Shrinking: Closure
March 23, 2023 10:51 PM - Season 1, Episode 10 - Subscribe

The wedding episode and season finale. Liz wants to partner with Sean. Jimmy cleans house. Alice gets "hot as shit" shoes. Paul, Gaby and Jimmy all have touching moments. And then...

From last week: "This seems like it's gearing up for a happy ending for everyone and I Do Not Trust It." Please let me know your thoughts on how you felt this one ended....

Liz has an $8k toilet? Does it turn shit to gold, indeed. Is her maiden name Lannister?

"Because we're having sexual relations." WOWZA. Way to grandpa, Paul.

WHO TAKES A PHONE CALL WHILE A DUDE IS GOING DOWN ON YOU?! And makes it obvious as to what's going on?!? That's even worse than someone calling me while on the toilet and pooping. In other news, PLEASE NOBODY CALL ME WHILE YOU'RE POOPING (or sexing) SO NOISILY THAT I WILL KNOW ABOUT IT.

"Who wishes they peed off the balcony now?!"

The Covenant of the Rock.

"The best part about it is, he didn't even smack my boobs."
"WHO SMACKS BOOBS?" Thought same!

"I put so much stuff in Derek's butt." "You're lying." "But I could if I wanted to."
(The Covenant of the Rock?!?!)

Grace is getting better?!?!? Like, she's not talking about leaving him (yet) but she realizes he's being an asshole? This whole storyline reminds me of my friend in a relationship somewhat like that, but don't get me started.

"Explain to him what raw dog means!"

Awww, Jimmy's wedding speech is actually sweet! "They're here today to celebrate you and get drunk later, and someone's gonna hook up, who knows?" (Jimmy knows, because it's gonna be him.)

So, as was said, everyone's set up for a happy ending. Even the clients of Jimmy's we've barely seen seem to be doing well. AND THEN....

SHOVE HIM OFF A CLIFF, GRACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Boop.

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN SHRINKING DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN. I kind of figured this was resolving cheerfully in a "we don't expect to get a second season" sort of way, but starting off with patient murder? And yet, I'm so happy for Grace even if she goes to jail, because what a fucker? Like, that's the fantasy, man.

What did everyone else think?
posted by jenfullmoon (12 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
I was honestly surprised only one patient went overboard—I was fully prepared for all of his patients' stories to turn ugly during the wedding montage.

Very sweet and satisfying overall!
posted by Maecenas at 11:20 PM on March 23, 2023


At first I wasn't sure I was going to stick with this show but as it progressed it grew on me. I like how they ended it and I hope it does get a second season. It is very Jason Segalish, though, in it's tarnished optimism always seeking the good in people.
posted by Stanczyk at 12:08 PM on March 24, 2023 [1 favorite]


I had a feeling when we caught up with Grace and the "off the cliff" conversation that she would end up offing her husband. It's going to be interesting to see how that impacts Jimmy in season two.

Loved the episode and am loving the series so far. This may be my favorite Harrison Ford role yet. Would it be too much to ask for an Alyson Hannigan cameo in season two?
posted by jzb at 6:52 PM on March 24, 2023 [1 favorite]


If Harrison Ford doesn't win an Emmy for his work here, it's either because he doesn't want to campaign for it, or because not enough people watch the show. I've been hearing hype for him being on this show for at least nine months before the first episode aired, and to my astonishment, he actually lived up to that hype.

On a completely different note, I was indifferent to Ted McGinley before this show, and it was such a nice surprise how funny he is. Love Derek!

Man, Liz marching into Paul's office and demanding better treatment for Gaby was incredibly satisfying, especially as someone who watched Scrubs a lot, where the favoritism Dr. Cox showed towards J.D. vs. Eliot never got called out in a serious way.

The storylines were resolving pretty well, and I was thinking, "maybe they'll just leave everyone in a good place with no real angsty loose ends" and then I saw Grace on that walk, thought of the "push him off a cliff" discussion and had the sinking feeling that she was going to do it.

This show really grew on me, to the point where I had a choice tonight of watching a new Ted Lasso episode to watch tonight or this episode, and it wasn't even a hard choice.
posted by creepygirl at 7:51 PM on March 24, 2023 [4 favorites]


A Phenomenal 'Shrinking' Season Finale, But What the Hell Was that Ending?

It’s so weirdly out of character for the series. I trust that they’ll right the ship quickly in the second season, but before they get into the writers’ room, they need to rewatch Landry and Tyra in season two of Friday Night Lights and remind themselves of what this show is and is not, and they need to back out of that plot turn as quickly as possible.

‘Shrinking’ Creator Bill Lawrence Rejects Backlash Claiming Series Is Unrealistic: ‘We Interviewed 100 Therapists’ (disclaimer: very vaguely spoilery for season 2, indicates "yes, we knew people would object to this, we will follow up.")
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:22 PM on March 24, 2023 [1 favorite]


A whiplash final scene but it was foreshadowed and almost encouraged?

An excellent finale, loved the wedding, Liz being vulnerable, always down for less homophobia, and Alice working through her grief.

Jessica Williams Brought Her Own Spice, and Scrunchies, to Shrinking [Vulture / Archive]
posted by ellieBOA at 11:44 AM on March 25, 2023


I loved this whole show. Everyone was fantastic. It was so funny and balanced being heartfelt. 10/10
posted by Crystalinne at 4:22 PM on March 27, 2023


the ending was actually relatively important for me to trust the showrunners understand their own premise. jimmy gets away with being a pretty horrid therapist by virtue of being a decent guy for the rest of the season, it feels correct that his whole thing of using his authority/power dynamic as a therapist to act like his patients' best buds would backfire in this sort of way (creating a violent escalation in exactly a scenario where a good therapist would be looking for and safeguard against exactly that)

anyway this was a cute, fun show with some really standout performances and I hope it sticks around a good long while if it wants to
posted by Kybard at 4:31 PM on March 27, 2023 [1 favorite]


I liked the murder ending! I think I wanted something to happen, and since most conflicts on the show get resolved within 5-10 minutes of surfacing, well, something happened! Also, I was afraid Grace was about to get murdered after dumping him on that unnervingly empty trail. I do wonder how they'll deal with it in S2. Grace's husband was violent, but we never got a hint that she was being physically abused, which I think was a particular choice on the show's part to keep her on the hook for killing him. (I Am Not The Law, but I tend to think of battered wives who kill their husbands as acting in self-defense.) I can't wave away killing an emotionally abusive husband, but it also won't be a feel-good plotline if it ends with her in jail.
posted by grandiloquiet at 11:43 AM on March 28, 2023 [1 favorite]




I have loved Christa Miller deeply for going on 30 years now, and there is no better version of her than Oh is it the season finale well then I suppose I must be here to expose everyone's bullshit.
posted by Etrigan at 8:02 PM on March 29, 2023 [2 favorites]


Brett Goldstein on Being a F—ing Sex Symbol, Wanting More ‘Ted Lasso’ and Breaking His Rule of Not Smiling in Photos [Variety]
posted by ellieBOA at 2:59 PM on April 11, 2023 [1 favorite]


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