Shrinking Season 3 Premiere: Moving Forward With Parkinson's & New Beginnings

Apple TV's Shrinking has returned with season 3, picking up after 2024's emotional (but always hilarious) finale. The last time we saw these characters, the overarching theme was "move forward." Jimmy (Jason Segel) finally began the work of forgiving himself for neglecting Alice (Lukita Maxwell) by opening up this conversation with his daughter. Additionally, he took the step of forgiving Louis (Brett Goldstein), the man who killed Tia in a drunk driving incident. This allowed both Jimmy and Alice to finally begin to emerge from their grief.

Things were really moving in the right direction for the other characters of Shrinking in season 2 as well. Sean (Luke Tennie) patched things up with his father, Brian (Michal Urie) and Charlie (Devin Kawaoka) have a baby on the way, Gabby (Jessica Williams) finally let down her guard and embraced her feelings for Derek (Damon Wayans Jr), and Liz (Christa Miller) worked things out with her Derek (Ted McGinley) following that brief affair. Then there is Paul (Harrison Ford), who is beginning to get his affairs in order in the face of his worsening condition. Now, Shrinking season 3 is continuing the story.

Paul’s Worsening Parkinson’s Disease & Michael J. Fox’s Shrinking Cameo Explained

Shrinking season 3's premiere jumps right back into Paul's struggles with Parkinson's Disease. The first scene sees Paul and Julie (Wendie Malick) getting ready for bed in their bathroom, but the mood shifts when Paul's tremors make it difficult to squeeze toothpaste onto his toothbrush. In Shrinking season 2, it was established that his medications were no longer as effective as they had been. It's an expected progression, but that doesn't make it any easier for Paul to cope with.

This is where Michael J. Fox's Shrinking cameo comes in. Paul runs into the actor's character, Gerry, while waiting to see his doctor, and the two strike up a conversation about their experiences with Parkinson's. It's clear to Paul that Gerry's symptoms have progressed further than his own, and it puts his own struggles into perspective. However, Gerry notes that, despite their different experiences, they are both in the same boat. Or, as he put it, "we're all on the same sh*tty train to Sucksville."

After some time commiserating, Fox's Gerry says, "Enough whining," going on to state that he's still around, so "f*ck Parkinson's." This becomes Paul's mantra for the rest of Shrinking season 3, episode 1. Things are getting harder, and Paul has to make some changes. However, the best way he can stick it to this disease is to live life to the fullest. For Paul, this means torturing Jimmy with some joyriding.

Jimmy & Louis Have Continued Their Friendship In Shrinking Season 3

Continuing that season 2 theme of moving forward, Shrinking season 3's premiere reveals that Jimmy and Louis have continued their unlikely friendship. It appears that forgiveness has worked wonders for both these characters. Jimmy even encourages Louis to get back to his life and reclaim his career, but Louis isn't quite ready to disrupt the careful peace he has managed to build for himself.

Jimmy naturally relates to this, but in addition to Shrinking's newest theme of moving forward, there is the lesson that life will move forward whether we are ready for it or not. Jimmy has finally rebuilt his relationship with Alice, but there isn't much time for the father-daughter duo to enjoy their progress since Alice will soon be heading off to college. Jimmy and Louis both agree to fake it until they make it. It's quite a shift compared to their Shrinking season 2 dynamic.

Gabby Becomes Paul & Julie’s Wedding Planner

The reality that Paul's Parkinson's is getting worse means that he needs to get his affairs in order. It's ultimately decided that he and Julie should get married, thus making any future care and transitions easier. Though neither wants a big to-do, Gabby isn't willing to accept a cold courthouse wedding. Perhaps inspired by her own budding romance, she demands that Paul and Julie have a romantic ceremony and house party to celebrate. Naturally, though mostly against Paul's will, Gabby wins the argument.

Alice Gets Scouted For The Wesleyan University Soccer Team

Shrinking season 1 established that Alice is a great soccer player, and, going into season 3, she hopes that this will earn her a place at Wesleyan University. As it is, a Wesleyan scout was scheduled to attend Alice's upcoming game, and she was naturally nervous. Jimmy was essentially losing his mind as well, but after failing Alice in those prior years, he dedicated himself to making this dream come true for her.

Thanks to the support of Jimmy, Liz, Derek, Gabby, Brian, Paul, and all the rest, Alice gave the scout an excellent performance. After a chat, Alice was offered a spot on the Wesleyan team. However, the love of all these people reminded Alice just how stable her life had become at home. As we see with all the characters in Shrinking season 3's premiere, the idea of moving forward felt uncomfortable. However, with some further encouragement, Alice finally accepts the Wesleyan offer.

Brian & Charlie Struggle To Set Boundaries With Ava

In Shrinking season 2, Brian and Charlie were finally selected by a birth mother. The start of season 3 sees the couple prepare for the new baby, reluctantly accepting Liz's help to decorate the nursery. They choose to include Ava, giving her a tour of what will be her child's space to grow up in. However, Brian becomes concerned that they haven't established healthy boundaries after Ava makes some specific requests about how the room should look.

Brian admits in Shrinking season 3, episode 1, that he is being selfish, but he doesn't want Ava to be involved in the family he and Charlie are forming. He wants to send her a yearly update or two, and leave it at that. However, when he and Charlie sit down to have this conversation with Ava, Brian can't bring himself to do it. Later, talking to Liz, he explains that he can see just how alone Ava is. Though it's not explicitly stated, it sounds as if Brian and Charlie will accept Ava as a member of their growing family.

Paul & Julie Are Officially Married After Shrinking Season 3 Episode 1

There was some back-and-forth in Shrinking season 3's premiere about whether Paul and Julie would actually tie the knot in a traditional ceremony. Though neither initially cared about the wedding, Julie is eventually won over by Gabby, at which point she becomes frustrated by Paul's indifference. Once they are finally on the same page (and an adorably romantic proposal finally happens), Paul and Julie's ceremony takes place 15 minutes later.

The truly lovely ceremony was the perfect way to really dive into Shrinking season 3. Jimmy's role as officiant was equal parts heartwarming and hilarious, and Paul and Julie's chemistry couldn't get any better. Add in the montage of all these wonderful characters dancing together (including Jimmy and Paul's daughter Meg—could there be something here?), and this premiere episode really couldn't have been any better.

Of course, Shrinking season 3, episode 1 ended on a more complicated note. Fox returned to again play Gerry, this time sitting in the kitchen, enjoying some wedding cake. When Paul tried to introduce his new friend to Julie, he discovered that Gerry wasn't really there. It's a new symptom of Parkinson's Disease, and a reminder that things are going to keep on moving forward in Shrinking season 3 in both positive and frighteningly negative ways.