NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Season 3 of Shrinking are a few episodes deep, and as much as I was worried about a drop off in writing and acting, the first two episodes proved that were in for another fun ride. Shrinking is not just about the laughs; it has plenty of emotion built into the script. However, I’m left wondering if the show could survive without Jimmy Laird?
Don’t get me wrong here, having Jimmy on the show is good, but the best moments, or shall I say the best comedic moments, involve the other cast members. Jimmy has times when he shines, but if he were to be written off, could Shrinking still survive? I believe so.
Shrinking’s beginning storyline was the focus of Jimmy and his daughter Alice grieving through the process of his wife’s death. While emotional and at times funny, there were still deep messages in it. And with Jimmy being a therapist and still dealing with emotional baggage of his own, it made Season 1 and 2 that much more enjoyable. Then came the relationship between him and his daughter. It was back and forth in the beginning, but they found their way.
As a twist, by the end of Season 2, Jimmy and Alice found a way to forgive the man who caused the accident that killed his wife. Jimmy and Alice were the focal points early on, but by the middle, it began to shift. Liz, the crazy and annoying next-door neighbor, made her presence felt in a way that she went from most hated to, quite frankly, the most loved. Her husband, Derek, the cool dad you wanted to make fun of but couldn’t because we are him. The 2 gay friends, Brian and Troy, set on their quest to adopt a child and provide the occasional joke or two at the expense of everyone.
When Sean came into the picture, we didn’t know what to make of him. Now, he’s literally one of the family. But he can also stand out from Jimmy and Alice. He’s getting his own storyline, and his character is starting to blossom. Gaby is the Queen of insults and curse words on Shrinking, and she alone could probably hold a show down. Then you have the heart of Shrinking. No, it’s not Jimmy. This title goes to Paul. Harrison Ford has done such a remarkable job with his character that you forgot this is Indiana Jones and Han Solo.
Jason Segel is the so-called headliner on Shrinking, but by the middle of Season 2, at least 3 other characters could have taken top billing, and the writers would not have missed a beat. At the end of the second episode in Season 3, Jimmy and Alice said their goodbyes to Louis, and soon, Alice will be on her way to college. Jimmy is getting a love interest, but even that seems to be a bit forced.
Think about the scenes with Paul and everyone pitching in. The scene at the gym was hilarious between he, Derek, and Brian, and also the emotional scene with Derek in the locker room. Sean, Liz, and Gaby outside the Food Truck while Sean’s ex was on the hunt for him was genius and provided quick comedy between the three of them. Even the scene where Jimmy was involved in the comedy when he let Sofi leave, and Derek, Sean, and Liz joked with him about it. While he was present, it was more them than him with the laughs.
Jimmy could still be a figure on the show, but to say that Shrinking is all about him or would lose its luster if he were to depart, that’s not truthful at all. The writers have done a great job of showcasing not just Jimmy but everyone else to the point that the main character is not the main character anymore.
