Shrinking: Woof
February 17, 2023 5:56 PM - Season 1, Episode 5 - Subscribe
When Jimmy hits a roadblock with Sean, he doesn't have Paul to consult for advice. Brian makes an announcement about his relationship. AV Club review.
What this really means: Jimmy swears off talking to Paul, but Paul's needed to get through to Sean when Sean is bothered about being given his medals. Brian wants to propose to his boyfriend, but admits he hasn't taken any big risks since coming out after college (and his parents haven't talked to him since). Paul's about to tell his daughter about the Parkinson's at the end of the episode.
Paul: "I'm fun in the car. I do Punch Buggy." (Let me see this, please?)
Jimmy and Sean:
"Neither of us are getting anywhere just sitting here feeling resentful, right?"
"I mean, I kinda like it."
"I know, it's so good!"
Gaby's therapy clients:
"Why don't you just take a nap and see if Dream Mark apologizes?"
"He won't! Dream Mark is an asshole."
Alice: "A month ago, I was cleaning your cocaine off a photo of Meemaw."
Gaby: "Straight Brian sounds really hot."
I rather enjoyed Gaby and Brian's talk, especially how he's so obnoxious about "everything's going my way!" (I note the book I'm reading now does this), but that's because he hasn't done anything big in years.
Also, Sean feels bad about being an asshole with a gun, pointing it at kids, while in the military. You were a scared kid, says Paul.
What this really means: Jimmy swears off talking to Paul, but Paul's needed to get through to Sean when Sean is bothered about being given his medals. Brian wants to propose to his boyfriend, but admits he hasn't taken any big risks since coming out after college (and his parents haven't talked to him since). Paul's about to tell his daughter about the Parkinson's at the end of the episode.
Paul: "I'm fun in the car. I do Punch Buggy." (Let me see this, please?)
Jimmy and Sean:
"Neither of us are getting anywhere just sitting here feeling resentful, right?"
"I mean, I kinda like it."
"I know, it's so good!"
Gaby's therapy clients:
"Why don't you just take a nap and see if Dream Mark apologizes?"
"He won't! Dream Mark is an asshole."
Alice: "A month ago, I was cleaning your cocaine off a photo of Meemaw."
Gaby: "Straight Brian sounds really hot."
I rather enjoyed Gaby and Brian's talk, especially how he's so obnoxious about "everything's going my way!" (I note the book I'm reading now does this), but that's because he hasn't done anything big in years.
Also, Sean feels bad about being an asshole with a gun, pointing it at kids, while in the military. You were a scared kid, says Paul.
The Liz and Gaby friendship is fun. I can't quite get a read on the relationships -- Brian has avoided proposing for how long exactly? Because he's barely interacted with Paul or Jimmy for the last year, and it doesn't feel like he and Gaby are close friends outside the friend group that (maybe) Jimmy's wife was directing.
I don't want to know more about Liz's husband! I like him so much and I don't want to know more lol.
posted by grandiloquiet at 9:42 PM on February 20, 2023
I don't want to know more about Liz's husband! I like him so much and I don't want to know more lol.
posted by grandiloquiet at 9:42 PM on February 20, 2023
I’m really enjoying this, and I realized that at this point I’ll pretty much enjoy anything Bill Lawrence signs his name to.
I loved that but at the end where Sean turns to Jimmy and says “He’s way better at this than you.” And Jimmy says “Yeah, no kidding” with nothing but respect and admiration!
posted by TwoWordReview at 8:25 PM on February 24, 2023
I loved that but at the end where Sean turns to Jimmy and says “He’s way better at this than you.” And Jimmy says “Yeah, no kidding” with nothing but respect and admiration!
posted by TwoWordReview at 8:25 PM on February 24, 2023
I can't quite get a read on the relationships
I feel like all of them were sort of dancing around each other for all of Jimmy's "missing" year -- Liz and Derek helping with Alice, maybe getting Jimmy to work every now and then; Gaby and Paul keeping Jimmy propped up at work and checking on him at home every now and then; Brian being there as much as he could even though Jimmy was ghosting him. When Jimmy "woke up" and Sean moved in, more or less at the same time, it just kind of made the group congeal, and the occasional whispered Liz-Gaby and Brian-Gaby and Alice-Paul conversations could come out into the open. It looks like they all became actual friends quickly, but the pieces were there for a while ready to click together like when you suddenly find that one eye in the jigsaw puzzle and then Oh shit, that's the eyebrow, and that's the cheek, so that must be the nose...
posted by Etrigan at 8:28 PM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
I feel like all of them were sort of dancing around each other for all of Jimmy's "missing" year -- Liz and Derek helping with Alice, maybe getting Jimmy to work every now and then; Gaby and Paul keeping Jimmy propped up at work and checking on him at home every now and then; Brian being there as much as he could even though Jimmy was ghosting him. When Jimmy "woke up" and Sean moved in, more or less at the same time, it just kind of made the group congeal, and the occasional whispered Liz-Gaby and Brian-Gaby and Alice-Paul conversations could come out into the open. It looks like they all became actual friends quickly, but the pieces were there for a while ready to click together like when you suddenly find that one eye in the jigsaw puzzle and then Oh shit, that's the eyebrow, and that's the cheek, so that must be the nose...
posted by Etrigan at 8:28 PM on March 27, 2023 [2 favorites]
I'm really enjoying this show after almost being put off by the first episode. But the more we get to know the characters, the more I'm liking this exploration of grief and trauma and while the premise of "therapist gets real with his patients" could have gone badly, I think Jimmy finding some of it works and some of it has backfired really compelling.
and so ridiculously compliant to all that his wife says
My only problem with Christa Miller as shrew wife is that from what I've learned from the Scrubs podcast, she and Bill Lawrence's relationship seems to really be like this and it icks me the fuck out. I know they are probably playing up their quirks for fun in interviews but given that she always seems to play the shrew on Bill's shows (and I never see her on anything else), it feels true even if it's not.
posted by crossoverman at 5:44 PM on April 25, 2023
and so ridiculously compliant to all that his wife says
My only problem with Christa Miller as shrew wife is that from what I've learned from the Scrubs podcast, she and Bill Lawrence's relationship seems to really be like this and it icks me the fuck out. I know they are probably playing up their quirks for fun in interviews but given that she always seems to play the shrew on Bill's shows (and I never see her on anything else), it feels true even if it's not.
posted by crossoverman at 5:44 PM on April 25, 2023
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Harrison Ford continues to steal the show. I’m surprised that he does not have top billing.
I wonder what the deal is, with Derek, Liz’s husband - found asleep in his car, and so ridiculously compliant to all that his wife says. Hopefully the next episode or two will explore his backstory.
posted by seawallrunner at 5:33 PM on February 18, 2023 [1 favorite]