In Episode 6 of Apple TV+’s Shrinking, our characters “do the work” and surprise us with hilarious twists, heartwarming scenes, and more than one surprise.
This reviews contains minor spoilers for Episode 6 of Apple TV+’s Shrinking.
And just when I thought Apple TV+’s Shrinking was done surprising us and the best of the series was behind us, here comes another great episode that made me emotional in all the right ways. Episode 6 begins with a piece of advice from Paul (Harrison Ford, of Indiana Jones) to Jimmy (Jason Segel, of How I Met Your Mother): “If you don’t face the pain, eventually it’ll come back and get you when you least expect it.” And face the pain is exactly what Jimmy ends up doing this week, in an unconventional and definitely unplanned but also effective way.
This week’s episode shows us the consequences of our characters’ brave actions from last week. Paul was finally able to tell his daughter May (Lily Rabe, of American Horror Story) that he has Parkinson’s, and he’s now trying to avoid thinking about her imminent visit. Gaby (Jessica Williams, of Booksmart) is trying to do something to make her feel better about her divorce, but all of her dates end before they’ve begun as she realises she’s not attracted to any of these men. And then there’s Brian (Michael Urie, of Swan Song), who’s finally ready to propose to his boyfriend Charlie (Devin Kawaoka) but has opted for a surprise engagement party at Jimmy’s house, in front of all their friends.
Needless to say, things don’t go exactly as planned, but, in the best Shrinking tradition, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Paul and Liz provide comic relief with a series of hilarious gags, one involving Liz’s husband Derek (Ted McGinley) bringing them food. Paul isn’t quite himself at the party, but that shows us a side of him we hadn’t seen yet and make us love the character even more, also thanks to the depth Harrison Ford brings to him. Liz is also becoming more likeable with every episode, as we come to realise how empathetic, charming and hilarious she is when she’s not just playing the role of the neighbour.
But the real protagonist of this week’s episode is Jimmy himself, who initially spends his time trying to prevent Alice (Lukita Maxwell, of Generation) and Sean (Luke Tennie, of Players) from spending time together – having just learned that his daughter has a crush on his patient – but eventually opens up to Gaby about what’s really going on with him. We tend to think of the people we lost as the best possible versions of themselves, but the party brings back unhappy memories for Jimmy, who is reminded that he and his wife Tia (Lilan Bowden, of Parks and Recreations) weren’t exactly getting along before she died. Though Gaby is there to reassure him that his wife loved him, he is torn apart by doubt and guilt, since his wife’s passing deprived him of the possibility of finding closure.
What comes next for both sets of characters – Jimmy, Gaby, Alice, and Sean – is best left unspoiled, but we definitely didn’t see any of it coming. Once again, Shrinking handles its characters’ storylines with wit and heart, defying our expectations right at the end of the episode, and giving us exactly the kind of entertainment we needed. Episode 6 of Shrinking might just be the turning point for many of its characters, and it’s also an enjoyable chapter of a series that keeps surprising us, making us laugh, and turning us into emotional wrecks when we least expect to. Next week couldn’t come any sooner.
Episode 6 of Shrinking is now available to watch on Apple TV+.
