Often, TV comedies leave me with a quiet smile or chuckle—rarely a genuine, belly-quivering laugh. However, the latest episode shrink The shows on Apple TV+ made me laugh out loud more than once. With sharp writing and great performances from the entire cast, this episode is an absolute joy to watch.
It kicks off with a great opening scene, punctuated by sharp dialogue and delivery: Jimmy, Paul and Sean are hanging out, watching a sporting event (the details of which are delightfully inconsequential). Paul and Jimmy agree to share Sean as a patient, which is a surprising move for two reasons: First, Paul isn’t exactly the sharing type—especially sharing with a patient, since it would mean thinking about removing him Professional perspectives other than one’s own. Second, spending private time with patients contradicts Paul’s own strict rules, which he repeatedly criticizes Jimmy for ignoring. The trio banter and bicker with ease, and their dialogue is witty and spot-on, perfectly capturing each character’s personality.
Integrity Era The theme is facing hard truths, even if they are ugly or hard to hear. Jimmy, usually the protagonist, plays more of a supporting role this time, allowing the other characters more space to express their own truths.
Although only 30 minutes long, this episode deftly explores the lives of multiple characters without the feeling that anything is left out or merely hinted at. Many shows struggle with this problem, often leaving me feeling like I’m missing out on key moments in my character’s arcs. and shrinkHowever, this rarely happens. While I would never say “no” to more scenes with Harrison Ford and Wendie Malick, I don’t feel like it was deprived of any important moments between their characters.
Now that I’m already talking about Paul, let’s dig into what this episode has in store for him: His daughter Meg is giving a lecture at a college in town. This is a big deal. So she, her husband, their daughter, and her mom, Paul’s ex-wife Susan (the always charming Kelly Bishop), all live in his house. As expected, Paul was distressed by the visitors. “They’re going to kill me with small talk,” he complained to Gaby at work. He was also disturbed by Susan’s harmony with her girlfriend Julie. Part of Paul’s discomfort stemmed from guilt about his past: he and Susan had drifted apart, he worked long hours, and he ended up having an affair. His confession ultimately ended their marriage, and he still carries the weight of it to this day. Susan’s sudden desire to reconnect only exacerbates his unease.
Surprisingly, Brian, Paul’s seemingly superficial lawyer and Jimmy’s best friend, prompts him to talk to Susan to resolve their issues. You can see how difficult it was for Paul to open up, but he persevered, just like he did with Julie earlier this season. He’s definitely come a long way since Season 1, actively working to break out of old patterns.
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| “Shrinking,” pictured: Harrison Ford, Michael Urie and Kelly Bishop. AppleTV+ ©2024 AppleTV+. all rights reserved. |
Paul admitted that he would never forgive himself for tearing their family apart, but Susan revealed that she forgave him a long time ago—she just never bothered to tell him. The scene ends with the two of them making fun of their son-in-law, who is quite possibly the most boring person they have ever met.
Meanwhile, Alice is having a rough time when Connor tells his girlfriend Summer (Alice’s best friend) that he and Alice slept together. Jimmy wants to know why she made the choice she did, but Gaby quickly reminds him that it’s none of his business; his role as a father is to be there for Alice. So instead of sending her to school, Jimmy took her to a tattoo parlor. Getting a tattoo was something she’d wanted to do for years, and with her 18th birthday approaching, it seemed like the perfect time to make it happen and show her that adults trusted her. Alice chose to get a tattoo of her mother’s initials. With a little coaxing and guilt, she even convinced her father to get a tattoo of Tia’s initials, too. Judging from his screams, this may be Jimmy’s first and last tattoo.
Another character who goes through a rough patch is Liz. Jimmy casually reveals to her husband, Derek, that they ran into an old boyfriend while they were out together. Although Derek rarely gets upset, he’s deeply unsettled when he learns that this isn’t just any ex—it’s Mike, whom he suspects he still has feelings for Liz. When Derek gives her the silent treatment, Liz discovers that her son, Connor, has not returned to college in order to stay close to Alice. She also found that she regretted selling her share of the food truck; she missed working there and spending time with Sean. She realizes that all of her recent problems can be traced back to Jimmy: he was the one who convinced her to sell her share of the food truck, his daughter was the distraction to her son, Gabby was alienated from their circle of friends because of him, and finally Importantly, he was the one who blurted out the incident with Mike to Derek. She bumped into Jimmy on the balcony and launched into a tirade, making sure he fully understood how angry she was.
Sean, who was going through the same rough patch, followed Paul’s advice to approach his father with love and kindness, and when he asked his father for help, he confessed his feelings of abandonment. He approached the conversation with maturity—calm and non-accusatory. While his father briefly seemed like he might understand, it soon became apparent that he didn’t. Instead, he blamed Paul and Jimmy, claiming that the therapist always used the parents as scapegoats. To make matters worse, his father admitted that he never really wanted to work in the food truck with him. He storms off, leaving Sean hurt, angry, and struggling with feelings of abandonment again. He is slipping back into old, self-destructive patterns.
Meanwhile, Gabby faces family problems of her own when her sister asks her to convince her mother to have eye surgery. For all the years she spent helping her sister overcome drug addiction, Gabby now wants her to be able to reciprocate by dealing with her mom’s health issues on her own. However, her sister knew their mother only listened to Gabby – she was the favorite child who could do no wrong, so she needed her constant help. Although Gabby instinctively knows it’s unfair to blame it all on her sister, she’s unwilling to admit it – until Jimmy confronts her with the harsh truth.
I found Gabby’s sister storyline to be the least engaging part of the episode. It’s hard to feel invested without getting into the dynamics of their relationship. However, I would love to explore their sibling relationship further if only we could get more background information on their pasts.
As I write this, I’m really surprised at how much unfolds in just 30 minutes without feeling rushed or crowded. This episode covers the bases impressively: character development, complex relationships, and humor—all of which flow seamlessly and showcase the show’s mastery of storytelling and pacing.
What did you think of this episode? Which character’s journey stands out to you?
