SHRINKING S3 Review: Coping and Grieving and Laughing and Moving On

Grouchy Harrison Ford is still very, very funny.

Shrinking S3
The first episode of the third season debuts globally Wednesday, January 28, on Apple TV, followed by one new episode weekly, every Wednesday. I've seen all 11 episodes of Season 3, as well as the entirety of the first two seasons.

[Yesterday, word broke that the series has been renewed for Season 4. Read on to see why that's good news.]

As I wrote when Season 1 debuted three years ago: "Shrinking feels familiar in its form and content, mixing a little drama into its often raunchy comedy, and tempering the hijinks with grief and messy family dynamics."

What made the difference then, and continues to make the show a welcome addition to any weekly streaming diet, is the presence of Harrison Ford. He plays Paul, the owner of a group practice where Jimmy (Jason Segel) and Gaby (Jessica Williams) ply their trade as therapists. All are witty, but not as witty as Paul, of course, who is also the wisest one of all.

Season 2 furthered some of the narrative threads that were introduced in the first season, such as Paul was suffering from the early effects of Parkinson's disease; he began a personal relationship with his doctor, Julie (Wendie Malick). It also began a new thread with co-creator Brett Goldstein as Louis, a drunk driver who was responsible for the death of Jimmy's beloved wife. Jimmy's daughter Alice (Lakita Maxwell) also had to deal with the specter of Louis, though she reacted in a strikingly different way to him.

Season 3 pushes that thread a bit further; deals with Paul and Julie's relationship, as well as his ex-wife and daughter; checks in with Gaby's evolving relationship with Derrick (Damon Wayans Jr.); see's what happening with friends and neighbors Brian (Michael Urie), his husband Charlie (Devin Kawaoka) and their new child; observes friends and neighbors Liz (Christa Miller) and her husband Derek (Ted McGinley) and their boys; and let's not forget that young Alice is approaching her high school graduation and has plenty of problems of her own.

Whew! Admittedly, it's a lot to write down, but on screen, the jokes and relationships fly easily and often, and most land safely. What I wrote in the past about Season 1 still applies to Season 3: "The talents of experienced sitcom producer Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso), together with the writing talents of Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein, [as well as more talented writers this season], ensure that the series is filled with smart and clever dialogue, crispy delivered by an all-star cast of professionals."

Since I'm not paid by the word, I have no qualms about repeating myself by concluding: "An inviting place to visit on a weekly basis, Shrinking packs a very welcome comic punch, with depth and grace. And a very grouchy Harrison Ford."

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