The first season of the series 'Shrinking' with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford has concluded on Apple TV+. We talk about a new comfortable project in the streaming lineup, where every character has psychological (and not only) problems, but whose comp...
'Shrinking' is a series created by Jason Segel, Brett Goldstein, and Bill Lawrence. The latter's track record includes such masterpieces as 'Scrubs' and 'Ted Lasso'. Hence the similarity in atmosphere and humor between the projects. You want to turn them on, relax, and forget about all your problems for the duration of an episode. That's essentially what happens when you watch.
Rarely do series appear that everyone loves. Even rarer is this the case with modest projects without a huge fan base and funding the size of some South American budget
Open materialWhat's the Plot?
Psychotherapist Jimmy (Jason Segel) is grief-stricken after his wife's death. The hero withdraws into himself, starts drinking heavily and taking drugs, stops communicating with his best friend Brian (Michael Urie), grows tired of work where he feels he isn't helping people, and also becomes distant from his teenage daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell), who is also grieving. Life isn't going well, so one day the hero snaps and forgets professional ethics, telling his patients what he really thinks.
Unexpectedly, the therapy bears fruit and changes not only the lives of the people but also his own. Colleagues at work, Gaby (Jessica Williams) and Paul (Harrison Ford), clearly don't support this method, but they don't forbid the hero from doing as he pleases. As a result, the psychologist finds a new friend in one of his patients — an Afghanistan veteran Sean (Luke Tennie), reconnects with Brian, and tries to rebuild his relationship with his daughter, who has been looked after all this time by the neighbor Liz (Christa Miller).
I Can't Express What's in My Cranium
It would seem, with such a plot and a heap of problems for the characters, 'Shrinking' is nothing but a serious drama where the heroes try to withstand the strongest blows of fate. But no. It's a very funny and light series that can help you relax and lift your spirits. The project finds humor where there seems to be no place for fun at all.
Just think about it: help is needed by almost everyone here. Jimmy and Alice separately grieve the loss of a loved one and grow apart. Sean suffers from PTSD and uncontrollable aggression after returning from Afghanistan. Gaby is worried about her impending divorce. Brian hides his insecurity behind narcissism and feels bitterness that his father hasn't fully accepted his orientation. Liz looks after the neighbor's child, trying to fill the inner void left after her sons moved out. And Paul has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which he can't bring himself to tell his adult daughter about because he feels guilty for not being there for her for many years. And that's not counting Jimmy's patients!
The only carefree one in this group is Liz's husband, Derek (Ted McGinley). He seems unburdened and always enjoys life, cracking jokes in all directions.
But the most important thing is that with such an abundance of serious life difficulties for the heroes, the creators do not burden the viewers with them at all. The series has a very relaxed narrative, so all these hardships are not felt at all while watching. There is so much life and optimism in the characters that even in the heaviest, most awkward, and dramatic moments, the viewer does not feel discomfort. You are always cozy and having fun in the company of these people. Such a light and relaxed atmosphere can improve any mood.
For all its zest, 'Shrinking' is a completely utopian series. In real life, something like this would hardly be possible. The characters instantly become best friends (almost family), easily share their experiences, and solve most problems so quickly that you don't have time to blink (literally within an episode). In this way, the creators try to convey to us that all hardships will eventually recede and life will get better, but you must definitely hold on to the dear people who will help you get out of any hole.
The project is like a smile hiding pain. Because if you move aside this cheerful screen, you can notice that the authors want to talk to viewers about many relevant and important issues. 'Shrinking' touches on topics of mental health, human relationships, tolerance, racism, sexism, and mutual understanding within the family. It's just presented in a relaxed and natural form so that the viewer doesn't think the creators are pressuring them.
Another reason for the series' emergence is the ending 'Ted Lasso'. Apple TV+ is clearly looking for a replacement for the football coach, having caught the audience's interest in kind and comfortable projects. Unfortunately, the story of Jason Sudeikis' character is coming to a logical conclusion, and his viewers need to be retained with something, hence the cozy 'Shrinking' appeared, which has already been renewed for a second season.
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Open materialThe ending of the first season, by the way, is not at all kind, and promises the main character huge problems in the new episodes. Therefore, it will be all the more interesting to see if the showrunners can maintain the level of coziness under such circumstances and how the character will cope with new blows of fate.
How Wonderful That We Are All Here Today
The cast is as cozy as the series itself. There isn't a single negative character here (well, almost, every family has its abuser), and the main antagonist is the villainess life, throwing up new and new trials. Thanks to this, the viewer does not feel negativity towards any of the characters, be it the meddling Liz or the unsociable and closed-off grump Paul. The actors play so naturally that it seems as if not only on screen but also on the set, they were all like one big family, ready to share all joys and hardships equally.
Especially charming is the grumpy and perpetually dissatisfied Harrison Ford. His character can say something rude, act unethically, or respond sarcastically in a dialogue, but you will still laugh and want him to appear on screen more often. It's just obvious to everyone that behind the built fence of sarcasm and callousness hides a completely different person. He created a social shell to show his invulnerability to society, but in a world of kindness and mutual understanding, even the strongest armor will crack. Paul easily becomes a favorite character (alongside the magnificent Derek) thanks to his sarcasm, directness, and charisma.
Also, 'Shrinking' can shine with humor. While some jokes are too straightforward and flat, the sea of sarcasm and a pinch of black humor, which doesn't stoop to filth, are very appealing. All the jokes are very elegantly written and delivered, so they don't offend anyone and don't cross the line. Everything happens within the bounds of decency.
And even things that would look awkward and disgusting in another project look funny and amusing here. Just consider the sixth episode, dedicated to a gay engagement party, where Paul, under the influence of alcohol and 'gummy bears', constantly chews his tie and roams the house with a bag of Doritos, or Jimmy, who, in grief, got drunk again and ruined Brian's celebratory moment by performing a duet of Joe Cocker's 'You Are So Beautiful' (by the way, Apple clearly spent big on music rights for the series), during which he vomited on his piano. Incredibly funny. In any other project, the viewer would feel awkward, but the family atmosphere of 'Shrinking' doesn't allow you to feel negative emotions towards the series.
The relationships between the characters, though not ideal, are so warm that you want to believe that something like this is really possible in the real world. If everything were so simple, there would be no many crises and cataclysms on Earth, and disagreements would be resolved faster and, most importantly, with words. People would go through all hardships together and share their emotions and problems with each other. Unfortunately, this is not the case, but 'Shrinking' is ready to give you the atmosphere that such a thing is possible, at least for a while.
This small company of strangers can surround you with family warmth and help brighten a lonely or sad evening. You just have to give them a chance and open the door of your heart a little, rather than grumbling and complaining that no one acts like this in real life: neither psychologists nor people. But this is the world of cinema, so why not forgive the series its naivety and utopianism for the sake of pleasant emotions and fun? Isn't it better to live in a gray reality, never forgetting about problems? In my opinion, it's better to laugh and clown around than to always think about sad things and wallow in negativity, losing the zest for life.
What's the Verdict?
'Shrinking' fully lives up to its name, having a positive effect on the viewer. Through examples on screen, it teaches you not to be afraid of your problems and try to solve them with a smile on your face. A project where all the characters feel bad makes the viewer feel good, creating an atmosphere of home coziness.
If you describe the series in one sentence, it would be something like: 'The cobbler's children go barefoot, trying to help others to help himself.' While it may not reach the heights of 'Ted Lasso' and 'Scrubs', it certainly has the power to become a new comfort series. The main thing is that the creators don't lose their own optimism in the future and continue to make their characters choose life in any difficult situation.
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