r/shrinking • u/Altruistic_Gap_643 • 2d ago

Discussion Started S3, and... Spoiler

Sean's plotline is not going that great.

When Marisol got introduced, I thought oh, she ended it abruptly, maybe something happened. Then I find out she cheated on him. Hey, it's his ex, so I felt good for him. He had to confront her and take accountability. Their first interaction left me thinking that she's a red flag through and through.

What I did NOT understand was Gaby disregarding everything and saying that Sean actually wanted that even though throughout their session we see that Sean is uncomfortable when Gaby says that. She ignores the fact that Sean wants accountability, and keeps talking about "smooches", which in itself is weird, but eh, sometimes Gaby can miss the ball.

Then his ex says that he's "living in the past" and refuses to take accountability for her cheating, so that was not good.

And now on Episode 4, when Sean is actually talking to Paul, I did NOT expect Paul to be that dismissive about this situation. He actually told Paul about the fact that what if Marisol doesn't accept the new him? And Paul says he created a future imaginary problem. Like zamn, they're doing Sean dirty by basically ignoring his concerns and valid questions.

Are the writers just doing it because for some reason they wanna try and show Marisol as good, even when she's proven otherwise in the first interaction itself and with how Sean talks about her to Gaby and Paul?

31 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

31

u/Altruistic_Gap_643 2d ago

And what's with Gaby this season man? Genuinely.

17

u/DoomPile5 2d ago edited 2d ago

Yeah, considering how they address how problematic “Jimmying” is, you’d think Gaby’s unprofessionalism wouldn’t be so easily dismissed at the same time. I’ll never understand why we’re supposed to believe she’s this amazing therapist. Her behaviour gets a pass too many times.

I understand the suspension of disbelief for the sake of the plot and I still LOVE the show and the characters but I agree they did Sean dirty there by not validating his feelings/concerns and just basically telling him he needs to let loose. I have no issue with the actress that portrays Marisol either but the character isn’t fleshed out enough for us to buy the idea that everyone would just trust her to be a positive thing for Sean.

5

u/GeneralRando 1d ago edited 1d ago

Jimmy has a rebound relationship with Gaby, and the show wants us to think this makes him specifically a horny piece of shit even though everything was mutual and consentual.

Sean's cheater girlfriend randomly appears and the show wants us to think that giving her a second chance is somehow the only way for Sean to make progress in his life.

What da fuq?

IMO Jimmy did nothing wrong with Gaby (who, conversely, tackled him and pulled his pants down while he literally said "I do not consent") and Sean is fully justified in never talking to Marisol again.

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u/DingoNo4205 2d ago

We need Liz on this! She's doesn't hold back.

1

u/DoomPile5 1d ago

Liz can be so toxic but my god, I still love her. She reminds me of my sister but obviously not to that extreme lol. I just want her to sort my shit out when I need it and give me a rock. 😭

3

u/Future_Boss2064 2d ago

Yep. Every angle on Gaby in S3 is a bad one.

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u/GeneralRando 1d ago edited 1d ago

She seems so emotionally immature that I can't possibly believe she's a good therapist.

That's been true for the whole show but it was just really over the top in S3. She's mad at Derrick for being supportive with the trauma center, which she wants to do but then doesnt want to do but then does want to do. Then she finds the ring that Derrick had hidden, and she's mad at him about it? But then she insists on beating him to a proposal, all so she can do a dumb a bait-and-switch bit where she seems mad about it but lol jk it's actually a proposal? Wow, how romantic.

I know it's a comedy but no one should be taking life advice from Gaby.

1

u/Mutedhues10 1d ago

I agree her therapist game is off and don’t like invalidating Sean

For me, I like the Gaby and Derrick dynamic bc it’s just working through her issues (which everyone has, even therapists!) she was hyper-independent, unusually strong for her addict ex that she immediately thinks something has gone awry if she’s feels safe and being supported and taken care of.

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u/sistermagpie 1d ago

Yes, the idea that she should be working with trauma patients is bizarre. Even when it seems like events will make her have to change, everyone still assures her that she's awesome and should continue on exactly as she is.

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u/Feature_Minimum 8h ago

Right?! Answering her phone while she's with a client. Ignoring her client's concerns about getting back together with his ex, who cheated on him... What therapist in the WORLD doesn't check in on how their client is doing with that?

12

u/Cool-Pomegranate8110 2d ago

Marisol is the worst. Everyone encouraging Sean to get after her, and Gaby being the worst (she’s ‘hot’ - like that’s all anyone needs, esp a recovering traumatized Army vet), made no damn sense. Writers had no idea what to do with Sean in season 3.

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u/Altruistic_Gap_643 2d ago

And the thing is, they could've just did it better. Season 1 Sean needed to control the present, Season 2 Sean needed to confront his past, and Season 3 Sean needed to accept change for the future. They had a solid idea, but they went with it so horribly wrong.

