Shrinking

I am so excited and pleased whenever I find a show or movie which has characters who behave like smart, thoughtful people would as opposed to storytelling puppets falling from one trope to another. To make it even more exciting, the casting director for this show ought to get all sorts of awards, it has nothing but excellent actors acting excellently all the time. It's a real pleasure to watch.

I gave it a try, but it has too much identity politics and fake drama that is just boring and annoying. Some decent aspects to some of the characters, but it comes across as shallow, and there are so many better shows to spend time watching than this.

I watched the first 2 episodws, but see no reason to continue watching. Nothing is really working for me. The comedy is incredibly flat, the dialog the same...I suppose it's supposed to be quirky? It's just 1 note with a lot of swearing to make up for not having anything interesting to say. The premise for the drama aspect is good, but handled so flippantly and so little gravitas that you know is going to be a waste. There are worse shows out there and the actors have charisma at least, but I just fail to see what people are enjoying so much about this. It's about as mediocre production as you can possibly get.

Watch this if: 1) You are a white male that feels the need to constantly capitulate and apologize for everything you do. 2) Are a black woman who thinks all of those sassy comebacks are actually funny in any way, and how everything is everyone else’s fault. 3) Are a teenager who insists on calling their adult role models by their first names, instead of showing a single ounce of respect. Yet more left-wing garbage being rammed down our throats. We are witnessing the fall of civilization in the West and these performing seals are clapping along. Gets a 3 as Segal is good as usual, and his patient, Sean, puts in a convincing performance. Harrison Ford, what were you thinking?

Cumbersome and pathetic in its presentation, Shrinking has no character growth, no sense in its dialogue or in its protagonist’s behavior, and is haphazard, erratic and ridiculous. No serious consideration was given to the background, profession, or authenticity of the lead or any of the supporting characters. If you’re old enough to recall the “feel good” movies of the 90’s, then you’ll identify this show as one of those vapid, over-the-moon goofy and merry to the point of vomit inducing productions. Like so many senseless industry shows before it, Shrinking’s premise is actually extremely sound: a therapist chooses to break with proper psychological etiquette and involve himself in his patient’s lives. Sadly, we don’t get to see a reason for this decision to materialize. The writers don’t even allow the viewer to see a transformation in the protagonist towards this choice! Instead, the effect of this life changing resolution results in immature antics and complete chaos instead of thought provoking or inspirational events based in what could have been plausible reality. This writing choice WOULD have been fine IF what ensued were funny, but it’s not. “Shrinking” attempts to be hilarious, only to fail horribly, landing face first in its shenanigans and childish foolishness. “Shrinking” is what happens when you put incompetent activists in a writing room and pay thousands of dollars to invite an established celebrity to inflate the hype around a production that’s been given no effort or attention. It’s a cash grab: an attempt to get you to pay for a show based on the fact that Harrison Ford is involved… and that’s it! A complete waste of time and a massive headache, if you try to make sense of it.