When it premiered in early 2023, the Apple TV+ series “Shrinking” impressed most notably in its ability to seamlessly mix humor and a very serious subject matter.
Therapist and walking, talking HIPAA violation Jimmy (Jason Segel) mostly avoided confronting his trauma after his wife Tia (Lilan Bowden, shown in flashback) was killed by a drunken driver by finding unorthodox, often unethical new ways for his patients to confront their own. Deft writing allowed grief, PTSD and antisocial and compulsive behaviors to be handled comedically without the people involved being butts of jokes.
Moreover, Jimmy was essentially an antihero buffered by our residual affection for Segel from his more vulnerable performances on “How I Met Your Mother” and in film roles.
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