Shrinking Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Last Drink
Shrinking Season 2 Episode 8, “Last Drink,” digs deeper into the season’s overarching theme of forgiveness as Jimmy tries to let go and Derek attempts to move forward. For the former, in particular, this brings him face-to-face with Louis, the driver who inadvertently killed his wife. The episode tackles whether forgiveness can truly unburden us of our emotional pain.
Growth Is Never Linear
The show expertly builds toward an explosive breaking point on last week’s episode when Jimmy learns about Louis. However, instead of picking up immediately where we left off, “Last Drink” opens with a flashback. We finally get more backstory for Louis and learn what led to Tia losing her life.
What’s intriguing is that Louis isn’t significantly intoxicated when he slams into Tia. While it feels like we’re missing some story (that we might get later in the season), I hope the series commits to this decision. It makes his choice to get behind the wheel all the more heartbreaking.
All it takes is one bad decision — even if you think you can drive while slightly buzzed — to irrevocably and tragically change someone’s life.
Additionally, the outing cleverly draws parallels between Jimmy and Louis in the aftermath. The difference? Louis pushes his girlfriend away because he thinks he’s a monster. However, Jimmy distances himself from Alice, ultimately becoming someone unrecognizable to cope with his pain.
Alice forgives Louis and finds genuine healing through. While Jimmy eventually tells Louis he forgives him, it rings false. Mechanical, even. Almost as if Jimmy uses this act of forgiveness as a stepping stone to ordering Louis to stay away from him and his loved ones. Something tells me this will come back to bite him later in the season.
Moving Forward
Meanwhile, Derek traverses new territory as he works through this anger toward Liz. “Last Drink” highlights the delightful dynamic between Jessica Williams and Ted McGinley as Gaby steers Derek through his first therapy session.
Williams always brings a warmth and easygoing charm to Gaby, while McGinley navigates Derek’s pain with a beautiful vulnerability. Derek and Liz find a way to move forward, if only through baby steps, reminding us there’s hope even in your darkest days.
As usual, Harrison Ford brings his A-game, notably in the “mic drop” scene with Jason Segel and Luke Tennie and in the final moments of “Last Drink.” His range and versatility are on full display here, from his rough-around-the-edges comedic approach to all the nuances and tenderness he mines in Paul’s depths.
“I hope so” killed me. Those three words hold so much weight. We see Paul’s genuine love for Jimmy shine through. However, one can interpret another meaning: Paul hopes he can forgive himself.
While this season has focused on forgiveness as a whole, this outing, in particular, zeroes in on the importance of self-forgiveness more than anything. Jimmy recognizes this as a struggle and acknowledges the inner anger he feels. Both Jimmy and Paul wrestle with this self-anger.
Forgive Yourself
Shrinking never fails to make us laugh out loud with its raunchy, cheeky dialogue one moment and then give us emotional whiplash the next, delivering a punch to the gut on the dramatic front.
The performances in “Last Drink” really carry the narrative forward. But most of all, the episode gives us an outlet for catharsis and escapism so we can examine our own healing journeys. Because sometimes, laughter truly is the best medicine.
Stray Observations:
- I love the Sacred Heart sweater Liz wears in the flashback. I’ve been waiting for an obvious Scrubs reference (besides Liz’s interaction with Paul’s friend on last week’s episode).
- The casting director for this series deserves all the praise. Lilan Bowden and Lukita Maxwell legitimately look like mother and daughter.
- Brian performing his one-man show for Jimmy almost verbatim, down to the vocal inflections, is brilliant. Hats off to Michael Urie. It cracks me up that the only thing he changes is the name of his and Charlie’s child — it’s Sutton Foster/Foster Sutton this time.
- Based on that flashback, Gaby has always been worried about Paul’s hydration, which makes me so happy.
- “Covenant of the Rock” sounds like a lost Indiana Jones movie.
- I’m surprised Brian didn’t bring Doris from the restaurant to Jimmy’s house to have her vouch for him, Alice, and Louis.
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.
One thought on “Shrinking Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Last Drink”
I think the last scene is really more about how Jimmy fails to recognize that Paul has chosen to have his final drink with him – and rather than embrace what that means he continues to make it about his non-forgiveness of himself. Paul recognizes that Jimmy has missed the meaning, which leads to “I hope so” – because the last drink is also Paul’s cry for a different relationship with Jimmy in which Paul will now be leaning on him for support.
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