‘Shrinking’ Recap: ‘Coin Flip’ & ‘Fortress of Solitude’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘Shrinking’.
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One particular aspect of modern television that is supremely fascinating, is how intimate television shows have become. Because week in and week out, we are being treated to shows that feature stories that we not only relate to, but feature keystone moments of growth in our lives. Which in turn, teaches us powerful lessons about moments that lie ahead, moments we are struggling with, or have struggled with, and that really is a supremely intimate experience for the viewer. One that makes the story far more meaningful and impactful upon their lives and well… this particular change in the world of television is showing no signs of slowing down, as evidenced by a brand-new series on Apple TV+.
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For Shrinking is a series that offers up a bevy of life lessons, through the lens of a man named Jimmy Laird. Who is an accomplished therapist that is going through quite the difficult time in his life. For Jimmy is one year removed from the passing of his wife and this past year… has been an incredible struggle for him. In large part because the pain is still fresh, and that’s prompted Jimmy to self-medicate outside of work and isolate from the people that matter most to him. Which has in turn, forced his daughter to spend more time with the next-door neighbor, Liz, since she has stepped in and played mother, and when we catch up with Jimmy in ‘Coin Flip’ and ‘Fortress of Solitude’, he is genuinely at his lowest.

In fact, he’s so numb and so ready to leave his pain behind, that he opts to do something quite drastic at work. In that, he begins to believe that letting time and patience and baby steps do the heavy lifting in the healing process… might be nothing more than silly concepts. That should be tossed aside because of the precious nature of life and where instead… action should be taken. The kind that forces his patients to just move forward and heal on the fly and embrace the wonder and horror of the moment. A move that shocks his colleagues and his mentor, Dr. Paul Rhodes, who are now tasked with trying to figure out… what comes next when a therapist goes rogue and decides that everything, they’ve ever been taught should be tossed out the window. 

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Which at first glance, doesn’t seem like an intimate plot. It seems akin to a wacky ‘what if?’ comedy. As though we are just going to bear witness to the fallout of a broken therapist and there is credence to that line of thinking. Because this is a comedy series, and a lot of what Jimmy does is both eye-popping and funny. As are a fair chunk of his interactions with his patients when he lets loose and how Paul handles this sudden change in his protégé’s line of thinking and behavior. But in between the wonderfully timed laughs, there are some powerful moments to be found here. The kind that informs us that the humor is there to help us process a topic that is deep and heavy and rarely discussed in his day and age.
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Because at the core of the show, is a man that is deeply struggling with grief. Which allows for the show to explore the power it can exert over us and how deeply it can draw us into darkness. And how our desire to be free of that pain and the sorrow it fills us with, can motivate us to go to extreme lengths to shed it. The kind that can potentially bring out the best in us, since there is some merit to what Jimmy does in these first two episodes, but also the dangers that accompany this kind of push, since it abandons proper healing and cutting corners there… can bring about trouble. But what matters more, is that this is… a phenomenal and intimate look at the grieving process, specifically this particular stage and that is indeed something that will resonate with viewers that have been there and prepare others who will soon experience it, and hopefully help those going through it.

For that is what this type of television show does and what also helps these moments be so impactful and so realistic, are two key cast members. For Jason Segel sells the pain that Jimmy is going through with an incredible honesty that you quickly connect with, and he is bookended nicely by Harrison Ford. Whose portrayal of Dr. Paul Rhodes is equally as real and equally as powerful, since he represents those who support us in these trying times or we’ve been in his shoes, and what’s truly impressive about this series… is that we are at the bare beginning of a powerful journey. One that will either see Jimmy learn harder lessons or rise to the occasion as he fights hard to make peace with an experience no one is ever prepared to handle. Until next time.

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