The comedy drama series on AppleTV+, Shrinking, continues its 2nd season, developing the various different subplots that have been introduced in the first half of the season. Alice had recently met with Louis, the man responsible for the accident that killed her mother, and then forgave him after understanding his feelings of guilt and despair. The protagonist, Jimmy, had experienced professional success as he helped his patient Sean reunite with his family, and he now goes about solving the problems of another patient, feeling confident in his therapeutic abilities. But as trouble brews in Liz’s marriage after a certain act of hers, Jimmy also stumbles upon something shocking and is evidently left extremely bitter at the end of Shrinking season 2, episode 7.
Spoiler Alert
Do Alice and Summer become friends again?
Shrinking season 2 episode 7 begins with Jimmy walking into his living room to the catchy tune of a song playing, with its lyrics basically being about someone being cussed at and called a cheater. The song is actually playing on Alice’s iPad, as she is showing it to Sean, who has been released from the hospital. Alice quickly tells her father how Summer is now making TikTok videos, and it is immediately clear that Summer’s recent song is meant to call out Alice and her betrayal. This is an even more difficult development amidst an already devastating situation for Alice, as many of her schoolmates already knew about how she had broken her best friend’s trust after Summer kept telling people about it. But posting it on social media is like taking the matter one step further, and Alice will surely have to deal with more judgmental people.
Some time later, Summer’s song on TikTok also causes a massive fight at their school, when Alice spots the girl showing the video to some of their friends and naturally tries to stop her reputation from getting ruined any further. This leads to a scuffle between the two former best friends, and the school authorities have to step in to keep them apart. Both the girls are suspended from school for the day, and Jimmy is called in by the principal to discuss the matter as well. It is only after this that Alice gets a real lesson from her father with regards to this matter, as Jimmy suggests that she meets Summer later that day and has a serious word with her and apologizes. Alice is initially irritated at this suggestion, as she claims to have apologized to Summer a number of times but to no avail.
However, the truth of the matter is that Alice’s apologies had been half-hearted ones, mostly driven by her guilt and not coming from a genuine sense of feeling sorry for letting her best friend down. Her father very directly reminds her that the fact that she had lost her mother and is still having to shape her life accordingly does not mean that she can treat others poorly and use her pain as an excuse. The death of Tia and the genuinely difficult emotional troubles of Alice do not mean, in any way, that the problems and struggles of others are any less than hers. From their conversation, it is revealed that Summer actually has a very tough time at home, as her father is absent from her life and her mother is so busy earning a livelihood for the family that she hardly spends any time with her daughter. Alice gradually understands how much Summer had been cherishing Connor’s presence in her life and, therefore, how hurt she must have been to learn of the betrayal.
Along with this realization, Alice also understands that both she and Summer will only benefit by being in each other’s lives, and she goes over to the girl’s house with a genuine apology. Unlike what she had feared or expected, Summer does not retaliate and actually listens to whatever she has to say. She had been the only constant friend and supporter of Alice at school, especially after the loss of her mother, and their bond is really way too strong to be broken by a petty and childish mistake. Thus, Summer accepts Alice’s apology and forgives her for the betrayal, with the two of them hugging it out and becoming best friends once again. Summer then also goes on to talk about her plans of getting back with Connor, which she wants to do only after feigning disinterest, meaning that she is still very much interested in the boy.
What developments take place in Gaby and Brian’s respective lives?
Earlier in Shrinking season 2, Gaby had expressed her interest in starting a romantic relationship with Jimmy following their hookups, but the protagonist stated that he could not emotionally connect with her yet, owing to the fact that Gaby was the best friend of Tia. Feeling horribly disrespected and misused by this situation, Gaby decided to stay away from romantic relationships for some considerable amount of time, but then her opinion seemingly changed with the introduction of Derrick. The man was gentle and polite, yet extremely attractive to Gaby, and he also showed a genuine interest in her. In episode 7, it is revealed that Derrick had actually contacted Gaby, asking her out on a date, after they became friends, but she had ignored his message.
Gaby tells her friends that she was very busy with the new responsibilities in her familial life during the time she became acquainted with Derrick. As she was trying to figure out the hitches in her relationship with her sister and mother, she could not initiate any communication with Derrick. However, when Derrick reached out and asked her out on a date, Gaby felt guilty for not having connected with him earlier, despite having made it evident that she was interested in him, and so decided to ghost him completely. Now when the man visits Liz’s house while Gaby and the others are there, the misunderstanding between them is resolved. Derrick uses this opportunity to directly ask Gaby out on a date this time, and since her problems with her family have now been resolved as well, there is really nothing stopping Gaby from getting a new boyfriend. Thus, she agrees to a date, and as she reveals to Brian, Gaby cannot wait to get intimate with Derrick.
