Shrinking Season 3 Episode 9 Review: “Daddy Issues” Pulls Heartstrings and Sparks Growth

If there is one thing Shrinking excels at, it’s the "emotional ambush." One minute you are laughing, the next minute you are crying, and just when you think you are safe, the show reaches into your chest and hits you with a one-two gut punch. 

“Daddy Issues,” the latest episode from the Apple TV original series, walks that emotional tightrope again this week, exploring the messy friction between the people we want our friends and family to be and the flawed humans they actually are. The hit comedy-drama starring Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, and Jessica Williams nears the close of its third season — it’s most thought-provoking slate of content, to date.

The episode kicks off with yet another bittersweet memory for lead character Jimmy Laird (Segel) as he reminisces, once again, about his late wife, Tia, chastising he and fellow therapist Gaby (Williams) for lagging behind on their group hike. Back in the present, the trail is quieter. Tia is gone and Gaby is still reeling from the loss of her patient, Maya, and despite the supportive presence of neighbor Liz (Christa Miller) and boyfriend Derek (Daman Wayans, Jr.), along for this walk. Regardless of what her vibrant hiking ensemble might say about her on the trail, the once-spirited therapist is clearly stuck in the woods emotionally — even more so when Jimmy questions her expectant return to the office.

While Jimmy tries the soft approach with his friend and fellow therapist, their mentor Paul (Ford) opts for the more direct method, insisting Gaby needs the structure of the office to heal. It’s classic Paul —helping you by acting like he does not want to.

Down at the food truck, Brian (Michael Urie) is desperately clinging to being one of the cool kids — hanging out with Jimmy’s Gen Z only daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell), Sean (Luke Tennie) and Sean’s on-again girlfriend Marisol — well past his lunch hour to avoid his actual life. Brian’s hiding from Charlie and their sleep-deprived infant, Sutton, as he continues to adjust to new parenthood. As always, it’s another hilarious, hyper-caffeinated performance from Urie, that brings the needed levity to the serious moments that often bookend each episode. 

Meanwhile, Sean gets the call of a lifetime —  a coveted sous chef gig with a noted restauranteur. But, wouldn’t you know it, success immediately tastes like guilt for Sean, who worries his departure will leave fellow PTSD vet Jorge (and the truck) in a lurch. Sean’s friend group and even in a later discussion with nosy neighbor Derek (Ted McGinley) offer the same hard truth for the opportunity: “You cannot set yourself on fire to keep someone else warm.” (Okay, okay, those were not their exact words, but you get the point.) Essentially, they all encourage Sean to take the road less traveled and put his needs first this time. 

Derek takes Sean for counsel with Brian. Yes, you  read that right. Despite the flamboyant attorney’s sleep-deprived brain fog, Brian is able to muster the energy for an impromptu living room TedTalk, coaching Sean on the necessity of healthy selfishness as he navigates new opportunities.

The centerpiece of the episode is the arrival of Jimmy’s father, played with oily charm by recurring guest star Jeff Daniels. Grandpa Laird has come in for Alice’s graduation, and immediately begins inserting himself in the family-fun outings to make up for lost time and to look at classic cars. 

This arrival forces Jimmy to balance his lingering grief over Tia and his blossoming relationship with Sofi against the complex, often strained history he shares with his father.

While Jimmy’s friends, and even his daughter, are charmed by the elder Laird’s stories, Jimmy is vibrating with resentment at every turn with his father. Daddy Laird’s "Greatest Hits" tour of Jimmy’s childhood memories are not exactly how the younger Laird recalls them. Jimmy remembers only the B-sides of his experience growing up with his dad, and they weren’t nearly as catchy. 

New love, Sofi, played by Cobie Smulders, is quick to pick up on the tension between father and son, and suggests that Jimmy find a way to let go of the past. Not the advice the widowed therapist was looking for with someone so new in his life. Jimmy’s budding romance with the often quirky Sofi, herself, hits a brick wall when Jimmy uses his dead wife as a defensive shield—claiming Tia would have agreed with him. It is then Sofi realizes she isn't just dating Jimmy; she’s dating the ghost of his marriage.

