Shrinking Season 2, Episode 11, “The Drugs Don’t Work,” is a pressure keg of personal limits that brings the ensemble to new highs and lows. Frankly, even that description simplifies what the season’s penultimate episode, written by Neil Goldman and directed by Randall Keenan Winston, accomplishes. As Shrinking approaches its holiday season, this episode’s specificity feels all too universal in its content and timing. Being one episode before its season finale, “The Drugs Don’t Work” enhances investment in the series by keeping its head up through some of the most affecting character beats.
Contrary to how that may sound, Shrinking doesn’t wear rose-colored glasses to breeze through the stickier situations. Instead, “The Drugs Don’t Work” sits in them – for better and worse. The script holds space (however overused and meaningless that phrase has become) for the light and shades of the characters’ experiences. That duality bolsters a relatability that makes Shrinking one of the best shows on TV. It doesn’t shy away from discomfort, fear, or mistakes because all those forces are pivotal in change and life.
MORE: Have you read our Shrinking Season 2, Episode 10, “Changing Patterns,” review yet? Here it is!
Paul Looks Onward
It’s not a given for TV to follow characters into their respective trenches anymore. With shortened seasons and early cancellations, it’s more often than not that those deeper, messier arcs are cut short with less than satisfying results. So, even knowing that Shrinking will return for a third season, this level of character-driven storytelling is still a luxury. It’s imperative to soak up every morsel of greatness this show delivers, including Paul learning that his (max dosage) medicines are becoming less effective for treating Parkinson’s.
This scene is brutal, from Gaby trying to see the bright side (while clutching her and Paul’s comically large water bottles) to Dr. Sykes’s demeanor changing before delivering the news. It may be needless to note that Harrison Ford is incredible in this sequence, but it’s true. It’s stunning to watch Paul process the news that his symptoms will likely be unmanageable in 6 months to a year. That pill is a giant one to swallow, and, unfortunately, it’s all too familiar to so many people who live with Parkinson’s disease or love someone who does.
MORE: Don’t miss our review of Shrinking Season 2, Episode 9, “Full Grown Dude Face.” Here it is!
Progress Is Different for Everyone
The scene finds a crushing yet fitting end with Paul smiling and saying, “Onward.” Of course, as a Ted Lasso fan, that word pulls me right back to “Onward, forward.” However, it also serves a beautiful purpose in Shrinking. The sentiment is universal – the only way out is through the peaks and valleys life creates over time. For plenty of the show’s characters, therapy provides tools to make that journey more manageable. “The Drugs Don’t Work” puts that into action with Sean, who finds himself at a crossroads because of his hard work.
This penultimate episode positions Sean in the familiar place of being content with where he is but realizing he wants something more. It’s heartening that Derek reminds Sean that “the universe will present another opportunity.” Shrinking is clever in using Derek as the mouthpiece for that evergreen piece of advice. After all, who is better at making everything feel better than Derek?
So, even though it would have been nice to see more of Sean’s personal life (The food truck! His dad! Jorge! Dr. Sykes!) on screen, Shrinking Season 2, Episode 2, “I Love Pain,” builds off the first season and gives his arc the foundation it needs to earn this development. Despite Shrinking being even less consistent with Brian, “The Drugs Don’t Work” is so heart-on-its-sleeve good that it’s easier to set aside season-long grievances to celebrate the win for Brian and Charlie. (Plus, the Rule of Three with Brian’s monologue about Louis is too good.) With only one episode less this season, it’s impossible to imagine a one-on-one conversation between the couple about anything, let alone their baby. It’s best to appreciate what Shrinking does provide — joy at the cornhole bar.
MORE: Revisit Shrinking Season 2, Episode 8, “Last Drink,” with our review. Here it is!
Gaby & Derrick, Endings & Beginnings
Unfortunately, that joy does not extend to Gaby. As expected, her relationship with Derrick comes to a heartbreaking end in “The Drugs Don’t Work.” Even though Shrinking signals this irreparable fracture in their relationship from the beginning, the journey to this point makes it all land with a resounding yet saddening success. Gaby is more aware than ever that she struggles with setting boundaries and putting herself first. Still, she hesitates to let Derrick in – she even admits it in one of the most awkward and relatable scenes this season.
The episode holds a cracked mirror to their relationship when Gaby points out Derrick’s insecurity to avoid addressing her own. Jessica Williams and Damon Wayans Jr. make that exchange so painfully honest that it takes a second to register Daughter’s “Medicine” scoring the scene. The reflection shows why Gaby and Derrick can’t work, but it also plays as the beginning of something as much as it does the ending. Like Sean deciding what’s next, this break-up is the universe showing Gaby what she needs – time to learn to prioritize herself.
MORE: It’s time to take another look at what happens in Shrinking Season 2, Episode 7, “Get in the Sea.” Here’s our review!
Alice Does the Right Thing
This season is about forgiveness (Season 1 is about grief), but it also features the reminder that to care for others, one must take care of oneself. That theme feels exceptionally sharp, coming from the perspectives of (mostly) therapists. Shrinking Season 2, Episode 11, “The Drugs Don’t Work,” sees Jimmy struggle with that concept, but it sees Alice actualize it quite well with Louis. That distinction alone is fascinating, and Paul defines it – Alice gets the help she needs, but Jimmy refuses to acknowledge that he needs it.
Because of Alice’s work, she is in a good enough space to get to this place with Louis. Lukita Maxwell and Brett Goldstein are among the best duos in Shrinking Season 2 – it’s incredible to watch Alice and Louis find mutual healing in one another. (It’s also fun to hear Goldstein deliver quips about Dylan and Thanksgiving). It’s crucial to note that unlike when Jimmy leaves his apartment in “Last Drink,” it’s hard to know if Louis is putting on a brave face in this sequence. Regardless of whether Louis celebrates the holidays, that (hopefully) unifying time of the year can be the most isolating for people. Taking “The Drugs Don’t Work” for what it gives, it’s good to know that Louis has Eddy – and Alice.
MORE: Have you read our review of Shrinking Season 2, Episode 6, “In a Lonely Place?” Here it is!
Jimmy Has a Breakthrough
Thankfully, Shrinking doesn’t leave Jimmy in a lonely place. However, the journey to that point is anything but smooth – again, a reflection of the show’s dedication to authenticity. Even attempting to reform Donny is a flashing red light that Jimmy ignores. “The Drugs Don’t Work” takes Jimmy to dark and mean places before leading him to that famed bench. The episode follows a steady erosion of Jimmy’s walls, and as that defense mechanism crumbles, Jimmy lashes out to protect himself. For example, Jimmy and Paul’s confrontation feels almost too long because of how personal and scathing it becomes.
However, all of that deflection and discomfort are useful for Shrinking. They push Jimmy to accept that his patient is getting better, but his smile is fading faster. Paul can voice everything Jimmy won’t, but he can’t force Jimmy to ask for help. All he can do is remind Jimmy that he will be there when he does. By the time The National’s “I Need My Girl” kicks in (Thanks for that, Christa Miller!), it’s impossible not to feel “The Drugs Don’t Work” – and Jason Segel’s performance – deep in your bones, gut, and heart. Suddenly, that wooden bench becomes the safest place to fall – a place where a breakdown is also recognized as a breakthrough, where no one is alone, and it’s okay not to be okay. Because it is.
MORE: Don’t miss our review of Shrinking Season 2, Episode 5, “Honesty Era.” Here it is!
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What did you think of Shrinking Season 2, Episode 11, “The Drugs Don’t Work?” Let us know in the comments below!
The Shrinking Season 2 finale streams on Wednesday, December 25, on Apple TV+.
