapist – Jimmy (Jason Segel)
Jimmy (Jason Segel) is a therapist who finds it difficult to mourn the loss of his wife. As a single dad, he distances himself from his only daughter, Alice (Lukita Maxwell) and that further complicates his relationship with her. Although he belatedly tries to reconnect with his daughter, the distance and awkwardness between the two have widened considerably. Later, we come to know that his boss, Paul and neighbour Liz have stepped in to take care of his daughter Alice. Taking a new approach, Jimmy starts getting involved in the lives of his patients with his unfiltered and uncensored suggestions. And as expected, all of his advice leads to comical situations – both light-hearted ones as well as dark comedic ones.
Gaby – focus on her story
3rd therapist – Gaby (Jessica Williams)
The second therapist, Gaby (Jessica Williams), decided to divorce his husband and which further complicates her life. In this time of personal crisis, she gets close to Jimmy. She even forgets that Jimmy’s late wife was her best friend. No doubt, lots of drama and comedy follow, as both of them try very, very hard to keep their newfound relationship a secret from everyone. In case there is a second season of this show, then we shall find out more about the direction of their affairs – the heady cocktail of personal and professional relationships.
The conclusion
After taking Jimmy’s suggestions seriously in the therapy sessions, some of the patients thrive while others fail and falter. Therefore, in this therapeutic, light-hearted story about life, we loved the comedic flair of Harrison Ford along with that of his team members, Jason Segel and Jessica Williams. All three of them have done a very good acting job in it. The series and its characters try to encourage all of us to find goodness within us. Like its lovable bunch of characters, we should try to help and support each other. To conclude, we think Shrinking is a great and uplifting comedy-drama show.
Rating of the Shrinking (Season 1/2023) Series
| FM’s rating | 4.00/5 |
Poster of the Shrinking (Season 1/2023) Series
Key Details about the Shrinking (Season 1/2023) Series
| Genre | Comedy, Drama |
| Age-restrictions | A (18+) |
| Released | January 2023 |
| Season | One (1) |
| Episodes | Ten (10) |
| Writers / Creators | Jason Segel, Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein |
| Cast | Harrison Ford, Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Lukita Maxwell, Luke Tennie, Christa Miller, Michael Urie, etc. |
| Network | Apple TV+ |
Trailer of the Shrinking (Season 1/2023) Series
YouTube Video - Shrinking Season 1 Featurette | 'An Inside Look'
Spoiler Alert: Summary of 10 Episodes
A Peek into the 10 Episodes of Season 1 of Shrinking series
Coin Flip (S1, E1)
Jimmy, a therapist mourning his wife, takes a more proactive approach with his patients in the hopes that helping them will help himself.
Fortress of Solitude (S1, E2)
To get Sean out of legal trouble, Jimmy reconnects with his estranged best friend – while trying to hide it all from Paul.
Fifteen Minutes (S1, E3)
Jimmy witnesses Gaby in a compromising situation. Paul advises Alice on how to deal with her grief while facing a loss of his own.
Potatoes (S1, E4)
As things spiral at work, Jimmy confronts Liz for interfering in his life. Paul struggles with whether to tell his daughter his diagnosis.
Woof (S1, E5)
When Jimmy hits a roadblock with Sean, he doesn’t have Paul to consult for advice. Brian makes an announcement about his relationship.
Imposter Syndrome (S1, E6)
At Alice’s urging, Jimmy agrees to host a party. Gaby struggles with her post-divorce libido. Liz recommends medical marijuana to Paul.
Apology Tour (S1, E7)
Jimmy attempts damage control after his party. Paul’s daughter pays another visit. Liz and Sean discover they have something in common.
Boop (S1, E8)
Paul and Brian come to Jimmy’s aid when Alice starts acting out. Liz and Sean support Gaby by accompanying her to an event.
Moving Forward (S1, E9)
Jimmy encourages an ambivalent Paul to accept a career achievement award. Sean approaches Liz with a business proposal.
Closure (S1, E10)
Season finale. As Brian’s wedding approaches, Alice takes issue with how Jimmy is living his life. Liz learns a secret.
Featured & Other Images: Shrinking (2023) Series scene | Apple TV+.
