I'll be the first to admit that Shrinking Season 3 kicked off with such high energy that it's almost impossible for the remaining episodes to consistently match those heights. But Episode 2, "Happiness Mission," serves as a prime example of why they don't need to. This is a more subdued, functional chapter that focuses on isolating specific issues that certain characters are grappling with and lays the groundwork to help them move forward. It's necessary because clearing these small personal roadblocks will allow everyone to get into the next big, dramatic storyline, which I'm sure is coming.
Zach Braff directed this episode, and Brett Goldstein wrote it, which is interesting since it feels like a bit of a farewell for his character, Louis. But in practice, it's less dramatic than it sounds on paper. In many ways, Louis's arc had reached a natural terminus, and his continued presence in the core cast was becoming more of a hindrance than a benefit.
Shrinking is clearly heading somewhere in Season 3, so it's important to do away with any Season 2 dead weight before the season gets going. That's exactly what "Happiness Mission" is doing with Louis. He's mostly even-keeled now, and while he's reluctant to really start living his life, he's clearly almost there. It's Gaby, of all people, who gives him the nudge he needs.
Gaby is the only person who remains hostile to Louis, since she's unable to get over his involvement in Tia's death and finds his constant moping insulting to her memory. It'd be easy to take Gaby's position as unfair here, especially given that Jimmy and Alice are much more amenable to Louis, but it's what Louis needs to hear. He does need to get on with his life, and that means letting Jimmy and Alice go, since, as kind as they have been to him, they're tethers to the trauma that he can't slip.
After an art gallery trip that is clearly intended to justify the show planting the seeds for the arrival of Jimmy's father, who will be played by Jeff Daniels, Louis goes to see his ex. What looks for a split second like it might be a romantic reconciliation quickly takes a different turn when it's revealed she's happily shacked up with another man. But it's enough for Louis; he's reassured by the fact that she's okay and pleased that he's also okay. He can move on.
For Jimmy, moving on isn't an easy feat. He's still grappling with the idea of Alice venturing off to college, but he's also, like Louis, content to remain in a state of stasis rather than entertain the idea of tangibly progressing past Tia. And it's Cobie Smulders' Sofi who represents a pathway for him to do so. Yet, he's hesitant to take the initial steps.
Sofi is evidently smitten with Jimmy. But while he's polite, he's deliberately unreceptive to her efforts. Liz, Sean, and Louis are all supportive of the idea, but he's petrified of committing. "Happiness Mission" is bookended by scenes with these two: the first featuring Sofi contriving a pretext to see Jimmy and the second showing Jimmy almost summoning the courage to visit her but backing out at the eleventh hour. It aids in giving this episode some structure and introduces what will clearly be an ongoing subplot, but it also demonstrates that despite how much time he spends assisting others, Jimmy isn't quite healed himself.
In the meantime, Jimmy continues to dote on others, and given Paul's advancing Parkinson's, he's a prime candidate. But everyone rallies around Paul in Shrinking Season 3, Episode 2, which he obviously finds off-putting but stems from a genuinely kind-hearted place. This subplot still terrifies me, as I think it's building towards something terribly painful. However, in the meantime, it's delightful to witness everyone rally together, even if Paul dislikes it.
It also fosters fresh character pairings. Brian is brilliant, whoever he's in a scene with, but his dynamic with Paul is particularly exceptional. The same applies to Derek, and this serves dual duty in furthering his relationship with Matthew. Paul is technically off work, but he adores his job so much that he keeps trying to sneak therapy sessions into his convalescence. Derek is an ideal patient since he's grappling with what to do about Matthew's coddling, having hamstrung his potential future.
Eventually, Derek takes the monumental step of kicking Matthew out, which is the right thing for him. But it comes from Paul, who's able to deduce Derek's specific pathology in a matter of moments, showcasing both how great a therapist he is and that even the most jovial of people often conceal genuine darkness and trauma. Shrinking is extraordinarily adept at sneaking moments of genuine insight, depth, and warmth into seemingly innocuous conversations.
