Shrinking Season 2 Episode 5 Review: Honesty Era
Shrinking Season 2 Episode 5, “Honesty Era,” finds our crew in their “honesty era” as hard truths come to light. The outing plays with fun dynamics and digs deep into these characters’ respective mental health journeys with its signature humor and heart.
Old Flames and New
A theme of romance (past and present) serves as the undercurrent of “Honesty Era.” Summer learns about Alice and Connor’s one-night stand. Thankfully, this series doesn’t waste time dragging this particular storyline out. Instead, it focuses on Jimmy guiding Alice through this rough patch.
What’s great is that he doesn’t approach his treatment of Alice from a therapeutic standpoint but from a father simply showing his daughter judgment-free love. Dads, take note. Jason Segel navigates these choppy waters beautifully, expertly showcasing Jimmy’s inherent need to be affectionate.
Of course, you can’t have a Segel series without a big gag, i.e., the tattoo scene in “Honesty Era.” It’s proof positive that Segel is most at home in comedy. That’s where he shines the most.
As for more flames old and new, Jimmy and Gaby seemingly mend fences in this episode. While some tension brews between them, they overcome said tension to help each other out. Segel and Jessica Williams boast excellent chemistry here.
Then, there’s Liz running into her ex-boyfriend, Mac. Sure, incorporating the “former lover” trope might be overplayed, but Shrinking will undoubtedly do something interesting with it. At least it gives Ted McGinley more to do as Derek.
McGinley always delivers on the comedic relief front, but Season 2 makes Derek more multidimensional, and that’s not a bad thing. We see he’s not always the happy-go-lucky foil to Liz’s maelstrom of sarcasm. It’s also fun watching Liz fight for Derek’s attention — a breath of fresh air, even.
Setting Up the Dominoes
Christa Miller really taps into Liz’s rage in “Honesty Era,” especially in the scene where she goes off on Jimmy. The writers organically build on Liz’s frustrations in last week’s episode, but they started this as far back as Season 1.
Miller has cornered the market on playing these types of characters; she portrays the “mean girl with the acerbic wit” archetype so well. Liz’s outburst will certainly have repercussions as far as the main friend circle is concerned. However, disruptions of the dynamic persuasion are always a delight to watch.
“Honesty Era” also continues Shrinking‘s streak of grounded depictions of the mental health journey. Healing is never linear, nor is the process of developing new, healthier patterns. Sean tries to express his feelings to his father, who rebuffs him (this scene is profoundly resonant for any kid attempting to reason with a parent).
Thus, Sean falls on a toxic habit as a coping mechanism, allowing those men to inflict violence on him. It reminds me of Paul’s “I love pain” mantra. Again, the narrative showcases one of the most honest, accurate representations of mental health growth I’ve ever seen. Sean walks 10 steps forward and 15 steps backward, which is relatable for anyone going through that lifelong healing process.
Overall, “Honesty Era” is another solid episode that isn’t afraid to challenge our characters and what they know. It also smartly lays the groundwork for what’s to come, especially the Louis storyline.
Stray Observations:
- Jimmy screaming while getting that tiny tattoo makes me realize that I can tolerate pain much better than I thought.
- I, too, have been the victim of receiving the wrong DoorDash order. One time, I ordered from a vegan restaurant and got someone’s massive order of Chinese food (sorry to that person, wherever you are). Solidarity to Alice and Liz.
- As a redhead, I can confirm: Don’t mess with us.
- Listen, we all know a Dave. Paul is just brave enough to keep his Dave in line (among other things).
- Gaby has the best fashion sense. Fight me (please don’t).
- Did you catch Brian’s to-go coffee cup at Paul’s house? Someone’s been spending time with DD, aka Louis.
- I would be flattered if Kelly Bishop called me a “little baby chicken b*tch.” I’d wear it as a badge of honor.
What did you think of this episode of Shrinking? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Shrinking drops new episodes every Wednesday on Apple TV+.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.