In this third season of Shrinking, I think the key word to sum it all up is ‘loneliness.’ And that can take on many different forms, and it really did for all of our characters this season!
I think Jimmy is the most obvious case of loneliness. Despite wanting to start things up with Sophie, he’s afraid to. But he’s also aware of how painfully lonely he is, and is going to be once Alice leaves for college. That’s Alice’s biggest worry, too. She doesn’t want him to slide back into the destructive habits of season one. Both Gabby and Sean kind of force loneliness onto themselves based on their past traumas. Both having loving people in their lives that are patiently waiting for them to take the next steps with, but their fears are keeping them at arm’s length.
The same goes for Louis, who is finally able to combat his loneliness by confronting the last obstacle in his way: his ex. Paul, too, is able to resolve his loneliness by marrying Julie. For as tough and independent as he is, he eventually realizes that he wants Julie in his life and he now knows that she really wants to be in his, too. The show has already been renewed for another season, so I am curious how involved Paul’s character will be in the next season. It seems to me that we see a lot of our main characters fanning out into different parts of the world at the end of the season, so it will be interesting to see what they end up doing.
I could wax on and on about the loneliness of these characters, and there are some more gut-wrenching moments, too, but there are also plenty of happy and funny moments, as well. Brian and Charlie officially become parents, and it’s so funny watching them navigate that world with the help of Liz and baby momma, Ava. Liz has some learning to do this season, but perhaps the sweetest moment came later in the season with her husband, Derek. Then also came the laughs when his mom (a stellar Candice Bergen) comes to town. It’s actually crazy to think about how much growth some of these characters went through this season. But I’ve also come to the conclusion that Derek might be my favorite character.
Gosh, really so much happened this season that it’s hard to timeline it all. While I love the relationship web that keeps extending to new and different people, I also realize that this show exists as a work of fiction. Yes, there is grief and trauma and real, difficult problems that they all face, but I think their support network is really a work of fiction. I know I am that lucky, but think it’s a rare thing. Maybe this show can at least offer some comfort to people instead. Watch this already!