Shrinking
American comedy series
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- 6 chapters
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Through COVID-19 pandemic
The series premiered on January 27, 2023, on Apple TV+. It has received positive reviews, with praise for its performances, writing, humor, and examination of grief. It was renewed for a second season in March 2023. The second season premiered on October 16, 2024. In the same month, the series was renewed for an 11-episode third season, which premiered on Apple TV on January 28, 2026. Shrinking was renewed for a fourth season in January 2026.
The first season received two nominations at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Segel and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Williams. Ford received nominations at the Critics' Choice Awards and the TCA Awards for his performance, along with nominations for the series itself. For its second season, the series was recognized as one of the top ten television programs of the year by the American Film Institute.
Premise
A therapist, Jimmy Laird, dealing with severe grief after his wife's death, begins to breach ethical barriers by telling his patients what he really thinks, resulting in massive changes to his and their lives.
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Cast and characters
Main
- Jason Segel as Jimmy Laird, a therapist who works at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center and is grieving the death of his wife
- Jessica Williams as Gaby Evans, a fellow therapist working with Jimmy at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center
- Luke Tennie as Sean Mitchell, a patient suffering from anger management issues who has sessions with Jimmy
- Michael Urie as Brian Lorenzo, Jimmy's best friend who is a lawyer
- Lukita Maxwell as Alice Laird, Jimmy's teenaged daughter with whom he has a strained relationship
- Christa Miller as Liz Bishop, Jimmy's next-door neighbor who also helps with looking after Alice
- Harrison Ford as Dr. Paul Rhoades, a senior therapist and colleague of Jimmy's at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center who has Parkinson's disease
- Ted McGinley as Derek Bishop (season 2–present; recurring season 1), Liz's husband
Recurring
- Heidi Gardner as Grace (seasons 1–2), one of Jimmy's patients
- Lilan Bowden as Tia (seasons 1–2, guest season 3), Jimmy's wife and Alice's mother who was killed in a drunk driving accident
- Devin Kawaoka as Charlie, Brian's fiancé and eventually husband
- Rachel Stubington as Summer, Alice's best friend at school
- Kenajuan Bentley as Tim, Sean's estranged father
- Lily Rabe as Meg, Paul's daughter
- Wendie Malick as Dr. Julie Baram, a neurologist treating Paul's Parkinson's disease with whom he begins a romance and eventually marries
- Kimberly Condict as Wally, one of Jimmy's patients who has obsessive–compulsive disorder
- Tilky Jones as Donny (seasons 1–2), Grace's abusive husband
- Mike C. Nelson as Dan, one of Jimmy's patients
- Jill Knox as Donna, Mark's wife and one of Gaby's patients
- Keith Powell as Mark, Donna's husband and one of Gaby's patients
- Gavin Lewis as Connor Bishop (season 2; guest seasons 1, 3), a son of neighbors Liz and Derek and friend of Alice
- Neil Flynn as Raymond (season 2–present; guest season 1), one of Paul's patients
- Trey Santiago-Hudson as Jorge (season 2-present), a veteran who served with Sean and now runs a food truck with him
- Brett Goldstein as Louis Winston (season 2–present), the drunk driver responsible for Tia's fatal car accident, who ultimately befriends Alice and later Jimmy
- Courtney Taylor as Courtney (season 2), Gaby's sister
- Amy Rosoff as Dr. Sykes (season 2, guest season 3), Paul's new doctor
- Vernee Watson as Phyllis (season 2–present), Gaby's mother
- Josh Hopkins as Mac (season 2, guest season 3), Liz's ex-boyfriend who reenters her life
- Damon Wayans Jr. as Derrick #2 (season 2–present), Derek's friend who hits it off with Gaby
- Markus Silbiger as Matthew Bishop (season 3, guest season 2), a son of Liz and Derek's
- Claudia Sulewski as Ava (season 3, guest season 2), a pregnant mother who interviews Brian and Charlie for adopting her child
- Cobie Smulders as Sofi (season 3, guest season 2), Jimmy's love interest
Guest
- Asif Ali as Alan (season 1), one of Jimmy's patients
- Miriam Flynn as Pam (season 1; season 3), Jimmy and Liz's heavily disliked neighbor
- Brian Howe as Kip (season 1; season 3), Brian's father
- Kelly Bishop as Susan (season 2), Paul's ex-wife and Meg's mother
- Meredith Hagner as Sarah (season 2–present), Louis' former fiancée
- Tanner Zagarino as Dylan (season 2), Alice's classmate with whom she goes on a casual date
- Nora Kirkpatrick as Kellie (season 2–present), a nanny hired by Brian and Charlie
- Matt Mitchell as Will Bishop (season 2-present), Liz and Derek's mature and responsible son
- Michael J. Fox as Gerry (season 3-present), a Parkinson's patient Paul meets at the doctor's office
- Isabella Gomez as Marisol (season 3), Sean's ex-girlfriend who comes back into his life
- Sherry Cola as Maya (season 3), Gaby's newest patient
- Samuel Page as Casey (season 3), Sarah's new boyfriend
- Jeff Daniels as Randy Laird (season 3), Jimmy's father
