Apple TV+ legitimately does have some of the best shows, and Shrinking is in its top three of greats. From the creative minds of Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, and Brett Goldstein, the innovative series serves as a workplace comedy that orbits around therapists in Pasadena. It’s a clever, incredibly hilarious, and profoundly complex series that explores grief through nuanced humor while always keeping sincerity at its forefront.
With a new season approaching, now is the perfect time to add the must-watch series to your fall lineup. Additionally, while we’re living in a time where it feels like cancelations occur more frequently than renewals, viewers might take a bit of solace in knowing that, thus far, Apple TV+ isn’t the kind of network to cancel out of the blue. The steady viewership and social media buzz achieved from the debut season promise that, at the very least, this show can run as long as the creators want it.
1. The Narrative Centers on Mental Health
Even though many more conversations are centering around mental health in 2024, we still don’t have nearly as much as we should. Ted Lasso did a fantastic job with it, but Shrinking dives even deeper, bringing to our screens the ins and outs of therapy, the importance of getting help, and all the frustrating facets that arise as well. The series doesn’t claim to be an expert on the topic, but it’s evident from the first episode that plenty of research and a desire to do right by the profession is something creators undoubtedly care about.
Further, every occupation has messy factors that impact the working employees behind the scenes and Shrinking shows them along with the beats where therapists help their clients. This way, we also get crucial reminders that those helping us have their own perils to deal with. By focusing on the importance of taking care of oneself, the series becomes a cornerstone in examining various angles of mental health that could hopefully lead to more films and TV shows wanting to include it in their narratives, too.
2. Shrinking Carefully Navigates Through Grief
Grief is perhaps the most sensitive subject to handle because, as universal as it is, we all have unique means of navigating and understanding it. Yet, Shrinking does a sensational job of exploring what grief looks like and how humans grow around the pain. It pieces together brokenness, not into a perfectly healed image, but into a profoundly human mosaic that shines with all the honest moments characters are given to express and understand their sorrow.
There’s one episode in particular, “Fifteen Minutes,” that, as mentioned in my review, might be the very one viewers turn to the most. It gives us a way to feel and release what’s bottled up to understand how to move forward.
Shrinking Season 1, Episode 3, “Fifteen Minutes,” continues to tug hard by making sure it places extraordinary emphasis on the importance of grieving instead of numbing. The episode’s writing does a splendid job of establishing the show’s humor while simultaneously reminding viewers that, at its core, this is a story about second chances and swimming through the waves of heartaches.
A precise method to overcome something will only work for some people. Human beings are vastly complex, and we each operate too differently for there to be a universal strategy for how we process grief. But one imperative detail is necessary to thrust us forward, and it’s the fact that we must grieve. A person can bottle up their pain and set it aside for so long before explosions occur. There’s only so far you can push the pain before it starts stinging from a different area. And even when the pain comes from something we know we must do, something that’s supposed to make us happier and better, like divorce, it doesn’t change the fact that allowing ourselves to feel the loss is critical to overcoming it. We cannot and shouldn’t get over pain; we must go through it.
3. The Performances Are Fantastic
One name: Harrison Ford. As one of our Best of 2023 scene stealers last year, Ford’s iconic presence is enough to make the series an automatic winner, but in truth, every performer’s presence in Shrinking is irreplaceable. I’m especially in awe of Lukita Maxwell, who plays Alice Laird, Jimmy’s daughter. Jason Segel is better than ever before. Jessica Williams is a mega-star, and Christa Miller can do no wrong. Michael Urie is everything, and Luke Tennie is a breakout actor to look out for.
For a series like this to work, the performers must care about the characters they bring to life. As much as we have a well-written comedy developing in front of us, the series’ more heavy topics deserve respect and regard to hit. Thankfully, every actor on the show does this exceptionally. One minute, you’re laughing at a joke about raw dogging, and the next, you’re crying, which, in my book, is always an A+ choice.
4. The Characters Are Complex
The characters in Shrinking are messy, vulnerable, soft, irritating at times, and consistently well-written. Thus far, the creators are ensuring that they drive the plot forward. Their motives make sense, their mistakes feel relatable, and their arcs are thoughtfully crafted to take viewers on a journey that, in the first season alone, feels earned.
Going hand-in-hand with the performances, the shows that deal with significant topics need to ground their characters in a place that allows the audience to connect with them. At the same time, we need to feel invested in their perspectives, which is easy to do despite the convoluted bits that make them unlikable in some instances. It’s this very detail that makes it easy to root for them.
5. It’s Genuinely Hilarious
As serious as Shrinking is at times, it’s genuinely hilarious, too. Harrison Ford high on a couch? Reconnecting friendships during awkward times? Frustrated coworkers? The jokes all stick the landing without ever being offensive, and some of the quiet moments end up being the funniest. There’s a levity in the show’s genuine compassion that dives deep into humanity, making the narrative light-hearted in the best way.
Shrinking Season 1 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes set to premiere on October 16th.
First Featured Image | Official Poster Credit: ©Apple TV+