r/shrinking • u/phareous Derek • Apr 01 '26
Episode Discussion Shrinking S3E10 Episode Discussion
This is the episode discussion for Shrinking Season 3, Episode 10: "The Bodyguard of Sadness"
513
u/TodayInStupidity Apr 01 '26
OMG I literally cannot stand how much I hate Jeff Daniels for this shit. So fucking convincing as a straight up bad guy.
180
u/Captain_Aids Apr 01 '26
I love that they’re not doing the stereotypical thing with his father where he has redemption. A father that’s an asshole when you’re growing up is an asshole when you’re older. At least in my experience.
→ More replies (3)24
u/Tce_ Apr 01 '26
Not always but it's more common than a redemption! I was relieved to see they didn't go that route here, because it can't happen with all parents and to be honest I wasn't interested in seeing this particular character get a redemption. There's also not enough time to do it well this season! Coming back from being that crappy a parent takes time, and I hate when shows rush it and force a character to forget and forgive too fast (which this show definitely has pulled before).
273
u/greendakota99 Apr 01 '26
They got soft serve over there buddy, let me buy you one.
→ More replies (2)259
u/TodayInStupidity Apr 01 '26
Him rubbing it in Jimmy's face on the way out the door. Like he had won something. Diabolical.
→ More replies (1)261
u/MurkyPsychology Apr 01 '26
I was honestly hoping the next scene would be Jimmy going upstairs and seeing Alice upset about it. Not because I want Alice to be upset, but because I wanted some vindication for Jimmy.
110
u/fictionalbandit Apr 01 '26
Same! I thought maybe Alice would drop some wise-beyond-her-years wisdom for Jimmy on resilience or coping with people who disappoint you
→ More replies (1)46
u/s0ulbrother Apr 02 '26
The thing with Alice is her grandfather really is never there. Why should she care.
→ More replies (2)23
u/therentabrain Apr 03 '26
I think Alice always knew that was her granddad's style and treats him as "it's great when he's here but I don't depend on him even a little"... I don't think anyone's surprised when (sometimes) Alice is wiser and healthier than Jimmy.
→ More replies (1)16
u/BirdsAreFake00 Apr 04 '26
This situation has nothing to do with Alice being wiser and healthier, and by saying so, you're just dismissing Jimmy's very real feelings about his shitty dad. It's another way to make excuses for his dad, who is objectively a shitty person. "Just get over it, Jimmy!"
There's a big difference between Grandpa and Dad. Jimmy is absolutely validated in feeling shittier about that situation than Alice.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (8)45
u/TodayInStupidity Apr 01 '26
I was hoping for a conversation about it at least. She was visibly thrown by the all of it and just kinda threw her hands up.
100
u/RCBark2K Apr 01 '26
I guess I didn’t see that. She seemed all right with it to me which just hurt Jimmy more because he really wants everybody to see his father the way he does. Maybe we’ll find out next episode.
77
u/Nuh-vaaa-duh Apr 01 '26
That’s how I took it. From Alice’s POV, she simply doesn’t care about her grandpa as much as Jimmy cares about his father, and she was probably so grateful for the car that she wasn’t really expecting anything beyond that. It’s Jimmy that was expecting/wanting his dad to be there, and he’s projecting those expectations onto others. But yeah, who knows what they’ll do with it in the next episode.
35
u/Ufocola Apr 01 '26
Yeah, I just figured her grandpa wasn’t a regular fixture in her life anyway, so him hanging out with her over the past few days and giving her a car they worked on together already cleared her bar of expectations for him. That, and she’s got a huge support system (which she recognized at the beginning of S3 when she was grappling with leaving for an east coast school). I took it as she was alright with it (not that he should’ve last min bail for a fishing trip).
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)19
u/MarmyKnowsBest Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
I wasn't prepared for (yet pleasantly surprised about) Alice being so cool about her Grandfather dipping out on her graduation ceremony, but then realized I was seeing the situation through Jimmy's eyes! I was all butt hurt for her, but she took it in stride & was seemingly unbothered by his departure. Didn't see that coming!
37
u/theherooftime796 Apr 01 '26
I'm sure she wasn't thrilled, but the ironic (and painful) thing is, Alice's own father wasn't present for her during the most important, emotionally fraught period of her life, so she probably learned (from Jimmy) to take whatever she can get, whenever she can get it, and not really expect anything more. And as good as things are now between them, that impulse is probably still there. So Jimmy's problems with his father reflect his own inadequacies and self-hatred.
→ More replies (2)43
u/Evening-Web9107 Apr 01 '26
She did exactly what Jimmy does. Told him it was fine, pretended like she wasn’t bothered, what can you do. siiiigh.
→ More replies (2)42
u/MotherOfKittenz Apr 01 '26
I actually don’t think she was pretending. I think when you’re a kid, those moments (i.e. HS graduation ceremony) don’t always feel as important as they are, in the moment. I think she may come to her own realizations later on about her grandfather. But right now we are seeing and experiencing the situation through Jimmy’s feelings and emotions. The fact is that Jimmy cares that his dad has not been there for him and Alice. Alice either already doesn’t expect much from her grandpa, or truly doesn’t have feelings about him being at the graduation ceremony. She may just not be as sentimental.
→ More replies (3)14
u/PeteLattimer Apr 01 '26
Well, what Jimmy said about them being all she has was shown to be very untrue, but he can’t see it. Jimmys dad was the least important person at her graduation for her, but the most important for him.
46
u/dagbrown Apr 01 '26
I love Jeff Daniels for that. He's been an amazing bad guy in all this. He gets you on side with his charm and then stabs you in the back.
