‘Shrinking’ Season 3 Review – Segel and Ford Continue To Shine In Streaming’s Most Poignant Comedy

The third season of the Apple TV+ streaming series Shrinking proves why it is one of television’s smartest shows. The first two seasons center on, and the characters continuously revolve around, Jason Segel’s Jimmy, a cognitive behavioral therapist who has been jumping between stages of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s outline of grief like he’s been playing a game of behavioral Whac-A-Mole. Segel gives a performance that may not be appreciated as it should be. Segel’s character is complex, finally reaching a point where he, ever so slightly, seems to be healing.

When we first met Jimmy, he was numbing the pain with hookers and substance abuse. He was angry at his friends, family, and even strangers, ignoring his daughter’s needs. Segel delivers jokes with such nuance that you don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Jimmy’s self-deprecation is a master class in depicting depression, persistent sadness, guilt, and emotional exhaustion in the smallest moments, allowing you to immerse yourself in a character going through something utterly profound.

Even the way Jimmy, who goes off the CBT rails by destroying boundaries and showing anger, becomes an exercise in grief—“bargaining,” as if he is saying that by saving others, he will save himself. All of that comes to the forefront in Shrinking’s third season, which keeps throwing him gut punches, only to finally lead him to acceptance as he takes one step forward—and keeping it there is the most difficult move you can make in life. That sentiment is handled with tender, comedic care, which is beautiful, funny, and deeply moving.

The story follows Jason Segel’s Jimmy Laird, whose own grief has led him to take a dramatic turn in how he delivers much-needed therapy to his patients and how he deals with those in his inner circle. His daughter, Alice (Generation’s Lukita Maxwell), having just repaired their relationship last season, is getting ready to leave for college next season, with classes starting in the next few months. This could be a natural transition for most, with Jimmy being able to step back into the dating pool.

That’s where key Marvel player Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) comes in. Smulders plays Sofi, a woman Jimmy began vibing with when buying Alice a car. There was a connection there, with Sofi revealing to Jimmy, oversharing way too quickly, how her husband left her for her best friend. There is also the issue of the boss’s daughter, Meg (American Horror Story’s Lily Rabe), who is going through a separation, with temptation everywhere, Jimmy having one foot in acceptance and the other firmly holding onto his heartache.

And speaking of bosses, Paul (Harrison Ford) is beginning a life transition of his own as his diagnosis of Parkinson’s continues to progress, forcing him into an existential crisis with his career and personal life. Jimmy’s bossy neighbor, Liz (Christa Miller), is mothering the entire group. That includes her husband Derek (Ted McGinley), whose health issues come to the forefront. Liz is also supervising Brian (Michael Urie) and his partner’s adoption of a new baby boy. Then there is the matter of Gaby (Jessica Williams), working to separate her personal life from her professional life.

And while I think the show has grown so popular and respected, the series could have drowned in an overabundance of guest stars. That includes Michael J. Fox, Candice Bergen, and Jeff Daniels, who amount to parts that play more like promotional spots than true characters. However, as the season progresses, the story comes together beautifully, with each character displaying past connections that lead to healing and exploring what it means to be human in terms of resilience. On top of the writing being very, very funny.

I do want to single out a guest star who deserves serious Emmy consideration: Joy Ride’s Sherri Cola, who plays one of Gaby’s patients navigating loneliness and depression. The arc is impactful, thoughtfully exploring the fine line between professional boundaries and genuine human connection in therapy. Cola balances comedy and melancholy with impressive restraint. My only caveat is that I wish the character’s story had a more lasting effect on Williams’s Gaby, whose emotional response is ultimately dismissed a bit too quickly.

However, it is the comedic chemistry and therapeutic bond that Segel’s Jimmy and Ford’s Paul create in Shrinking, and, in turn, connect with the audience, that makes the series so funny, so deeply felt, and so endearing to the viewer and this writer. On screen, both performers are perfect counterbalances to each other, with Segel’s awkward vulnerability and Ford’s grumpy quips as a shield creating a de facto father-and-son relationship that will have you laughing from your belly before finding a persistent lump in your throat.

Shrinking remains a deeply felt comedy about grief and healing, elevated in its third season by Jason Segel and Harrison Ford’s beautifully hilarious and human performances. This is a comedy that knows life is only worth living because a life worth living means being open, vulnerable, and having the courage to live fully, as our ability to heal is constantly evolving. In an era of streaming wars influx of content, that is rare and should be embraced.

You can stream Shrinking exclusively on Apple TV starting January 28th!