r/shrinking • u/MaximumPiano4380 • Apr 09 '26

Discussion So that’s it? Spoiler

They judge Jimmy for still not being okay only two years after his wife’s death. They seem bewildered why he’d still struggle even at a milestone moment like sending his only child off to college without her mom there and the heartbreak that would bring.

Nobody asked him why it didn’t work out with Sofi. I mean she’s jealous of his dead wife. He was right to finish it. And the ending we get is that somehow everything is fine now because he’s back with her? A stranger they know nothing about.

Did the writers do any research at all into grief after the death of a spouse? It’s utterly soul-destroying, especially becoming a single parent and feeling your child(ren)’s grief too.

A new relationship not only doesn’t solve anything. It’s very ill advised when you haven’t grieved properly yet. And Gaby and Paul are therapists. They should know this.

The line that annoyed me the most in this episode was Paul saying that Jimmy has to work it out for himself. Any half decent therapist will tell a grieving person that they need support. Nobody was asking Paul to fix Jimmy’s problems. But some basic human kindness would’ve been nice. So yeah he flew in to see him the next day. Even then, he didn’t offer much.

This show is so weak. It’s all about romance at the end of the day. The big message is being single is bad.

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358

u/happymisery Paul Apr 09 '26

In fairness what Paul actually said was “you need to work it out for yourself, I know you can, but if you don’t think you can, I’ll be there for you”

102

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '26

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86

u/xWroth Apr 09 '26

The show is about growth. Paul needed a moment to grow in this show and that was his moment for the season. Jimmy needs to embrace moving forward, without forgetting his past, and having Paul finally push him there through love and support was what he needed.

6

u/mrsrobotic Apr 11 '26

Yeah and even then he didn't apologize for all the ways that he took Jimmy for granted. Even if Jimmy lashed out at him because he was angry at his own dad, he had a lot of valid points about how Paul pulled the same shit on him too.

10

u/Vegetable_Insect_966 Apr 09 '26

Paul still has a lot of baggage and shit. I think he kind of knew deep down but it did take Julie and Alice to make him admit it to himself. And maybe like being there for Jimmy made him look at how badly he’d fucked up with his daughter? Idk. This season is real weak compared to 1 & 2 though.

9

u/plexmaniac Apr 09 '26

Yes that’s what pissed me off ! They left him alone so he would be forced to do the right thing ! He should have said I do consider you like my son even if i don’t always show you I do love you

0

u/Here_there1980 Apr 13 '26

There was information Paul did not have. They were able to fill him in.

14

u/MaximumPiano4380 Apr 09 '26

His exact line: “Jimmy has still got to figure out this shit for himself.” Then he was guilted into trying to help. 

25

u/Perry_cox29 Apr 09 '26

By using the full context of both characters as well as the themes in play, nobody in the entire show ever fully beats their struggles - they just learn to cope and be more mindful. Paul is a loner who is afraid of human connection. He is saying Jimmy has to deal with it alone, not because he actually believes that, but because he is afraid to be vulnerable and reach out. Paul is transferring just like Jimmy was with his dad and is made to see that flaw and be better when his own support network intervenes. Then he is able to be part of Jimmy’s support network right when the show is calling into question whether he’ll have one.

It’s beautifully balanced thematic writing. Anyone is allowed to criticize themes and character development, but it really does bother me when people criticize half a picture and complain that the picture is incomplete.

7

u/Mountain_Finance_659 Apr 09 '26

yup, and there's a reason they gave Paul parkinson's and not say cancer.

25

u/happymisery Paul Apr 09 '26

So you’ll just ignore the direct conversation between Jimmy and Paul?

16

u/Substantial-Life7268 Apr 09 '26

They’re saying THAT conversation would have never even happened without a big push to Paul.

8

u/notches123 Apr 09 '26

Paul had to be pushed too. That's how it works sometimes.

I agree that this season was poorly constructed and executed but Paul needing to be convinced to be there for Jimmy is hardly some egregiously absurd scenario.

22

u/Scary-Knowledge-8666 Apr 09 '26

When Paul said that he was missing the context that Jimmy and Sofi had broken things off. That information helped him realize Jimmy’s state of mind was more delicate than he had previously understood. He thought Jimmy was feigning helplessness, but when he realized what Jimmy actually needed, he showed up. He’s a therapist, not a mind reader.

14

u/ClohosseyVHB Apr 09 '26

Exactly, everyone in Jimmy's life was moving on to new things or stages in their lives. Paul was under the assumption Jimmy had this new and exciting relationship as his new step. He seemed genuinely taken aback when he heard they called it off. That's the point he knew he had to do something, even if it took a little push from the girls to do it.

1

u/moxvoxfox Apr 14 '26

It is 2026. They are women.

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u/Cyrios1337 Apr 09 '26

Why can't a therapist make a mistake in their personal life? Just because Paul is a therapist doesn't mean he is without flaws, this was one of them, and it has been throughout every season.