A different kind of situation pans out in Brian’s life, as he and Charlie are informed by the representative handling their adoption efforts that a woman has already agreed to give them her baby. While the adoption process usually takes a very long time, at least a number of months, this is an extremely lucky breakthrough for Brian and Charlie, as they will surely get their baby in just a couple of weeks, if not earlier. However, this announcement also troubles Brian, for he is still not feeling ready to be a father yet. The lawyer has been feeling this way ever since Charlie expressed his desire to be a father, but Brian cannot tell his husband about his hesitation because he does not want to let Charlie down. Thus, Brian still celebrates the news with his husband but cannot help but break down in front of his friends, particularly Gaby, asking her for advice.
As Gaby is preparing to go out on a date with Derrick at the time, she is a bit irritated by Brian’s timing, but Derrick suggests that they all go to the beach together and figure things out. Thus, Jimmy and Charlie join the party, and they all swim out to the sea, as per Derrick’s advice, to clear out their thoughts. This unusual practice ultimately helps, as Brian admits to Charlie that he does not want to be a father just yet. Surprisingly, Charlie reveals that he was also feigning interest and excitement regarding the matter because he felt that Brian was only being nervous, and so he had to be the brave partner in the couple. In reality, Charlie also does not want to have a baby right now, and ultimately, the couple decides to drop their plan of becoming fathers for the time being.
How does Derek react to Liz’s mistake?
At the end of episode 6, Liz had felt so frustrated and stuck with her life that she had secretly gone to meet her ex-boyfriend, Mac. In episode 7, it is revealed that the meeting was not a one-off incident, and she is now making it a habit to go out and spend time with Mac. Liz is still disturbed by the fact that Connor has not spoken to her after his sudden, unannounced return to college, and she shares all of this with her ex-boyfriend. Mac is seen supporting Liz as well, presumably just for the sake of their friendship, as he puts up the photos of dogs taken by her on the walls of his microbrewery. During one of their meetings, Paul runs into them, and although he initially ignores the two, Liz makes sure to run up to him and clarify how she is only out with an old friend, and even asks him not to say anything to Derek.
Paul admits that he has no interest in Liz’s personal life, but he tells her not to misjudge the situation, as he believes that Mac is romantically pursuing her and is trying to get back with her somehow. Liz does not take this advice seriously at all, but then later that day, as Mac takes her to his microbrewery, he makes a move and kisses her. In perhaps an unexpected move, Liz kisses him back for a few seconds before realizing that she has committed a mistake. Although Liz was still attracted to Mac, at least to some small degree, and the helpless situation in her life made her feel more lonely than usual, she still does not want to betray her husband and their marriage. Thus, Liz pulls away, admits that she cannot get romantically involved with Mac, and then runs out of the place.
Liz once again meets Paul, this time intentionally, and asks him for advice regarding what she should do about the matter now. Based on his personal experiences, Paul suggests that it is always better to admit one’s mistakes and deal with the consequences than to live on with the guilt and ruin a relationship gradually. By the end of the episode, Liz musters up the courage to come clean to Derek, but the man is understandably not happy at all. He states how he is so free and friendly with his wife, based on how strong the foundations of their marriage are, but now that she has gone on to kiss the only man that he hates, these very foundations are shaken. Ultimately, Derek walks away from the conversation angrily, suggesting that more trouble is about to come in Liz’s personal life.
What makes Jimmy’s great day turn extremely bitter?
Impressed by his own ability in solving Sean’s problems with his family to a great extent, Jimmy basks in self-confidence throughout season 2 episode 9, and he is excited to help out another patient of his. A man named Dan has been seeing Jimmy for professional advice since the last few weeks, as he suffers from social anxiety and awkwardness whenever in public. Also, evidently quite lonely in life, Dan is currently worried about what to do at his best friend’s wedding since he feels extremely nervous and uncomfortable spending time with strangers and having casual interactions. This makes him want to skip the wedding completely, but then that would also mean not supporting his best friend on one of the most important days of his life. Jimmy figures out Dan’s issues with social awkwardness and decides to help him out using one of his not-so-conventional means of therapy.
Instead of talking to his patient or trying to make him understand, Jimmy simply takes Dan everywhere he goes throughout the day, beginning with Alice’s school to even the private gathering at the beach with Gaby and Brian. His point is to make Dan realize through experience that social gatherings can be fun too and that he can very well exist and act normally among strangers. By the end of the day, Dan admits that although he was most intimidated by Alice, Jimmy’s therapy had actually worked. He takes his leave with a sense of self-confidence, stating that he will be attending his best friend’s wedding without any hesitation in mind.
Jimmy is extremely satisfied with his own work throughout the day and happily walks by a restaurant to see quite a disturbing scene inside. He sees Brian and Alice sitting with Louis, whom he still considers a personal enemy, and chatting away happily. Alice has actually been meeting Louis together with Brian since she forgave him in the previous episode, and the three of them have become good friends now. Just before Jimmy walked by the restaurant, Alice actually told the others about how she feels it is necessary to tell her father about these meetings of theirs, as it would upset Jimmy otherwise. However, as fate would have it, Jimmy witnesses the group before any of them can tell them about what had happened, and this clearly upsets him terribly. Within seconds, his perfect day turns bitter, and Jimmy will surely lash out against Alice and Brian for secretly being friends with Louis and also keeping it a secret from him, despite being the two closest people to him.
