Shrinking Season 2, Episode 3, “Psychological Something-ism” Spoilers Ahead
Written by Brian Gallivan, with directing from Zach Braff, Shrinking’s third episode of the season cranks up the dial and emphasizes the importance of forgiveness through confrontations and more mistakes.
So much of what happens in Shrinking Season 2, Episode 3, “Psychological Something-ism,” feels like it should’ve happened at the midpoint, but it’s even more compelling to see it earlier, to draw out the tension and marinate with the emotions. It packs a few meaty storylines into the thirty-minute slot, but somehow, none feels too much. Grace and Donny’s storyline is resolved, Brian and Jimmy argue over their friendship, Paul makes another big decision in his relationship with Julie, Liz and Sean’s partnership comes to an unfortunate halt, and Alice confronts Louis at his workplace. Each of these plot points, save for Grace’s (hopefully), will continue to make the season’s thematic focus on forgiveness feel that much more earned, resulting in what I imagine will be some even more jaw-dropping moments.
Alice’s In-Character and Remarkably Human Mistakes
Sometimes, when a young person experiences something as horrific as a tremendous loss, people tend to forget that they’re just a kid. (I always think of the accuracy in Spider-Man: No Way Home when Dr. Strange somberly looks at Peter Parker and says, “After everything we’ve been through together, somehow, I always forget you’re just a kid.”) Alice is seventeen—she should be off partying, drowning in homework, rebelling even, but Alice is instead reaching her breaking point, drowning in grief like it’s just happening to her all over again. It’s fascinating because in the season premiere, she’s the one taking care of Jimmy, wanting to ensure that he doesn’t spiral once more, but by the end of the episode, she loses her own ability to stay above water.
I had a feeling she’d be the first to confront Louis, and even while I hoped she’d do it when she was in a better headspace, it makes far more sense that it’d happen this randomly. This week, it’s Alice’s turn not to take Paul’s words of wisdom to heart. When she shares her letter with him, she also opens up about the fact that she spied on Louis the night before, to which Paul nearly begs her not to go near him again.
Understandably, grief doesn’t care whose advice you’re trying to follow or not. While she’s dropping Summer off, another memory of her mother hits as Alice is in the driver’s seat this time. When Tia would drop her off, she’d scream, “I love you,” and if Alice didn’t say it back, she’d loudly embarrass her by sticking her head out the window to shout about her adoration even louder. It’s also fascinating to note how Alice doesn’t say I love you back to her mother in the past, and she doesn’t say it to Summer in the present. This inability isn’t uncommon with teenagers, but the barrier in front of Alice is even more significant now. The words aren’t always necessary to convey appreciation, but it can be interesting to note how, in the face of grief, not saying it back can haunt people drastically.
This distinct memory then forces Alice to go to Louis’ workplace—a diner—where he kindly approaches to take her order. He compliments her shirt (one that belonged to her mother), and his customer service etiquette easily riles her to the point where she admits who she really is. He stops in his tracks immediately, takes five, and proceeds to sit down at her table to start with another apology. Brett Goldstein for a guest-starring Emmy because Jesus—if this is what we get during a small moment, we’re not even a little prepared for all that’s coming during the season. Goldstein’s comedic charm eclipses behind such aching remorse that it’s chilling to watch him and Lukita Maxwell play off one another.
Alice’s pain is still so raw, and every wound that was once bandaged is now fully open again because of Louis. No matter how sincere his apology feels (which is a testament to Goldstein’s portrayal), she can’t see any of it. The prickling tears in his eyes and the awkward attempts to get the right words out are all hitting the massive wall she’s barricading herself behind. She didn’t go to the diner ready to confront him, and that’s part of the problem—she went in with her heart aching, so everything he says is an added stab to her mounting grief. And it hurts to watch because it’s so deeply human that you can’t help but feel for both of them.
