‘Shrinking’ Recap: ‘Jimmying’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Jason Segel and Michael Urie as Jimmy and Brian in Episode 201 of ‘Shrinking’ – ‘Jimmying’. (Photo Courtesy of Apple.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Two Premiere of ‘Shrinking’. To revisit the Season One Finale, click here.
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If there is one particular lesson we are hearing often in popular media, it would have to be… we need to conquer our demons and our past. Simply because we are all learning now that the majority of our issues in life, such as the sorrow we sometimes carry in our hearts or our inability to seize upon the good or opportunities that come our way, relates to our past. For it can be a dark cloud that hangs over us and clouds our minds with doubt, and truly prevents us from growing, and it can also, destroy any progress we’ve made to find happiness, and rob of us joy completely. Which can keep us in darkness, as evidenced by the season two premiere of Shrinking on Apple TV+.

For ‘Jimmying’ saw the past come back to haunt Jimmy, despite the fact that he was enjoying some better moments in this tale. After all, Grace didn’t kill her husband, but she did injure him badly enough that his life would fundamentally change, and that may have helped Jimmy not lose his license. For he did love his work, and he was trying to be a better therapist here, by not doling out the more extreme advice he had become known for. Plus, he had made strides in his relationships with Gaby and Alice, and he continued to strengthen his friendship with Sean. Making it seem that Jimmy was in fact, not just enjoying some salad days, bur real progress. The sustainable kind that would propel him forward into the peace that he was craving. 

But sadly, that wasn’t the case. He simply wasn’t dealing with his past or how his extreme therapy was toxic in nature, and that was bubbling beneath the surface, to the point where he went back to bad habits. Which Paul called him out for and demanded some changes accordingly. All because Paul believed that Jimmy hadn’t dealt with his past and that was confirmed by two key moments here. Wherein Jimmy discussed some unsettling memories from the night his wife died, and through a shocking encounter with the man responsible for her passing. For he tried to offer amends and that broke Jimmy deeply. Because he never expected to see that face again, nor could he handle seeing kindness from someone he deeply hated for changing his life. 

But what mattered most here, was that this made it clear, the past must be resolved for us to move forward and there is no healing through good moments. Just delays when we are actively trying to heal. All of which was put on display by Jimmy here. Because he used any good moments to mask any major need for repair and held onto those elements over doing the work and actually repairing what was eating at his soul. Which doesn’t make Jimmy a failure, but a man. One who like the rest of us, wants the quick fix when it comes to the dark events of the past, because we just want to be free of such matters. Which are hard truths that set the stage for more healing for Jimmy and the work he truly needs to do, and he wasn’t the only one here in need of extra work.

Since Paul still struggled with his intimacy issues, all of which related to his fears of letting people down because of his diagnosis. Plus, Gaby was honest with herself, courtesy of an assist from Liz, about how she too hadn’t done much to really improve her own situation after the divorce. All of which just spoke to the fact… that healing is an ongoing process. Something that takes so much work and so much effort, and it doesn’t happen overnight and that requires us, to show ourselves a little grace and roll with the bad as we relish in the good. All of which this group will have to do, and it is not a question of whether or not they can or if they will… but what it will take to commit them to the hard work required to find that peace, and that will make for an amazing season of storytelling, that can teach us, so much. Until next time.

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