Warning! Spoilers for Shrinking season 3, episode 2 ahead!
Shrinking season 3, episode 2 continues the show’s theme of moving forward, this time focusing on Jimmy and Louis’ desire to get back to living their lives. In the season 3 premiere, we saw that this duo has continued their unlikely friendship, offering support to one another as they cope with the tragedy of Tia’s death. Both Jimmy and Louis have made significant strides, but going into Shrinking season 3 episode 2, it becomes clear they’ll have to fight for their happiness.
Jimmy and Louis aren’t the only ones with plans to move forward. The last time we saw Paul in Shrinking, he had experienced his first hallucination, just after deciding to live life to the fullest in the face of his Parkinson’s diagnosis. Gaby was doing well in her relationship with Derek (#2), but that was only the beginning of her efforts to break down some emotional walls.Then there are Liz, Derek, Sean, and Alice, each of whom is making their own efforts to change old patterns. Going into Shrinking season 3, episode 2, each of these characters takes further steps toward their goals, some big and some very small (though no less important).
Shrinking season 3’s premiere came with a heartwarming ending in which Paul and Julie tied the knot, surrounded by all their loved ones. However, the evening wasn’t entirely perfect. While enjoying the reception, Paul saw Gerry (Michael J. Fox), a man with Parkinson’s, whom he had met at the doctor’s office. It only took Paul a few moments to discover that Gerry wasn’t actually here. This was a hallucination.
In this next episode, it’s mentioned that Paul’s hallucination was brought on by a urinary tract infection (UTI). Julie explains that such an infection puts a lot of stress on the body, and, in the case of Parkinson’s Disease, this can have a strange impact on the brain. The best course of action for Paul is to take his health extremely seriously. He must eat and drink well, go to the gym, and maintain the strict schedule that is carefully maintained by Liz (who else?).
Gaby Is Struggling To Accept Jimmy & Alice’s Relationship With Louis
Image via Apple TV+
Now that Gaby is in a real, loving relationship with Derek number two, it’s time for her to work on some of those other brick walls she’s built up around her heart and mind. In Shrinking season 3, episode 2, we see this culminate as Gaby observes the closeness between Jimmy, Alice, and Louis. Her anger and resentment begin to spill over into how Gaby interacts with her patients, so it becomes imperative that she shares how she feels.
While Jimmy and Alice have managed to forgive the man responsible for Tia’s car crash, Gaby can’t quite wrap her mind around the idea. She finally blows up at Louis in this episode, telling him that he should have spent the rest of his life in prison. What makes Gaby even angrier than Louis’ freedom, however, is how he chooses to spend it. Gaby resents him for refusing to live his life.
Gaby’s declaration in Shrinking season 3, episode 2, ultimately helps Louis take the next step in his healing. However, it remains to be seen whether it will grant Gaby some emotional freedom.
Derek & Liz Finally Set Boundaries With Their Son
Shrinking season 3 introduced a new problem for Derek and Liz. Their son, Matthew, has once again moved back in after losing his job. Matthew is 25 years old, but seems to have absolutely nothing going for him. He depends entirely on his parents, and though Liz can be harsh, even she doesn’t have the heart to put a stop to their coddling.
In Shrinking season 3, episode 2, Paul pushes Derek and Liz to face the cold, hard truth. Matthew’s circumstances are entirely their fault. They haven’t prepared their son to handle issues on his own, so he doesn’t even try. Derek, who struggles the most to create healthy boundaries with Matthew, is ultimately the one who has to have the hard conversation. It was hard, but he gave his son a day to move out of their house.
Sean Struggles To Confront A Past Relationship
Shrinking season 2 came with a lot of big moments for Sean. So far in season 3, things have calmed down for him quite a bit. Sean now has a great relationship with his dad, and his work with Paul has given him tools to handle his PTSD. In season 3, episode 2, Sean’s greatest issue is facing some of the decisions he made while at his worst.
A young woman comes to Sean’s food truck in Shrinking season 3, episode 2, and, while attempting to hide among Liz and Gaby, Sean explains that she is an old girlfriend who broke up with him while he was in Afghanistan. He hadn’t handled it well, and, ashamed of his behavior, wants to avoid any confrontation. Interestingly, it’s Liz’s pep talk that sets Sean straight. She reminds him that he is a kind-hearted person who made a mistake. Since Liz is absolutely right, Sean ultimately calls Marisol to work things out.
Louis Finally Faces Sarah & Chooses To Resume His Life
The biggest moment in Shrinking season 3, episode 2 is Louis’ long-awaited confrontation with his ex-fiance, Sarah. We saw through flashbacks that Sarah was with Louis during the accident that killed Tia. After everything, she was determined to stay by Louis’ side and help him out of the dark, but Louis pushed her away. He ended their relationship, and hadn’t seen the heartbroken Sarah since.
At the start of this episode, Louis tells Jimmy that he has been imagining conversations with Sarah for years. After Tia’s death, Louis had thrown his entire life away in an effort to punish himself. He ended his career and relationship, and even after developing friendships with Jimmy and Alice, Louis couldn’t bring himself to jump back into things. It was Gaby’s anger over the fact that he was wasting his own life while Tia’s had ended that inspired him to finally take a step forward.
Louis knew that moving on had to start with Sarah. So, in this episode of Shrinking, he goes to her house to apologize. It’s a complicated moment in which Sarah bounces between her anger at Louis and her relief at seeing him. Said and done, the two share an embrace—another moment of forgiveness and acceptance.
While Louis had maintained a sliver of hope that his relationship with Sarah could start again, his reunion with her proved that it wasn’t possible. Sarah has a new boyfriend, and, contrary to what Louis might have wished, the man was extremely kind and compassionate. It may not have been the outcome Louis had hoped for, but it was precisely what he needed to move on. At the end of Shrinking season 3, episode 2, Louis finally decides it’s time to get back to his career and start living.
Jimmy Still Can’t Bring Himself To Ask Sofi Out
Jimmy was persistent in Shrinking season 3, episode 2, that Louis should get back to living his life. Of course, he also acknowledged that this wasn’t advice he was personally practicing. Jimmy has come a long way since the start of the show, but his romantic life is still stunted. The opportunity to rediscover love is right there in front of him in episode 2, but he can’t bring himself to take it.
Jimmy has undeniable chemistry with Sofi (Cobie Smulders), the divorced woman who sold him a car for Alice in Shrinking season 2. Despite a handful of in-person or text interactions, he hasn’t asked her out. Jimmy likes Sofi, but his fear of moving forward has kept him at a distance.
The ending of season 3, episode 2 makes it look like Jimmy is finally going to make a move. However, before the credits roll, we see him chicken out (a couple of times) and run back down the driveway. Of course, this is precisely what Sofi did at Jimmy’s house a couple of nights before. It seems that neither is quite ready yet, but perhaps by Shrinking‘s next episode, that can finally begin to change.
- Release Date
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January 27, 2023
- Network
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Apple TV
- Showrunner
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Bill Lawrence
