Written By: Absar Ahmad
Sometimes, a show does not try too hard to impress you. It simply walks into your life quietly and understands you. That is exactly what Shrinking does. I finished watching this show in a record 4 nights! Oh, Man! I was so engrossed in watching Shrinking on Apple TV that I ended up watching all three seasons within a week. Here is my Shrinking Season 1 review.
At first glance, the show feels like a light comedy-drama about therapists and emotional people trying to fix their lives. But underneath its humor is a surprisingly honest story about grief, friendship, loneliness, and the strange ways people heal.
🧠Shrinking – A Different Kind of Therapy Story
The story follows Jimmy, a therapist struggling after the death of his wife, Tia. Unable to deal with his own emotional pain, he suddenly begins changing the way he treats his patients. Instead of maintaining professional distance, Jimmy starts becoming brutally honest and emotionally involved in their lives.
It sounds reckless and sometimes it is. However, that is also what makes the show feel refreshing. Apple TV’s Shrinking is not interested in showing perfect therapists. It is interested in showing human beings.
🎥 Watch the Official Shrinking Trailer
Before reading further, watch the official trailer for Shrinking Season 1.
🤝 Friendship Is the Emotional Core of the Show
One of the strongest aspects of Season 1 is the way friendships are written. Brian and Gaby do not magically solve Jimmy’s problems. They simply stay present in his life when he needs support the most. And honestly, that feels more real than most television friendships. The show understands that healing often comes from people who continue showing up for you, even when you are difficult to deal with. Just like Jimmy was in this show.
🏡 Liz and the Importance of Neighbors
Liz might be one of the most underrated characters in the series. She is more than just a neighbor. During Jimmy’s emotional collapse, she becomes a support system for Alice and practically helps raise her for an entire year. There is something deeply comforting about the way the show portrays neighborhood relationships.
It quietly reminds viewers that sometimes the people who help us survive difficult times are not relatives — they are simply people who care. For me, it was a great experience to learn how people are with their neighbors in the US (obviously I am not generalizing).
💼 Paul and Workplace Mentorship
Harrison Ford as Paul brings another emotional layer to the show. As Jimmy’s senior colleague, he acts tough, disciplined, and emotionally distant. But underneath that personality is genuine care. The show beautifully explores the idea that mentorship is not always soft or emotional. Sometimes guidance comes through honesty, structure, and simply being present when someone is falling apart.
It also highlights something many people rarely talk about: Sometimes we need emotional support at work just as much as we need it at home. I too feel that workplace support is extremely important because we spend almost half of our waking lives in the office with our colleagues and bosses.
⚖️ Even Therapists Struggle with Boundaries
One of the most realistic aspects of Shrinking is how it portrays therapists as emotionally vulnerable people. This is in contrast to what we normal people feel about doctors, therapists or other professionals. Jimmy is constantly crossing boundaries because he himself is emotionally unstable. The series does not glorify this behavior, but it uses it to explore an important truth:
- The people helping others are often struggling quietly themselves.
- And that emotional honesty gives the show depth.
💥 Jimmy’s Unconventional Approach
Jimmy’s treatment methods are chaotic, impulsive, and highly questionable at times. But they also create some of the show’s best moments. Because beneath all the professional rules and therapy language, Shrinking is ultimately asking one simple question: What if people sometimes need honesty more than perfection?
🎯 My Final Verdict
As per my watching experience, Shrinking Season 1 is funny, emotional, messy, and deeply human. It balances comedy and grief in a way that feels natural instead of forced. More importantly, it creates characters who feel authentic enough to stay with you long after the episodes end. This is not just a show about therapy. It is way more than that. It is a show about people trying to survive loss, reconnect with others, and slowly find their way back to themselves.
And that is what makes it special. Shrinking is available on Apple TV in 4K and I loved its picture quality and overall production.
If you enjoy emotional comedy-dramas with meaningful characters, Shrinking Season 1 is absolutely worth watching.