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2023 saw the debut of Shrinking, an uplifting Apple TV+ comedy series created by Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence, alongside How I Met Your Mother star Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein of Ted Lasso fame. Starring Segel and Harrison Ford as two therapists with wildly different approaches to treating their patients, the show stands out for its ability to effectively combine humor with sadness.
Now in its second season, Shrinking has provided its fans with plenty of memorable moments, some hilarious and some poignant, containing no shortage of extremely quotable lines. From the sidesplitting to the tear-jerking, these are the 10 best quotes from Shrinking, ranked based on emotional impact and comedic value.
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Shrinking
Release Date January 26, 2023
Seasons 2
10 "First you raw dog me in public, and now you burst into my office and raw dog me here?"
Paul Rhoades, "Closure" - Season 1, Episode 10 (2023)
Image via Apple TV+
Harrison Ford's performance has been a consistent highlight throughout Shrinking's first two seasons. The Indiana Jones actor plays Dr. Paul Rhoades, Jimmy's mentor and a frequent voice of reason when it comes to his less-than-ethical practices. Over the course of the series, Ford has provided some excellent delivery that elevates already hilarious lines, with this quote serving as a prime example.
Paul says this towards the end of the first season, shortly after hearing the term "raw dog" for the first time. As many others have in recent years, Paul quickly began to use the phrase casually, unaware of its lewd connotations. The line would be funny coming from just about any actor, but Ford's distinct delivery, accentuated by his gruff voice, increases the comedic value tenfold. It's a great example of why Ford is so perfect on the show, and why Paul continues to be a fan-favorite character.
9 "Eat a d**k, Pam."
Derek, "Fifteen Minutes" - Season 1, Episode 3 (2023)
Image via Apple TV+
Originally only a recurring member of the cast before being promoted to a series regular in season two, Ted McGinley has consistently proven to be one of the funniest additions to the Shrinking cast. McGinley, also known for his role as Jefferson D'Arcy in Married... with Children, plays Derek, Jimmy's neighbor and the simple but lovable husband of Liz (Christa Miller). Throughout the first season, Derek didn't receive much growth, but he always got the funniest lines, with this being a great example.
This line is, oddly, a perfect encapsulation of who Derek is as a character. After initially politely greeting Pam, Liz reminds Derek that they don't like Pam, spurring him to immediately say this quote. It's a great moment that gets a big laugh, while also succinctly illustrating just how loyal Derek is to Liz. McGinley's delivery is also of note, with the actor choosing to play the line straight rather than exaggerating it, which could easily dampen its comedic value.
8 "What, you want me to pull my pants down and make my a** clap?"
Paul Rhoades, "Made You Look" - Season 2, Episode 4 (2024)
Image via Apple TV+
Partway through Shrinking's first season, Liz and Sean (Luke Tennie), one of Jimmy's patients, open up a food truck together, giving both of them something new to focus on in life. Unfortunately, this ends up being a source of tension in season two when Liz sells her half of ownership of the truck to Sean's father, Tim (Kenajuan Bentley), in a misguided attempt to do something nice.
Initially, Sean reacts emotionally to this information, but later he brings Liz to one of his therapy sessions, now run by Paul, to discuss the issue in a level-headed way. After reaching a successful resolution, Paul thanks Liz for coming, prompting her to ask if that's it, which he responds to with this quote. It may not hold the emotional resonance of other lines from Shrinking, but it is an absolutely hilarious piece of dialogue that once again highlights what a unique comedic asset Harrison Ford is to the show.
7 "Sean, this is a victory. You didn't kill a random douchebag. That is progress."
Jimmy Laird, "Coin Flip" (Season 1, Episode 1) (2023)
Image via Apple TV+
Sean is a veteran who fought in Afghanistan. Haunted by his experiences in the war, Sean develops anger management issues, something which he is legally forced to seek treatment for after a bar fight, leading him to Jimmy, who acts as his therapist throughout Shrinking's first season. Shortly after beginning sessions with Jimmy, Sean finds himself in a situation where he is overwhelmed with rage, but rather than taking it out violently on the other person, he calls Jimmy to talk about it.
When Jimmy arrives, Sean tells him about the situation and, much to his surprise, Jimmy congratulates him by using this quote. It's worded in a comically blunt way, but it is also a genuine acknowledgment of the importance of recognizing the little victories in life. Sean still struggles with his anger, but he actively makes the decision not to assault someone, proving that he's on the road to recovery, even if it may not seem like it at first, something that Jimmy encourages him to celebrate. It's a great moment in Shrinking's first episode, brilliantly indicating how well Shrinking would blend comedy and serious topics in future episodes.
6 "I have had so many married patients that are exactly where you are, and honestly, this stuff never comes out of nowhere."
Gaby Evans, "Last Drink" - Season 2, Episode 8 (2024)
Image via Apple TV+
A large part of what makes Shrinking such a great show is its willingness to give depth to each and every character. Again, Derek played a limited role in the series' first season, but he has been much more prominent in the second, allowing the writers to further expand upon both his characterization and his relationship with Liz. The best example of this came in a recent episode where Liz cheats on Derek, prompting him to seek therapy with Gaby (Jessica Williams), where she says this quote.
