Alan, I wanted to say a big thank you for all your work this year. I love this time of year because we're approaching a whole new year of television. Shrinking has quickly become one of my shows of the year. I really love spending time with those people. I wish I knew them and could be included in every argument, get-together and drinking session. That's the mark of a great show.
On one hand, I appreciate they are trying to tread the same ground as Ted Lasso in addressing mental health and a need for community in times of healing.
On the other hand, the rapid fire non sequitur attempts at brash comedy and sometimes shock come across so forced and unnatural that I have a hard time seeing these characters as authentic people.
These last two episodes really hammered home the manipulation aspect of the show for me as everything felt forced through the plot. Alice has been mostly missing, yet changes her mind about dad after he helps Summer, despite Paul explaining to Jimmy that he helps people as a coping mechanism to avoid helping himself. The contradiction seemed unintentional. Derrick and Gaby splitting felt like a mere setup for the surprise arrival at the party. Paul going from kidnapped party goer to Tiny Tim again feels like pushing the plot more than really following the track of who these people are.
They are very much trying to repeat the magic of Lasso while carving out a different tone. What they are missing is the earned moments that come from developing these characters over a season rather than establishing their needs with exposition in place of actions. Crisis comes merely for immediate catharsis rather than a gradual problem. We realize Jimmy is headed for a crash because Paul tells us, not because we see it. Sure enough, it’s wrapped up within a few episodes when Paul predicts Jimmy will call him, and he does.
It’s frustrating because I like everything about the show except the writing.
I could not agree more but I never read this sentiment in coverage of Shrinking. It is almost the antithesis of an authentic show like Somebody Somewhere. I don’t find any of the characters or their interactions remotely believable. The Paul speech, while well acted, does not jive with how his character has been written to date. And if there was a more grating performance than Jason Segel’s this year, I have yet to see it. I keep hoping to find what others love about this show but that authenticity issue (on top of the forced humor and dad jokes) has kept me on the outside looking in.
Enjoyed the experience of the Doctor Who Christmas special though the story itself was not a complete success. It also brought home to me why I have always liked the Moffat written episodes and era. Even though the season arcs and individual episodes may have been - storywise - excellent to challenging, each episode is a joy to experience in the moment. Much like Sorkin's TV episodes, I just enjoy the interactions and dialog regardless of whether it then holds up in retrospect. (Plus I love a good Christmas episode and Sorkin and Moffat are among the best at it (Your taking the Sorkin West Wing Christmas episodes in your holiday Poscast draft was perfectly proper in my book (and you could have included the Studio 60 episode as well) )(Though one of the best TV Christmas episodes is hard to find buried deep in Youtube some years - the Frank's Place episode where his uncle comes to visit. Now that we have Homicide to stream, can we work on Frank's Place?) Thanks for the Doctor Who coverage.
I do think that while Squid Game season 1 had a fun take on common man vs the system, season 2 actually had much more interesting things to say: the system isn't some black box monster, it's a reflection of the choices people make, and that's what makes it so impossible to fight. The rules of the system/game are changed to make it easier for everyone to behave better, but they don't -- they still form tribes, they still callously elevate their self interests over other lives . Even Gi-hun makes a choice to let people die in order to fulfil his own personal agenda.
Thanks for tipping me off to the Squid Game partial season, I didn't know that was the case. I enjoyed Squid Game's original season but never saw much reason to continue it. I've already watched two different recent HBO shows that seem to put off major plot developments/resolution until the next season, I don't have any interest in encouraging/rewarding Netflix to do it too.
Re: Shrinking. I’ve actually found myself bucking against this Louis storyline in the sense that I think it’s insane that Alice et al were insisting that Jimmy spend time with Louis. I think it’s totally fantastical to believe someone would befriend the person who killed their spouse/mom. Maybe I could accept Alice doing it but to insist jimmy does too, and that it’s the key to his healing? I find it absurd. Why does jimmy have to be this saint in order to deal with his grief? I understand not spending a lot of mental energy wishing someone who’s done you wrong ill, but to befriend them? Anyway, this arc rang false for me, so I wasn’t a fan of Jimmy saving Louis. Someone in another group commented that Bill Lawrence always turns his protagonists into saints. And that makes me very worried for the future of what was my fave new show of 2023.
I agree with how great Paul’s scene was and HF really is doing some of his best work. But this season expanded the cast and had a lot of arcs going at once - I think it gave some of them short shrift.
Alan, I wanted to say a big thank you for all your work this year. I love this time of year because we're approaching a whole new year of television. Shrinking has quickly become one of my shows of the year. I really love spending time with those people. I wish I knew them and could be included in every argument, get-together and drinking session. That's the mark of a great show.
