Shrinking Season 2, Episode 7, “Get in the Sea” Spoilers Ahead
There’s a lot happening in Shrinking’s “Get in the Sea,” but the time jumps feel a bit jarring. Some decisions feel immediate after “In a Lonely Place,” while others rely on the audience to fill in gaps, making it one of the more confusing episodes of the season.
It’s a little tricky to pinpoint exactly whose episode this is in terms of focus, yet some of the ensemble bits work to at least complete various loose strands. More importantly, we’re now treading some dark waters, and where the show goes from here can lead to some deeply emotional and necessary conversations.
Shrinking Season 2, Episode 7 Lays Secrets Bare
At this point, no one is keeping anything bottled up, and there’s a huge plus there. If I hadn’t had so many questions and more minor details I wanted to see, the end result of this episode would’ve been even more impactful. But that’s neither here nor there because right now, everything is out in the open. To start, of all the characters, Brian is someone whose mindset we need more of. My immediate reaction to his excitement over adopting shouldn’t have been shock, but it should’ve been elation alongside him. But we’re going from zero thirty real quick, then bouncing back to zero again. It’s even more frustrating to learn that it’s all happening so quickly, which finally leads to the audience witnessing a more intimate conversation between Brian and Charlie.
Oddly, we know more about Summer than we do about Charlie, and when it comes to bringing children into this world, it’s important to know how both parties were brought up. Yes, Charlie is more open to kids, but what kind of a relationship did he have with his own father? How does it contrast or relate to Brian’s fears? These are conversations I personally want to see because I care about both these characters and their future.
With that said, Shrinking Season 2, Episode 7, “Get in the Sea,” finally gives them a conversation surrounding all their friends, where even Charlie voices his apprehensions. While I do wish that we got to see more of this development on their own, I suppose it works that it also includes the people who’ll be a considerable part of their future baby’s life.
Outside of the water, Shrinking Season 2, Episode 7, “Get in the Sea,” allows Ted McGinley to shine as Derek in a scene that nearly crushed me. It really sucks that Liz lets Mac kiss her (and kisses him back), but it’s a good thing that she takes Paul’s advice and tells Derek the truth immediately. One of the things Shrinking is often great at is its means of allowing the right two characters to have a breaking point together, which in this case allows Paul to be the perfect person for Liz to confide in, given everything we see about his past in “Honesty Era.”
Still, Derek is rightfully broken by this confession, and if nothing else, I hope this means that the show will continue to develop his character outside of the dartboard that he is. As hilarious as it is to continuously use the character as comedic relief, I love that we’re seeing how hard it hits him. It’s not that he doesn’t have a backbone and can’t fight back, but as he tells Liz, he allowed it all because he believed they were solid. Now that their foundation has a fracture in it, it’ll be riveting to see how the show allows them both to move forward toward becoming stronger people. (And on-screen, I hope.) I want to see every little change in their dynamic because this narrative has the potential to be one of the show’s strongest turning points.
Further, another development the series brings to our attention is the detail that Alice, Brian, and Louis have been hanging out since their heart to heart. It’s easy to appreciate that this showcases true healing, but it’s also easy to be frustrated by the fact that it’s unclear how long it’s been happening and how we got here. What kind of conversations were happening? Who initiated it? Time is a tricky thing to establish and the easiest thing to get away from writers. (Trust me, I get it.) But sometimes, even a bold and prominent statement is imperative for viewers to understand the weight of specific dynamics based on how much time has passed.
The bigger story here, however, is that Jimmy spots them in the type of scene that made my heart hammer out of my chest. Shrinking Season 2, Episode 7, “Get in the Sea,” spends ample time showing us that Jimmy is okay, but a moment like this rips the carpet out from underneath him. How he’ll cope with Alice and Brian’s “betrayal” is something I can’t wait to see. He needs a win—a real win, and healing, which, in a lot of ways, he’s the last character we’re seeing this theme through. We even hear about how Sean’s bonding with his dad, and we see more of Paul’s life outside of work. Yet, Jimmy is on the back burner a bit.
There’s a lot of information in this episode that comes in the form of relying on the audience to know more than they do, which diminishes its strength a bit. Still, it comes packed with incredible performances and solid material that can continue to develop.
Stray Thoughts
- Mac gives me a massive ick and makes me so uncomfortable. I really hope this is the end of him.
- I just want to see more of Charlie and Brian talk to each other.
- I do love that Gaby and Derrick are getting to know each other more.
- Jimmy fixated on where he ranks in the hotness scale of Gaby’s exes kind of broke my heart?
- I so appreciate the conversation we got with Summer and Alice and I’m so glad they patched up their friendship.
- Paul bopping to the cheater song took me out. Once again, Harrison Ford needs the Emmy right away.
Now streaming on Apple TV+: What are your thoughts on Shrinking Season 2, Episode 7, “Get in the Sea?” Let us know in the comments below.
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