Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Shrinking Season 3.
Shrinking is three weeks into Season 3 so far, and it’s already off to a strong start. The main theme of the season revolves around adjusting to change, reflected in each character’s journey over the course of the first three episodes. Paul (Harrison Ford) has been struggling with taking a step back from work while dealing with his worsening Parkinson’s symptoms, while Jimmy (Jason Segel) is slowly wading back into the dating pool after avoiding serious relationships in the wake of Tia’s (Lilan Bowden) death.
Meanwhile, Alice (Lukita Maxwell) has been preparing herself to leave her support system and go away for college next year, while Sean (Luke Tennie) is rekindling things with his ex (Isabella Gomez) now that they’re different people from who they used to be. Like the two before it, this season has a strong balance between sharp humor and more emotional storylines, but it just has one problem. Shrinking is falling into the trap of oversimplifying Liz’s (Christa Miller) character, and the show needs to correct the issue before Season 3 wraps up.
Liz’s Portrayal in ‘Shrinking’ Is Starting To Lose Nuance
Liz is initially introduced as a complex and nuanced character in Shrinking Season 1. Jimmy resents her for stepping up too much after Tia’s death and taking on a strong parental presence in Alice’s life when he is unable to be there for her. At the same time, it’s revealed that Tia and Gaby (Jessica Williams) used to make fun of Liz together, and that they were put off by her intense personality. Instead of just remaining the annoying neighbor, though, Liz becomes one of Shrinking‘s most lovable characters. Although she is very strong-willed and often controlling, Liz pours everything into the people and things that she cares about. As soon as she claims someone as one of her people, she sticks by them through everything.
As Shrinking continues, Liz forges a close friendship with Gaby, showing just how lonely she has been. Because of Liz’s tough exterior and difficulty meeting people in the middle, she has had a hard time becoming close with anyone. Over the course of Shrinking‘s first two seasons, Liz is able to make stronger friendships without compromising who she is, and she also starts to realize that she is feeling unfulfilled with her current life. As of Season 3, though, Shrinking has pushed her into more of a one-note role, and the show needs to course-correct soon.
The 10 Best ‘Shrinking’ Quotes, Ranked
“I have resting dead wife face.”
‘Shrinking’ Needs to Let Liz Be More Than Just Difficult
Liz has always been stubborn and particular, but that’s been the dominant aspect of her character so far in Season 3. When Paul needs someone to monitor him during the day and make sure he doesn’t overexert himself, everyone puts that role on Liz, who is glad to have someone to boss around. She’s way too controlling over Brian (Michael Urie) and Charlie’s (Devin Kawaoka) baby, even just during the pregnancy. She’s very particular about what she thinks the nursery should look like, and she is overwhelmingly angry when Ava (Claudia Sulewski) tries to give an opinion about the nursery wallpaper. When it comes time to give tough love to her son, Matthew (Markus Silbiger), Derek (Ted McGinley) does finally step up, but the joke leading up to that is that Liz has always been the tough and “mean” parent.
While it’s refreshing that Shrinking has never watered down Liz’s personality to make her more palatable, it feels like, as the show gets more emotionally heavy, it’s been leaning on Liz a little too much for comic relief. As such, many of the jokes rely on Liz being uptight and controlling, and that one facet of her character has been continuously exaggerated. The most obvious example is in Season 3’s most recent episode, “D-Day,” when Ava goes into labor and Liz takes on an almost cartoonish role as the backseat doctor. She yells at the hospital staff and quickly gains a reputation for being difficult, and although it’s clearly done out of love, it’s a little too over-the-top.
Shrinking has so many compelling aspects of Liz’s character to explore, like how she’ll adjust to the changes in Derek after his impromptu therapy session with Paul, as well as how she can continue to occupy her time in fulfilling ways after her revelation in Season 2. Liz’s intensity and controlling nature can certainly be funny at times, but leaning into this too much reduces her to just these traits, and Shrinking should embrace more complexity for her as Season 3 continues.
