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Jason Segel and Harrison Ford starring together in a comedy series is not exactly a pairing that people dream of. Jason Segel is known for being a fantastic comedy actor, whereas Harrison Ford hasn’t been seen in much light-hearted content. But when they come together on screen in this story, they showcase incredible chemistry and suck the viewer into believing and relating with their respective characters. I was skeptical going into the show, but I was proven wrong fairly quickly.
The official synopsis says, “Shrinking” follows a grieving therapist who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives … including his own. It is created by Segel, Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein, who all have proven themselves before in this genre. They bring another interesting and humourous story revolving around therapists.
Segel, Ford and Jessica Williams play three therapists struggling with their own problems while trying to help others deal with their issues. When the three of them are in a room together, it just feels like they are having fun, and none of it feels artificial. The character of Dr. Paul Rhodes surprisingly suits Harrison Ford really well. He is a grumpy straight-faced workaholic who doesn’t like to socialize. He plays a mentor to Jimmy Laird (Jason Segel) who tries to find different (sometimes unethical) ways of helping his clients.
Lukita Maxwell, who plays Alice Laird also gives a very convincing performance. Lily Rabe also does well in her limited role. But Segel and Ford are two major highlights of the show. They shine in every scene they are in. Consistent writing also helps the actors flourish. The writers do really well in creating laugh-out-loud situations frequently and naturally. The chemistry between the actors helps enhance the impact of the scenes. The humor mostly lands and the story maintains some kind of intrigue throughout.
The series also handles grief beautifully. The therapy sessions showcased never feel boring and you might learn a thing or two if you can relate to the situations. The pacing is also maintained and the story rarely slows down. Shrinking also surprised me with how sentimental it was willing to be. The characters have a lot of depth to them and there are some moments with a lot of emotion, which are handled well by the actors. The color grading also worked well from a visual perspective.
Shrinking provides a great mix of humor, charm and emotion. It has an uplifting spark that instantly sucks you into its setting and keeps you engaged. It is a heartwarming story with likable characters and a bunch of feel-good moments. It has some cliche elements to it, but the characters manage to make them work as well. I really enjoyed this series. Apple TV+ has another winner in their hands.
Score – 80%
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