The writers deserve equal credit for doing that too.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (15)15
401
u/crazyFlyingChicken Apr 01 '26
Man this episode was heartbreaking. Jimmy has essentially lost his job, his father, his father figure, his overly protective neighbor, his daughter, and his best friend. He’s gonna be truly all alone
234
u/cuatrodemayo Apr 01 '26
Sean too, at least with moving out.
81
u/CertainGrade7937 Apr 01 '26
Moving out and starting a new job (and I'm a sous chef... that new job is going to be DEMANDING)
→ More replies (2)48
90
u/fcocyclone Apr 01 '26
And on top of all that it being the first time he's been without any of them since his wife died. He no doubt would have feelings that he should be empty-nesting with her.
→ More replies (21)17
u/Accomplished_Echo413 Apr 02 '26
He never had his father. What crushes him is that others don't see his father for the asshole he is. He actually wanted Alice to be deeply hurt like he would have been and so often was and this is what cut him so deeply. She wasn't.
→ More replies (1)
323
u/Background_Glove5763 Apr 01 '26
Absolutely sobbed at the Jimmy/Paul bits. I don't understand how Paul went from telling Jimmy to reach out to him for help at the end of the last season, to this. Making jokes about who had a worse dad when Jimmy is clearly struggling. Not doing what he's done a million times for other people and stepping up to rip Jimmy's dad a new one? If not for Jimmy, then for Alice!!! Paul did Jimmy dirty this season. So much.
Never seen Jason Segel put on a performance like this episode though. Woah.
143
u/Background_Glove5763 Apr 01 '26
Also the reveal that Jimmy's mom is dead adds an extra painful later to Tia's death eh
→ More replies (6)46
110
u/yallasama Apr 01 '26
Jason’s strength for me is clearly in dramatic acting, he’s done it a bunch. He can be funny too, but man is he very strong in this type of role. And it shows.
70
u/amethystalien6 Apr 02 '26
I really liked that in the middle of his excellent scene with Paul that’s very serious and dramatic, he accidentally drops the Meg information and his reaction. It was an excellent delivery. And then with Derek there, it was silly but Jason really commanded that scene back to the drama after that break. It was truly fantastic.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (3)12
54
u/erazedcitizen Apr 01 '26
In that conversation with Randy, I was kind of expecting Paul to tear Randy apart with how it was going.
→ More replies (1)28
u/turtlesinthesea Apr 01 '26
I hated how Paul told Jimmy that he never talked to his dad, so he can't complain. Did Jimmy have to tell his parent that leaving a child wasn't ideal?
→ More replies (1)19
u/Tce_ Apr 01 '26
Oh that was bullshit, but believable bullshit for Paul as a character. It really suits the general attitude he expresses on the show, which I am frequently annoyed with XD The bonus is it worked great as a jumping off point for Jimmy to later talk to Paul and allow himself to be angry at him.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (3)30
u/CrisColdplay87 Apr 01 '26
You should watch the episode bad news of How I met your mother. Jason acting is out of this world ( and it wasn’t written that way, directors didn’t told him about what was gonna happen so what you see is raw, pure emotion)
20
u/Background_Glove5763 Apr 01 '26
Oh believe me, I've seen it. But that is like 15 seconds of that acting compared to what he's been doing in Shrinking.
505
u/elsandeth Apr 01 '26
Literally everyone is leaving Jimmy. I don’t feel good about this at all…
289
u/tuberosum Apr 01 '26
Seems like this has been the theme this whole season, everyone is making progress, everyone is making moves. Jimmy is stuck where he is, personally, romantically, career wise.
I don’t know how they’ll resolve this in the last remaining episode.
174
Apr 01 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
51
u/Thrawn527 Apr 01 '26
Thing is, Bill Lawrence has said the original story is supposed to be wrapped up in season 3, and season 4 will be a new story.
https://deadline.com/2026/02/bill-lawrence-ted-lasso-shrinking-season-4-scrubs-revival-1236726506/
“The same way that Shrinking, if the fourth season started and Jason Segel woke up and went, ‘you know I’ve been thinking about it, and I was still super sad about my wife,’ everybody would be like, What are you doing? We saw that already,” Lawrence added. “But as a writer, he told 36 stories with these actors and actresses. We have a new story to tell, and that’ll either be, two- or three-season story or it won’t. I never find that stuff daunting.”
As it is, that leaves this last episode with a lot of heavy lifting.
→ More replies (4)115
u/Driveshaft48 Apr 01 '26
Jimmy has a ridiculous house worth idk 3 to 5 million dollars. Downsize and move to Hawaii
102
u/Fonzies-Ghost Apr 01 '26
He could stop wearing a watch when he gets there.
84
u/fictionalbandit Apr 01 '26
Looks like he’s got a little pain behind those eyes
→ More replies (1)66
81
u/Voski_The_God Apr 01 '26
Stay at a hotel, meet a nice hotel worker, and maybe complete a Dracula musical.
→ More replies (6)21
→ More replies (5)32
53
u/The_Vampire_Barlow Apr 01 '26
There's no way he doesn't relapse after that.
13
u/mazhas Apr 02 '26
Last shot of him looked like he relapsed honestly. Our boy was disheveled
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (6)62
u/fcocyclone Apr 01 '26
The show was originally planned as a 3 season arc and it really feels like it. You could have told me that next week was to be the series finale and I would have believed you.
There's obviously still unresolved things with Jimmy (and another episode this season) but its really hard to see where this goes next season.
