Review: Shrinking - Season One
Jimmy is struggling to grieve the loss of his wife while being a dad, friend, and therapist. He decides to try a new approach with everyone in his path: unfiltered, brutal honesty. Can he help himself by helping others? Will it bring him back into the light?
Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell, Christa Miller, Ted McGinley & Heidi Gardner.
Shrinking is the newest series from Bill Laurence & Brett Goldstein, but is it as good as Ted Lasso? As much as I’d love to say ‘yes’, I’d be lying. The series, while fun, does take its time to reach the emotional heights that something like Ted Lasso reaches quite early. It has somber moments often, during each episode, but it never truly commits to its drama at times.
With the show being a comedy, it’s best to discuss how great it is. The entire cast deliver brilliantly hilarious performances, even if the script doesn’t offer them too much in moments. Jason Segel balances both the drama and comedy extremely well and his dynamic with Harrison Ford is one to talk about for a while. Harrison finally seems to be loving his work and that comes across on screen in every scene.
The series plays with the themes of grief, regret & fatherhood. This is apparent from its first episode to its last, but it doesn’t commit to it as much as I’d hoped. This comes down to its choice of editing, which cuts away too early or too soon. It teases really deep scenes but never shows it us, which constantly took me out. Despite this, I do think the character development from every character is terrific. Particularly Jimmy, whose journey through season one was a delight to watch. As well as Paul, a heartbreaking story arc for him as he fights Parkinson’s. The dynamics between each character is some of the most engaging aspects of the series.
While it could be a lot deeper in emotional depth, particularly the darker themes of grief. Its balance of drama and comedy, along with the entire cast delivering hilariously fun performances is its greatest strength. Shrinking is another miracle series from Bill & Brett, I look forward to where it’ll move to next season.
