'Shrinking' Season 2 Recap: What To Remember Before Jason Segel's Apple TV Comedy Returns

Shrinking, the Apple TV comedy from Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, and Brett Goldstein, returns for its third season on January 28 with 11 episodes, releasing weekly through April 8. A newly released trailer for Season 3 teases an expanded ensemble, including new characters played by Jeff Daniels and Michael J. Fox, while leaning into themes of growth and moving forward. Season 2, which aired in late 2024, pushed Shrinking deeper into themes of forgiveness and grief, leaving its characters in some of the most emotionally exposed places the series has explored. With Season 3 on the horizon, here’s what to remember from Shrinking Season 2.

Paul’s Parkinson’s Journey Is the Emotional Core of 'Shrinking' Season 2

Much of Shrinking Season 2 centers on Paul (Harrison Ford) as his Parkinson’s disease continues to progress. After initially trying to keep his diagnosis private, Paul is forced to confront the reality that isolation is only making things harder. Over the course of the season, he gradually opens up to those closest to him, including his daughter Meg (Lily Rabe), his ex-wife Susan (Kelly Bishop), and his colleagues, especially Jimmy (Segel) and Gaby (Jessica Williams). As his tremors worsen, Paul learns that his medication is becoming less effective, with doctors warning it may stop working entirely within six months to a year, making the need for long-term support impossible to ignore.

Ford’s performance remains one of the show’s emotional anchors, blending dry humor with a growing sense of fragility. Paul’s arc is less about a fear of death than a fear of losing autonomy and his identity. His moving speech in the finale about gratitude and acceptance crystallizes his journey so far while setting the stage for what comes next. That storyline will carry even more weight in Season 3 with the upcoming appearance of Michael J. Fox, adding another deeply meaningful layer to Paul’s journey.

Louis’ Arrival Complicates Jimmy and Alice’s Healing in 'Shrinking' Season 2

The fractured relationship between Jimmy and his daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell) remains one of Shrinking Season 2’s most emotionally resonant threads. In the aftermath of Tia’s death, both are still navigating grief in profoundly different ways, often struggling to meet each other without reopening old wounds. That tension is further complicated by the introduction of Louis (Goldstein), the man responsible for the drunk-driving accident that killed Tia.

Jimmy and Alice react very differently to Louis’ presence. Jimmy wants nothing to do with him, while Alice chooses to confront Louis directly, leading to a deeply cathartic conversation that allows her to process her grief in a way she hasn’t been able to before. Rather than treating Louis as a distant villain, Shrinking makes the bold decision to humanize him, with Goldstein delivering a quietly devastating performance that stands in stark contrast to his work on Ted Lasso. The secrecy surrounding Alice’s connection to Louis adds a sense of inevitability to the moment Jimmy discovers the truth in a brutal way when he sees them together at a restaurant before Alice has a chance to explain.

Segel and Maxwell also deliver some of the season’s strongest performances in the fallout, particularly in the finale, where they both finally confront the ways Jimmy failed to show up, and the significant ways he did. In a moment of hard-earned honesty, Alice reminds Jimmy that while he wasn’t always the father she needed, he was there more often than he gives himself credit for. Jimmy also begins to recognize that the grudge he’s been holding against Louis, while understandable, is deeply tied to his own unresolved guilt and anger toward himself — setting the stage for the forgiveness that follows.

Jimmy Finally Forgives Louis and Himself in 'Shrinking' Season 2

During the finale, after Jimmy and Alice finally reconcile, Jimmy seeks out Louis in a moment the entire season has been building toward. Unable to reach Alice and clearly spiraling, Louis heads to a train station, emotionally isolated and overwhelmed by the weight he’s been carrying. Earlier in the season, Shrinking briefly showed Louis’ life before the accident that killed Tia, revealing that he, too, was deeply affected by the tragedy, suffering serious injuries and losing his relationship with his fiancée, Sarah (Meredith Hagner).

What follows is not the explosive confrontation many shows might have chosen, but something far more intimate and devastating. When Jimmy finally confronts Louis, he ultimately saves him from suicide, which also forces Jimmy to face his own unresolved guilt and anger. Jimmy’s decision to forgive Louis doesn’t erase his pain, nor does it absolve Louis of responsibility. Instead, it marks a turning point, as Jimmy realizes that holding onto rage has been harming him just as much as the loss itself. By the end of the season, Jimmy understands that forgiving Louis also means finally forgiving himself. We also know that Brett Goldstein will be returning as Louis, and based on the Season 3 trailer, it appears that he and Jimmy have not only stayed in touch but may have even formed an unexpected friendship.

Where Are the Other Characters of 'Shrinking' Heading Into Season 3?

While much of Season 2 centers on grief and reckoning, Shrinking also makes room for meaningful emotional arcs among its supporting cast. Gaby (Williams) spends much of the season uncertain about her commitment to Derrick (Damon Wayans Jr.), held back more by fear than incompatibility. That hesitation softens in the finale when Derrick shows up to Thanksgiving dinner with Gaby’s mother, a quiet but powerful gesture that signals just how serious and supportive he is. With Wayans confirmed to return for Season 3, the series appears poised to let their relationship fully blossom, giving Gaby the stability and care she’s long deserved.

Elsewhere, Brian (Michael Urie) and Charlie (Devin Kawaoka) find themselves on the verge of parenthood with surprisingly little preparation, realizing they’re just four months away from welcoming their baby. In an effort to bring some structure to the chaos, Liz (Christa Miller) convinces them to hire a nanny, taking their first real step toward building a family. At the same time, Liz spends much of the season searching for a renewed sense of purpose after her kids leave for college. Recognizing her need for something meaningful, Derek (Ted McGinley) quietly helps orchestrate a solution by asking Brian and Charlie to bring Liz on as additional help with the baby when their nanny isn’t available.

Season 2 reinforced that Shrinking excels at finding humor, empathy, and compassion in every corner of grief, even when the subject matter is at its darkest. By centering forgiveness and the difficult work of moving forward, the season feels like a natural bridge into what comes next. While Lawrence has suggested that Season 3 could potentially be the show’s final chapter, the series is well-positioned to deepen its themes and thoughtfully bring resolution to the storylines of characters that we've come to love.

Catch up on Shrinking on Apple TV before the Season 3 premiere on January 28.