Shrinking Season 2, Episode 1, “Jimmying,” sets up a season about avoiding or confronting demons and dealing with the fallout from both. It’s an ideal start after last season’s literal cliffhanger when Jimmy’s patient Grace pushed – or “booped” – her abusive husband off the side of a cliff. In a telling teaser, the episode recontextualizes that situation through a dream created by Jimmy’s guilty conscience, creating a prism for the rest of the episode.
Written by Rachna Fruchbom and directed by Randall Keenan Winston, “Jimmying” delves deeper into what that mindset means for Jimmy’s progress and that of his clients. The episode also takes steps forward in Paul and Gaby’s personal and professional lives. All of this has overwhelmingly positive effects on “Jimmying” and instills confidence in this season.
Gaby, Liz, and the Rock That Binds Them
Gaby and Liz’s friendship is easily one of the best parts of the show. Frankly, it’s refreshing that Shrinking focuses so heavily on a female friendship because that’s still quite rare on TV. Christa Miller and Jessica Williams work so well together. Their chemistry creates a hilarious rhythm for the already smart and funny dialogue. The depth of Gaby and Liz’s well-written banter in Gaby’s office (The rock in her desk drawer!) is one of the episode’s best scenes.
Hopefully, this season starts to veer away from Gaby and Liz’s main topic of conversation being when Gaby will end her friends “with bennies” dynamic with Jimmy. Gaby admitting the dynamic’s flaws to Liz is understandably different than Gaby doing so to herself and Jimmy. That story won’t end in a single episode. Not only would that be unreasonable and unrealistic for the character, but it also wouldn’t service a show like Shrinking that sees longevity in its arcs.
Consequently, it’s reassuring that “Jimmying” introduces additional storylines for Gaby and Liz. This premiere tees up a strained dynamic between Gaby’s sister and mother, of which Gaby is in the middle. There’s also an exciting story about Gaby’s influence as a professor. After seeing Paul support her in securing the job last season, it’s rewarding to see Gaby already navigate that role. As for Liz, “Jimmying” barely scratches the surface of her work with the food truck, and it suggests an eventual exploration of some communication issues with Derek. This season also appears to want to do more with Liz and Derek’s son, but it’s all too vague and weird (the latter on purpose) to know where that’s going.
Paul and the Most (Un)Expected “Woof”
Seeing Paul realize in real time that he can’t avoid the love he feels for Julie or push her away anymore is incredibly endearing. Their relationship is delightful, and “Jimmying” puts them in an excellent spot for the season. It’s telling (and quite funny) that Paul and Julie’s love confession has the tone of a breakup. Harrison Ford and Wendie Malick play that exchange so well that it’s simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. The relationship’s significance encourages a level of attention that, hopefully, the rest of the season delivers.
For now, Shrinking continues to do great work with one of its best dynamics – Paul and Jimmy. In fact, “Jimmying” suggests that the latter may impact the former, making all of this interpersonal conflict richer. After all, Paul ends what eventually becomes a meaningful conversation between him and Julie to focus on Jimmy. In Paul’s defense, Paul is the only person from whom Jimmy will receive that level of constructive criticism.
So even though Paul tries to avoid the big “Woof” of telling Julie that he loves her, the more unexpected “Woof” is Paul being honest with Jimmy about failing Sean with his “Jimmying.” Shrinking is only one episode into its second season, and it’s already addressing some of Season 1’s more glaring red flags, like Sean being a patient of Jimmy’s and living with him. Thankfully, this episode rectifies that by having Paul become Sean’s new therapist, creating exciting opportunities for Ford and Luke Tennie to work together more this season.
Jimmy, Alice, and the Big “Boom”
That sequence of events creates a false sense of normalcy that makes the coda of “Jimmying” especially emotionally effective. Shrinking pulls this off a few ways, and one of them is Alice and Jimmy voicing how far they’ve come since the show’s series premiere. Then, “Jimmying” puts that growth into visual perspective with a fantastically directed flashback of the night when a drunk driver caused a car accident that killed Tia. That sequence’s attention to sensory detail anchors the viewer in the scene; it’s incredible work. It also leaves the drunk driver hidden in a dark shade of anonymity. The episode – and the series, for that matter – never dwells on who caused the accident. Instead, Shrinking focuses on Tia and the impact of her loss.
Alternatively, “Jimmying” places more emphasis on the identity of Sean’s military friend, so it’s easy to assume that is the guest-starring character that Brett Goldstein will portray this season. In the episode’s final act, Shrinking introduces Goldstein as the other unnamed character with a distinctly seismic effect on the series – the drunk driver. That reveal – how it harks back to the directional choices of the flashback and Jason Segel’s performance – is some of the best work this show has done. It takes your breath away. Goldstein is also fantastic in the quiet, subtle responses to Segel’s turn.
That exchange is such a massive punctuation point to the episode that it feels like the “boom” Paul refers to in his session with Sean. For all intents and purposes, it is – it’s an undeniable “boom.” But Shrinking delivers another, more subtle one when Jimmy comes home and repeats the lines Alice has heard all too many times. Lukita Maxwell – with a single expression – represents that other “boom” in Alice’s eyes. Just like that, everything is different again, and what a place to end a season premiere.
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What did you think of Shrinking Season 2, Episode 1, “Jimmying?” Let us know in the comments below!
New episodes of Shrinking Season 2 stream every Wednesday on Apple TV+.