Initially, the line may be seen as a way of making Derek seem responsible for Liz's actions, but Gaby quickly clarifies that that isn't the case at all. Rather, she's asking Derek to reflect on the relationship to try to get him to understand Liz's emotional state, and why she may have made the decision to cheat, even if it was wrong. When Derek is honest about the fact that he could have been more emotionally supportive, Gaby still makes it clear that he is totally justified in making any decision that he makes about the relationship, while appropriately ribbing him for his lack of sensitivity. The scene as a whole makes it clear that Liz is in the wrong, while still making her out to be a human being with real emotions, as is perfectly encapsulated by the quote. It's not an easy subject to tackle, especially within the context of a sitcom, but Shrinking explores the topic of affairs in an interesting, unique way that sets it apart from most other TV shows.
5 "There's not a secret that I ever kept that I didn't wish I'd told the f***ing person."
Paul Rhoades, "Get in the Sea" - Season 2, Episode 7 (2024)
Image via Apple TV+
So far, a lot of Shrinking's second season has focused on the importance of honesty. This theme has come to the forefront in a number of subplots, but it has been especially prominent in Liz's story. Throughout the season, Liz has been struggling with empty nest syndrome, while also searching for something to do after ceding her share of ownership over the food truck she shared with Sean. Unfortunately, her distraught emotional state leads her to cheat on Derek when she kisses another man.
Liz immediately regrets her choice, but struggles with whether to tell Derek or not. She eventually seeks Paul's advice, meeting him in a park to tell him what happened. That's when Paul drops this quote, encouraging Liz to tell Derek the truth, even if it isn't easy. It's a nice moment that develops the relationship between Liz and Paul, while also giving Liz a path forward that makes sense. Even when separated from the show though, this is a great quote that serves as a fantastic message to the audience.
4 "Say 'Bring it on. I love pain.' And then finally, the cloud will spit you out into the light, feeling like you've conquered something. Because you have."
Paul Rhoades, "I Love Pain" - Season 2, Episode 2 (2024)
Image via Apple TV+
Towards the start of the show's second season, Jimmy is forced to drop Sean as a patient after a frank discussion with Paul regarding the state of Sean's progress. Instead, Sean begins seeing Paul, allowing the more traditional and experienced therapist to introduce him to new ways of managing his emotions when they become dysregulated, including a method where he imagines the worst-case scenario, internally welcoming his pain and fear with open arms rather than running from it.
Paul uses the quote as a way to instruct Sean while simultaneously attempting to help him understand the sense of accomplishment associated with facing one's fears. It's an effective line of dialogue (in an already outstanding scene) that also manages to help Sean later on, further illustrating how good Paul is at his job. The quote from the mental-health-focused series also conveys a genuinely important message with value in real life, cementing it as one of Shrinking's best lines.
3 "Grief's a crafty little f***er. Sneaks up on you."
Paul Rhoades, "Fifteen Minutes" - Season 1, Episode 3 (2023)
Image via Apple TV+
Much of Shrinking's plot centers on the continued efforts of both Jimmy and Alice (Lukita Maxwell) to move on following the death of Tia (Lilan Bowden), Jimmy's wife and Alice's mother. In the wake of the fatal car accident, Jimmy turns to drugs and alcohol to dull his emotions, while ultimately leaving Alice to deal with her pain largely on her own. Throughout the first season, they both take the necessary steps to begin rebuilding their relationship, with Paul playing an important role in their success.
Paul meets Alice on a park bench, initially unbeknownst to Jimmy, on a number of occasions in order to help her process her grief. He says the quote in question when she makes the observation that she's been in a bad mood; that seemingly everything has been making her angry. He uses the line to point out that grief manifests itself in unexpected ways, following up on it to teach Alice the importance of dealing with her feelings, advising that she takes fifteen minutes a day to allow herself to fully feel her pain. The quote is an effective summation of many of the themes present within the first season, emphasizing that our emotions can impact our daily lives in ways we may not initially expect.
2 "I have resting dead wife face."
Jimmy Laird, "Fifteen Minutes" - Season 1, Episode 3 (2023)
Image via Apple TV+
This line has actually come up multiple times throughout the series, but it was given more meaning than before in the ninth episode of Shrinking Season 2, titled "Full Grown Dude Face," in which Jimmy explains to Alice that a large part of the reason that he uses the expression is to let people know that they don't have to worry about him. So, what started as a funny, unexpected quip, has gained more meaning over time.
The line is also another excellent example of Shrinking's willingness to delve into uncomfortable subject matter. There are plenty of people in the world who feel similarly to Jimmy and Alice; those who have faced trauma, but don't want to feel like everyone is constantly aware of that fact. The quote, along with Jimmy's later explanation of what it means to him, is a great exploration of this incredibly delicate subject, making it one of the best lines from the entire series.
1 "My wife believed that the best way to help yourself was to help others."
Jimmy Laird, "Closure" - Season 1, Episode 10 (2023)
Image via Apple TV+
Many of the subplots within the first season build-up to the wedding between Brian (Michael Urie) and Charlie (Devin Kawaoka). As a result of the work he's done towards repairing his relationships and improving himself, Jimmy is able to officiate the wedding, delivering a speech that, in many ways, summarizes a number of the show's primary themes. But while the entire speech is great, this single quote is the best line from it.
What makes it such a stand-out is that it essentially forms the core of the show. The relationships between the characters improve as a result of them helping each other, and as a result, they themselves improve as people. The relationship between Jimmy and Alice is a perfect example of this. At the start of the show, they run away from the pain of loss, even engaging in self-destructive behavior to do so. But when Jimmy begins to talk with Alice about her emotions, and subsequently begins to open up about his own feelings, they grow closer and are able to move on in healthier ways. Again, this idea is present in just about every relationship throughout the show, and it's extremely applicable to everyday life, solidifying it as the best quote from Shrinking.
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