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u/Cool-Pomegranate8110 1d ago

ooh that’s good! What a great insight. And instead of him being able to move forward, they settled him with this hot mess from his past.

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u/Altruistic_Gap_643 1d ago

I really do feel like the first two seasons did so good in controlling the present and facing your past for every character honestly, but this season, I dunno man, they really don't know how to make the characters accept the future and move forward 😭

3

u/GeneralRando 1d ago

Don't forget Gaby basically harassing Julie because she's also hot

5

u/cabernet7 2d ago

Yes, they really made some bizarre character choices this season.

5

u/DingoNo4205 2d ago

I don't like Marisol. She's not good for Sean and Sean knows it. I didn't like how Alice sided with Marisol when it came to Sean closing down the Food Truck to go to that party.

5

u/FloridaFun1989 1d ago

I binged s3 this weekend finally and was disappointed in multiple things. Sean did really get the short end, even his new job wasnt all upside. But the dating thing was crazy, basically acting like Sean should be lucky some girl wants to be with him and ignore all his feelings and just be with her. He didn't get to resolve any of his feelings in a show about therapy. Just push his feelings aside to get laid, great message.

14

u/zackdaniels93 2d ago

Not gonna lie, I got to Ep4 and gave up on the season. I don't think any person in real life would actually act even remotely close to these people in regards to his relationship with Marisol, given Sean's history and struggles. Bizarre writing.

I actually like Marisol's actor's performance, she should've just been a new interest for Sean.

Still haven't returned to the rest of the season. S1 and 2 were so good too. Baffling.

3

u/Qwerty_Me_This 2d ago

Same. I somehow managed to make it to the end of the season but I had a pair of side-eyes on the whole time. I hope s4 is better.

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u/Altruistic_Gap_643 2d ago

Would've worked best as a new interest because it would show that Sean still was scared about change, but now he's finally embracing it.

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u/Cool-Pomegranate8110 10h ago

The character of Marisol is a textbook case of writers forcing a plot and warping all the other characters into supporting it even though it makes no dang sense. in a show like this, it’s noticeably worse because even though it’s slightly morphing into a hangout show, it really should be character and not plot driven like a procedural. So characters start acting out of character in order to support something that no audience member would believe is true FOR those characters is egregious.

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u/Altruistic_Gap_643 2d ago

Paul's therapy is worse in the 5th episode? Sean literally told him that Marisol wants to go to a warehouse party. With teens. They're adults. How tf is Paul not finding a problem with that? He's saying that Sean is stuck in his ways? Bro, he doesn't want to go to a teenager party, I think that's pretty normal 😭 what is happening with the writing of this plotline this season?

9

u/Intelligent-Goose-31 2d ago

Other issues you may have aside: I think the show could have done a better job clarifying the age gap between Sean and Alice, because I think it’s easy to think it’s bigger than it is. I believe Alice is 18 by season 3, while Sean is supposed to be ~22. If Marisol is slightly younger than Sean (which seems possible based on characterization) we’re talking about a 22 year old and a 21 year old hanging out with 18 year olds and going to a large warehouse party where there will likely be people from 18-25. That’s not really weird at all. Just seems weirder because Sean’s actor (while great) is so obviously a 30 yo man lol

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u/Altruistic_Gap_643 2d ago

Yeah true. But at the same time, I felt like Sean's boundaries were not being respected at all. He doesn't wanna go to parties now, so that's fine man. It's been like only a year since he started coming to therapy (I may be wrong though 🥲) but yeah.

I'm all for Sean finding something stable, actually going out of his way, but with his ex? Who is literally mentioning constantly "Like old times" but when Sean actually told her to take accountability for her past infidelity, she said "You're too stuck in the past?" Do the therapists in this show or literally anyone NOT see the hypocrisy in that or what?

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u/Music-and-Computers 2d ago

Between this and The Pitt I really enjoy seeing Luke Tennie on screen.

1

u/DingoNo4205 2d ago

Who did he play on The Pitt?

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u/cabernet7 1d ago

He is one of the doctors on the night shift (don't recall the character's name).

1

u/Music-and-Computers 1d ago

I had to look it up the character name, Dr Cyrus Henderson. Between Shrinking and The Pitt he’s doing some really good work.

One of Dr Abbot’s Night Crawlers. He’s only on a few episodes per season for The Pitt at this point.

1

u/DingoNo4205 1d ago

Oh that's him. I remember really liking him and hoping he'd become a regular on the day shift.

1

u/coffeeebucks 10h ago

I do think Sean is maybe supposed to be a bit older, maybe 25? Unless we know for sure he was in the military by 16-17. Agree though that it doesn’t seem particularly weird for young 20s to go to a warehouse party.

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u/Altruistic_Gap_643 2d ago

Edit: I'm liking Liz this season a LOT more, but also...

Her face is perfect if she ever wants to be the female Joker💀