- Lisa Gilroy as Kimmy (season 3), a nurse Liz sets Jimmy up with
- Candice Bergen as Constance (season 3), Derek's mother
- Matt Jones as Nick (season 3), Sofi's ex-husband
- Meg DeLacy as Peyton (season 3), Will Bishop's pregnant girlfriend
- Karen Gillan (season 4)
- Judith Light (season 4)
- Scott Foley (season 4)
Episodes
Series overview
Season 1 (2023)
Season 2 (2024)
Season 3 (2026)
Production
It was announced in October 2021 that Apple TV+ had ordered a ten-episode season for the series, which would star Jason Segel, who co-created alongside Brett Goldstein and Bill Lawrence. In April 2022, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie, and Lukita Maxwell joined the cast, with James Ponsoldt joining the production as a director and executive producer. Production began in April 2022. The first season has a total of ten episodes. The series theme song "Frightening Fishes" was written by Ben Gibbard and Tom Howe.
During a 2023 interview with Harrison Ford for The Hollywood Reporter, author James Hibberd reminded Ford that he had said in 2002 that he was content to work only once per year and asked him why he had accepted the offer to play Dr. Paul Rhoades. Ford replied that he wanted to try new things after a period of not doing as much work as he wished due to the COVID-19 pandemic and his commitments to the titular role of the long-delayed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. As with his role in 1923, Ford accepted the Shrinking role despite there not being a script at the time, trusting that Segel, Goldstein, Lawrence and Brian Gallivan would deliver him a good script.
In March 2023, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a second season. In June 2024, Ashley Nicole Black joined the second season as a writer and a cast member in an undisclosed capacity. The season filmed from January to June 2024. Ted McGinley, who had a recurring role in the first season, was promoted to series regular for the second season. The show was pitched to Apple as a three-season-show, but the creators are open to continue if a fitting story emerges. On October 17, 2024, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a third season. Filming for the third season began in mid-February 2025 and concluded on July 16, 2025.
Shrinking was renewed for a fourth season in January 2026. Lawrence stated that the original three season story arc will still conclude as planned and the fourth season will begin "a new story with the same cast."
Lawsuit
In September 2026, it was reported that Mindy Tessa McKoin, a former second assistant director of Shrinking filed a lawsuit against Randall Keenan Winston and WBTV by alleging that the real reason she was fired from the series by Kip Kroeger because of reporting an intentional "sexual abuse" by Winston during the wrap party of the second season in July 2024, as well as her raising a stink about "inaccurate time records and pay statements".
Release
Shrinking was released on January 27, 2023, with the first two episodes premiering together and the rest releasing on a weekly basis on Apple TV+. The second season premiered on October 16, 2024. The third season premiered on January 28, 2026, with a one-hour episode and the rest debuting on a weekly basis until the season finale on April 8.
Reception
Critical response
Season 1
For the first season, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 91% approval rating based on 94 critic reviews with an average rating of 7.65/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Shrinking has darker ideas on its mind than its earnest approach can often translate, but Jason Segel and Harrison Ford's sparkling turns make these characters worth close analysis." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 68 out of 100 based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a B+ and described the series as "a funny, brainy grief-com about the power—and dangers—of radical honesty." Chicago Sun-Times's Richard Roeper gave a rating of 3.5 out of 4 stars and said, "You never know what goes on behind the scenes, but one gets the feeling Ford is having a great time on this show. We're sure having a great time watching it." Writing for The Wall Street Journal, John Anderson stated, "The overall sense is a little like laughing at a funeral; the human impulses are familiar, a little perverse and somehow comforting."
Season 2
The second season received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 97% approval rating based on 82 critic reviews with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's critics consensus states, "Settling into a hangout comedy that's content to luxuriate in these lovable characters' company, Shrinking's appeal only continues to grow in this big-hearted second season." On Metacritic, the season has a score of 75 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Season 3
On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season holds a 92% approval rating based on 37 critic reviews with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's critics consensus read, "Shrinking's soothing balm of eager humanity shines through in the series' laugh inducing, heartstring pulling and tender third season." On Metacritic, the season has a score of 76 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".