Shrinking Season 2 Comes to an End on Apple TV+: Is It as Brilliant as Season 1?

The second season of Shrinking is coming to an end on Apple TV+. It is an incredibly sincere and heartbreaking story about living through trauma from the creators of Ted Lasso and Scrubs.

The cast remains the same, as do the main characters' problems. We'll tell you why, despite the cyclical nature of the situations, the second season is no worse than the first.

Shrinking Is Still Different From Most Shows About Therapy

At some point, stories about psychotherapy became popular on TV. Typically, these stories revolve around troubled therapists who cannot help themselves, but who do their best to improve the lives of others.

Bill Lawrence's series follows the same path, changing the number of patients and the frequency of their appearances, so that even minor characters eventually become a family.

The problem with many stories about psychotherapists is that the issues raised by the patients fade into the background.

In Shrinking everything is different: Jimmy's clients mix with his loved ones and in some cases even become them, which is not at all ethical from a psychotherapeutic point of view, but works great for the plot.

For example, Sean, who returned from Afghanistan with severe PTSD, was upgraded to a full member of the family and moved in with Jimmy. In the second season, this leads to a series of problems that require him to move to another specialist.

Shrinking Season 2 Is Predictable, but It Is a Good Thing

In the new episodes, Jimmy comes to terms with the consequences of his actions and briefly refuses radical therapy, which involves violating professional ethics and trying to interfere in patients' private lives.

The escalation of the conflicts suggests that the stakes will rise in the script. However, the viewer already predicts the actions of the characters: we know that everyone will forgive each other and live happily ever after. The second season is gradually becoming a story about total forgiveness, not only of oneself but also of one's loved ones.

Do Not Watch Season 2 if You Have Not Seen Season 1

At the same time, the new episodes come with an important caveat: they cannot be watched without preparation. This has both pros and cons: the episodes work great for the old audience, but a new viewer will not be able to get into the plot.

The writers continue to stick to the dramedy genre, avoiding excessive moralising, which is why the second season does not lower the bar and manages the task perfectly. It is once again, touching, honest and warm. It is no coincidence that Shrinking has been renewed for another season.