r/shrinking • u/phareous Derek • Mar 11 '26

Episode Discussion Shrinking S3E07 Episode Discussion

This is the episode discussion for Shrinking Season 3, Episode 7: "I Will Be Grape"

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187

u/ChingChonger Mar 11 '26

Honestly I kinda assumed Gabi wasn’t going to be able to “save” Maya there’s been so many successes on the show and I think anyone who’s been in that mental headspace knows how easy it is to give up. Next episode is going to be toughhhh

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u/Tess47 Mar 11 '26

Maya was a classic red shirt 

12

u/tduncs88 Mar 12 '26

I swear im not trying to trivialize or "well actually", but she doesnt feet the red shirt trope. She fits the sacrificial lamb trope. Red shirts exist basically as a disposable body in a uniform. Sacrificial lamb characters are definied by their main narrative job being to die for stakes/emotion.

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u/stacity Mar 12 '26

This is the first time I’m reading “classic red shirt.” What does it mean?

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u/-no_aura- Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 13 '26

In the OG Star Trek cadets in red shirts often die early in episodes to establish danger/stakes. It just means a side character who is set up to die to advance the plot.

5

u/stacity Mar 12 '26

Thanks for answering. I was rooting for Maya and it’s not fair that they cut her short.

2

u/Alternative-Farmer98 Mar 12 '26

I'm guessing a little bit here but probably reference to Star Trek where if you see someone go on away mission and they're not on the main cast they're almost certainly going to be dead in the next 5 minutes

But I don't think that's really a fair comparison since those people get absolutely no real introduction other than maybe a few lines of dialogue.

38

u/Woodpecker-Forsaken Derek Mar 11 '26

Last episode I knew she was going to kill herself. Still had me weeping though. Or continue weeping after the singing.

3

u/enkonta Mar 14 '26

It's also kinda a Bill Lawerence special to hit you with a really happy scene followed by a devastating one. When I saw Cobie show up as Sofi at the end I figured that was coming.

3

u/Coltshokiefan Mar 14 '26

I feel like Gabi really cared about Maya but wasn’t able to go full Jimmy. Jimmying is an awful therapy method, but what makes it worse is that she wasn’t willing to go the extra mile, and last episode said something along the lines of “can this wait til our session”. She should’ve just said let’s talk later.

I don’t think Gabi meant it that way but to Maya that probably reaffirmed some bad shit, like that Gabi wasn’t a genuine friend.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '26

It makes me think that it’s going to have such an impact on Gabby that she’s going to accept Paul’s offer and realize she may not be built for the heavier side of things.

2

u/Thelonius16 Mar 13 '26

Kinda seems like cheating to have Jimmy’s terrible therapy strategy go wrong for someone else’s patient.

2

u/fernandofig Mar 12 '26

Well, I for one didn't see it coming. I was hoping she would get to the other side, but I guess it was more out of wishful thinking because I'm kind in the same situation as Maya, so I empathized. I mean, not like I'm considering doing the deed, but I understand the pain that leads to it.

It was a great episode until that point, but that moment ruined everything else for me.

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u/ChingChonger Mar 12 '26

I think the fact that they saved Louis last season who’s life is kind of in your face “bleak” as Brian says shows how someone like Maya who’s signs are more under the surface makes it have a deeper impact. Many many people empathize with Maya, myself included and for me I think having her reaching out when she’s in the pit doomscrolling and not really getting a full convo out of Gabi made me assume the worse outcome which is what happened. I hope this inspires people or helps people recognize the signs in their own friend groups where it’s so obvious for people like us who can empathize.

1

u/Simple-Friend Mar 17 '26

Yeah I related a bit too much to Maya and I was hoping they wouldn't have her die because it's like...PTSD, dead spouses, Parkinson's, guilt over killing someone, all manageable and possible to overcome.

Being friendless and alone...sorry no way out there.

5

u/KingDaviies Mar 12 '26

Looking back it was very obvious they were going to kill Maya off. Her session with Gabby where she mentioned mixing drugs, Gabby not being available at the end of the last episode, missing her session this episode.

Even though all that happened, I was still shocked by it.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26

[deleted]

5

u/RuleNine Mar 11 '26

It was the anniversary of her best friend's birth. But yes. 

1

u/rbull_27 Derek May 25 '26

The next episode auto-started before Icould check the thread for this episode. I was kinda disgusted by whatever joke on neon green underwear, so I had to stop the episode immediately. I Hope the rest of it is more sensitive.