Shrinking Season 1 Episode 10 Review: Closure

Apple TV+’s Shrinking Season 1 Episode 10, “Closure” pulls the stellar first season together in an emotional season finale. And yes, sometimes emotional just means giving your mentee a reluctant hug (ahem, Paul).

The finale, written by co-showrunner Neil Goldman, reinforces the show’s extended thesis — Grief is a nonlinear journey, and different for everyone. In the penultimate episode, Alice freaks out about forgetting her mom’s birthday, the first since Tia passed. Her character is the rock of the father/daughter duo from the beginning, so her emotional outburst is unexpected between the two.

A strength that Shrinking highlights all season is its concise timeline. It’s evident again in “Closure,” picking up Alice’s turmoil right while she’s in the thick of it. We’ve seen Jimmy’s grief move in the opposite direction, starting out in the depths and then gradually moving up and out. Alice is taking the other route, starting strong and then crumbling as time passes.

It’s an excellent way of showcasing the different patterns of grief. The two closest characters to tragedy exhibit such opposite reactions.

It also gives us some scenes that I didn’t even realize we had been missing. Some of Shrinking Season 1’s best moments were when Jimmy was reminiscing about his wife and we saw Lilan Bowden appear as Tia. Some of those scenes gave us the hardest gut punches, but they all heightened the emotion of the story.

It wasn’t until Shrinking Season 1 Episode 10 focused more on Alice’s emotions that I even realized we haven’t seen Tia through her daughter’s eyes. Alice shares a strained bond with her father, and I hope that in Shrinking Season 2 maybe we get flashbacks of their relationship pre-grief. But the dynamic she shared with her mom was different, and it’s emotional to watch her remember.

It’s a particularly well-shot scene and one that uses sound effectively. When we think the memory is just fading out, the sound stops. But when Alice tells her dad that she can’t remember her mom’s laugh anymore, it takes on new meaning. 

Shrinking Season 1 Episode 10 teases us with some deeper conversations between the father/daughter pair, but there’s still an icy layer that needs to be cracked. Shrinking Season 2 should have plenty of space to explore that dynamic.

Another budding dynamic? Liz and Sean! Sean has probably had the most character growth on Shrinking Season 1, and I’m excited to see where he goes with his business. The Liz/Sean duo is one of the more unexpected connections to come out of the season, but I’m glad to see that he’s widening his scope outside of just Jimmy and Alice.

A consequence of the cliffhanger season finale could trickle down to Sean’s living situation, so having this alternate plot to explore is a benefit to the story and to Luke Tennie’s character. 

Christa Miller and Ted McGinley are truly a dynamic duo as Liz and Derek. They riff off each other effortlessly both as a couple and when they’re with others. But some of Miller’s best moments this season have been outside of her marriage.

The Liz/Gaby enemies-to-friends arc has been a delight to watch, and the induction into the “cult of the rock” was a nice wrap to the season. Gaby’s grief over losing her best friend has been a more acute focus in Shrinking Season 1, but I hope they talk about Tia more in Shrinking Season 2.

It’s also really interesting to see the perspective that Liz has toward Gaby and Jimmy. She’s almost a stand-in for the viewers in her reaction to the pair making eyes at each other during Brian’s wedding. She catches on to their vibe right away and she’s 100% correct in that he’s not just “safe dick” anymore.

If the Jimmy/Gaby dynamic continues, it’s another great avenue for Jimmy and Alice to talk more about Tia’s death. Alice was cool about her dad and Gaby sleeping together after the engagement party. Will she still be cool if they start something more serious?

Jessica Williams is definitely a highlight of Shrinking Season 1, most notably in her comedic scenes. But “Closure” gave her a little more serious subject matter to explore, and she handles it like a pro. The serious conversations she has with both Liz and Paul about her role in the practice showcase just how deep her range can go.

And good ole’ Paul. If Sean has grown the most externally, then Paul has had the biggest internal growth. Harrison Ford started Shrinking Season 1 as just a crotchety grump, working through his Parkison’s diagnosis, mostly alone.

By the end, he’s reconnected with his daughter, started “sexual relations” with his doctor, and has opened up to both Jimmy and Gaby. What a turn! His arc has been the most satisfying to watch and Shrinking Season 1 has him settled in a nice spot.

I’ve said it all season, but I do hope we see more of Lily Rabe as Paul’s daughter Meg in Shrinking Season 2. That relationship is by no means resolved, so there’s some story to explore between them for sure.

Speaking of Shrinking Season 2… I’ve been long hypothesizing where the story could turn its focus in its sophomore season. While Sean’s situation was much of the focus in the first half of Shrinking Season 1, it’s a natural fit that Season 2 follows a similar structure, focusing on one “patient”.

I’m glad it’s not Brian or any of the core cast. But I was not pegging Heidi Garner’s Grace to be a little psychotic!!! If Donny is still alive in Shrinking Season 2, this ended on quite the literal cliffhanger. If not? Jimmy’s got some issues he’s going to have to work through in therapy.

My favorite scene of Shrinking Season 1 comes towards the end of “Closure,” and it’s a really lovely tie-in to the season’s premiere.

In Shrinking Season 1, Episode 1, right after he’s been punched in the face by Donny, Jimmy tells Alice that she looks just like her mom. It’s right as he’s coming out of his funk, and it’s implied that part of why he’s been distant from his daughter is because she reminds him too much of the wife he just lost.

In “Closure,” Jimmy tells Alice that she looks just like her mom. But this time, it’s said with joy while they’re dancing, surrounded by friends and family. It’s brilliant writing from the Shrinking team and just shows how much care goes into this wonderfully funny and heartbreaking show.

I hope we get new Shrinking seasons for a very long time.

Stray Thoughts

• Um, who knew that Liz and Derek were loaded? What did that man do for a job that got them an $8,000 toilet seat??
• Very on brand for Derek to say Barthelona instead of Barcelona.
• It’s the little things that Shrinking has carried through the season that make it so good. Paul’s obsession with Fun Dip is one of these things.
• Everyone shouting cornhole when they make a cornhole is another of these things!
• Lukita Maxwell killed it in this episode. I hope we see the vulnerable side of Alice more in Shrinking Season 2.
• They should make “sisters of the covenant of the rock” merch
• I haven’t given the music team on  Shrinking enough credit, but every sync they’ve had and their theme song have been A+

 

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

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Shrinking is streaming now on Apple TV+

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Shrinking Renewed for Season 2 by Apple TV+