Sean benefited from Jimmy’s methods, worked on his anger issues, partnered with Liz (Christa Miller) on the food truck, and repaired his relationship with his dad. And, as seen in this week’s episode, he has a bright future ahead of him because he has an interview to be a sous chef. However, it doesn’t always work out well. Season three has seen Gaby seriously ponder taking Jimmy’s advice about mingling with her reclusive patient, Maya (Sherry Cola). When she did bond with her at bar trivia, Maya opened up about her crushing loneliness. It’s progress, but at what cost? In “Dereks Don’t Die,” it’s clear that Maya begins to see Gaby as her only support system, especially after being introduced to Sean and Alice (Lukita Maxwell). Someone needs to tell these doctors that they can’t keep expanding their inner circle to include their patients. In what is dark foreshadowing, Gaby tells Maya during a session that mixing Xanax and wine isn’t a good idea. When Gaby isn’t able to meet her later on, it feels like Maya is about to reach for that exact combo. I’m scared for her, folks.
Shrinking also emotionally terrorized me in this episode when, just for a moment, I thought Derek (Ted McGinley) was a goner. After his EKG test reveals that he needs emergency bypass surgery, Liz and Derek rush to the hospital. It couldn’t have come at a worse time for them because earlier, the parents were still upset over the fact that their 24-year-old son, Matthew (Markus Silbiger), is an unemployed man-child who was mad at them for not supporting him anymore. Still, it’s nice that Jimmy, Gaby, and Derrick #2 (Damon Wayans Jr.) show up for them. Eventually, Jimmy even convinces Matthew to forgive Liz for rightfully calling him an “embarrassment” and stick by her side during this difficult time. Most interestingly, Jimmy recognizes some of Matthew’s traits as his own, from when he was unreliable after Tia’s death, and wasn’t able to take care of Alice because of his obliviousness. Liz and Derek were the ones who stepped up and took care of his daughter. It’s something Liz loves to remind Jimmy of, too, often in the form of a sarcastic insult.
So it’s meaningful that when Derek’s surgery is on, Liz tearfully opens up to Jimmy about the fear of losing him. When she says, “I’m not as strong as you, I don’t think I’d survive,” it paints a lovely portrait of their evolving friendship. Yes, Liz and Jimmy are funniest when they’re arguing and yelling at each other, but that taunting is intertwined with understanding and love. All of Shrinking‘s relationships are, which is why it’s easy to get lost in its world. We see this with Brian (Michael Urie) as well, whose fears about telling his father about his adopted baby girl are unnecessary. Brian’s dad rejoices at the news. This show loves a happy ending, so Derek—as the episode’s title suggests—is okay, too. Let me take this opportunity to shout out to McGinley’s terrific work when Derek talks to Liz pre-surgery about how much he loves her. The actor started his Shrinking run as comic relief, so it’s nice to see his character (and performance) evolve.
Elsewhere, there’s some development to episode five’s cliff-hanger, when Jimmy hooked up with Meg (Lily Rabe). I’m conflicted about this particular update, even though I understand why both of them needed to get this out of their system. Meg sees it as something she wanted to do during an ongoing separation from her husband, and it’s only motivated her to pursue couples counseling. For Jimmy, sleeping with Meg has hopefully made him more confident. I hope it pushes him to reach out to Sofi (Cobie Smulders), the woman he actually wants to be with. Still, it’s a little disturbing to watch Paul’s actual daughter and surrogate son do the deed—and for what? I’ll be so mad if this ends up negatively affecting Paul and Jimmy’s relationship. Shrinking has set the stage for it, and for a potentially devastating conclusion to the Gaby/Maya situation, for the remaining episodes of season three. Let’s circle back next month to unpack how it all ends.
Stray observations
- • The gall to name this episode “Dereks Don’t Die” tells me that whoever decided on the title has not sobbed through Grey’s Anatomy season 11, episode 21.
- • All three How I Met Your Mother actors have now played someone who wants to be with Cobie Smulders’ character but is too afraid to pursue her.
- • “We named her after our favorite Broadway star, Sutton Foster.”
- • “Life is short. Difficult women make it better.”
- • “I love you. I know you know that. But if this is the last time I get to say it, I really want to know that you heard it.”
- • It didn’t happen this week, but I wanted to shout-out the electric scene in episode five when Jimmy and Brian wholeheartedly perform a Les Misérables song, to which an incredulous Paul responds: “Did you both just come up with that?”
- • I hope season three brings Jeff Daniels back as Jimmy’s father and I’m excited to see what’s going on with Michael J. Fox’s character as well.
- • Finally, as Paul and everyone else around him would say, fuck Parkinson’s.
Saloni Gajjar is The A.V. Club‘s TV critic.
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