I look forward to the highlights of 2025!
Same! I laugh out loud so much. Love the characters, especially Liz and Derek.
I have a love/hate relationship with Shrinking.
On one hand, I appreciate they are trying to tread the same ground as Ted Lasso in addressing mental health and a need for community in times of healing.
On the other hand, the rapid fire non sequitur attempts at brash comedy and sometimes shock come across so forced and unnatural that I have a hard time seeing these characters as authentic people.
These last two episodes really hammered home the manipulation aspect of the show for me as everything felt forced through the plot. Alice has been mostly missing, yet changes her mind about dad after he helps Summer, despite Paul explaining to Jimmy that he helps people as a coping mechanism to avoid helping himself. The contradiction seemed unintentional. Derrick and Gaby splitting felt like a mere setup for the surprise arrival at the party. Paul going from kidnapped party goer to Tiny Tim again feels like pushing the plot more than really following the track of who these people are.
They are very much trying to repeat the magic of Lasso while carving out a different tone. What they are missing is the earned moments that come from developing these characters over a season rather than establishing their needs with exposition in place of actions. Crisis comes merely for immediate catharsis rather than a gradual problem. We realize Jimmy is headed for a crash because Paul tells us, not because we see it. Sure enough, it’s wrapped up within a few episodes when Paul predicts Jimmy will call him, and he does.
It’s frustrating because I like everything about the show except the writing.
EDITED FOR CLARITY
I could not agree more but I never read this sentiment in coverage of Shrinking. It is almost the antithesis of an authentic show like Somebody Somewhere. I don’t find any of the characters or their interactions remotely believable. The Paul speech, while well acted, does not jive with how his character has been written to date. And if there was a more grating performance than Jason Segel’s this year, I have yet to see it. I keep hoping to find what others love about this show but that authenticity issue (on top of the forced humor and dad jokes) has kept me on the outside looking in.
I totally agree about a lot of these resolutions not being earned. I think they expanded the cast and were telling too many stories.
Enjoyed the experience of the Doctor Who Christmas special though the story itself was not a complete success. It also brought home to me why I have always liked the Moffat written episodes and era. Even though the season arcs and individual episodes may have been - storywise - excellent to challenging, each episode is a joy to experience in the moment. Much like Sorkin's TV episodes, I just enjoy the interactions and dialog regardless of whether it then holds up in retrospect. (Plus I love a good Christmas episode and Sorkin and Moffat are among the best at it (Your taking the Sorkin West Wing Christmas episodes in your holiday Poscast draft was perfectly proper in my book (and you could have included the Studio 60 episode as well) )(Though one of the best TV Christmas episodes is hard to find buried deep in Youtube some years - the Frank's Place episode where his uncle comes to visit. Now that we have Homicide to stream, can we work on Frank's Place?) Thanks for the Doctor Who coverage.
The entirety of Frank’s Place is on YouTube.
I do think that while Squid Game season 1 had a fun take on common man vs the system, season 2 actually had much more interesting things to say: the system isn't some black box monster, it's a reflection of the choices people make, and that's what makes it so impossible to fight. The rules of the system/game are changed to make it easier for everyone to behave better, but they don't -- they still form tribes, they still callously elevate their self interests over other lives . Even Gi-hun makes a choice to let people die in order to fulfil his own personal agenda.
Thanks for tipping me off to the Squid Game partial season, I didn't know that was the case. I enjoyed Squid Game's original season but never saw much reason to continue it. I've already watched two different recent HBO shows that seem to put off major plot developments/resolution until the next season, I don't have any interest in encouraging/rewarding Netflix to do it too.
Re: Shrinking. I’ve actually found myself bucking against this Louis storyline in the sense that I think it’s insane that Alice et al were insisting that Jimmy spend time with Louis. I think it’s totally fantastical to believe someone would befriend the person who killed their spouse/mom. Maybe I could accept Alice doing it but to insist jimmy does too, and that it’s the key to his healing? I find it absurd. Why does jimmy have to be this saint in order to deal with his grief? I understand not spending a lot of mental energy wishing someone who’s done you wrong ill, but to befriend them? Anyway, this arc rang false for me, so I wasn’t a fan of Jimmy saving Louis. Someone in another group commented that Bill Lawrence always turns his protagonists into saints. And that makes me very worried for the future of what was my fave new show of 2023.
I agree with how great Paul’s scene was and HF really is doing some of his best work. But this season expanded the cast and had a lot of arcs going at once - I think it gave some of them short shrift.
I haven’t seen S2 Squid Game yet. Interesting you called it bloated even though it’s two less episodes than the first season.
Because it's really half a season.