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Shrinking (2023)

2023 · Comedy,Drama · family-relational, workplace-prestige, contemporary-realistic

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Shrinking is a warm, emotionally intelligent comedy-drama about a grieving therapist who abandons professional decorum and starts telling his patients the unvarnished truth, with chaotic but heartfelt results. The show's core pleasure is the chemistry between Jason Segel's guileless, damaged Jimmy and Harrison Ford's dry, curmudgeonly Dr. Rhodes — a mentorship dynamic that reviewers describe as the beating heart of the series. Tonally it sits close to Ted Lasso: optimistic, character-forward, and emotionally affecting without being saccharine. It deals in grief, growth, and found family with enough quirk to stay funny, and enough earnestness to land its emotional beats. Audiences binge it readily and report strong parasocial attachment to the ensemble.

From the reviewers

His dry delivery is the absolute best. His curmudgeon demeanor and sharp tongue is now my life goal when I reach my elder years. He's hysterical and I need more of this in my life!!!
Ford-who could have easily phoned it in as the grumpy mentor-delivers one of his best performances in years. His portrayal of Dr. Paul Rhoades is layered, funny, and unexpectedly touching, proving that even legends can still surprise us.
Few shows can take you from crying with laughter to just plain crying in a matter of minutes, but this one does it flawlessly. It captures the messy, beautiful reality of grief, friendship, and healing with a sharp wit and so much heart.
This is the new way of situation dramedies. No real punch lines, just engaging personalities with a pinch of quirk, and family circumstances that are just a little over the line from normal, but still relatable.
The show goes over a lot of dark themes with humour in a way that I've never seen in a show before.

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