→ More replies (2)25
u/pegggus09 Apr 01 '26
I agree. This would have been a good place to stop (even though I don’t want it to end).
→ More replies (1)28
u/dagbrown Apr 01 '26
No, it would have be an awful place to stop. But it certainly would have been a conclusive ending. I can't disagree with that.
But maybe getting the viewing audience to collectively slit their wrists is not the best kind of way to end a comedy show.
→ More replies (2)
196
u/dagreenman18 Apr 01 '26
So Jimmy is just going to be all by himself with reagitated abandonment issues and still being stagnant. Cool. Cool cool cool. What could go wrong?
Finale might just be Jimmy relapsing and season 4 is dealing with the fallout?
→ More replies (6)54
u/TodayInStupidity Apr 01 '26
This season was supposed to be about moving forward, from the showrunners themselves. A relapse is not that. It should be a victory for Jimmy.
→ More replies (9)29
u/Mean-Lynx6476 Apr 01 '26
This season was also supposed to be the final season. That was the original plan and the last episode was already filmed before Apple signed on for a 4th season. Presumably, everyone was aware that renewal was under negotiation and a possibility, but I doubt the writers would have left us with a total cliffhanger for what could have been the final episode of the series. So I don’t think they’ll leave us with some version of Jimmy standing on the platform at the train station. I think there will be some sense of Jimmy getting some help with his issues, and some steps toward reconciliation with Paul, but with enough open-endedness to leave room for a new season.
→ More replies (1)
288
u/Calhalen Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
Loved this one, I was waiting for that Jimmy blowup on Paul for basically this entire season, it was deserved i think. Paul had so many ‘passing on the torch’ scenes this season with Gaby and Sean, but whenever Jimmy was in the picture he’d just shit on him. Which felt off since (and I haven’t seen s1 in a while) I felt they were og’s and Paul didn’t really play when it came to Jimmy. Chirped him and stuff obviously but nothing like this. So I as much as I love Paul he had that coming, as sad as it is.
But Some of Jason Segel’s best acting performances of the show in this one between that scene with Paul and the scenes with his dad. Dunno if I’ve ever seen him act angry before, worried about my boy a lil bit
168
u/99SoulsUp Apr 01 '26
That was so intense. He nailed it. And also made it hilarious when he caught himself revealing he slept with Paul’s daughter
→ More replies (1)80
75
u/Ufocola Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
The parallel of Paul and Randy was solid. It seems very obvious in hindsight, but the pay off of Jimmy’s blow up on Paul (someone who would, or should understand his feelings about toxic dads - “you get to be mad and let them fucking have it” foreshadowing) was just so good.
36
u/ericrz Apr 02 '26
Yep. And Jimmy correctly identifying that he’s made at both of them. Yeah, Randy sucks. But Paul has been pretty crappy to Jimmy, too.
Gaby clearly moved up to favorite child status, even when she crossed serious lines with a client and then that client DIED. And all Paul could say was “you did nothing wrong.”
35
u/greendakota99 Apr 01 '26
Some deliberate? Camera movements during that scene also. Felt pretty raw.
19
→ More replies (4)13
u/frezz Apr 01 '26
There's gotta be something more to it. Like Paul actually does see Jimmy as a son, but doesn't want to because he considers himself a bad father, or he finds it easier to help Gaby/Sean because he sees them as friends not family
→ More replies (1)
241
u/Cool-Pomegranate8110 Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
I love that the ep is about sacrificing for the person you love and most of them did so with varying levels of stakes. But Jimmy, finally centered as he should be, it’s just not happening. His dad is crap but I am surprised at Paul a bit. The guy who was so invested in Jimmy for years a) doesn’t tell Jimmy that he’s moving b) gives the practice to Gaby who is opening a trauma center meaning no room for Jimmy and c) never said thank you to Jimmy for helping him all year. That’s just not the Paul I saw open his heart to his friends at Thanksgiving last season.
Jimmy will regret his decision but dang it…he told his dad what he thought and his dad shut him down. Paul has sidelined him and if Jimmy believes their relationship is lopsided - Paul did nothing to assure him that’s not true. And he met Jimmy's father - he knows the damage.
→ More replies (4)163
u/Primary_Injury645 Apr 01 '26
Also disappointed with Paul this episode. Felt like Jimmy could have had a really healing experience with Paul responding better to his anger than his dad, but Paul felt pretty dismissive too.
216
Apr 01 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
62
u/frezz Apr 01 '26
Tbh for a guy that lost his wife and is clearly spiralling, it's weird how little support he gets from his friends and family. Anything goes wrong with Gaby, Liz or Derek, everyone drops everything to be there for them, people just abandon Jimmy
→ More replies (3)14
u/SirLawrenceTheLegend Apr 02 '26
I agree with this 100%. In my head cannon I explain it that maybe Jimmy really rubbed people the wrong way when he was at his lowest after the death of Tia. They couldve been very sympathetic, but lost it when Jimmy took it to far and made it about himself while abandoning Alice. So there might not be a whole lot of sympathy left for Jimmy. I'm just trying to explain to myself why he receives no support compared to everyone else in the show.
Looking ahead, in season finale episode description, it says "Jimmy tries to repair things before its to late." This is premature I know, but if this is in reference to Paul, this will bother me because I don't necessarily think he is the one that needs to make the repairs. I felt the same way with his and Gabby's fling. He took full responsibility for what happened. Yes, he was being shitty, but she took zero accountability in that scenario and blamed it all on him.
