Shrinking
The Medicine Don’t Work
Season 2
Episode 11
Editor’s Score
4 stars
****
Picture: Apple TV+
From the start, Shrinking has at all times framed Jimmy’s obsession with therapeutic his sufferers as a kind of drug, a approach of distracting himself from the grief and self-loathing gnawing at him within the background. However the appropriately named “The Medicine Don’t Work” is the primary episode to essentially lean into that metaphor, with Paul bringing the purpose house as Jimmy nears the emotional breakdown that this complete season has been constructing towards.
Alice hasn’t forgiven Jimmy for sabotaging her unusual however genuinely therapeutic friendship with Louis, and the episode does acknowledge that she’s being fairly robust on him. When she visits Louis on the espresso store, he even suggests she reduce her dad some slack, reassuring her that he’s in place. (He acquired invited to his co-worker Eddy’s Friendsgiving!) However she will be able to’t appear to take his recommendation and transfer on, as an alternative crashing with Gaby for some time to get far.
I assume Alice will make up with Jimmy within the finale, and it does really feel like her season arc is usually full at this level: She might not have the whole lot discovered, based mostly on her lingering resentment, however she overcame one thing big by confronting Louis and forgiving him. We’re not seeing her at her most flattering, however she is a extra assured, mature individual, somebody who understands that Louis isn’t a villain; he’s only a man who made a mistake and deserves empathy like the remainder of us. As Alice’s opening dialog with Jimmy on this episode reveals, she’s not even offended about what he did a lot as she’s offended about his refusal to assist Louis.
Certain, it’s most likely unrealistic to count on your dad to actually deal with the person chargeable for your mother’s dying (moreover, it’s not precisely moral). And Louis has regarded much more animated and spirited in his previous few appearances, although I’m positive his despair nonetheless rears its head every now and then. However the thought right here is that Jimmy is lagging behind Alice within the grief course of by holding onto this resentment towards Louis — and, extra broadly, he’s lagging behind her in his unwillingness to get assist himself.
As Paul factors out, he and Jimmy have each endangered their relationships with their daughters, instantly or not directly, by refusing to forgive themselves for fucking up. For some recommendation on that very topic, Jimmy calls up Grace, who’s doing nicely however nonetheless lies awake generally figuring out she made her husband undergo.
As an alternative of studying one thing from Grace’s progress, Jimmy “relapses” by searching for out the “I did good” buzz recognized by Paul, getting down to assist out his sufferers as a lot as he can. He reaches out to Donny to make Grace really feel higher, although Donny remains to be the identical asshole he’s at all times been. Then Jimmy personally walks Wally (his affected person with OCD) to her neighbor’s door to return the canine she stole 9 days in the past, receiving an enormous, lengthy hug after reminding her of her vital progress.
But it surely’s solely a second earlier than Jimmy’s gratified smile fades, similar to Paul predicted. The drug wore off, and he’s extraordinarily near a breakdown. Paul warns him that he’s risking returning to the place he was at after Tia died, and that’s a horrifying state of affairs. We rapidly see the reality of these phrases when Jimmy calls up one among his previous sex-worker mates, who “doesn’t do this anymore” however might discover some ladies who do.
Jason Segel does nice work on this episode, each expression conveying precisely the place Jimmy’s thoughts is at proper now. He seems exhausted and depressed and even form of strung out close to the tip, skipping Brian’s celebration to wander across the neighborhood and dissociate in the midst of the road. It’s a aid to see him wind up on a park bench subsequent to Paul late at evening, lastly admitting he’s not okay and breaking down.
It’s heavy stuff, and that feeling carries over to the opposite subplots on this penultimate episode. Paul’s story, for instance, ends in a comparatively darkish place: He finds out that he probably solely has six months to a 12 months earlier than his medicine stops working totally, and his tremors attain a brand new stage of intrusiveness in his day-to-day life. There are alternatives — he can food plan and do bodily remedy — however nothing that may delay the signs without end. Like with Jimmy, it is a story that has actual stakes; Paul might have a very robust highway forward in season three, and I’m desirous to see how Harrison Ford handles it.
The dissolution of Gaby’s relationship with Derrick is mostly unhappy however much less emotionally affecting, particularly as a result of it comes slightly out of nowhere. Whereas Alice is venting about needing to dump Dylan — she acquired the ick when he mentioned, “We’ll get by means of this collectively” about her dad points — Gaby admits that she tends to simply get noncommittal and distant till her companions finish the connection for her. Factors for self-awareness, but it surely’s a reasonably loopy factor to say when she’s doing that very factor with Derrick, leaving him out of her Thanksgiving plans as a result of she’s reluctant to let him all the best way in.
I get the place Gaby is coming from in idea, however I’m undecided all of it completely squares with the model of her we all know, particularly when she spent a while pining for a relationship with Jimmy. Certain, that was unhealthy throughout, but it surely was framed like Jimmy was the one who wasn’t prepared, not Gaby. It’s arduous to completely perceive her present habits within the context of what’s been up together with her all season — does this relate to her caretaker disaster with Phyllis or her newfound independence {and professional} success?
It largely seems like a typical rom-com contrivance to both tear them aside earlier than a finale reunion or break them up for good as a result of Damon Wayans Jr. isn’t ready to decide to being the endgame love curiosity. (Shrinking is coming again for one more season.) As a lot as I’ve appreciated him on this present, his presence has generally felt non permanent. In a approach, I wasn’t stunned to see Derrick discover out in regards to the plans Gaby hid from him and name her “fucked up” earlier than leaving. I simply wish to higher perceive what it says about Gaby and her journey going ahead.
Sean will get the lightest story line in “The Medicine Don’t Work,” but it surely’s fairly refreshing, particularly as a result of it reaches a satisfying emotional finish level. He’s tempted to maneuver out of Jimmy’s pool home (although his hire is a whopping $65 a month) and even will get the chance to take action when Derek reveals him a brand new property he’s hoping to flip a 12 months from now. He’ll let him stay there for $100 a month till then, however Sean finally turns him down. He’s simply not prepared to go away but, and that’s okay.
Derek makes use of an anecdote from his high-school water-polo days for example his level in comforting Sean: He didn’t settle for a captain spot when it was first provided to him, but it surely paid off when he labored arduous and took the place the following 12 months. This can be a darkish episode general to hopefully arrange some catharsis and determination in subsequent week’s finale, however I respect that it additionally leaves us with that surprisingly comforting thought: It’s simple to concern lacking out on an opportunity at getting what we wish in life, however the universe has a approach of “presenting a possibility” after we’re prepared. I’ve to hope that’s true.
• Ava calls up Brian to tell him that she’s going with him and Charlie in any case, so that they’re getting a child! I’m glad for them, I suppose, however I’m undecided what to consider the selection to return on the refreshingly bittersweet ending from a few episodes again. I do know Brian returning her pencil topper counted for lots, however she modified her thoughts primarily as a result of the straight couple have been Disney adults?
• Gaby’s mother nonetheless isn’t over her betrayal but, even when she likes her new nurse, Nikki, quite a bit. Nikki additionally will get line: “My mother lives with me as a result of I’m a good individual.”
• Sean is relationship Dr. Sykes! A bit of random, however good for them.
• “ what the worst factor about youngsters are? “Yeah, they get all of your cash whenever you die.” “I’m undecided why that’s a detrimental.”
• The perfect line studying of the episode is perhaps Harrison Ford saying, “That scared me, man.”
• “Look, we’ve had our points. You beat the shit out of me. I referred to as you fugly. You didn’t know that, however I kinda need you to know.”
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