Shrink: Season 1

February 13, 2018 3:26 AM - Season 1 (Full Season)

Like most med school grads, David Tracey expected to roll straight into a residency, earn his license to practice medicine and begin paying off his massive student loans. But when his hospital position falls through, David devises a scheme to start offering free psychotherapy - out of his parents' garage. Now, all he needs to do is clock the 1,920 clinical hours required and he'll get his life back on track. But when a ragtag stream of oddball clients begins coming to him for help, he starts to realize something about himself. He may have just found a new career that makes him feel right at home.

First produced for Seeso, it's now available on NBC online. It seems someone is doing everything in their power to make sure no one sees this marvelous gem, created by and staring Tim Baltz.

Shrink – NBC.com

posted by Stanczyk (5 comments total)

Seriously, this is a fantastic show. So hilariously funny in really small ways, and so much heart, brimming with love and kindness. I fear this show will die due to entropy, which would be a crime because it's soooo good. How can we accept the recycling of Will & Grace and then let a show like this fade into obscurity? Please give it a try. Don't let Tinkerbell die.
posted by Stanczyk at 5:19 PM on February 13, 2018

Also, I should admit that I started watching this show because I was really worried that it would either demean the utility and efficacy of therapy, or it would treat mental illness as funny, and neither of those are true. I came to it ready to criticize it. It took me by complete surprise. Not only is its take on therapy refreshing, informed, and unorthodox, its treatment of the patients and their struggles is genuine, respectful, and yet still the source of some pee yourself humor. It's 8 brief episodes and I'm starving for more. Favorite episode is, all of them, but the first sets things up really well, and the last two will take your emotions on a rollercoaster ride. That crazy crying laughter where you're intensely moved, yet it is so fucking funny that you can't help but laugh.
posted by Stanczyk at 5:30 PM on February 13, 2018

That was a good season! I watched it in a binge. I think Seeso series in general might fall through the cracks.
posted by Pronoiac at 3:09 PM on February 15, 2018

As a fan of Thrilling Adventure Hour, it was a pleasure seeing Craig Cackowski pop up, to make job offers or retract.
posted by Pronoiac at 4:28 PM on February 18, 2018

I have mixed feelings on this. I was sold on Stanczyk's recommendation, but while I agree that it's a good representation of therapy and people in therapy, David is a weird mix of an old man and a goofy kid. Okay, sometimes that can also describe me, so maybe I'm being harsh on warped mirror of myself, but it was awkward to see him lack the ability to see how what he's doing or saying as inappropriate seemed like it was played for laughs.

He felt like something of a man-child in those moments, dressing up in a fuddy sort of way, yet laughing at the childhood traumas he inflicted on his best friend's sister. Sure, he finally gets more serious, but he's not the only weird adult-child hybrid. Like the weird get-together with other folks from his program -- I was honestly expecting him to wake up and realize it was a dream, because the reaction of all his friends was so sudden, from camaraderie to derision.

Maybe this was an uneven first season, and if it gets a second, it might find better footing, and I'd check it out again. I appreciate that it was handling therapy as more than a set-up for endless jokes, but it was still missing a balance.

To be more positive, I'd put this closer to People of Earth (FanFare) than Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. Honest and kind to its characters, with humor balanced by seriousness. (Except, I don't like it as much as People of Earth.)
posted by filthy light thief at 10:00 AM on February 23, 2018