Afterward, as she sobs in her car again, Connor comes over to confront her, and Alice kisses him. I don’t know what hurts more: how she’ll regret this moment or if she’ll continue to lose herself in her pain the way Jimmy did when he first met him. Because this is the moment where it’s so painstakingly clear that Alice is just a kid. She’s a teenage girl grieving her mother, drowning in her pain, and trying to take care of her dad while simultaneously confronting the very person who took her mother. It’s too much for a grown adult to take on let alone a teenager, and Shrinking Season 2, Episode 3, “Psychological Something-ism,” expertly affirms this through such an intricate display of show, don’t tell. Maxwell’s performance is already my favorite of the season thus far, and my heart was in my throat the entire time she was on screen during the latter half. I simply cannot wait to see how she continues to bring Alice’s arc to life.
Shrinking Season 2, Episode 3 Tackles Brian and Jimmy’s Friendship
We got hints of the two men falling out briefly last season, but I appreciate how the show isn’t making it an easy fix. As hilarious as it is that Brian is upset to be the last one to find out about Gaby and Jimmy’s short-lived relationship, his heartaches come from a more prominent place and lead to a huge argument. The episode’s thematic focus on forgiveness leans into the importance of communication, which manifests again through this arc because the men have been seriously lacking in it.
For one, Brian doesn’t remember that he’s Alice’s godfather but simultaneously hates that Jimmy didn’t come to Wednesday night dinners when Tia did. There’s a fascinating exploration of hypocrisy that we also got glimpses of with Paul in Episode 2, but here, there’s a lot more pain involved. It’s entirely understandable that Brian would feel left out if he already feels like the foundation of their friendship is crumbling. It’s completely relatable that he’d question whether the men would still be friends if they met today as opposed to back in college. The conversation leads to another moment that showcases how human beings fumble when we don’t properly prepare for the confrontations we want to have. It’s why therapy is such an intricate metaphor: one session doesn’t miraculously fix everything if people (and characters) don’t actively work through the things terrorizing them.
This fight, however, leaves much in Jimmy’s hands because he’s the one who’s distanced himself from his best friend. It’s up to him not just to confirm Brian’s fears aloud, but he needs to show up and remind him that, yes, they would still be friends if they met today. And that he does by showing up to their house on Wednesday night just like Tia would. The action seems small, but it’s significant in exhibiting that he’s trying. It’s vital to cross one more bridge toward becoming a better version of himself.
Why Liz’s Good Deed Backfires
Where one confrontation starts disastrously but then leads to a great solution, the absence of one is about to unleash an avalanche of problems. Everything at the Cajun Cuisine is going well until Sean’s father discovers it, and Liz overhears a conversation about how it was once upon a time their dream. This arc might be the most surprising part of the episode, but again, it jumpstarts another stepping stone. Liz doesn’t know much about Sean’s history like his therapists do, so it’s natural that she’d feel guilty at the moment. Yet, it’s wild that the woman who talks about everything doesn’t address this.
Instead of confronting Sean, she sells her half of the truck to his dad. I’m partly nervous about where this will go because Sean is right—Liz should’ve spoken to him first. She should’ve asked. And whether this new business venture will be good for him or not, only time will tell, but it’s a narrative choice that works to showcase where various forms of communication (or lack thereof lead people).
Shrinking’s “Psychological Something-ism,” is a thought-provoking half-hour with remarkable performances from every actor. The thematic focus on communication and forgiveness continues to make this season thoroughly compelling.
Stray Thoughts
- Derek: “When I get steps, I get a treat.” Me, at myself, justifying apple cider donuts.
- “Adopt me. Be my grandparents!” Same, Alice. Same.
- Gaby being petty and Jimmy being a child and poor Paul stuck in the middle? Gold.
- There’s a point in my notes where the f-word is repeated constantly because I couldn’t believe what we were watching!!!
- Paul and Julie are so stinking cute. And everything we get this week was so lovely.
- I JUST WOW, WOW, WOW, this episode.
Now streaming on Apple TV+: What are your thoughts on Shrinking Season 2, Episode 3, “Psychological Something-ism?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Apple TV+