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Shrinking – Spoiler Free Season 2 Review

Season 2,

Air Date: Wednesday, October 16 on Apple TV+

Rating: ★★★★★

“It’s not your patients job to heal you.” – Paul

Shrinking Season 2 continues the journey of licensed psychiatrist Jimmy (Jason Segel) as he tries to rebuild his relationship with his teenage daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell) as they continue to grieve the death of his wife, her mother. Just as things start to settle, someone from their past reenters their lives, reopening painful memories. Will they be able to cope their way through it, or will it drive father and daughter further apart?

The overall theme of season two is forgiveness. Each of the main characters, from Jimmy to Liz (Christa Miller), face their own hurdles to overcome, resulting in the need to forgive or seek forgiveness. Despite being labeled a comedy, the writers know how to bring on the emotional pain, and their hurt feels authentic. The stakes are higher and their actions have consequences. The question is, how will they handle it and what will they choose to do next. Thankfully, plenty of comedy still exists to break up the more challenging moments.

At its core, Shrinking is a show about friendship; knowing when to be there and when to give space. One of the things I appreciate about the series is how it shows even the best friendships aren’t perfect; we all make mistakes. Problems are not always solved in a thirty-minute episode. There’s a lot of suffering this season, but it only strengthens and nurtures these friendships. This growth feels natural and refreshing, even if the solution isn’t always the one we want.

Remember the excitement of being chosen to take the class pet home for the weekend in grade school? In Shrinking, it’s as if Paul (Harrison Ford), has become the class pet, getting passed around by the writers for some quality one-on-one time with each character. Each scene he’s in is a delightful mix of his gruff, no-nonsense demeanor clashing beautifully with the quirks of the other characters. Watching him adapt his reactions to each situation is a riot;  it’s almost impossible not to crack a smile. Paul has some powerful, raw moments throughout season two as he drops some hard-hitting truth bombs on people. 

Although an ensemble cast, Michael Urie, as Brian, is a standout. While the writers excel at giving each main character their own storyline, Brian steals the show each scene he’s in. His flamboyant antics, which could easily be annoying, are endearing making his character hard to resist. 

But Brian isn’t just comic relief; he has one of the series’ most heartwarming, foreshadowed payoffs. Early in the episode, Jimmy describes Brian in a way that later, when Brian faces a new character, you already know precisely how he’ll react. The anticipated outcome doesn’t spoil the moment instead enhancing its beauty. However, despite loving Brian’s reaction, the dialogue that follows misses a beautiful opportunity falling short. 

As a fan of Apple’s Ted Lasso series, I was thrilled over the announcement that Shrinking‘s co-creator and executive producer, Brett Goldstein, would be stepping in front of the camera for season two. Fans of his character Roy Kent, who might be hoping for Kent 2.0, will be surprised at the new role Goldstein plays. The writers do a fantastic job of using Goldstein sparingly; each time his character appears, it has a deeper meaning. While I’ll miss Kent’s f-bombs, seeing the actor take on such a different role is great.

My biggest gripe about the second season is the introduction of Damon Wayans Jr. His character feels like the odd man out in every scene he’s in. I wanted to see him in more scenes to justify his appearance or removed completely because his presence has so little impact. The use of such a talented actor could have been better. It’s not his fault—his performance is wonderful. It seems as thought the writers couldn’t commit to giving him a good storyline. Ultimately, his introduction feels odd, and his appearance seems forced.

Overall, Shrinking is a wonderful series that shows real growth signs from its first to second season. Hopefully, there are many more to come, as I can’t wait to see what the writers have in store for these characters.

For more information on Shrinking, visit the official website.

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Photos: ©2024 Apple TV+. All Rights Reserved.

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.