Back on the therapy front — though Gaby slowly starts to emerge from her mourning period, finding her old groove and flashy style, she remains at a professional and emotional crossroads. In a rare moment of vulnerability, Paul arrives at Gaby’s home encouraging his fellow therapist to come back to the office — not as a mentor, but as a man acknowledging his own limitations. 

With his Parkinson’s deepening, Paul has accepted his impending retirement and has come to terms with his own time remaining in the office.

When Gaby finds success once again with her patient back at work, Paul makes yet another life-altering proposal to the therapist to take over the practice. In doing so, Paul will not be giving the practice away, but, instead, he is choosing his successor to carry forth his legacy. Cue the tug on the ol’ heartstrings.

Not so fast! Eagle eye Liz is on the case and she’s not buying it. Ever the fierce protector of her chosen family—Liz corners Paul for his uncharacteristic complacency. She sees right through his "generous" offer to hand the keys of the practice to Gaby. To Liz, this is not a passing of the torch; it’s a calculated move to keep his legacy safe by letting Gaby hide in the shallow end of the pool. In a brilliant delivery, Miller’s Liz lashes out at the venerable therapist for failing to challenge Gaby to face the trauma care work she’s clearly running from following her patient's death. 

While Gaby was looking for a mentor to push her back toward her gifts, Paul offered her a comfortable seat on the Struggle Bus, effectively choosing the preservation of his life's work over her professional growth. In a classic Liz power move, she delivers the ultimate ultimatum: if Paul doesn't stop being a cowardly old man and start being a mentor, he is officially excommunicated from her precious rock club—Yikes, Paul! IYKYK!

Paul does score a win for the day in his final session with Jimmy’s live-in patient, Sean. Sean’s arc reaches a beautiful milestone this week. Not only does he receive that job offer as a sous chef, but he also has his final official therapy session with Paul. It’s a bittersweet "graduation" of his own. Though his concern for his friend Jorge shows he’s still processing how to balance his new life with his past loyalties, the young vet was able to keep life in check when the news did not sit well with his friend.

Nevertheless, the core of the scene is a powerful role-reversal where Sean actually becomes the one to offer Paul a bit of perspective. With Liz still in his head and now Sean’s words echoing in his office, Paul rethinks his offer to Gaby, and what would truly highlight her growth as a therapist and the best use of her professional talents. Paul pushes Gaby to use the practice as a trauma center.

The episode earns its title in the final scene. Just as Jimmy begins to wonder if he’s the crazy one for holding onto his grudges, his father makes a "devastating decision" regarding Alice’s graduation. It’s a move so selfish it validates every ounce of Jimmy’s anger, proving that while you can outrun your past, you can't always outrun your DNA. The anger seething on Jimmy’s face in the fade-to-back closer tells us a come-to-Jesus meeting for father and son is long overdue.

Only time and two more episodes will tell if we get to see that showdown in real time.

"Daddy Issues" is a reminder that Shrinking isn't just about grief for those we have lost, but grief for the relationships that never lived up to their potential. Daniels is a perfect foil for Segel; where Jimmy is all raw, exposed nerves, his father is a polished veneer of "smarmy charm." In waiting for the explosive moment when their two personalities clash — my fear is that sweet Alice will be the one to suffer as collateral damage.

The episode succeeds in finding the right balance of the light with the heavy. It’s thirty-five minutes of cathartic television that feels like a therapy session: uncomfortable, enlightening, and ultimately necessary. 

With this series, you WILL learn something new each time, like, in love, you can never compete with a ghost, and in life, you cannot fix a person who doesn't think he's broken. Hmmm…could that be Like father, like son?

Season 3 of Shrinking continues next week. The Apple TV series streams new content until April 8.

What did you think?

Change Image

• Loved it
• Hated it
• So/So