SHRINKING S3 E2 HAPPINESS MISSION 🤩

SHRINKING remains one of the best shows on television, and easily one of my personal favorites! I was thrilled to see the series return last week, and even more excited when we learned that Season 3 would feature a very special guest star (who happens to be my all-time favorite actor). If you’re still catching up, don’t worry, I won’t spoil that. 

If I haven’t made this clear before (or if you’re new here), I need you to know: I love Harrison Ford. He’s not the mystery favorite actor mentioned above, but he’s up there. From Han Solo and Indiana Jones to Dr. Paul Rhodes on SHRINKING, Ford has been a defining presence throughout my life. Watching Harrison Ford embrace television roles in recent years, between SHRINKING and 1923, has been a genuine gift. Whether it was Jason Segel, Brett Goldstein, Bill Lawrence, or a very persuasive agent who convinced him to sign on, I salute you. At 83, Ford’s performance as Paul continues to elevate SHRINKING beyond a standard comedy-drama and into something that feels cinematic in both scope and emotional weight.

Season 3, Episode 2, titled HAPPINESS MISSION, is a story of transition. After two seasons spent watching Jimmy grieve the death of his wife, the story is finally beginning to move him and the rest of the cast in new directions. Except Julie, every single character stepped into a new (for them) direction this week. The men of the show had the biggest steps: 

• Paul grapples with his new reality
• Louis finds what he’s looking for and takes Gaby’s talk to heart
• Brian starts to ease into dad mode
• And of course, Jimmy himself, perhaps most of all, starts down a path that everyone else can see clearly, except him

Jimmy’s arc is the one I’m most curious about. In a show that balances comedy and emotional honesty so well, I hope the writers resist the obvious endpoint. SHRINKING works best when it surprises us.

My biggest critique of SHRINKING as a show is that I don’t think these characters would all be friends with each other outside of the confines of the show’s plot. Say what you will about FRIENDS. Love it or hate it, these characters were believable as friends together. The love stories between them often didn’t work (Why did I ever wish for Ross & Rachael?), but they otherwise seemed like a group of young people who would hang out with each other. On SHRINKING, Jimmy, Paul, and Gaby make a great group of co-workers. But if I met 3 psychologists who ran a practice together in real life, I would never expect them to be besties outside the office. And Liz & Derek are friendly enough neighbors, but it’s never been my experience to get that close to neighbors who aren’t that likable to begin with. One day, I hope we’ll get to see how they all came together, and I especially hope that moment shows how Jimmy’s now-dead wife, Tia, was central to all of it. 

Despite my nitpicking, I’m simply happy to have Jimmy, Gaby, Alice, Sean, Paul, Brian, and the rest back. SHRINKING continues to handle serious and important topics, like Paul’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, with care, warmth, and just enough necessary humor. 

New episodes of SHRINKING stream every Wednesday on Apple TV.