“Shrinking” is that slightly annoying acquaintance that you have mixed feelings about but aren’t sure if you should get rid of because at least they’re fun at parties. And just like that person’s likeability comes in waves, my feelings about the Apple TV sitcom ebb and flow without a categorical pattern. It’s about time Jason Segal pulled his weight and gave us some of that fantastic physical comedy that we know he is capable of. Is the penultimate episode really the best time to pull out all the tricks ‘Shrinking’ had up its sleeves all along? Well, better late than never, I guess. My only wish is that the amusing high jinks that turn up every time Jimmy, Brian, and Paul take over the screen could be what we were treated to more often.
Spoilers Ahead
That Isn’t How You Pick Up The Pieces
Bringing me to the edge of writing off therapy altogether, Paul continues to reach out to Meg after royally mucking up their relationship for probably the 100th time. I mean, the celebrated shrink can’t even hold a minute-long conversation with his grandson without making it awkward and asking him to hand the phone over to his mom. Who Mason turns the phone over to is Meg’s husband, Dave. And he doesn’t have the least bit of patience for Paul’s obnoxious shenanigans. Would you want to pass on a message to someone you’re supposed to be apologetic to and ask the mediator to convey that you think the concerned party is behaving like a child? No, right? Or at least I hope you won’t. And neither should Paul, who rightfully gets the phone hung up on him.
Short of breath on their usual hiking track up the park, Jimmy tries keeping up with his much fitter friends, who are excited to hear the wedding bells. Brian is thrilled to be able to bring forward the date so as to have a fitting excuse for excluding the people that they don’t like from the guest list. Can you possibly imagine a person more excited than Brian? Well, get ready to open up your mind to a golden retriever-like Jimmy, who has apparently forgotten all about how he screwed the pooch at Brian’s engagement party as he raves himself up to be the officiant at Brian and Charlie’s wedding. Still not over the absolute disaster of an engagement party, Charlie cedes the responsibility for saying no to Jimmy to his best friend, Brian.
Well, it’s Jimmy. Did you really think he would be allotted just one bungle per episode? He has never had a functional heart-to-heart with Alice without making it all about himself, and this time is no different. Having Gaby sit by his side does nothing to stop Jimmy from saying all the wrong things possible to Alice while explaining the circumstances of his sleeping with Gaby. Vexing her even further with uncomfortable details she absolutely didn’t need or want to hear, Jimmy once again makes a complete mess of a good opportunity to bury the hatchet.
Alice isn’t having an easy time speaking her heart out to Paul in one of their prearranged meetings, either. Totally not giving her her candy’s worth, Paul is way too preoccupied with his own issues to give her the space to vent about her father’s latest antics. A lukewarm apology isn’t going to cut it this time. Alice is right to get up and leave Paul behind to stew in his truckload of guilt.
Gaby On The Couch
Is it just me, or does Liz resemble those kids in high school who follow around the popular kids like a puppy dog? Saying yes to accompanying Gaby to Nico’s art show faster than she can get the question out, Liz continues to prove just how desperate she is for Gaby’s approval. This is hardly an exemplary instance of a new, lasting friendship brewing between two people. Joining the two for the lack of a better way to spend his time is Sean. And as it turns out, Gaby hasn’t been invited to the event. Her reasoning for crashing Nico’s show may be to check up on his well-being out of her guilt for dumping him, but what Gaby really wants to soothe her eyes to is the sight of Nico’s misery without her presence in his life. Not something that can really be held against her is it? We’re all allowed a little bit of pettiness sometimes—just as a treat.
With her steadfast validator, Liz, by her side, Gaby is having quite a time at the venue. She has even made a new potential friend, whom she will soon learn is the woman Nico is currently seeing. That may be all well for Gaby, but she is not about to relinquish her position as Nico’s muse to some woman who hasn’t been the one to clean up his messes and to help him get his act straight. And while that’s a very justifiable emotion for Gaby to feel as she stands there only to see Nico disregard her efforts, for a therapist to have a fiery meltdown and make a show of herself in front of a gawking crowd, however, may just be a tad too much.
‘Shrinking’ Episode 8: Ending Explained – Will Paul’s Advice Help Jimmy Mend The Bond With Alice?
When it rains, it pours for Jimmy. Finding his car and his daughter missing is just another way life has come to kick him when he’s already down. Lucky for Jimmy, Brian is around, even if it is to deliver the wretched news that the couple doesn’t want him to officiate their wedding. In light of Jimmy’s latest plight, Brian opts to keep mum and picks up Paul on their way to look for Alice. Of course, Jimmy has to invite glum news, especially when he’s not in the right frame of mind to swallow it. And, of course, he has to scream bloody murder when he finds out that he has been excluded from the main event of the wedding. Seriously, what’s wrong with this guy? Giving Brian the cold shoulder continues throughout the search until Jimmy locates the “garden party” and proceeds to give a dad-talk to Alice’s friend Summer to get her to spill the beans about Alice’s location.
Alice had already mentioned being asked out by a college guy. And the age difference is not something that bothered Paul as much as the guy being a Vespa rider did. When Summer spills her guts and gives up the location of Alice, the three amigos drive up to the USC dorms and fold up their sleeves to intimidate Chet, the Vespa guy Alice means to hook up with. Paul is seldom all that self-reflective. He would much rather lay it on Jimmy for every mistake he makes than actually acknowledge that he himself isn’t necessarily a role model. And what’s with advising Jimmy to be more expressive of his anger? I mean, yeah, the guy has a hard time choosing his battles and gives more get-out-of-jail-free cards to Alice than he should, but Jimmy isn’t someone that I would call “inexpressive.” A better way to put it would have been to ask Jimmy to put his foot down when it’s necessary. And telling off Brian for hurting his feelings is in no way justified for Jimmy when Brain is absolutely fair in being wary of having someone as emotionally eruptive as Jimmy officiate his wedding. If there’s one thing that Jimmy does right, that’s grounding Alice for her unacceptable shenanigans. Sure, he is stabbed with a few thorny cuss words thrown at him by a peeved Alice. But he’s spot on about one thing—her mom would’ve done the same. And here we get a fleeting peek at the Jason Segal we know and adore.
