{"id":602193,"date":"2023-01-28T07:48:46","date_gmt":"2023-01-28T13:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/28\/shrinking-review-2023s-first-great-ensemble-comedy\/"},"modified":"2023-01-28T07:48:46","modified_gmt":"2023-01-28T13:48:46","slug":"shrinking-review-2023s-first-great-ensemble-comedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/28\/shrinking-review-2023s-first-great-ensemble-comedy\/","title":{"rendered":"Shrinking review: 2023\u2019s first great ensemble comedy"},"content":{"rendered":"<article id=\"dt-post-content\" itemid=\"post-content\" itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<div>\n<p><img onerror=\"dti_load_error(this)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Jason-Segel-stands-near-a-house-in-Shrinking.jpg?p=1\" alt=\"Jason Segel stands near a house in Shrinking.\" decoding=\"async\" skip_size_classes=\"1\" ignore_aspect_ratio=\"1\"  >\t\t<\/p>\n<div>\n<blockquote><p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\u201cShrinking is another earnest and infectiously sincere dramedy series from several of the writers and producers behind Ted Lasso.\u201d\n\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\tPros\t\t\t<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAn impressive ensemble cast\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHarrison Ford&#8217;s standout supporting performance\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAn earnest approach that allows for moments of both comedy and heartbreak\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\tCons\t\t\t<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSeveral uneven early episodes\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAn occasionally grating protagonist\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSeveral characters take a few episodes to become fully realized\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/shrinking-trailer-jason-segel\/\">Shrinking<\/a><\/em> is a messy, absurd, and occasionally moving comedy about a group of messy, absurd, and occasionally insightful people. It is, in other words, the natural result of a creative collaboration between <em>Ted Lasso<\/em> co-creator Bill Lawrence, <em>Ted Lasso<\/em> star and writer Brett Goldstein, and Jason Segel. Across its first nine episodes, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/new-on-apple-tv-plus\/\">Apple TV+ series<\/a> runs headfirst into the difficult emotional terrain of its story with the same playful spirit that has, for better or worse, come to define many of Lawrence\u2019s previous TV efforts, including <em>Scrubs<\/em>, <em>Cougar Town<\/em>, and yes, <em>Ted Lasso<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Shrinking<\/em> does not, however, emerge quite as fully formed in its first episode as Lawrence and Goldstein\u2019s other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-shows-on-apple-tv-plus\/\">Apple TV+ hit<\/a>. The series, which premieres this week, struggles at first with its characterizations and treatment of certain characters. <em>Shrinking<\/em>\u2018s initial attempts to balance comedy and heartbreak aren\u2019t always successful, either. However, there are moments of brilliance scattered throughout <em>Shrinking<\/em>\u2019s uneven initial episodes, and it doesn\u2019t take long for the series to start to emerge as the first truly great ensemble TV comedy of the year.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3269165\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3269165\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Christa-Miller-and-Jessica-Williams-sit-on-a-couch-together-in-Shrinking.jpg?fit=720%2C480&#038;p=1\" onerror=\"dti_load_error(this)\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Christa Miller and Jessica Williams sit on a couch together in Shrinking.\" previous-src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Christa-Miller-and-Jessica-Williams-sit-on-a-couch-together-in-Shrinking.jpg?fit=720%2C480&#038;p=1\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3269165\"><span>Apple TV+<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At the center of the series\u2019 ensemble is Jimmy (Segel), a once-capable therapist who was sent into an intense emotional spiral by the death of his wife, Tia. By the time <em>Shrinking<\/em> begins, Jimmy\u2019s self-destructive coping methods have become so repetitive that his next-door neighbor, Liz (Christa Miller), reacts to him partying loudly in his backyard at 3 a.m. with the same tone of parental disappointment she would if she\u2019d just caught one of her sons breaking curfew. As has been the case with many of his past characters, Segel makes the most out of Jimmy\u2019s shortcomings by bringing the same commitment to the character\u2019s moments of self-pity as he does his often cartoonish outbursts.<\/p>\n<p><em>Shrinking<\/em>\u2019s messy premiere episode follows Jimmy as he decides to finally break out of his own cycle of drugs and general cynicism. Unfortunately for everyone in his life, Jimmy determines that the best way for him to do so is not only to start telling all of his patients what he thinks about them, but also to become unethically entangled in their lives. <em>Shrinking<\/em>, to its credit, doesn\u2019t ever reward Jimmy for this decision, and the series never acts as though his sudden shift in strategy is anything other than yet another attempt on his part to avoid dealing with his own crippling grief.