‘Shrinking’ Recap: ‘The Last Thanksgiving’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Lukita Maxwell and Jason Segel as Alice and Jimmy in Episode 212 of ‘Shrinking’ – ‘The Last Thanksgiving’. (Photo Courtesy of Apple.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Two Finale of ‘Shrinking’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
​
Truly, the second season of the hit Apple TV+ series, Shrinking, has been a special year of storytelling. For year two of Jimmy’s journey has provided us with invaluable advice and resources regarding how we heal from trauma, loss, and life’s struggles in general, and while it by no means is designed to replace professional help… these moments do help us to stick with what a doctor recommends and it teaches us the little things we don’t think about when it comes to healing. Making it something of an aid, and perhaps a guide as to what to expect and look forward to when we start our healing journey, and it continued to offer that in its season two finale.

In fact, ‘The Last Thanksgiving’ took the time to offer up some very important perspective regarding some of the final steps we take part in when we are on our healing journey. Specifically, what gets us over the hump and what we must learn to finally close the books on the pain we are eager to leave behind. Such as how, the people we surround ourselves with is important. Because sometimes we need a nudge to heal, to change, and having great people around us, helps us do that. Because they remind us that we are better than we think, and that we can accomplish wonders and that can get us to new places, as evidenced by so many journeys here. Since a nudge helped Gaby start to own up to her mistakes and her bad habits to stop them, and it helped Liz admit to what she needed to heal. 

Not to mention, it helped both Paul and Jimmy, handle their own messes respectively. Since Julie pushed Paul to finally be open and authentic about his illness by having him attend Gaby’s Thanksgiving celebration. Wherein the honesty his friends exhibited prompted him to do the same, in a manner that left his writer with tears streaming down his face… because Harrison Ford reminded us why he is indeed one of the most iconic actors to ever grace this Earth. But that aside, someone nudged him in the right direction and helped him to heal and be deeper entrenched in a community that would lift him up as needed and that was huge. Oddly enough, it was Paul that did the same for Jimmy, since Paul let Jimmy know that he had to talk to Alice, he had to make everything right and do it authentically, and that led to a beautiful moment between father and daughter, where forgiveness came into play.

Which helped Jimmy to heal greatly since that’s been hanging over his head for some time now and that talk allowed for another piece of the healing puzzle to come together. For something that Alice and Jimmy discovered together, along with how this episode ended, made clear to the viewer and those working to heal… that there is an important lesson we must learn to complete the healing cycle. In that, we are not… the sum of a moment or a mistake. We like to think we are, and yes, we do make massive, life changing mistakes from time to time that penalize us. But they don’t define us. For whom we are is a tapestry mired with little flecks of imperfection and that tapestry matters more, and when we finally understand that and embrace it… can we move on from our failures and even our pain. Because only then can we truly look at our journey… and how far we’ve come or how far we need to go.

Which brought about some powerful moments in this tale, and real healing and real support and once again, a season finale of this show wrapped up a chapter for these characters. For now, they are done grieving and are close to being done with healing and that means these fine folks can enter a new chapter when season three arrives. As to what that will be, time will tell. But for now, we can applaud this brave and honest finale, one that truly showcased how important the village around us and objectivity are in healing. And this show deserves a round of applause for putting this on display and for all the other lessons it put forth in a season of storytelling that will forever be remembered as a definitive look, at the healing process and all the ups and downs that accompany it. Until next year.

---

Watch ‘Shrinking’

Powered by JustWatch