Last night, the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood buzzed with glamour and excitement as Apple TV+ hosted the world premiere of the highly anticipated second season of ‘Shrinking’. The event featured a lively red carpet where the talented cast and creators mingled with reporters, including co-creator Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Christa Miller, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell, Ted McGinley, co-creator Brian Johnson, and executive producer Neil Goldman. The atmosphere was vibrant, with Harrison Ford in particularly jovial spirits, cracking jokes and evading the photographers’ directions. Attendees also had the pleasure of watching the same two episodes that will debut for audiences on October 16th, and it was a testament to the show’s brilliance that the audience erupted in laughter even during some of the most painful moments, underscoring the perfect balance of humor and heart that Shrinking has to offer.
The show, co-created by Jason Segel and ‘Ted Lasso’ veterans Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein explores the lives of therapists Jimmy (Segel), Paul (Ford) and Gaby (Williams) navigating their own emotional struggles while helping their patients. The first season of ‘Shrinking’ introduces to Jimmy’s circle of co-workers, friends and neighbors and his teenage daughter Alice (Maxwell) as they all cope with the tragic death of his wife. Perhaps triggered by his own grief, Jimmy uses less orthodox methods in treating his often eclectic patients and the first season ended on a literal cliffhanger with one of his patients, Grace, played by SNL player Heidi Gardner, pushing her abusive partner off a cliff after a therapy session in which Jimmy suggested, metaphorically, that she do just that.
In discussing the craft behind the show, Executive Producer Neil Goldman noted the importance of maintaining the tonal balance of deep sadness and humor that Shrinking is known for. “There’s some trial and error involved, where on set, the actors will give us a range of options depending on the story. Jason, especially, is very conscious of giving us variety… the more range he gives us, even within a scene, the more material we have to calibrate the tone. Post-production is often where we do a lot of that fine-tuning. The writers’ room is always aware of this, especially with Bill at the helm. Every once in a while, he’ll bring up the term ‘trauma porn,’ meaning there’s only so much bad stuff that can happen before it starts feeling too soapy, melodramatic, or fake. That’s something we keep in mind.”
Wendie Malick, who portrays Dr. Julie Baram, will see her own character’s relationship with Ford’s Paul continue to grow. She also hinted that viewers will get to see more of Julie’s backstory that will provide insights on why her “hot doctor” character would be attracted to the grumpy Paul sharing, “you’ll find out a little more about Julie and where she came from and who she was with. I think it’s one of those things where, particularly as you get older, if you run into someone and feel a connection, there will be challenges. You can’t live a long life without facing some difficulties or baggage. We all have baggage, you know. So it’s about whether you can be gentle with each other and accept that things aren’t perfect but are still worth it. That’s where we are in this show.”
Malick reflected on the deeper character explorations awaiting viewers this season, “This season, one of the biggest shifts is how much deeper the characters are going in terms of their own vulnerabilities and how much they’re sharing with the world. It can be a scary place to be, but it also reflects the friendships around them that help them navigate these challenges. This resonates with what we’re all going through, emphasizing the importance of kindness, compassion, and humor.”
While ‘Shrinking’ is more comedy than drama and truly deserving of Emmy consideration for Best Comedy Series, it is not without it’s cinematic moments and the reveal of Brett Goldstein’s character, new for Season Two, is clear to send ripples throughout the season. Asked about this pivotal scene, Goldman described, “We debated whether to end the scene with Harrison’s ‘boom’ or with Alice’s far away look when something she predicted about Jimmy comes true. We took some stylistic license there, even though there were voices in the room questioning the timeline. That moment really sets up and frames the rest of the season, establishing that sense of foreboding with Paul as the kind of oracle, if you will.”
One character that will clearly be affected by Goldstein’s presence is Alice, played by up-and-comer Lukita Maxwell. Maxwell discussed her character’s evolution this season, “In Season One, Alice took on a parental role, but this season, we see her have to face her own grief while also dealing with the normal growing pains of a high schooler. We see her evolve into a true teenager.”
Most viewers will recognize Goldstein as the enigmatic Roy Kent from ‘Ted Lasso’. Segel commented on casting Goldstein despite being so recognizable as Kent, “I knew secretly that he wanted to play that part, and I knew he would kill it. I have a lot of experience being Marshall Eriksen (“How I Met Your Mother”) and then working to have people see me as other characters, and I know that he probably deals with that as Roy Kent, so I just wanted to be the voice to say, no, do something totally different. Like, let’s let’s break that now. And he’s amazing in the show.”
As the series transitions its focus from grief to the theme of forgiveness in Season Two, Goldman shared his enthusiasm for what’s to come in the hit show’s second season, stating, “Forgiveness is definitely a big theme… we’re tracking how several characters deal with the guilt they’re feeling—some in the wake of grief, others because of different issues they’re facing.”
On what excites him most about Season Two, Goldman added, “I’m just excited for people to be surprised by the directions the show goes in. I’m excited for people to see how, even though at the end of season one, Jason’s character’s journey felt somewhat complete, there’s more to it. I think people will realize, like the character realizes, that grief isn’t linear. All these other things come with it. I just think we go to some hopefully equally dark places, but the show is all about balancing the light and the dark. If you’ve got a community, whether it’s real family or a surrogate family of friends, that will help you get through it and you’ll ultimately grow from it.”