Shrinking Season 3, Episode 3, “D-Day,” pulls back on a pivotal day to explore the mundane yet monumental moments in life. This episode, written by Bill Posley and directed by Zach Braff, does so with the backdrop of the arrival of Brian and Charlie’s baby. In fact, most of “D-Day” is spent in and around the hospital. So, Shrinking could have lost track of time, but it doesn’t. “D-Day” chronicles the linear timeline with setting suns through windows and at parks.
In turn, Shrinking embeds the viewers in this day with the characters, benefiting the episode’s overall emotional resonance. “D-Day” makes it so Brian’s stress, being down to the wire for Ava to sign the adoption papers, is not only understandable but palpable. The visible passing of the day makes visible the increasing weight of time on Paul’s shoulders. While it captures all of that pressure, “D-Day” also leans into the relief in that beautiful final scene that rivals the unforgettable scene from Shrinking Season 2, Episode 12, “The Last Thanksgiving.”
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Jimmy and Taking Risks
This episode drops into a rather uncomfortable situation as Jeff Daniels makes his debut as Jimmy’s dad. The previous episode suggests that the season will gradually build anticipation around that relationship before Jimmy’s dad appears. “D-Day” subverts that by introducing the character and all the baggage that comes with him so early in the 11-episode run. Shrinking quickly establishes that this father/son dynamic is something that arises out of convenience for Jimmy’s father. Jason Segel embodies how that sits with Jimmy; the history of repeated patterns practically has a seat at the dinner table.
Relatedly, it’s exciting to see Segel play a side of Jimmy that Shrinking hasn’t really explored because this relationship hasn’t come into the forefront in this capacity until now. Really, “D-Day” showcases the range of Segel’s work – from everything with Jimmy’s dad and anchoring Brian at every turn to slurping up the leftover spaghetti and pulling Liz back from pretending to be an OBGYN. Despite Jimmy taking a more supportive role in this episode, there is a lot going on for the character internally and in Shrinking’s serialized arcs, like Jimmy’s romantic future.
“I do not think I can handle another bad ending” boils down to Jimmy’s struggle to move forward in a devastatingly succinct line. It’s delightful to watch Liz be receptive to that and then give him the push towards Kimmy that Liz knows he needs. Relationships do end, and it may be beneficial for Jimmy to experience that in a low-stakes relationship with Kimmy before exploring something bigger with Sofi. Jimmy knows that the relationship, which doesn’t even exist yet, has higher stakes: “I’m not ready for that one. It feels too real.” Shrinking makes it so easy to look forward to the journey that gets Jimmy there, to Sofi.
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Gaby, Sean, and Confessing Flaws
“D-Day” really examines how beneficial and scary it can be to verbalize flaws and vulnerabilities. It’s productive for Gaby and Maya and nudges along Gaby’s intention to reengage with her work. The latter comes through a development of her approach with the guidance of Paul. It’s already rewarding to watch Gaby explore how she wants to move forward in this job that she so clearly loves. For Maya, her character is a lot like Jimmy’s dad. It’s evident Shrinking will reveal more about her as the season goes, and the weekly release model gives her story that time to unfold.
Likewise, it’ll be interesting to see where Sean and Marisol go from here. The latter is introduced to help Sean move forward; Gaby says as much. Characters come about to move the plot all the time. That said, Isabella Gomez is so fantastic that it would be great to see Marisol come into her own, independent of her relationship with Sean.
In fairness, Shrinking is full of standouts in its cast. It’s genuinely hilarious that Summer steps in as a buffer at not one but two awkward dinners. Rachel Stubington is perfect in both scenes. There’s even a whole workplace dynamic among the nurses and anesthesiologists (and Liz) that has such a funny undercurrent in those hospital scenes. Also, Claudia Sulewski delivers an absolutely moving performance when Ava asks Brian if she’s a bad person for giving up the baby. Shrinking is so well-written that most of the characters across the ensemble feel full of life. It’s the kind of show where actors need one scene in one episode to be a scene stealer.
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Paul and Being Presen
For example, Michael Urie can make every line memorable. His choices in his deliveries are why he needs to be in conversations for Emmy Awards every year. Honestly, Shrinking should, too, considering it takes the time to give Brian a spirit tunnel like he’s on The Jennifer Hudson Show. Of course, Derek spearheads that; he’s such a rock (pun intended) for everyone, especially Brian in “D-Day.” It’s actually great that Shrinking contextualizes the “Derek Special” through a more nuanced and parental lens.
There’s a lot of advice, passing of batons, and keeping each other afloat in “D-Day” that falls entirely in line with Shrinking’s thesis – and theme song. It’s heartening to watch, particularly in every scene that takes place on the park bench that has become a character in its own right. Hearing Paul be honest about how his relationship with that park and his body has changed with age is powerful. As is Paul having the foresight to pass Alice’s park-bench therapy sessions to Gaby. She reflects Paul’s confidence in her when Gaby notices that Paul isn’t okay, even though his back is to her.
It’s as if she already knows the expression – Harrison Ford just bowls me over every time – that only the camera sees. So, Gaby shows up for him to give him what he needs: a positive effect of time moving forward. The image of this man who has articulated that he knows he’s closer to the end of life than the beginning, holding a baby who is only beginning their journey, is incredibly powerful. The hospital room being full of people who love them both makes the moment all the more exceptional. There’s no better line to the episode – and this review – than “Enjoy the ride, kid.”
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