Shrinking S2, Episodes 1-2: Jimmying the Themes Into Place
Breakdown of the first two episodes of the new season of Shrinking on Apple TV+
Note: This post will contain spoilers for the first two episodes of Shrinking, Season 2, as well as a few from Season 1. Please don’t read this if you don’t want to encounter spoilers, but definitely come back and share your thoughts once you’ve seen the show! If you need a refresher on Season 1, check out my recap here. Also, I wrote an overview of Season 2 for Loud and Clear that you can read here.
When Apple TV+’s Shrinking Season 1 ended, Jimmy and Gaby were sleeping together, and Gaby realized that she was having feelings for Jimmy. Jimmy and Alice were in a much better place, with him unable to spend time with her at the start because she looked so much like his dead wife Tia, to celebrating that same fact in the finale. Jimmy and Paul were breathing a sigh of relief that nothing catastrophic happened when Jimmy started his more unorthodox style of therapy.
Oh, and Grace pushed her husband off of a cliff.
Obviously, there were a lot of threads to pick up at the start of Season 2.
The show opens on Grace in jail. Her abusive husband, Donny, survived the fall but has years of physical therapy ahead of him. As a result, Grace is experiencing a significant amount of guilt, believing that she deserves to be in jail for being a horrible person.
On the surface, Sean is doing well. His food truck seems to be set up for success, he is feeling good, but he is also in a pattern of avoiding anything that causes him discomfort. Dealing with his dad, visiting with an old Army buddy, confronting Liz about an interview she set up - these are things he doesn’t want to deal with.
Paul is trying to figure out how to mesh his life with Dr. Julie. After being such a private person for most of his life, he is now learning the give and take of an intimate relationship. He is also trying to figure out the best way to tell Jimmy that he’s made some significant mistakes in his treatment decisions.
Gaby knows that her relationship with Jimmy has to end, but she is struggling because she doesn’t want to close the door on something that could perhaps work down the road. In addition to this, she is moving into her new house, carrying a full patient load, and teaching.
Alice can see that her dad is spinning as he tries to deal with the fallout from Grace’s incarceration, and she is trying to figure out how to help him with that while also managing her own emotions.
Jimmy seems to be taking everything in stride. He’s hopeful that Grace will find a way to come through her trauma. He thinks that Sean just needs more attention. He is willing to confront Paul about some of Paul’s thoughts about Jimmy’s methods. He is keeping it casual with Gaby. And he promises Alice that he is not in the same place he was after Tia died.
But then (and this is the BIG SPOILER, so now is the time to leave if you don’t want it!) the other driver shows up at the office, and the spinning turns into a cyclone.
Seeing Brett Goldstein on screen again, this time as the mild-mannered and penitent driver who killed Tia, absolutely floored me.
Season 1 of Shrinking was very much about Jimmy clawing his way out of the hole left after his wife died. Season 2 is a stark reminder that the hole is still there, and if it’s not dealt with, falling back in is a genuine possibility.
The first two episodes show how easy it is to think that healing follows a linear path. We experience something upsetting or traumatic, and when we are past that initial pain and feel like we can breathe again, we can believe that we have conquered our past. But if we have simply survived it without actually facing it, the opportunity for that past to come roaring back is right there.
Last season, Jimmy was able to face his feelings about losing Tia, but only by accessing positive memories. He never confronted his anger in any meaningful way, and so when the drunk driver shows up, it creates a sense of imbalance in him that he can’t deal with in any kind of meaningful way.
The other theme that we see beginning to emerge in the first two episodes is that of self-forgiveness. This is barely touched on in these first two episodes, but it comes up repeatedly throughout the season.
And that makes sense because so much of our ability to face the past means facing who we were when the trauma happened. Even if we were completely at the mercy of outside forces, we still have to contend with the person we became after the trauma occurred, and sometimes that’s hard to face.
From my personal experience, I can attest to the truth of that. I am a chronic over-sharer. I’m okay with that because sometimes we need people to share stories to let others know that they’re not alone. However, over the past few years, I realized that some of my over-sharing has been borne of a need to punish myself for my failings. I would SAY that I forgave myself for my Big Mistake, but I continually put it out there for people to judge because I felt like I deserved that judgment. I won’t say that I never think that way anymore, but I am more likely to recognize it when it’s happening, and when it does, I can talk about it with my partner or with a friend to gain perspective.
So, by the end episode 2, Brian has just discovered that Gaby and Jimmy were sleeping together, Paul has declared to Julie that he loves her, Sean and Liz have sorted out the interview, Gaby kicks Jimmy out of her house when he tried to manipulate her, and Alice drives to sit outside of the drunk driver’s home. Lots of story to come!
Best joke: I know it’s super early in the two episodes, but when Connor is looking longingly at Alice, Derek says, “Now remember, Alice is just a friend, not someone whose skin you want to wear.” And then Connor says, “Hey Alice! Your skin looks soft.” And Derek responds, “That’s on me. I put the idea of skin in your head.” It’s just a really solid start to the season.
Best cry: I straight up lost it when I realized that Brett Goldstein was playing the drunk driver. Jason Segel absolutely NAILED his response to seeing him the first time, and I was just sobbing.
Let me know your favorite moments in the comments! And come back next Wednesday to talk about Episode 3 of Shrinking!
I love this show so much. And not to get too nerdy, but the editing is as stellar as the writing. And yeah, that skin suit line was the best! I feel like a writer contributed that from real life. 😂
Good stuff. I read ahead and spoiled it for myself. I'm a 'reads the back of the book' kinda person only I don't generally. I go online and read about something. That's a whole other therapy session - Maybe i'll consult Jimmy :)