<\/p>\n<p>Jimmy\u2019s numerous off-screen mistakes have inevitably had an effect on those around him. His daughter, Alice (Lukita Maxwell), has been so thoroughly abandoned by her father in the year since her mom\u2019s death that she\u2019s essentially turned to Miller\u2019s Liz to provide the parental supervision Jimmy hasn\u2019t. Alice\u2019s presence in her life has, in turn, only exacerbated Liz\u2019s struggles with her own form of Empty Nest Syndrome, while Jimmy\u2019s former best friend, Brian (Michael Urie), has been left wondering what he did to make Jimmy decide to unceremoniously cut him off.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3269121\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3269121\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Harrison-Ford-and-Lukita-Maxwell-sit-on-a-bench-together-in-Shrinking.jpg?fit=720%2C480&#038;p=1\" onerror=\"dti_load_error(this)\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harrison Ford and Lukita Maxwell sit on a park bench together in Shrinking.\" previous-src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Harrison-Ford-and-Lukita-Maxwell-sit-on-a-bench-together-in-Shrinking.jpg?fit=720%2C480&#038;p=1\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3269121\"><span>Apple TV+<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At work, Jimmy\u2019s colleague, Gaby (Jessica Williams), has resorted to ignoring the emotional baggage of her forthcoming, unavoidable divorce. Jimmy\u2019s mentor and boss, Paul (Harrison Ford), meanwhile, has already been diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s disease by the time <em>Shrinking<\/em>\u2019s premiere begins. Despite his best efforts at presenting himself as <em>Shrinking<\/em>\u2019s unflinching elder statesman, Paul\u2019s diagnosis has similarly forced him to begin revisiting his estranged relationship with his daughter, Meg (Lily Rabe), in the hopes that he might be able to make up for some of his past mistakes.<\/p>\n<p>If this sounds like a lot of emotional turmoil for <em>Shrinking<\/em> to try and sift through, that\u2019s because it is. The series doesn\u2019t always balance its multiple subplots as satisfyingly as it should, either. However, there\u2019s an openheartedness to the way in which <em>Shrinking<\/em> treats its characters and their problems that not only makes the series all the more endearing, but also prevents it from ever wallowing in darkness or heartbreak for too long. Whenever Segel\u2019s Jimmy seems like he\u2019s entered an unstoppable descent into total misery, someone like Williams\u2019 Gaby, Ford\u2019s Paul, or Miller\u2019s Liz shows up again to bust his chops and lift both him and <em>Shrinking<\/em> back up.<\/p>\n<p>However, the series does struggle to figure out the roles of several characters in its early episodes. Miller\u2019s Liz initially oscillates between being a parental adversary for Jimmy and the butt of every other character\u2019s jokes, and there are moments where <em>Shrinking<\/em> seems unsure of how to fully integrate Williams\u2019 Gaby into its multiple stories. Both of those problems are solved when Gaby and Liz become friends around halfway through <em>Shrinking<\/em>\u2019s first season, which allows both Williams and Miller to establish a comedic dynamic together that is among the show\u2019s best. The formation of Gaby and Liz\u2019s friendship also marks the moment when <em>Shrinking<\/em> begins to operate less like a dysfunctional workplace series and more like a laid-back hangout comedy.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3269221\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3269221\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Jason-Segel-looks-at-Luke-Tennie-in-Shrinking.jpg?fit=720%2C479&#038;p=1\" onerror=\"dti_load_error(this)\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jason Segel looks at Luke Tennie in Shrinking.\" previous-src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Jason-Segel-looks-at-Luke-Tennie-in-Shrinking.jpg?fit=720%2C479&#038;p=1\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3269221\"><span>Apple TV+<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>Shrinking<\/em>\u2019s midseason shift proves to be mostly for the better. While its transition toward a looser narrative structure does result in its central premise \u2014 Jimmy\u2019s reckless new therapy tactics \u2014 essentially falling by the wayside, the adoption of a more leisurely pace gives <em>Shrinking<\/em> the chance to become a true ensemble comedy. Stars like Williams, Miller, and Urie all find their groove in the second half of <em>Shrinking<\/em>\u2019s first season, and the series, in turn, finally seems to nail down its depiction of their characters around the same time. Jimmy\u2019s grief also, paradoxically, seems to manifest itself in more nuanced ways the less that <em>Shrinking<\/em> focuses on it.