I’m Trevor with the Sasquatch Movie Minute and its Wonky Wednesday so we are doing a  TV Take and looking at the show SHRINKING, starring Jason Segal and Harrison Ford, currently in its 3rd season on AppleTV.

 

I’m giving Seasons 2 & 3, a 4 out of 5.

 

This is a hang-out show about psychiatrists and how their practice affects their clients and their own complex lives. It is created by Bill Lawrence who also created SCRUBS, TED LASSO, and COUGAR TOWN. And like those shows, the strengths really lie in the hang-out vibe, the community of characters that form found-families to get through life’s challenges. The first season was rough; with its darker meaner comedy and the strong focus on Jason Segal’s character Jimmy and the death of Jimmy’s wife. Even though most of the show is funneled through Jimmy, he is just the least-interesting character of the whole ensemble.

 

Best Plotline. Season 2 was a highpoint with the season-long plotline of Jimmy and his family figuring out how to deal with and live with the man who caused Jimmy’s wife’s death. How can you forgive someone for such a heinous crime that caused your world to crumble? Is forgiveness worth it? Such powerful and messy explorations of trauma and healing, this storyline kept moving in interesting ways into a stunning finale.

 

Best Performance. Ted McGinley’s delightful performance as Derek is often the high-point of every show. But the real heart and mind of this show is the third psychiatrist, Paul, played by Harrison Ford. The man, the myth, the legend, Harrison Ford is quietly doing some of the most powerful work of his career. He has that typical Ford-gruff performance, but when that façade cracks a little, when his chin trembles a bit or he looks away, you feel the depth of emotion Paul actually has. And his therapy advice is actually quite good! His speech at the end of Season 2 may be a capper for Ford’s entire remarkable career.

 

Give the show a shot, each episode has plenty to laugh and cry about and I love me some 30-min episodes!