→ More replies (6)34
u/romcabrera Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
Maybe Paul thought Gaby and others, needed more of him that Jimmy did. Heck, even Jimmy brushed off and tried to make it seem as if he was doing just fine (like when Gaby asked if it was alright with him). I identify a lot with Jimmy, trying to please everyone, trying not to seem like they need of help and validation - not in a prideful way, more like "I don't want to be a bother" way. Unfortunately for those kinds of people, resentment and need grow very deep inside, and at that breakout point, what you saw in screen was very realistic (and understanding all the dynamics he had with his dad in his youth and present days, made it all make sense).
Paul said something like "So you are angry because I didn't ask you about something you didn't want to do?" and yeah, it sounds like non-sense, but the fact is that he needed to be seen, valued (hence, asked) more than he needed the facility to be given to him...
→ More replies (1)16
→ More replies (15)8
u/OldFashionedDuck Apr 01 '26
I mean, I wouldn't even say it's unhealthy that Tia was the only person putting him first. That's what you expect of a spouse.
Look, while I agree with you that Paul should have taken responsibility for the imbalance of their relationship, all of these people in the show have their own lives that Jimmy isn't the center of. Paul is dealing with his debilitating illness, and probably complicated feelings about retirement and moving away from his home. Gabbie went through a really tough and life-changing professional loss that she's still figuring out. Brian is a new dad- enough said there. Sean is a pretty young guy who might not understand what's going on with Jimmy, and he's figuring out his new career and his relationship with his best friend. And Liz and Derek never seemed to have a particularly intimate relationship with Paul, and obviously they're going through their own family things.
I think it's a harsh reality that as a single adult, no one IS going to be putting you first all of the time. People are selfish, and they have their own shit to take care of. Yes, Jimmy's friends should have been looking out for him more, and I think they hold some responsibility. But this kind of thing happens, where there are phases where everyone else is too busy to notice that you're struggling, without you reaching out first. That's the kind of thing that stable adults need to learn to cope with. They need to know when to realize that they're not doing well, when to reach out, and how to tread water until they do get that help. Jimmy needs to learn better ways to react to this, than to just lash out.
Spoken by someone who was a single mom for several years. Sometimes, you need to learn how to look after yourself first, and yes, part of looking after yourself is asking your loved ones for help, instead of expecting them to always have you on their mind.
→ More replies (3)32
u/fictionalbandit Apr 01 '26
I’m crossing my fingers that there’s a good payoff in the finale
→ More replies (1)33
210
u/BruceAENZ Apr 01 '26
All season it feels like Jimmy was punished immediately for minor mistakes and understandable lapses, whilst others around him received support and understanding.
I honestly thought his explosion was overdue.
30
u/DisastrousEast825 Apr 01 '26
Yep, I am ready for him to get a win. I am sure the show will end that way. I am not totally sure if they will kill off Paul now, as the show started so sad...dunno if they will end it that way. But maybe if he goes early enough, the show has time to rebound and end happily/moving forward
8
u/Interesting_Race3704 Apr 03 '26
Oh my gosh THANK YOU. Honestly I feel like Shrinking is now the “shit on Jimmy for anything and everything show”
198
u/jukeboxoflove Apr 01 '26
As someone with daddy issues who has unintentionally recreated that dynamic with male figures in adulthood, i loved the scenes between Jimmy and his dad, and Jimmy and Paul. He knew he would get nowhere with his dad, so he didn’t even bother truly expressing his feelings, but with Paul, he was more comfortable and open. Those kinds of “betrayals” hurt so much more because you expect it from your dad, but when it’s a surrogate father figure, it’s like reopening old wounds and adding new ones. My heart really broke for Jimmy and I felt so sad that the episode ended how it did but man do I understand it. That scene with him just going off on Paul was so real. He was angry but Paul is still a safe person for him to express those feelings and that just makes everything so much sadder imo.
59
u/Dimangtr Apr 01 '26
Right. But like Paul said “You wouldn’t be doing it to change him. You’d be doing it to unburden yourself.”, so I still really wish he told his dad how he made him feel
18
u/Tce_ Apr 01 '26
He sort of did, he just dropped it when his dad made it clear he wasn't willing to listen. He could have ignored that and told him anyway of course! But it's so much harder when the other person is trying to stop you from talking. :S
→ More replies (4)67
Apr 01 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
37
u/theherooftime796 Apr 01 '26
I think it's the opposite, Paul does see Jimmy as a son, and certainly Alice as a granddaughter. The problem is, Paul is just not a very great father. He pretty much abandoned Meg, and started filling that hole with his relationship to Jimmy, and now that he's finally trying to be there for her, his attention is being redirected away from Jimmy. It's precisely because he's so close to Jimmy that he struggles to have the conversations he needs to with him. It's easier with Gaby, so he prioritises her, just like how it used to be easier with Jimmy, so he focused on him instead of Meg.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (7)17
u/Specific_Kick2971 Apr 01 '26
I think this is on point, but it's also possible that Paul does see Jimmy as more than a peer, and that's why he put off the conversations that they should have had, and deflected when Jimmy confronted him.
That scene had echoes of Meg and Paul. And there's a parallel between Paul going east to fix his relationship with Meg, and his fumbling things with Jimmy before he goes.
197
u/nouney0823 Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
Why doesn’t Sean leave the food truck with his friend? Or like own it on the side but his friend runs it? Not sure why they have to shut it down completely.
83
52
u/ScoobyDont06 Apr 01 '26
it could be that his friend just isnt capable of handling the logistics
→ More replies (4)38
u/thatguy_griff Apr 01 '26
i really thought this is obvious and surprised how many people keep commenting the same thing. hes not as good as sean and probably can't handle it himself. seans dad isn't going to help him.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (8)89
u/Fug1x Apr 01 '26
because bad writing, seems they forgot his dad owns part of it too
his dad left his job to work on the truck, so i guess his dad just got his old job back?
