Shrinking's greatest strength is its ensemble. Every character feels like a real person, with flaws and growth and moments that make you laugh and cry, often simultaneously. Here's your guide to where everyone stands heading into Season 3.
Jimmy Laird - The Grieving Therapist
Played by: Jason Segel Arc Summary: From broken to healing
Jimmy's Season 3 journey is about consolidation. The wild swings of the first two seasons have stabilized into something more sustainable. He still speaks his mind, but now he knows when to speak and when to listen.
His growth as a father is particularly notable. The desperate, disconnected dad from the pilot has become a present, supportive parent who can actually let his daughter grow up.
- Paul: Mentorship evolves into partnership
- Alice: From guilt to healthy love
- Gaby: Complex friendship continues to deepen
Paul Rhodes - The Mentor
Played by: Harrison Ford Arc Summary: Learning to accept limitations
Paul's Parkinson's forces him to confront something he's avoided his entire career: vulnerability. Season 3 sees him finally accepting help instead of just giving it.
His dry humor remains intact, but there's more openness beneath it. The walls he built over decades are coming down, not because he wants them to, but because he needs them to.
Ford brings gravitas to every scene, making Paul's small moments of emotion hit like earthquakes.
Gaby Lopez - The Overachiever
Played by: Jessica Williams Arc Summary: Success vs. connection
Gaby's professional success in Season 3 creates unexpected problems. The better she gets at her job, the more she's pulled away from the connections that kept her grounded.
Her journey this season asks a hard question: what do you do when the life you built starts feeling too small, but leaving it would mean losing the people you love?
Williams brings warmth and wit to a role that could easily become one-note. Gaby is funny, but she's also deep.
Alice Laird - Growing Up
Played by: Lukita Maxwell Arc Summary: From caretaker to individual
Alice spent Seasons 1 and 2 parentified, caring for her father when he couldn't care for himself. Season 3 finally lets her be a teenager—messy, uncertain, figuring out who she is separate from family tragedy.
Her college application subplot drives much of her arc. Where does she want to go? Who does she want to be? The show resists easy answers, letting Alice's uncertainty be authentic.
The Supporting Cast
Liz (Christa Miller): Jimmy's neighbor and no-nonsense friend. Season 3 gives her more depth, exploring what happens when the person who takes care of everyone needs caring for.
Brian (Michael Urie): Jimmy's other neighbor. His unconditional support for Jimmy remains, but the season explores what friendship looks like when crisis mode ends.
Sean (Luke Tennie): The veteran client whose unconventional therapy with Jimmy has become a genuine friendship. His Season 3 arc is about paying it forward.
Derek (Ted McGinley): Liz's husband. Surprisingly emotional moments this season prove the show can find depth anywhere.