Trigger warning: Like the episode, this review discusses self-harm and mental health struggles.
Shrinking Season 2, Episode 12, “The Last Thanksgiving,” is a balm for the soul and a satisfying end to the comedy’s sophomore run. Written by Bill Lawrence, Neil Goldman, & Brett Goldstein and directed by Bill Lawrence, this episode follows this season’s lead and moves through fear to culminating moments of bravery. “The Last Thanksgiving” is a touching finale that doesn’t resolve the season’s most obvious shortcomings, but it rounds out their rougher edges enough. Therefore, Shrinking Season 2 reestablishes itself and the characters on mostly solid ground ahead of its already-confirmed third season.
MORE: Have you read our review of Shrinking Season 2, Episode 11, “The Drugs Don’t Work?” Here it is!
Gaby Takes the Right Steps for Her
Even so, one of the best things about this season finale is that it knows what to leave unresolved. Regardless of Shrinking coming back for another season, this episode could race through story to find insufficient resolutions that disservice the characters. Instead, it finds bright spots and longevity in actions or intentions toward change. For instance, “The Last Thanksgiving” has Gaby say the hard thing — she’s a lifelong caretaker who struggles to accept that Derrick wants her but doesn’t need her. This season leads up to her admitting that to herself, and that acknowledgment doesn’t magically solve her problems.
Shrinking gives Derrick the romantic gesture of showing up to dinner with Gaby’s mom (and apple pie), but that bow is anything but perfect. Rightfully so, Gaby and Derrick’s final conversation is about the next steps, not a happily ever after. “The Last Thanksgiving” rekindling that relationship too soon would risk Shrinking treading water instead of pushing Gaby to ride a new wave (and getting to know Derrick more). The same is true about Gaby and her mother – there is plenty left to say and do. This season leaves Gaby where she’s ready to take on that healing journey, and that’s rewarding because of Shrinking’s pacing.
MORE: Don’t forget to read our review of Shrinking Season 2, Episode 10, “Changing Patterns.” Here it is!
Liz and Brian
Likewise, “The Last Thanksgiving” finds a fitting end to Liz’s season-long arc – in Brian’s story. Shrinking Season 2 struggles to consistently represent Brian’s story on screen. Unfortunately, the season finale sidesteps any grand improvements there. Strangely, Derek and Derrick get a one-on-one conversation before Brian and Charlie. Alternatively, this season does wonders for strengthening Brian’s interpersonal relationships among the ensemble, particularly with Liz. So, to some degree, it works for Brian and Liz’s arcs to find fulfillment in one another.
However, it’s more successful for Liz because of the prevalence of her arc this season. The show doesn’t leave as much to the imagination (Why didn’t Shrinking show Brian telling Charlie that Ava changed her mind?) or exposition dumps. “The Last Thanksgiving” follows the last 11 episodes and shows Liz’s arc’s ups and downs. In turn, the full-circle moment of Liz and Derek in their driveway, with Derek asking what he can do, pays off. It’s a, perhaps, easily overlooked example of growth, but it’s sweet after the season they experience.
MORE: Revisit Shrinking Season 2, Episode 9, “Full Grown Dude Face,” with our review. Here it is!
Alice, Jimmy, (Paul)
Similarly, Shrinking earns the pivotal conversation between Alice and Jimmy. While every character has their journey to confronting their trauma and forgiving themself or someone else, Jimmy’s path becomes very clear this season. Consequently, it’s perfect that this dialogue is the season finale’s midpoint; it feels like the heart of “The Last Thanksgiving.” Also, its placement in the episode leaves room for another heavier shoe to drop in the final minutes. It’s narratively and structurally constructive to the episode, season, and series.
Jason Segel and Lukita Maxwell are stunning in it. Their characters’ dynamic feels so lived-in by this point. Maxwell gives a gracious, supporting performance as Segel pours his heart out when Jimmy confesses that Alice is great in spite of him. Segel makes standout choices, like gesturing to his chest — the core of him — when Jimmy says he’s a “terrible father” and regrets not being better. Something as potentially imperceivable as that helps this scene transcend the screen; it feels like a real-life dialogue between a father and a daughter.
Of course, the excellent script makes that possible — the words on the page are expansive, embracing the characters and their relationship’s totality. One of the best lines that expresses this is Alice telling Jimmy, “Even at your lowest, you still carried me upstairs, and that let me know that you were still in there.” It packs so much about Alice and Jimmy (and the work they’ve done) into so few words. It highlights how these characters find courage and security in one another. Whether it be a newly-tumbled rock or a jumbled Spanish phrase, “The Last Thanksgiving” utilizes unconventional yet in-character methods for the characters to say and mean “I love you.”
MORE: Take another look at Shrinking Season 2, Episode 8, “Last Drink.” Here’s our review!
Jimmy, Louis
Sometimes, those three words play out in a stunning monologue from Harrison Ford’s Paul. Everything from “I didn’t go yet” to when he sits down is some of Ford’s best work on Shrinking — a stunning display of Paul’s bravery and adoration for his loved ones. The two forces wind themselves around Paul’s words and branch out to the moving reactions from Segel, Jessica Williams, and the rest of the ensemble. It’s a sequence that extends time, urging the audience and the other characters to be nothing but present and lean on one another.
Shrinking’s edit creates a nearly unbearable rhythm, cutting from the warmth of Gabby’s Thanksgiving to Louis’s cool-toned loneliness at the train station. This show usually finds a silver lining, a sliver of hope, but it becomes a question of whether “The Last Thanksgiving” will be able to deliver such a feat in time. That uncertainty is also a testament to Brett Goldstein’s talent. It’s incredible what he can convey in the furrowing of his eyebrows or the clenching of his fist. Like with Segel, Ford, and every other showstopper in this ensemble (that remains one of the best on TV), Goldstein pulls everyone into those realistic beats.
This season finale finds an uplifting end in the highly-anticipated moment between Jimmy and Louis. It fits nicely alongside Jimmy and Paul’s final scene in “The Drugs Don’t Work” – and, really, everything Shrinking promotes. Even though they play out on different benches in different places, the scenes find continuity in their content – showing up for someone when they are brave enough to ask for help. Shrinking fans can carry that message with them during the hiatus until Season 3, but it also resonates particularly during this holiday season and beyond. Woof, what a great season of TV.
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MORE: Don’t miss our review of Shrinking Season 2, Episode 7, “Get in the Sea.” Here it is!
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What did you think of Shrinking Season 2, Episode 12, “The Last Thanksgiving?” Let us know in the comments below!
Shrinking Season 2 is streaming on Apple TV+.
