DUBAI: In its first two seasons, “Shrinking” offered a smartly written, emotionally intelligent look at loss, therapy and the general messiness of human connection through the story of grieving therapist Jimmy (Jason Segel) — whose wife died in a tragic accident — and the village of flawed but recognizably human characters helping to heal him. Season three struggles to move forward with the same grace and thoughtfulness. It’s as though, encouraged by early praise, it has started believing its own hype.
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For those familiar with co-creator Bill Lawrence’s other juggernaut, “Ted Lasso,” it’s a painfully familiar trajectory. That comedy also floundered in its third season. Emotional moments were resolved too quickly in favor of bits and once-complex characters were diluted into caricatures of themselves. “Shrinking” looks like it’s headed in the same direction.
The season’s central theme is “moving forward” — onward from grief, onward from guilt, and onward from the stifling comfort of the familiar. On paper, this is fertile ground for a show that deftly deals with human emotions. Jimmy is struggling with his daughter’s impending move to college and the loneliness of an empty nest, while also negotiating a delicate relationship with his own father (Jeff Daniels). Those around him are also in flux.
