‘Shrinking’ Season 3 Review: One of Apple TV’s Best, Most Heartfelt Comedy Series Should End Here

We're more connected than ever before, but loneliness is an epidemic. As rates of anxiety and depression continue to rise, the emphasis on mental health and therapy has been given increased spotlight in the media. In the oversaturated streaming landscape, Apple TV's Shrinking has become the safe space where comedy and grief meet in both hilarious yet profound ways. It’s that familiarity that welcomes viewers back for another installment that very well could double as the last for Bill Lawrence's Emmy-nominated series. If Season 1 was about grief and Season 2 tackled forgiveness, then Season 3 confronts what it means to move forward.

What Is 'Shrinking' Season 3 About?

Season 3 picks up months after the events of last season's finale. Jimmy (Jason Segel) is continuing to see patients, as well as Louis (Brett Goldstein), for the occasional check-in, while Paul (Harrison Ford) is starting to hit the brutal realities of his declining health (f--k Parkinson's!). Gaby (Jessica Williams) begins to face roadblocks that make her unsure about her own future, and Alice (Lukita Maxwell) is preparing for a major milestone in her life: college.

Season 2's Thanksgiving finale highlighted the found family that has assembled and grown throughout the series, and Season 3 celebrates these forged bonds. Whether it's cheering on Alice at a soccer game while a college scout watches or remembering Tia's (Lilan Bowden) birthday while belting Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years" with an infectious lyric change, Jimmy and Alice have built a foundational community that has helped them get back on their feet again. Now, with this group as solid as ever, they each stand on the precipice of what could happen next. In that respect, Shrinking Season 3 succeeds in exploring the future through its effortless humor and ginormous heart.

'Shrinking' Season 3 Continues To Let Harrison Ford Shine

Shrinking is an achievement of a series solely from the fact that it spins Ford's signature dry humor into comedic gold. Three seasons in, he remains gruff yet hilarious, even with the harsh realities of his character's struggle with Parkinson's. As Paul's health continues to deteriorate, he doesn’t lose his effortless humor. It also makes his heartfelt scenes more meaningful. After the introduction of Michael J. Fox's character, Gerry, Paul makes a major decision that ripples across the rest of the season. It highlights his magnitude in Jimmy's orbit, the gravity that has kept Jimmy from floating off. Despite his personality, Paul cares deeply about Jimmy, and many of their Season 3 scenes illustrate the love he has for a colleague who's really like a son to him, which results in some of Ford's best acting in years.

It's not just Ford who brings his A-game to Season 3; Jessica Williams shines as Gaby, who settles into the steadiness of her relationship with Derrick (Damon Wayans Jr.) before a crisis with a patient shakes some of her confidence and ideas for her future. Christa Miller's blunt, yet fiercely loyal Liz is also not immune to this when a health scare rattles her foundations. On a lighter note, Brian (Michael Urie) and Charlie's (Devin Kawaoka) family begins to expand with the birth of their adopted daughter, and Sean (Michael Tennie) starts to entertain next steps in his career while reconciling with an ex-girlfriend. With every change and milestone, the characters all lean on each other as they move forward together.

Cobie Smulders and Jeff Daniels Play Key Roles in 'Shrinking' Season 3

When it comes to the show's protagonist, Jimmy's road to moving forward is reflected by two characters that have a unique impact on him: his father, Randy (Jeff Daniels), and his new love interest, Sophie (Cobie Smulders). Randy represents many unresolved wounds that make it hard to heal, while Sophie represents an unknown of new possibilities.

For all the How I Met Your Mother fans, Marshall Ericksen and Robin Scherbatsky were one of the series' most underdeveloped dynamics. Apart from a Season 4 episode where Marshall introduces Robin to his Minnesota Vikings sports bar, this duo never develop into their own unique friendship. For those who wanted more from both actors together, Shrinking Season 3 nurtures that missed opportunity through an earnest, sweet budding romance between Jimmy and Sophie. Smulders isn't a bombastic presence; instead, she matches Segel's goofy, sometimes awkward demeanor, establishing that this new relationship could be what both she and Jimmy need.

While Jimmy is on the doorstep of change, his father re-enters his life, which regresses his progress. Jimmy does his best to be supportive of Alice's desire to have her grandfather in her life, but Randy continues to let Jimmy down, which causes him to shut down much in the same way his grief and depression had previously. For his part, Daniels channels his natural charisma with a laid-back demeanor that masks the indifference that Randy has to his family's grief.

'Shrinking' Season 3 Could Be the Beloved Apple TV Series' Swan Song

Shrinking Season 3's latter half paints a beautiful picture of what it means to move forward, especially for Jimmy. His entire community is progressing in individual ways, leading to Jimmy being hit with the feeling that he's being left behind. Change is a lot for someone who’s starting to feel steady after picking up the pieces, but Jimmy is hit with one change after the next as loved ones cycle in and out of his life. It's a delicate balance to capture the emotional impact this would have on someone, and Segel embraces that friction in his performance this season.

In therapy, there comes a point where your progress plateaus because a patient has made enough growth and has learned the tools they need to ride forward without training wheels. For fans of Lawrence's other beloved Apple TV series, Shrinking Season 3 carries echoes of Ted Lasso's original swan song. Storylines are being wrapped up, and decisions are made that render a Season 4 unnecessary. Unlike Ted Lasso, the finale doesn't leave endless dangling ends for future storylines and spin-offs, which begs the question — is this the end of Shrinking? At the time of this review, that answer is unknown. If this indeed is Shrinking's final bow, Season 3 really does leave it all out there in humorous and poignant fashion. It's hopeful without feeling too saccharine, honoring characters' journeys and leaving off in a satisfying place. The series itself has been a warm hug to audiences, but Shrinking Season 3 lovingly nudges us back to the real world, ready to face whatever lies ahead.