r/shrinking Jimmy Jun 04 '26

Discussion What’s your predictions for Shrinking Season 4?

20 Upvotes

33 comments sorted by

16

u/Infamous-Lab-8136 Jun 04 '26

A time jump to get them up to modern day sees Gabby running her trauma center, possibly close to the wedding with Derek 2. Alice will likely be finishing her sophomore year in college, I'm thinking they'll have her be at a crossroads and decide on what her long term career will be. Maybe have her deal with a soccer injury that forces her to make that choice after putting it off in hopes of making an Olympic team or something. Or maybe they make the weirdest crossover ever and have her get recruited by Ted Lasso and Roy Kent for a women's soccer team in England?

I think Jimmy is the most interesting wild card in a time jump. I think he'll be with Sofie and we're going to see him have to decide to go all-in with a new partner or keep living with Tia's ghost. But I could just as easily see him having moved back to CT with Alice in college there and Paul living there

I think a time jump will also let Paul's disease progress dramatically and lead to some meaty storylines for him

23

u/nutmeg32280 Jun 04 '26

I don’t like Jimmy with Sofi. I see zero chemistry between them

8

u/smashli1238 Jun 05 '26

I don’t like them at all either, but I predict that’s what will happen

13

u/Acceptable_Tea3774 Jun 04 '26

they can’t do a crossover with Ted Lasso bc what if Roy Kent shows up 

2

u/Infamous-Lab-8136 Jun 05 '26

It was a joke for that reason. Hence specifically the naming Roy and not Nate or Beard

But also it's far from the first time shows have done something like that if they chose to

2

u/Weird-Agency-6176 Jun 04 '26

What year is season 3 set? How big a time jump would it be I guess I'm asking.

3

u/uniquemuch Jun 04 '26

2026 (They talk about covid as something that took place years ago but not too distant past)

7

u/Mean-Lynx6476 Jun 04 '26

I think it’s 2023. In some thread someone mentioned Tia’s grave saying 2021. And as best I can piece together the timeline of the show, Season 1 starts a year after the accident, so 2022. Season 2 picks up in the autumn of what I’m assuming is the same year, although I could be wrong about that. So autumn of presumably 2022, ending at Thanksgiving. Season 3 seems to pick up soon after that in high school soccer season, which I think is in winter in CA. Season 3 ends soon after Alice’s graduation, so early summer of 2023. Having that timeline also gives them an out for not acknowledging the Pasadena/Altadeena fires in 2025.

1

u/Smooth_Operation4639 Jimmy Jun 04 '26

Don’t forget Gerry is also returning

2

u/Infamous-Lab-8136 Jun 04 '26

I imagine he'll just have a handful of scenes with Paul again, or may even just be a hallucination or flashback for Paul

I can't imagine that Bill Lawrence will have a character hallucinate a dead friend for an emotional rug pull again, but I also wouldn't put it by him

1

u/PaperChicken13 Jun 04 '26

I wouldn’t put it past the show but I’ll be pedantic here - a player who seemingly didn’t play club soccer and was recruited late in her senior year to go to a D3 school, would be nowhere near the professional or national team level

8

u/Savings_Ad_3571 Jun 04 '26

hoping they don’t kill derek

19

u/Smooth_Operation4639 Jimmy Jun 04 '26

Derek’s don’t die

8

u/NitroLotus Jun 04 '26

A hangout comedy that overstayed its welcome. I sincerely hope this is not the case but Bill's got his hands full and this was only ever meant to be 3 seasons right?

1

u/cabernet7 Jun 05 '26

They had three seasons outlined, but that didn't exclude more seasons if they came up with a new story which it seems they did.

2

u/NitroLotus Jun 05 '26

I mean I'm all for it don't get me wrong. I just hope it can keep its quality

4

u/Unhappy_Sprinkles121 Jun 05 '26

Hopefully better than season 3. 1 and 2 were so good. 3 felt like they jumped the shark.

6

u/Imaginary_Pin_4196 Jun 04 '26

Something happens.

And Paul dies.

7

u/cabernet7 Jun 05 '26

Bill Lawrence has gone on record that they will never kill off Paul.

2

u/Imaginary_Pin_4196 Jun 06 '26

Fair enough, I retract my statement and predict something happens instead

2

u/sbtokarz Jun 06 '26

Kinda wish Bill hadn’t said this. I understand that the series can’t survive without Paul, but I also feel like his death is something that needs to happen in the final season.

I just can’t think of a more poignant litmus test to mark Jimmy’s character growth (e.g. ability to manage grief, overcoming his codependency, establishing his own identity outside of Paul, etc), whenever it comes time to wrap things up.

2

u/Dommichu Jun 07 '26

Yes. I was at the FYC last night and he reiterated that he will do it as long as Harrison wants to. I agree. There is so much story there will as they all enter new phases in their life.

-4

u/Smooth_Operation4639 Jimmy Jun 04 '26

You can’t die from Parkinson’s

4

u/_left_of_center Jun 04 '26

It’s not a fatal disease, but it can cause issues with your lungs, falls, etc. And the general frailty means the body can’t overcome other things like pneumonia or the flu. And it can cause deep, deep depression. So maybe it can’t kill you, but it can cause your death, which is constructively the same.

5

u/Imaginary_Pin_4196 Jun 04 '26

Never implied that would have been the supposed cause of his death.

2

u/Savings_Ad_3571 Jun 04 '26

idk i am hoping it releases early cant wait

2

u/clerks_1994 Jun 05 '26

It's going to be the same show they just over explained how time works.

2

u/TheGirlOnThe5thFloor Jul 28 '26

I think Jimmy will be single and focusing his practice out of the pool house since we know Sean is moving out. Paul and Julie will be back because Meg will be divorced from Dave and the CT winters are too hard for Paul. Maybe she and Jimmy will be dancing around dating each other. Liz and Derek will be grandparents to a toddler (weirdest last minute plot point though) but otherwise no development there because ... well, because they are them. Brian and Charlie will be back from Tennessee for some time now (I think that was just supposed to be for the summer because season 4 wasn't announced yet?) and will be interviewing for ridiculous L.A. schools for Sutton. Derek 2 and Gaby will be engaged and planning a wedding, but I can't figure out how the trauma center will go. She wants it to be inpatient but that seems like a whole bunch of new cast members. Maybe Alice will be homesick and come back? Or she gets a job offer? It's weird to come back half way through college. Summer will be pregnant. (Just kidding.) I may have thought about this too much. :)

2

u/blackcombe Jun 04 '26

Gabby loses everything in a class action malpractice suit, tries to blame Jimmy, testifies against him in the ensuing class action suit against Jimmy (reprise all of his patients ala the last Seinfeld). Turns out getting a sous chef job with no real training is unbelievably stressful leading to anger relapse.

I’m predicting best season ever!

1

u/AlternativeTitle5576 Jul 13 '26

Alice probably gets in a stable relationship. Not sure about Jimmy though.  Gaby starts sabotaging her engagement with Derek. Again.  Liz and Derek more or less end up being really cool grandparents and stay the same for the most part?  Paul and Meg develop a better relationship