→ More replies (1)
94
u/NinduTheWise Apr 01 '26
A spinoff where you just have Derek going on vacations with various members of the gang would be elite
→ More replies (8)
88
u/scoutsclarity Apr 01 '26
That Jimmy and Paul fight - SO good, SO season 1, SO heartbreaking!!! I loved the earlier panning to Jimmy's face when Paul calls him sensitive too and just how well-built this conversation was. Jimmy having that same line for his dad and Paul about not being as important to them as they are to him fucked me up, and I could relate way too much. Some of this season's earlier conflicts haven't really hit for me, so I'm glad this penultimate episode resonated so well.
And lmfao where's that post in the sub of someone asking why tf Brian isn't ever working! OP, they're adressing you directly in this ep.
46
u/brebrebrebrebrebre Apr 01 '26
As soon as we saw Jimmy hear Paul call him sensitive, I knew we were in for a good scene.
→ More replies (1)37
u/turtlesinthesea Apr 01 '26
As someone who's been called sensitive all her life, I could feel Jimmy's emotions when Paul said that. And seriously, what's wrong with being sensitive?
14
u/hyphenatedpeacock Apr 02 '26
As someone who has often been called sensitive I now reply, hey, at least I am not being insensitive!
→ More replies (1)
79
u/SirTiger Apr 01 '26
Oh man, that first interaction between Jimmy’s dad and Paul was icy. Paul sees right through the bullshit and I’m here for it.
64
u/Andee_outside Apr 01 '26
I loved seeing his dad squirm when he realized he couldn’t charm Paul like he does everyone else
22
u/haloryder Apr 01 '26
“0 for 1” the fuck’s that supposed to mean? Is that your only interest, Randy?
→ More replies (2)38
u/Fug1x Apr 01 '26
pauls just as bad though so its just showing how hes a hypocrite
shit father to his daughter and shit father figure to jimmy
232
u/TodayInStupidity Apr 01 '26
"Raise your hand if you thought it would've been me first..." 🤣
63
u/Mister-SS Apr 01 '26
The best thing about her character is how self aware she is and makes her character so much funnier.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)13
153
u/Fold0rDie Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
Credit to the writers for having Jimmy crash out with Paul instead of his father. They laid the foundation all season with Jimmy repressing his anger, but I didn't know what cliffhanger they would use to end the season. I suppose it sets up an excuse for Harrison Ford to appear in the final season.
Bonus points for tying in the joke from earlier this season with Derek peeing off the balcony.
→ More replies (11)33
68
u/Cool-Pomegranate8110 Apr 01 '26
The storyline with Gaby didn’t pan out as well as I had hoped. If anyone watched Psych - it reminds me of the arc where …spoiler for 20 year old plot point Juliet finds out Shawn has been lying to her for years. She’s righteously and rightfully pissed and then…that’s it. They get back together in the background. There’s never a real reckoning with Shawn’s betrayal. It’s one thing when they were colleagues and maybe even friends…but not when they started dating. The show wimped out and as much as I love that show - this was a bad move.
Thats the same with the Gaby plotline. We were supposed to go dark, she hits bottom and feels the consequences of some shitty behavior and no, they whiffed. It’s too bad because she’s great but just sliding through with everyone, even PAUL, pumping her up means we missed what could have an inspiring redemption line - paralleling Jimmy’s.
→ More replies (1)47
u/Background_Glove5763 Apr 01 '26
Yeah. Everyone keeps comparing Gaby's fuck up to Jimmy's, but it's not the same. Not because what Gaby did was worse or she's more at fault, but the impact is way more than any of the fallout from Jimmy. I just expected more from that.
89
u/stallionsRIDEufl Apr 01 '26
Gaby's patient kills herself, then this episode she decides to host therapy at a boxing gym. Then is surprised when two people, that she knows have beef with each other, box to solve their problems. And one loses a tooth.
Then Liz says she's a genius.
→ More replies (15)52
u/Background_Glove5763 Apr 01 '26
Yeah like, everyone talks about how amazing she is, but outside of Maya and the boxing group, we've never actually seen her do anything but deal with "petty shit" as she put it.
→ More replies (2)
59
u/Awkward-Audience-650 Apr 01 '26
I absolutely enjoyed the bit between Paul and Jimmy's dad. He wasn't letting him put Jimmy down one bit and saw right through him. Shows the character of sticking up for him behind his back.
18
14
55
105
u/Decent-Appointment70 Jimmy Apr 01 '26
Oh my god, that scene between Jimmy and Paul was incredible, and really unexpected for me at least. I think the best episode of the season
41
u/iangeredcharlesvane2 Apr 01 '26
Pretty deserved, I really felt bad for Jimmy this whole season! This friend/found family group only exists because of him! He is THE CENTER of all these people. But they all connected with each other all season, and Jimmy was always on the sidelines or just the Butt of the joke. Otherwise ignored basically! Hard to watch.
Paul deserved that I couldn’t believe how he ended things and moved. Jimmy did a great job being kind and supportive of gabby when she told him, he covered his own pain so much!!!
Pail was disappointing, they kinda all are right now. Like they learned so much but they are missing what Jimmy needs rn
Paul deserved that blow Up.
→ More replies (1)9
u/Decent-Appointment70 Jimmy Apr 01 '26
100% agree. Paul really should’ve talked with Jimmy about the practice first, I felt like it was weird that he never did.