<\/p>\n<p>Across <em>Shrinking<\/em>\u2019s first nine episodes, though, it\u2019s Harrison Ford\u2019s Paul who makes the biggest and most memorable impression. The actor turns out to be perfectly cast as Jimmy\u2019s wise but withholding superior, one whose empathy for his prot\u00e9g\u00e9\u2019s situation is expressed through the private therapy sessions he conducts with Maxwell\u2019s Alice. Here, Ford is just as gruff and sarcastic as ever, but he\u2019s also allowed to be silly and heartfelt in ways that he\u2019s rarely been given the chance to be on-screen before. <em>Shrinking<\/em> is arguably worth investing in just for the episode in which Ford\u2019s Paul gets accidentally stoned and ends up munching on a bag of Doritos with Miller\u2019s Liz.<\/p>\n<p>Ford\u2019s performance rings with the same level of sincerity that permeates all of <em>Shrinking<\/em>. The series is an ambitious and emotionally resonant dramedy that isn\u2019t afraid to let its characters be as messy as possible. At times, that messiness can extend past <em>Shrinking<\/em>\u2019s characters and into the show itself, but those instances are ultimately few and far between. By the time the series has reached its layered, emotionally complicated ninth episode, <em>Shrinking<\/em> has already earned its place as one of the more impressive ensemble comedies that have premiered in recent months.<\/p>\n<p>At its best, the series is able to do what all great TV dramedies should, which is smoothly shift between moments of comfort, heartbreak, and humor all within the span of a few seconds. The fact that it\u2019s able to do so is not only a testament to the strength of <em>Shrinking<\/em>\u2019s creative team, but also the collective talent of its undeniably impressive, lovable cast.<\/p>\n<p>Shrinking <em>premieres Friday, January 27 on Apple TV+. Digital Trends was given early access to the first nine of the season 1\u2019s 10 episodes.<\/em><\/p>\n<div data-location=\"below-content\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dt-daily-logo.png?fit=430%2C140&#038;p=1\">\n\t<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\n\t\t\tToday&#8217;s tech news, curated and condensed for your inbox\t\t<\/p>\n<div data-recipient-list-id=\"63cefa9b42d5ee001edfb994\">\n<p><i><\/i><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tCheck your inbox!\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tPlease provide a valid email address to continue.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tThis email address is currently on file. If you are not receiving newsletters, please check your spam folder.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tSorry, an error occurred during subscription. Please try again later.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h4>\n\tEditors&#8217; Recommendations<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-shows-on-netflix\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tThe best shows on Netflix right now (January 2023)\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-comedies-on-netflix\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tThe best comedies on Netflix right now\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-stand-up-comedy-on-netflix\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tThe best stand-up comedy on Netflix (January 2023)\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-comedies-on-hulu\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tThe best comedies on Hulu right now\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/1923-teaser-yellowstone-prequel-helen-mirren-harrison-ford\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t1923 teaser: First look at Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford in Yellowstone prequel\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span id=\"publisher-md\" itemprop=\"publisher\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop=\"url\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop=\"logo\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.dtcn.com\/dt\/dt-logo-small.png\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"0\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"0\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Digital Trends\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop=\"image\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Jason-Segel-stands-near-a-house-in-Shrinking.jpg?p=1\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/shrinking-review\/\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Alex Welch<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cShrinking is another earnest and infectiously sincere dramedy series from several of the writers and producers behind Ted Lasso.\u201d Pros An impressive ensemble cast Harrison Ford&#8217;s standout supporting performance An earnest approach that allows for moments of both comedy and heartbreak Cons Several uneven early episodes An occasionally grating protagonist Several characters take a few<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":602194,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[661,1273,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-602193","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-review","8":"category-shrinking","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/602193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=602193"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/602193\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/602194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=602193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=602193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=602193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}