Review: ‘Shrinking’ Season 3 Proves Apple TV’s Quietest Hit Keeps Getting Better

Shrinking returns for its third season wasting no time jumping back into the complicated and emotionally relatable lives of unconventional therapist Jimmy Laird, played by Jason Segel, and his band of quirky cohorts that include co-workers he treats like friends; friends he treats like family; family that is very much family; and neighbors who fill in all the gaps in-between. 

The breakout original hit series from Apple TV, Shrinking continues its day-in-the-life look into therapist Jimmy and friends as they navigate the highs and lows of relationships and what it means to be in community, against the backdrop of mental health. With writing on par and no notes on cast chemistry, the series finds itself in the enviable position in this day of streaming studios’ fickleness, the space to age like a fine wine, even as new ingredients are added to the mix.

Playing on the previous seasons’ central themes of loss, grief, and life cloaked in lessons, both for personal purposes and for those who share common spaces, the series brings new beginnings, new emotional challenges and character changes in this new season. 

As the central character, Jimmy, and his teenage daughter, Alice (played by Lukita Maxwell), at one time, both spiraling in opposing vortexes from the death of their beloved wife and mother in the first season, have seemingly found a path forward, one where they are no longer on the edge of self-destruction, but still wrapped in lovable quirkiness and decidely healthy insecurities.

Nevertheless, Jimmy and Alice also stand on the threshold of a new challenge for their father-daughter dynamic with the milestone moment for her to spread her wings with college looming on the horizon. Though the series has often seen Alice’s on-again, off-again desire to be independent in the face of heart-wrenching moments throughout the previous seasons, the stability she finds in this current chapter tugs at her to remain in the safety and security of her extended family. When a voice of reason emerges from an unexpected source, she is made to confront her future by moving beyond the one moment of her young life that has kept her anchored to the past.

The friendships in Shrinking remain the bedrock of the series’ core strength. Characterized by honesty and support but are also complicated by past traumas and current struggles, the characters often confront each other's vulnerabilities without filters, showcasing the messy realities of love, loss, and healing. 

Jason Segel and Lukita Maxwell in "Shrinking," premiering January 28, 2026 on Apple TV.

Returning for this emotional tour de force this go-round are fan favs Harrison Ford as Dr. Paul, Jessica Williams as Dr. Gaby, Christa Miller as neighbor Liz, and Ted McGinley, as her husband Derek.

United in their love for Jimmy and Alice, who at one time serving as the hub around which all of the other characters’s emotions were centered, this season allows for the supporting players to navigate their own storylines. Allowing Tia’s death (Jimmy’s late wife) in Season 1 to serve as the catalyst for this community, the series has moved away from all things surrounding Jimmy’s needs, in the wake of her death, to a more ensemble narrative of intertwining stories for the side characters and deeper dives into their own anxieties and everyday foibles.

We get to see these other strong characters navigate their own emotional baggage, creating a rich tapestry of connection that feels authentic and relatable.

Despite its comedic packaging, Shrinking balances humor with more poignant moments throughout each episode. Not allowing either sentiment to get too far away from center, the pacing moves without hesitation at times opening the door for those emotional beats to emerge organically, giving characters space to reflect on their experiences, to hold others accountable to theirs, and to find humor in decidedly challenging moments.

Slated for 11-episodes, Season 3 will also deepen its exploration of Dr. Paul Rhoades’ (Ford) health, as Jimmy’s mentor grapples with the advancing symptoms of his Parkinson’s diagnosis, to include the onset of hallucinations, the first of which arrives in the season opener wrapped in the subtle, yet anticipated guest performance of Fox. These transitions between humor and drama can shift quickly, enhancing the show's depth.

Ford, who received his first-ever Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for his role as everybody’s sage who does not take his own advice, continues to stretch and strengthen his acting bounds. The often gruff, teflon-like exterior of the seasoned therapist is repeatedly challenged as his story progresses. The character’s failed attempts at deflecting his own concerns about the limitations of his future are based in such technicolor reality, it’s scary how much, for anyone who lives in it without a laugh track.

At the risk of sounding trite, the performance is Ford at his best. He does a yeoman’s work with this nuanced portrayal of a man with a disease that slowly drains the rivers of your mind of who you once were, showing both the physical and mental deterioration under the specter of this selfish, all-consuming disease. 

Always a bright spot and another standout in any scene, Williams has her dynamic performance of Dr. Gaby, Jimmy’s fellow therapist and late wife’s bestie , on lock. Williams’ infusion of lightness into Gaby's persona to mask her own vulnerabilities through impeccable comedic timing gives her an ability to cut the tension of heavy moments with her sharp wit, classic one-liners, and well-placed snarkiness. Her performance each week brings levity without being crass and poignant moments without drowning them in saccharin.

But, what truly solidifies Williams’ performance is that it feels more like art imitating life. She makes you believe she carries the Gaby gene, herself, creating that friend-girl that every woman (and every guy, for that matter) wants…and needs. Game for anything, she is THAT friend who will meet you for 5 a.m. coffee, for Bible study, for goat yoga, to avenge your honor with your ex; and, yes, even to plan an impromptu backyard wedding in only six hours, whose only needed explanation for each would be to know the appropriate fit to wear. 

Expect a slew of special guest appearances to join the fun as the season ensues, the likes of Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein, doing double duty as this series’ co-executive producer, Damon Wayans Jr., Wendie Malick, Cobie Smulders, Jeff Daniels, and Michael J. Fox. 

Shrinking Season 3 premieres globally on Wednesday, January 28, on Apple TV. New episodes drop weekly every Wednesday through April 8.