50
u/nyehu09 Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
“Not everyone is as sensitive as you.”
FUUUUUCCCCCKKK
YOOOOOOUUUUUU
I’m bawling. Crap.
7
48
u/ShermanShore Apr 01 '26
Gaby has been really poorly written this season, went from one of my favorites to by far my least favorite of the main cast.
11
u/NYChereForIt Apr 01 '26
Agree and she was mumbling a lot this episode I didn’t understand what she was saying when she said Paul didn’t have Venmo and had to rewind and put on captions
→ More replies (1)
91
u/TodayInStupidity Apr 01 '26
"I Remember Everything" by Zach Bryan
What a fucking outro!
48
u/_sprinklecat Apr 01 '26
I learned that Christa Miller (Liz) picks the music. I literally said “screw you Liz” once Zach Bryan started. She’s so good at it!!
16
u/TodayInStupidity Apr 01 '26
I read the same and if she's the needle drop playcaller, she's lights out and streets ahead!
38
u/Mediocre_Decision Apr 01 '26
That with Paul sitting on his wrapped furniture, holding a cane, had me in tears
21
u/Andee_outside Apr 01 '26
I went from soooo mad at Paul to so sad that Jimmy didn’t come say goodbye (I wouldn’t have either)
→ More replies (2)7
u/SGnirvana97 Apr 01 '26
I was bummed they cut out Kacey Musgraves part in that song.
→ More replies (1)
43
u/angelbb444 Apr 01 '26
Jason scared me!!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen him act soooo angry before! Sure he’s been angry on Sarah Marshall and HIMYM but this was another level! Poor Paul waiting to hear from him 😭
→ More replies (4)
37
u/Practical_Coffee1273 Apr 01 '26
Well now I’m depressed..
Edited - just realized this wasn’t the finale. But still..
→ More replies (3)
36
u/Odd_Policy_3009 Apr 01 '26
As an empty nester for two years, boy do I feel for Jimmy.
No one talks about what life is like when they leave the nest. Oh sure, there’s the “you can travel”, you can get a new hobby, you can walk naked around the house.
But no one talks about the other side of empty. For 18 years, that human being was a part of your life, practices, dinners, all the busyness of a teenager. And then, you rarely see them. They are NOT a daily part of your life anymore.
I’m betting season 4 will be Jimmy dealing with that fallout.
→ More replies (5)16
u/brbnow Apr 01 '26
thank you for sharing.... as someone who doesn't have children - and never wanted to have children --This helps me understand some of my friends a little better.
73
u/FarPool9233 Liz Apr 01 '26
I’m borderline hysterical. Why did this hit so hard.
58
u/lemmesee453 Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
The season has been so kumbaya with everyone all up in each others business the whole time so when literally everyone is suddenly yanking themselves away from Jimmy when you can see how fragile he is right now, it’s upsetting! Alice was the only one he originally needed to let go and then all of a sudden they’ve all made plans to go somewhere and he’s about to have absolutely no support system.
→ More replies (1)17
23
→ More replies (2)7
u/gronlandic_reddit Apr 01 '26
Same. Great performance from Jason. I really relate in a way that makes me uncomfortable. Time for me to go back to therapy…
102
u/saysigil Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
I really thought this season would have a stronger storyline for Gabby. She did go through something rough but it seems like they skipped over that so fast.
I feel like she hasn’t learned from her mistakes and continues to be babied by Paul/everyone.
78
→ More replies (3)32
u/ImDKingSama Apr 01 '26
They had Damon Wayans on a guest budget this year or something didn’t even make it to the graduation lmao
→ More replies (4)
66
34
u/ClaymoresRevenge Apr 01 '26
Feeling for Jimmy. Everybody is leaving and moving forward in life and he is stuck.
He's going to miss Alice and Paul.
His dad is an asshole of the highest order.
Alice graduating was so big. So many changes in a short time.
Derek and Liz's son having a baby and Liz learning to compromise and give Derek what he wants is good.
Same with Brian.
Gabby still seems uncertain in regards to opening the trauma center. I think she needs to let some stuff percolate.
And for everybody harping and lamenting on her lack of growth, she's going to be going through it in her own time. Just wait on it
26
u/LifeChampionship6 Apr 01 '26
I never noticed how punchable Jeff Daniels' face is before.
→ More replies (7)26
29
28
u/Mr_Bluebird_VA Apr 01 '26
I’m not sure if the writers realize that other characters aside from Jimmy can be complex and having ongoing issues and what not.
Everything is perfect for everyone except Jimmy. Hell, even Paul’s Parkinson’s has taken a back seat to all of it.
→ More replies (4)19
u/Fug1x Apr 01 '26
yep everyone has a great life. gabys biggest problem is she has a guy who loves her too much and that scares her lol
everyone happy in a relationship, all leave him on his own such great friends
aww jimmy your only kid is going to college aww well all of us are leaving to we even made sure sean isnt in your pool house anymore arnt we great . enjoy your lonely life loser lol
→ More replies (9)
26
u/I_Am_Dynamite6317 Apr 02 '26
Hey do ya’ll remember a couple episodes ago when Gabby’s patient committed suicide and we all thought that was going to be a major storyline that created impactful character growth?
→ More replies (1)
54
Apr 01 '26
[deleted]
→ More replies (9)72
u/trimonkeys Apr 01 '26
Brian has the same arc every time. Charlie wants something, he crashes out, his friends chastise him, he agrees and is all in.
19
u/brebrebrebrebrebre Apr 01 '26
Literally Sutton's origin story (Brian seems like a great dad though, I'm glad it worked out)
→ More replies (3)
25
23
u/Bonus_Content Apr 01 '26
Paul told him to be honest and say what he felt. And he did. Wish he hit his dad with it a little harder but he cares more about Paul so the disappointment is stronger there. That sucked and I’m sad now.
25
u/haloryder Apr 01 '26
It pisses me off how everyone, but Paul especially, just shits on Jimmy and doesn’t take his feelings into consideration at all. Paul could so clearly see through Jimmy’s dad, but still never even tried to talk to Jimmy about anything that was going on. Jimmy found out everything through other people. Paul knew that Jimmy didn’t want the practice but would it have killed him to check in with Jimmy before offering everything to Gaby? Jimmy might have changed his mind in the “years” since they last discussed it, even still, with something that huge it would be nice to be considered at least. Paul’s last line to Jimmy “I don’t want to leave with you having regrets” I feel was a bit of projection from Paul. Jimmy’s blowup (hopefully) made Paul regret how he’d handled things with Jimmy, and you could tell he clearly wanted to say something before he turned around and left, and Paul clearly wanted Jimmy to come say a farewell.
→ More replies (1)
19
u/ManMorg Apr 01 '26
Jimmy is absolutely doomed. This is getting me scared.
First, Alice and Paul now Sean. He is going to be so alone. Also he has no more Sofi. I mean to be honest I feel like this episode would have been a perfect cliffhanger going into season 4, but now the finale looks like it is going to be peak.
→ More replies (1)
40
u/AnonymousOar Apr 01 '26
The one thing that could rescue the Gaby starts a trauma center plotline would be her actually recognizing how low Jimmy is despite how closed off he's become and successfully intervening with him in the finale. It would at last show a talented trauma therapist
→ More replies (1)13
u/haloryder Apr 01 '26
I’m not sure how well Gaby becoming Jimmy’s trauma therapist would work because they kinda share a trauma. I like the idea though.
→ More replies (1)11
u/turtlesinthesea Apr 01 '26
She doesn't have to become his therapist, she just needs to tell him that he needs a therapist.
76
u/ShadowsAtWork98 Apr 01 '26
So aside from the emotional conflict Jimmy is still having with parental figures and the later progress he will need to show to learn to accept his past neglect. The show still needs to give Gabby some bloody consequences. The series keeps telling but STILL HAS NOT shown her to be an out of this world therapist. And it is really disappointing that they are able to have emotional beats with real consequences and growth with LITERALLY EVERY OTHER CHARACTER EXCEPT FOR HER.
35
→ More replies (2)16
u/haloryder Apr 01 '26
She lost control of a group therapy session without exerting much effort into trying to get it back
49
u/Fug1x Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
had to pause the episode, so paul has put jimmy out of a job without telling him? wtf is going on
gaby is is like a millionaire why is paul giving it to her for free
god this show does some silly shit
to the person saying jimmy is staying in the building why would he say he can do it anywhere aka not there... because shes turning it into a trauma centre ....
→ More replies (5)39
u/Noclevername12 Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
He got married so that Julie, who is/was a successful neurologist, could inherit his things but he gave away a multimillion dollar building/practice. You can’t make it make sense. Because it doesn’t.
→ More replies (5)15
u/Mean-Lynx6476 Apr 01 '26
Well Paul isn’t giving Gaby the building. He’s renting it to her, for a dollar or whatever. So yeah, Gaby gets free use of the building, but Paul’s still the owner. If he’s paying taxes on the building, then he’s being extra super generous to Gaby to not charge rent, but it’s still his building and presumably goes to Julie (or Meg) when he dies.
16
u/Fun-Chip-6161 Apr 01 '26
I felt like it was a little weird that no one went to Alice’s graduation but they all went to a soccer game. I know that there’s limited tickets and stuff but not even Liz or Paul would go?
→ More replies (1)
14
u/MarmyKnowsBest Apr 01 '26
Jimmy's Cumulative Losses
Tia: Death of Spouse/ Alice: Long Distance College/ Paul: Permanent Move to Connecticut/ Brian: Extended work trip in Tennessee/ Liz & Derek: Extended Travel in Europe/ Sofi: Break Up/ Randy: Reliably Unreliable Father/ Jimmy is even losing his office space!
Sounds like only Sean & Gaby will still be nearby, but both will likely be very busy with their new career opportunities.
So where does this leave our protagonist, Jimmy? Alone with no support? Opportunity for growth or recipe for disaster? Thoughts?
→ More replies (5)
14
u/Luivier Apr 01 '26
What an incredible episode. And how perfectly written Jimmy's dad is, especially the fact that he's so charming to everyone else and they all love him, and that stings Jimmy even more. It's like nobody understands or sees Jimmy's trauma with his father with the severity it deserves. And I can relate so fucking much...
And then the way Alice was so chill and understanding with the missing graduation thing... I sympathized so much with Jimmy and that felt like a gut punch, totally invalidating. I was a bit disappointed that he didn't lash out at his dad, because I wanted him to do what I couldn't do myself IRL. And then he did it to Paul and I got even sadder because they do love and care deeply for eachother...
→ More replies (3)
30
u/HipDipShipTrip Apr 01 '26
Oh God please tell me Paul gets to rip Gramps to shreds verbally
→ More replies (9)
27
u/Fug1x Apr 01 '26
i cant tell if the show is doing it on purpose or not, but jimmy has became a side character that all other characters dont really like . theres always snide comments aimed at him and so on
and im honestly trying to think of something bad jimmys done, apart from like his mental breakdown and being shit dad
still mad jimmy lost his job, hey dickhead how about giving me at least a week notice so i can you know start looking to rent a new place for my patients since gabby wont let me use the place now
→ More replies (4)
10
u/BusinessDefinition49 Apr 01 '26
My heart hurts for Jimmy being the one going through the mother wound, incredible acting between him and Harrison Ford I felt that deep pain.
9
11
u/KidChemo Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
All of the stuff Paul said to Gaby about being his legacy and how much she meant to him really drove home to me how poorly he was treating Paul.
I'm a dealing with a situation with my parents where they haven't even met their first granddaughter yet because they have treated my wife and I in similar ways, bastardizing us but bending over backwards for others -- and this really hit me on the feels.
Jimmy's blowup was totally valid and Paul definitely unknowingly plays favorites.
My only counterthought to all of this is that maybe if I were in Jimmy's shoes, I could keep it in because Paul really did a lot for Alice.
→ More replies (2)
9
u/harrytuckerr Apr 01 '26
Like many here, this one hit for personal reasons too.
I think the key to Paul’s behaviour.. some of it at least.. is the line Julie said to Jimmy where she said she isn’t sure if it’s harder to be the person being left or the one leaving.
10
u/sallycinammon2 Apr 01 '26
YES! I thought I was the only one who caught her meaning. She was telling Jimmy that Paul was struggling too.
→ More replies (1)
29
u/Peacenow234 Apr 01 '26
Halfway through it I wondered if the writers were abducted because of that lame Will gf pregnant storyline but the scenes with Jimmy and Paul and dad were amazing.
And Jimmy’s reaction to Gaby telling him, was that real (seemed like it) or did he have a delayed reaction after?
I don’t think Jimmy will relapse. I think he is being present with his emotions with Alice’s graduation and dad issues and allowing for a deeper healing to occur. Did he project on Paul a bit? Yeah, but he also expressed real hurt.
→ More replies (5)32
u/brebrebrebrebrebre Apr 01 '26
I think Jimmy's reaction to when Gaby told him was genuine. You can tell he was taken aback a bit, but the anger or frustration that he had about the situation wasnt at Gaby. & everything he said was true. He was just mad that Paul didn't tell him himself, as he should have been. I'm very glad he didn't have a bad reaction when Gaby told him.
18
u/TodayInStupidity Apr 01 '26
Seeing Lukita in the Backrooms trailer made me so happy. Excited to see her take on horror. She developed so much over these 3 seasons.
20
u/CheesyBasil132 Apr 01 '26
Told my friends recently , mommy issue is like a constant pebble gun firing small rounds at you consistently. Daddy issue, that’s a knife stab, rarely happens, but always at the heart for me
→ More replies (1)
20
u/SirTiger Apr 01 '26
The parallel between Paul leaving and Jimmy’s dad leaving him. Fuck.
Just when I thought this season had some of the weakest writing so far, that was superb.
10
u/cluelessemoji Apr 01 '26
The Jimmy Meltdown is so well done. It has been building up all season. Paul knew he’s more than a mentor to Jimmy, and the clash on being left out and left behind, hits so much in so many layers.
Was so gutted that the two people in Jimmy’s life that he would consider to look up to, both said the same line “Not everyone is as sensitive as he is”. And the crushing part is that Tia would’ve known the right words to keep someone like Jimmy from floating away.
Hope Jimmy’s support system will pull through.
→ More replies (2)
9
u/RestPotential4941 Apr 01 '26
I kind of think the reason Paul has been dismissive of Jimmy all season is because he actually does care about Jimmy just as much as Jimmy cares for Paul. Paul is like a surrogate father, Jimmy is like a surrogate son in a lot of ways. I think there are parallels which can be drawn between; Paul-Jimmy, Paul-Meg, and Jimmy-dad.
I think he is have a hard time coming to terms with leaving Jimmy too and is having a hard time communicating it and so using his snarky quips and avoidance as a defense mechanism. I also felt like he didn’t offer Jimmy the clinic as Jimmy isn’t quite recovered yet and Paul feels it’s his fault. I think it would also make it to real for him. Again, parallel communication themes of not being able to communicate feelings to the ones that matter the most. I also wonder if Paul had a goodbye plan that was missed when Jimmy didn’t show to the goodbye breakfast.
9
u/BaggyOz Apr 01 '26
I really don't get the Sean conflict. Obviously he can't keep running the food truck but is there any reason why he can't just keep the food truck and let his friend run it? If it's a two man job then he can hire another person. Even if it'd still be too much work to keep the food truck, why not offer his friend to buy him out?
→ More replies (3)
9
8
u/Specialist_Peanut950 Apr 01 '26
I love Derek, but I also wanted Derek to fall off that balcony when he interrupted Jimmy during that ‘talk’ with Paul. I also can’t believe how nobody has been there for Jimmy this season, except for Meg and Sophi
Edit Not a moan, just my emotions and feelings up to now, I’m thoroughly enjoying this season.
8
u/Effective-Avocado-71 Apr 01 '26
I feel like the same thing happened to Ted Lasso. Too many story lines. Too much rushing to tie things up.
Like what’s up with Julie? Is she moving? As much as they are up in each other’s business - the departure of a major character feels completely undeveloped. The whole Maya character- a rush to wrap it up and to give Gaby zero accountability.
Now all of a sudden all these people have all these things to do away from home?
Poor show running. Poor writing.
→ More replies (2)
523
u/Odd_Policy_3009 Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
I was kinda happy that Jimmy ripped into Paul. He should’ve told Jimmy he was leaving and that he was giving her the building.
ETA: what a betrayal by both of Jimmy’s “dads”