Last night, the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood buzzed with glamour and excitement as Apple TV+ hosted the world premiere of the highly anticipated second season of “Shrinking”. The event featured a lively red carpet where the talented cast and creators mingled with reporters, including co-creator Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Christa Miller, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell, Ted McGinley, co-creator Brian Johnson, and executive producer Neil Goldman. The atmosphere was vibrant, with Harrison Ford in particularly jovial spirits, cracking jokes and evading the photographers’ directions. Attendees also had the pleasure of watching the same two episodes that will debut for audiences on October 16th, and it was a testament to the show’s brilliance that the audience erupted in laughter even during some of the most painful moments, underscoring the perfect balance of humor and heart that Shrinking has to offer.

The show, co-created by Jason Segel and “Ted Lasso” veterans Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein explores the lives of therapists Jimmy (Segel), Paul (Ford) and Gaby (Williams) navigating their own emotional struggles while helping their patients. The first season of “Shrinking” introduces to Jimmy’s circle of co-workers, friends and neighbors and his teenage daughter Alice (Maxwell) as they all cope with the tragic death of his wife. Perhaps triggered by his own grief, Jimmy uses less orthodox methods in treating his often eclectic patients and the first season ended on a literal cliffhanger with one of his patients, Grace, played by SNL player Heidi Gardner, pushing her abusive partner off a cliff after a therapy session in which Jimmy suggested, metaphorically, that she do just that.

In discussing the craft behind the show, Executive Producer Neil Goldman noted the importance of maintaining the tonal balance of deep sadness and humor that Shrinking is known for. “There’s some trial and error involved, where on set, the actors will give us a range of options depending on the story. Jason, especially, is very conscious of giving us variety… the more range he gives us, even within a scene, the more material we have to calibrate the tone. Post-production is often where we do a lot of that fine-tuning. The writers’ room is always aware of this, especially with Bill at the helm. Every once in a while, he’ll bring up the term ‘trauma porn,’ meaning there’s only so much bad stuff that can happen before it starts feeling too soapy, melodramatic, or fake. That’s something we keep in mind.”

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