Shrinking – Season 2 Episode 5 Recap & Review

Episode 5 of Shrinking Season 2 begins with Paul deciding that both he and Jimmy will look after Sean, but Paul will be in charge. They encourage Sean to take his time, but eventually, he needs to open up to his father about his feelings toward him.

While Jimmy is helping Liz shop, they come across her ex-partner, Mac, and Jimmy mentions him in front of Derek, not knowing that Derek has an issue with Mac being brought up because Mac is eager to have Liz back. Connor finally reveals his one-night stand with Alice to Summer, which puts a strain on Summer and Alice’s relationship. To help her feel better, Alice and Jimmy get Tia’s initials tattooed.

Meanwhile, Paul’s children, along with his ex-partner, spend time at his house, which makes Paul uncomfortable, especially because he cheated on his wife after a big fight that eventually led to their separation. Paul reveals to his ex-wife that he has felt guilty, but she reveals that she forgave him a long time ago.

Gaby visits her mother to convince her to get cataract surgery. Her sister now wants to live her life after years of caring for their mother as a form of penance for her past as an addict, which makes Gaby reflective. Eventually, Jimmy helps her see that her sister isn’t wrong, and that Gaby cannot hold her accountable for the rest of her life.

Meanwhile, Liz, frustrated with Derek’s silent treatment over not telling him about Mac, finally bursts and blames Jimmy for all her problems with Derek and Connor. Alice visits Liz to apologize and call a truce.

Now, Sean takes Paul and Jimmy’s advice and talks to his father. Things go south during the conversation, and Sean loses control, with the episode ending as he picks a fight with some construction guys.

The Episode Review

Shrinking continues its quirky mix of heartwarming moments and snappy comedy, including humor that defines a coward as a “little baby chicken bi**h,” topped with Brian treating adoption like an Amazon delivery service. Following the theme of “honesty era” for the characters, the episode explores how honesty may not always be the best policy, especially in Sean’s and Alice’s cases, while in Paul’s case, it can heal relationships.

Now that Jimmy and Paul’s collaborative project, Sean, has finally snapped, it’s about time we see the two therapists on clean-up duty as they find new ways to tackle Sean’s problems. We hope Jimmy won’t end up “Jimmying”!