Shrinking is the Apple TV+ show about a grieving therapist who stops following the rules, and it might be the most honest portrayal of therapy, grief and anxiety on television right now.
In part two of the DTWM OCD AV Club and the Bill Lawarence/Brett Goldstein mental health universe of shows, Leela and Pri turn their attention to Shrinking, the series about Jimmy Laird, a therapist so consumed by his own grief that he starts telling his patients exactly what he thinks. It's funny, it's devastating, and it has more to say about anxiety, avoidance, grief, and the messy reality of getting better than most dedicated mental health content.
Leela and Pri unpack what Shrinking gets right about mental health, including OCD, what it gets wrong, and why Jimmy Laird might be the most relatable therapist on television, not because he's good at his job, but because he isn't.
Plus: Harrison Ford doing the best work of his career, Michael Urie delivering the monologue of his career, and the return of Emily Gilmore.
Two shows. One question answered. And possibly a third recommendation by the end.
Spoilers throughout. You've been warned. ☕
Other TV shows we rate/mentioned in this episode: