Shrinking Season 1 Episode 5 Review: Woof

With Shrinking Season 1 Episode 5, “Woof,” we’ve made it to the halfway point of the season. And while it continues to build on its primary thesis, at this point I think we may have been bait-and-switched on the series’ plot. In a good way!

All of the signs leading to Shrinking‘s release have the series billed as a dramedy, focusing on Jason Segel’s character Jimmy and Harrison Ford’s character, Paul. And their relationship is an interesting subplot so far, however, it’s the ensemble cast that is elevating the series.

More time is spent with Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie, and Lukita Maxell than on any scenes of Ford and Segel together. I’m not complaining, by any means. But it’s also not the show that I thought it would be.

It does help that Shrinking emphasizes continuity. “Woof” picks up the morning after Shrinking Season 1 Episode 4, “Potatoes.” The dynamic that was so fun in the previous episode, between Gaby and Liz, starts this episode off with a bang.

Each of these characters is on a healing journey of some kind — Gaby from her divorce, and Liz with her new status as an empty nester. It’s clever writing from the show to have all of the characters serve a purpose in every other character’s journey. It also allows these characters to continue crossing between the professional and personal plot lines.

Gaby and Liz are one of the funniest duos on TV right now. They mirror Paul and Jimmy, butting heads but secretly enjoying each other’s company. They just have the added layer that a female friendship brings to the table.

Similar to previous episodes of Shrinking, Jessica Williams is doing amazing work. “Woof,” spends more time on the Gaby/Brian pairing, but the outcome is the same. Any scene that features Williams is a standout for the episode.

I also love that we got more of Brian’s backstory and saw him get some therapy himself from Gaby. It goes to show that even people who have everything going for them can have a tumultuous interior. And it’s a plot that I think will continue for the rest of the season, with help from his new therapist.

For a show that’s not really about her character, she commands attention and forces us to care about Gaby’s storyline. There’s still more to dig into her background though, and I’m hoping that before the season is over, we learn more about her own relationship with Tia. And particularly how she’s holding space for her own grief over that loss.

On the other hand, I’m not sure that Shrinking is doing Harrison Ford’s character justice. Or at least they’re giving him the easy way out, to his disservice. For a show about therapy, it’s at its best when we have characters sitting and talking things out with each other. Shocking, right?

Paul’s most important relationship is with his daughter. And his most immediate concern is about his health. So why is that confrontation done both over the phone and offscreen?

With Lily Rabe available as Paul’s daughter in both episodes, it’s an odd choice not to put the two of them in the same room for such an important discussion. It’s possible we’ll see the consequences of Paul’s actions take place in the rest of Shrinking Season 1, but for all of the build-up, it was a weird direction to take.

Speaking of directions — it seems like Jimmy and Sean might be moving in opposite ones now. I’ve always felt that the Sean staying with Jimmy storyline was odd, and have been on Team Paul as far as that dynamic is concerned.

Shrinking Season 1 Episode 5 opened up Sean’s personal life a bit more, filling in some context on why he was seeking therapy in the first place. It’s implied that he’s just a 21-year-old kid, who was deeply affected by his time in the military. I assumed he was older, so I’m not sure if that’s better or worse.

Luke Tennie’s portrayal of the character makes it easy to empathize with the young man. It’s heartbreaking to watch him struggle with his parents but still put on a brave face for his younger brother. And those warring sides of him externalize into his chaotic outbursts.

His connection with Alice is serving them both, but it can also be a detriment to Alice’s own healing journey. While we’ve seen Sean’s turmoil manifest in physical violence towards others, this time he toes the line of danger on his own

It’s great that Shrinking shows these different manifestations because nobody has just one coping action.

It’s a vote of confidence for Alice that she’s able to remove herself from situations that don’t serve her. And that she knows to go to others for help with situations that she can’t handle alone. Honestly, she’s well on her way to becoming a great therapist herself.

When Shrinking finally cracks Alice open, then we will have gotten to the good stuff. She’s holding strong so far, but in order for her character to grow, there are some tougher conversations that need to happen between her and her father. And Lukita Maxwell can definitely handle the angst, from what we’ve seen so far.

It’s still early in its run, but the Sean situation has me contemplating the (hopefully long!) future of Shrinking, and its plot structure. Will each season have a person that Jimmy helps, then we move on to the next? Or will some of these patients continue their sessions with him in perpetuity? 

We can only hope that Jimmy will positively impact his patients so that they don’t need to lean on him as much. But on the other hand, therapy is also good to continue even when things are going well in life. So there’s a line that needs to be figured out in Shrinking, and I’m curious to see where it lands.

Stray Thoughts:

• When they said Paul “Woofs” when he’s mad, I thought we’d hear a few more of them in this episode.
• Gaby spending the night at Liz’s and then having smeared makeup the next morning because she’s out over her routine is very relatable. Kudos to the writers/makeup artists on that one!
• I want more Jimmy/Brian scenes! Jimmy’s friendships outside of work haven’t been explored enough.
• Gaby having laptop stickers and Paul not understanding laptop stickers is very on-brand.
• Brian and Gaby are another fun dynamic — golden retriever/sarcastic cat energy from them.
• “I like your scrunchies, I just don’t understand them,” and “Marriage these days is mainly used to subjugate women and sell air fryers,” are tied for the line of the episode.
• I love that Paul has a hands-off approach with Alice, and kind of lets her work things out on her own. And yes, you can be mad and sit.

What did you think of this episode of Shrinking? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Shrinking airs Fridays on Apple TV+.

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