Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for 'Shrinking' Season 2, Episode 11.Grief is a strange thing. It can appear as though someone is coping well, but the truth is that they're really struggling on the inside. In Season 1 of Apple TV+'s Shrinking, Jimmy (Jason Segel) is coping with the death of his wife in an overtly unhealthy way. He is partying and using substances to escape his pain. When he decides to pour his energy into his therapy patients, it seems like maybe Jimmy is functioning well again. But in Season 2, it has become apparent that Jimmy has never really dealt with his grief head-on (leaving all that pain to fester inside). In this week's episode, Jimmy has seemingly started a descent into a lonely and deeply sad world.
Jimmy Is Spiraling in 'Shrinking' Episode 11
Whatever stability Jimmy had created for himself in Season 1, he now finds himself on shakier ground, especially with the introduction of Louis (Brett Goldstein) into his life. Because Louis was responsible for Jimmy's wife's death, all the feelings of anger and despair Jimmy had are now coming back to the surface. After Alice (Lukita Maxwell) finds out that Jimmy has asked Louis to stay away from her, the father and daughter are at odds. Alice even decides to start crashing at Gaby's (Jessica Williams) house, which further highlights Jimmy's feelings of being alone. Jimmy tries to cope with his pain by leaning into his work as a therapist, but even after he's helped one of his patients make a breakthrough, he can't seem to feel that rush of serotonin that this type of work usually brings him.
Paul (Harrison Ford) warns Jimmy that he needs to work through his grief instead of avoiding it. He advises him to call when he's truly ready to ask for help, but Jimmy brushes him off, insisting that he's fine. When his act of "Jimmying" (as he likes to refer to it) doesn't do the trick for him, Jimmy starts to isolate. He doesn't show up to a get-together with his friends and tries falling back into his old habits (calling up a connection he had before for women and pills). When that doesn't work out, he finds himself on the park bench that Paul and Alice used for a therapy meet-up. It appears that Jimmy has taken Paul up on his offer, and when the older man arrives, Jimmy completely loses his composure. He confesses to Paul that he's not okay, and then breaks down sobbing.
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Can Paul Actually Help Jimmy in 'Shrinking'?
Jimmy showing vulnerability to Paul creates a heartwrenching moment, but an important one for Jimmy. Maybe this finally means that Jimmy has reached a low enough point in his life where he knows that he needs to acknowledge his pain and accept help. It's obvious (even to Jimmy now) that he needs to figure out better ways of coping with his grief and the anger he feels towards Louis. The question is whether Paul will be able to act as more than just a mentor and a friend. Can Paul provide the therapeutic relationship that Jimmy needs to find better strategies and learn how to heal? It does seem like Jimmy has finally hit rock bottom (especially given the fact that Alice is basically not even speaking to him).
The one thing Jimmy loves more than anything is his daughter, and their fractured relationship could be the catalyst Jimmy requires to push him to change. Paul will also need to put aside his own personal feelings towards Jimmy (and his constant grumpiness) to truly be there for Jimmy during this difficult time. Showing up at the park for Jimmy is a moving first step that shows his commitment. Jimmy also has Gaby in his life; things have been complicated since they slept together last season, but Gaby is another therapist (and friend) who could come up with concrete steps to help Jimmy cope in a healthier way.
With only one episode left in the season, it's unclear whether Paul will be able to help Jimmy out of this spiral. It's likely that Jimmy will need to rely on his whole crew to help him move forward in a genuine way. Perhaps he can work on forgiving Louis (like Alice has) and find some peace (since that's what his wife would have wanted). If Jimmy has now reached the darkest depths of his pain, maybe he'll be able to climb out of this hole towards the light at last.
Shrinking is available to stream on Apple TV+ in the U.S. New episodes drop every Wednesday.Watch on Apple TV+
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Shrinking
Release Date January 26, 2023
Seasons 2
English (US) ·