Shrinking Review : Apple TV+’s new series Shrinking, created by Brett Goldstein, Bill Lawrence and Jason Segal who also stars, is starting out on a promising path. The characters are all likable and funny, and hook you pretty much from the outset. Jason Segel leads the cast as Jimmy, a cognitive behavioural therapist who is struggling to cope with his own life after the recent death of his wife. Harrison Ford co-stars as Paul Rhoades, Jimmy’s colleague/boss with Lukita Maxwell as Jimmy’s daughter, Alice.
The main storyline in the opening two episodes, screened so far, is the strained relationship between Alice and her dad, Jimmy who has been self-centred in dealing with his grief whilst ignoring her pain. In dealing with his own feelings he has allowed next door neighbour, Liz (Christa Miller) to become a surrogate mother and confidant to Alice, which has become an inter-dependant relationship.
Wallowing in self-pity has taken over Jimmy’s life but he has an epiphany. Much to the dismay of Paul he begins to treat his patients in an unorthodox manner helping them to change their lives and helping himself in the process.
Brett Goldstein and Bill Lawrence have created well drawn, believable characters with which it is possible to have empathy whilst being amused by their situations.
Another major talking point in the show seems to be whether Harrison Ford actually has Parkinson’s Disease or whether his character does: either way the actor is portraying the symptoms of the illness very well.
With a weekly roll out of episodes we will have to wait to see how their lives and those of the patients evolve. It promises to be well worth waiting for.