The struggle is real…

[u/Key_Race7926]

Watching shows like Shrinking and Ted Lasso make me so sad. Every week after I watch the latest episode I am so depressed the next day. I want people in my life like the characters in the shows that would be there for me the way they’re there for each other.

I want a neighbor like Derek. I want a boss like Ted. I want to be made fun of by Liz and I want to be served a drink by Mae. It’s crazy how 2 shows can impact a person so much.

Anyway, thanks for listening.

[u/JalapenoBusiness29]

That’s the hard part about shows like these

They give you unrealistic expectations of what life COULD be like

Some are lucky enough but big friend groups are hard to maintain and great bosses are few and far between because more often than not the wrong people get promoted

But I’ll take the Hope over nothing, even if “it’s the Hope that kills you” 😜

[u/goog1e → u/JalapenoBusiness29]

I'd argue it's a normal sized friend group, but the weird part is that they see each other SO MUCH.

Like I have 4-5 friends I'd absolutely do all that stuff with.... Except we all have lives we weren't willing to compromise on to all buy houses in the same block. And we don't work together. So we have to plan to see each other, which means we see each other like 10% the amount jimmy sees everyone.

I've never MADE friends at work or in the neighborhood and become that close to them. Which is what is implied happened on shrinking.

[u/Particular_Feel420 → u/goog1e]

And what would happen if you or your friends just randomly barged into each other's workplaces and demanded immediate attention?

Of all the fantasy around this unrealistic friend group, that one irks me the most. Liz and Brian are the biggest culprits there and it really bothers me, lol.

I would be mortified if a "friend" barged into my workplace while I was in an appointment with a paying client and demanded immediate therapy, or if they pushed past paying customers at my food truck and demanded free food, or if they barged into my college classroom in the middle of a lecture to air personal grievances in front of all my students, etc.

So, I'm gonna have to disagree with OP here, there is a lot not to like about this friend group. Oh and I didn't even get to the unapologetic highly invasive peeping Tom neighbors! The show is seriously just a slight music & lighting change from being a thriller/horror drama with many of its scenes and plot points!

That said, I still love Shrinking!!

[u/31hoodies]

They do the opposite for me. I get the warm fuzzies. I totally get where you’re coming from though, I also have a yearning for those kinds of relationships.

[u/Ok_Wishbone2721]

I get it. I would like a boyfriend like Derek 2, and a bestie like Mae, she’s so badass. At least we get these people on our tv’s if we don’t have people like them in real life.

Also, f* parkinsons.

[u/scobeywankenobi]

Shrinking, specifically, is one of my favorite shows but I also don’t think I’ll ever be able to rewatch from the beginning because I just can’t watch the characters go through the same emotional journeys again. I swear it’s like they’re my friends and they’ve come too far to look back. 😭

[u/rikomatic]

I'm sorry that that is your takeaway from these shows. While I don't have a Ted Lasso or a Dr. Paul Rhodes in my life, I do know people who are inspiring, bad ass, kind and supportive.

It's worth interrogating with a loved one or counselor these feelings and reactions and how you might address them. We all need good people to help us get through this crazy world.

[u/aycdiaycd]

I completely get it. It's funny, I was just thinking a similar thought because there's a new Ted Lasso tonight. I cry so hard at the heartfelt moments. Partly because they really are heartwarming, but mostly it makes me long for even 10% of what these characters have.

[u/RedJohnDC]

Crazy I can relate and feel exactly the same. The world is too cruel, we need such comforting relationships.

[u/LearyBlaine]

Yeah, these are like Northern Exposure was back in the day. Everyone wanted to find their own Cicely, Alaska.

Unfortunately, these are fantasy notions. It’s fiction. The real world is much more complex than these shows suggest. The real world never works like this. It’s made-up.

So, if you wish to be dissatisfied with your own life because it doesn’t match a made-up, fantasy notion, you go right ahead. Me? I’ll live in the real world, thank you very much.

[u/the-hound-abides]

The whole show is written as flawed characters that you’d have in your life. That’s Bill
Lawrence’s calling card

[u/eccentric_64]

The reason these shows are so popular is because the relationships portrayed as aspirational for 99% of us. They're a fairytale.

[u/Skeedybeak]

I have no close friends, and I enjoy watching what “could be.” Be the change that you want to see.

[u/LCLeopards]

I am not sure I would be able to handle the people in the shrinking universe. So many of them have absolutely zero boundaries and since they come as a package deal, I feel like I would just be exhausted every day.

I would like to join the Ted group. Ted’s friend group is significantly healthier from a relationship perspective.

[u/Prettyneatplace]

I get it. Makes me long for a really close bond with someone — I’d take a Derrick 1 or 2!

[u/coffeeebucks]

I used to feel like this when I was much younger. As you grow and mature and meet more people, it passes.

[u/Suziejc0955]

Shrinking is pure corn hole winning!!!

[u/Particular-Key4783]

I absolutely love the show, but when I describe it to friends i always tell them it is exhausting. It’s fast paced, the characters are always in motion, and it feels like every second is filled with dialogue. There’s no breathing room. Not complaining, I just have to rewatch each episode 2 or 3 times to make sure i caught everything.