Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Shrinking season 3, episode 10, “The Bodyguard of Sadness.”When Shrinking returns for season 4, it will have undergone some massive changes.
Created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, and Brett Goldstein, Apple TV’s Shrinking is a critically acclaimed series that begins with a therapist named Jimmy (Segel) grieving the death of his wife Tia (Lilan Bowden) and telling his patients what he really thinks about their problems. The series evolves into a larger exploration of the importance of mental health through a balance of humor and drama. It was planned for three seasons, only to be renewed for season 4, which raised questions about what the show’s future would look like.
On X, Lawrence shared an Apple TV video featuring a compilation of Gaby (Jessica Williams) expressing her enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings and reminded viewers that “Season finale and end of this three season story next week. Hope you dig it.” He then revealed that he is “Excited to start completely new story next year. Feels scary/risky/fun” and ended by saying “Thanks for watching.” Lawrence clarified in a later post that “there is a Season 4 with the EXACT same cast (that’s why we are doing it, we love each other).”
Lawrence’s comments confirm that instead of extending the original three-season plan, Shrinking season 4 will be telling a brand-new story. He acknowledges this being risky to do, but that the series will still have the same cast of characters, the series regulars of which are Jimmy, Gaby, Paul (Harrison Ford), Alice (Lukita Maxwell), Sean (Luke Tennie), Liz (Christa Miller), Derek (Ted McGinley), Brian (Michael Urie), and other established characters.
Shrinking season 3, episode 10 already sets up some significant changes with Paul retiring and moving away from California to live with his family in Connecticut, Alice graduating from high school and heading to Wesleyan University soon, Brian going to New Mexico for three months with his husband Charlie (Devin Kawaoka) and their baby, Sean closing his food truck and becoming a sous-chef, Liz and Derek learning that they’re going to become grandparents, and Gaby turning the cognitive behavioral therapy center into a trauma center.
All the main characters have their endings and potential new beginnings set up, except for Jimmy, who is still struggling to move forward. He is at a low point after breaking up with Sofi (Cobie Smulders), being let down by his father (Jeff Daniels) once again, feeling abandoned by everyone in his life, and getting angry at Paul during their last interaction before the move to Connecticut. The season 3 finale will presumably resolve some of Jimmy’s abandonment issues, his conflict with Paul, and what his future looks like, since Lawrence confirms this will be the end of the planned three-season story, although it seems like a lot to pack into one episode.
A possibility with the current Shrinking cast is that they will be split into a West Coast and East Coast storyline. The West Coast storyline would focus on the characters in California, and if there is a time jump of more than three months, Brian and his family can return. The East Coast storyline would be centered on Alice, Paul, Paul’s daughter Meg (Lily Rabe), and likely new characters as well in Connecticut. Jimmy and Alice’s other loved ones could come visit her at Wesleyan and see Paul while they are there, and Alice could return to California during her school breaks and the summer.
The Shrinking season 3 finale releases on Apple TV on Wednesday, April 8.
- Release Date
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January 27, 2023
- Network
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Apple TV
- Showrunner
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Bill Lawrence
