Shrinking SN2 Ep3
Tensions grow between Jimmy and Brian as they work on getting Grace out of jail, and Liz and Derek encounter turbulence in their food truck business arrangement.
In episode 3, “Psychological Something-ism,” therapists Paul (Harrison Ford) and Jimmy (Jason Segel) escalate their tension over the treatment of their mutual patient, Sean (Luke Tennie). If you’ll recall from the first two episodes, Paul took over Sean’s treatment after objecting that Jimmy’s hands-on, very personalized style was not helping much.
Sean’s story also continues to take center stage as the food truck business he is running with Liz (Christa Miller), Jimmy’s ever-nosy (but in a good way!) next-door neighbor finds success. However, when Sean’s tough-love dad makes a reappearance, it triggers all of his old trauma, and Liz’ great idea to address it turns out not to be a smart one.
Things deepen between Paul and his girlfriend, Julie (Wendie Malick), in ways that both excite and disturb him. Things take an unexpected turn when she wants to introduce Paul to her husband, who is in late stages of dementia — an obviously awkward sitch.
Jimmy also finds more conflict with Brian (Michael Urie), his best friend and a lawyer, as they work on the case of Grace, a patient who took Jimmy’s counseling too much to heart at the end of season 1, throwing her abusive husband off a cliff. She makes great progress in her legal case, but is swept up in feelings of guilt.
Brian discovers that his husband, Charlie, would like to have children, which he feels he’s not emotionally built for. Hey, at least the guy knows himself, as shown in this top-notch one-liner:
“That's what narcissism is, Jimmy, having the courage to put yourself above others!”
Jimmy’s dalliance with Gaby (Jessica Williams), a partner of his and Paul’s, takes a predictable turn, so she finds herself buddying up with Liz and focusing on her academic career. A new love interest also appears in the form of Derek, a former co-worker of Liz’ husband, also named Derek.
Meanwhile, Jimmy’s daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell), having successfully pawned off the romantic affections of Liz and Derek’s son, Connor (Gavin Lewis), onto her best friend, Summer (Rachel Stubington), finds herself having to navigate an impulsive case of the takesies-backsies.
We’ll also see a return of Brett Goldstein, co-creator of the show, as the man who killed Jimmy’s wife (and Alice’s mom) in a drunk-driving accident. It’s an added source of tension that looks to be set up to play out over the rest of the season.
Episode 3 is little busier than the first two, and sometimes feels like it’s trying to smush too many ingredients into the story sandwich. Still, the show’s zippy pace allows for it to pack a lot into its modest episode run time. I always find myself wanting more by the end of it.