‘Shrinking‘ is officially back this month on Apple TV+, and those who were able to catch the inaugural season of the Jason Segel-led original know that the final episode ended with quite a push—literally.
This new chapter of the comedy series, which was co-created by Segel and ‘Ted Lasso‘s’ Brett Goldstein and Bill Lawrence, continues to follow him as therapist Jimmy Laird, who breaks the intangible rules of therapy by telling his clients what he really thinks about them and their situations — and as we see in the sophomore season, that brutal honesty ends up impacting his own life as much as his patients.
Season 1 ended with Grace (Heidi Gardner), one of the many people we see Jimmy helping, pushing her boyfriend off a mountain after Segel’s character implements techniques to help her break out of that toxic relationship. We as an audience, and likely Jimmy, just didn’t know how far that would exactly go.
Jimmy is also in an interesting situation in his personal life. He’s currently sleeping with his dead wife’s best friend and his co-worker, Gaby (Jessica Williams), his nosy neighbors (played by Christa Miller and Ted McGinley) are still heavily invested in his and his daughter’s (Lukita Maxwell) life, and his other work peer, Paul (Harrison Ford), is taking time to step in after recent events have launched Jimmy’s life into a tailspin again.
Building up the story to expand now in the second season was part of the fun for Segel, and also, a way to really hone in on each character.
“I think that one of the benefits of making it to a second season is that [in] Season 1, you’re really obligated to have a narrow story. You’re watching Jimmy pull himself out of this hole and repair a relationship with his daughter, you have to get to know the story and what the show is about,” Segel explains.
“In Season 2, a couple of things happen. One is you get to broaden the story to all of these other characters, and we have, I think, the best cast in the world. And each of those characters gets to have main character treatment. They all get their series of episodes and they get their arc and everybody gets to shine.”
That cast list also includes one of Jimmy’s best friends and legal advisors Brian (Michael Urie), and one of his other patients, who he grew close with in Season 1, Sean (Luke Tennie.)
“All of these characters could have their own show, everybody’s so talented. And then the other thing that happens too, which you wouldn’t really think about, but when you all show up to a show for Season 1—even as the performers—you don’t know the tone yet. It doesn’t exist,” Segel continues. “So you’re all feeling it out in real time. Like, oh, Jason’s doing that, Harrison’s doing that, Luke’s doing that. And you start to find the Venn diagram that’s going to be that tone. But then in Season 2, we’ve all seen the show, so we can really start [honing in.]”
Season 2 of ‘Shrinking’ also sees the addition of ‘Ted Lasso’s’ Goldstein. Audiences have seen him in the soccer-clad hit show as Roy Kent, but in this new role, he wears a very different set of circumstances. And you’ll have to watch to see exactly what that entails.
As the first season focused on grief, the second will touch more on forgiveness—and there are many facets to that notion that unfold between the cast as a whole. It all intertwines with the web of characters, and the expansion just makes the funny moments more grandiose, and the somber moments more heartfelt.
“We do play with new combinations and everyone makes a perfect odd couple. Krista and Jessica are this kind of electric odd couple that you really wouldn’t expect, but when they’re on screen together, it is so funny. And we have Brian, Michael Urie, and Lukita teamed up for a bunch of stuff this season and theirs is funny, but they’re also doing a pretty serious storyline with Brett. Also Ted McGinley, I would just like to say, gets a beautiful storyline arc this year that is so well deserved and overdue and he just kills it,” finishes Segel.
“You see there’s electricity there, too. So it’s really neat when you start pairing people up unexpectedly, and that’s part of the fun of the show.”
‘Shrinking‘ will premiere globally with the first two episodes on Wednesday, Oct. 16, on Apple TV+
