AppleTV+ Shrinking takes a new look at tackling grief in this emotional and heartfelt series. Check out the details in my parents guide review.
AppleTV+ Shrinking drops its first episodes on the streaming service tomorrow, January 27th. The series stars Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) and Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), who are both therapists, one suffering from deep depression after the loss of his wife a year ago. With this series being created by the same creators as Ted Lasso, Brett Goldstein, and Bill Lawrence, it is sure to be another hit on Apple TV. Check out the details in my parents guide review.
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AppleTV+ Shrinking Quotes
AppleTV+ Shrinking Parents Guide
In AppleTV+ Shrinking: A grieving therapist starts to break the rules by telling his clients exactly what he thinks.
AppleTV+ Shrinking Age Appropriate Parents Guide
Let’s take a look at what parents need to know before letting their kids watch AppleTV+ Shrinking.
Language: AppleTV+ Shrinking contains strong language, with profanity used throughout. Lookout words include: f*ck, sh*t, b*tch, p*&&y, a**, a**h*le, wh*re, d*mn, g-d d*mn, and phrases like “suck my d*ck.”
Mature Content: Although the show has no nudity or sex scenes, it does discuss sex often, sometimes using vile terms about “big d*cks,” and there is a scene where a teen discusses losing her virginity. There is also implied sex, with couples shown in bed together. There is a scene in the first episode that shows a guy getting violently beaten up. Characters are also shown discussing and getting high on drugs, as well as consuming alcohol to the point of drunkenness, with one character showing projectile vomiting from his alcohol consumption.
Overall Thoughts
AppleTV+ Shrinking is at its best when it delves into each character and explores their demons and struggles on their own. However, the main character, played by Jason Segel, is Jimmy, a therapist and single father who lost his wife a year ago. Jimmy has been in a deep depression since his wife’s death, which has led to a disconnection with his teenage daughter. As audiences witness him slowly emerging from the fog of depression, he begins to use out-of-the-box tactics with his patients to help them battle their own demons. The end result is hilarity sprinkled with touching, heartwarming moments.
AppleTV+’s Shrinking also stars Harrison Ford, who plays Jimmy’s boss and confidant, Dr. Phil Rhodes. The duo of Segel and Ford just knocks it out of the park, as the two have great chemistry together, allow each other to have their moments to shine, and are entertaining as they banter, dropping quips that sneak up on the viewer. The rest of the cast is just as phenomenal and perfectly meshes with the strong leads, particularly Jessica Williams, who may be best known as a senior correspondent on The Daily Show and co-host of the podcast 2 Broke Queens. Dealing with such difficult topics as death and depression, Williams is a breath of fresh comedy air and does a terrific job of breaking much of the tension in the scenes with a genuine and natural flow.
AppleTV+ Shrinking is an easy watch, with each episode running around 30 minutes long and dropping weekly on the streaming service. With Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence and star Brett Goldstein also creating this series in conjunction with Segel, viewers will not be surprised with its clever writing and heartfelt moments mixed with plenty of laughs. It is no easy feat to combine comedy with uneasy topics such as depression and not come off as decidedly droll, but AppleTV+’s Shrinking accomplishes this thanks to a great creative force and a well-blended cast. Time will tell if the show has the staying power of the folks behind it, but this author is already intrigued to see where it leads.
