- 6 weeks ago
From raw grief to healing breakthroughs, “Shrinking” has given us plenty of scenes that hit right in the heart. Join us as we revisit the show’s most devastating and moving moments, from Jimmy’s emotional apologies and Paul’s powerful speech to heartbreaking flashbacks, vulnerable confessions, and the kinds of family and friendship scenes that had us reaching for tissues.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00I don't want to leave with you having regrets.
00:04I mean, I'm just not that sensitive, Paul.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:08And today, we're counting down our picks for the saddest scenes from Shrinking
00:11that made us need a 15-minute cry sesh of our own.
00:14Spoiler alert, this list includes moments from the latest episodes of Season 3,
00:19so make sure you're caught up before grabbing your tissues.
00:22They may have forgiven you,
00:25but I never will.
00:27Ever.
00:29Number 10.
00:30You Are My Legacy.
00:32Thank you for your input.
00:33I can't deal with you right now.
00:35I've got a patient coming in.
00:37I'm happy to leave.
00:39Because now I'm in your head.
00:40And when it hits you that I'm right, you're going to be so mad.
00:45Paul wouldn't be the same without his signature woofs and cold exterior,
00:49but by the end of Season 3, he reflects on just how far he's come.
00:53Thanks to Sean's encouragement and a talking to from Liz,
00:56the stubborn therapist realizes how much Gabby has helped him change.
01:00You've changed my life.
01:03Forget about all that other shit.
01:05Gabby, you are my legacy.
01:12Damn Paul.
01:13Although she's still reeling from the guilt of losing a patient,
01:17he insists that she continue to follow her dreams.
01:20Actress Jessica Williams compared filming the exchange with Harrison Ford to, quote,
01:24watching a supernova,
01:25sharing that she could barely keep it together for the tender and emotional scene.
01:29But you gotta call it the Roots Trauma Center.
01:33Hell no.
01:36Okay.
01:37Number 9.
01:38Jimmy's Wedding Speech
01:40After settling their disagreement,
01:42Brian reinstates Jimmy to officiate his and Charlie's wedding.
01:45So, the ceremony will start and then I'll give the opening remarks.
01:49Are you sure you want to hear this now?
01:50You don't want to be surprised on the date?
01:52Yeah, I'm good not being surprised.
01:54Okay.
01:54So, I'll be standing right next to you.
01:57Liz is the audience.
01:59Whenever you're ready.
02:00However, he worries that his best friend won't be able to get through the ceremony
02:04without getting too emotional.
02:06And a not-so-successful practice run in the kitchen only confirms his fears.
02:10Marriage?
02:16I need a second.
02:18Wow.
02:19This?
02:20Not good.
02:21No, although now I'm really looking forward to this wedding.
02:24However, when the time comes,
02:26Jimmy rises to the occasion and delivers a touching tribute to love.
02:29The speech shows just how far the grieving father has come
02:32in learning to rely on those around him.
02:34And it's a tear-jerking conclusion to his healing journey throughout the first season.
02:38But they've also got your back.
02:44And when life gets rough,
02:48they are going to be the ones who help you get to the other side.
02:51Number 8.
02:51Liz worries about losing Derek.
02:54This episode takes an unexpected turn when Derek is called to the hospital
02:57for an emergency bypass procedure.
02:59However, even as he's prepping for surgery,
03:02he and his wife still bring their signature humor to the situation.
03:05So his cath test showed blockage in his left-descending something artery,
03:11which can lead to a heart attack.
03:12Okay, she's underselling.
03:14The guy said it's the kind that they call the Widowmaker.
03:17Oh, yeah, I don't like that name.
03:18On the surface, Liz remains calm and keeps her cool.
03:22But when Jimmy asks if she's okay,
03:24we see an unusual moment of vulnerability from the strong and nurturing neighbor.
03:28I'm fine, Jimmy.
03:30Okay.
03:37I don't know what I would do if I lost him.
03:42Although she's usually getting after Derek for peeing off the balcony or crowding her space,
03:46her tearful breakdown shows just how much her beloved husband truly means to her.
03:50And I'm not as strong as you.
03:52And I don't think I would survive.
03:57Come here.
04:00It's gonna be okay.
04:05Thanks.
04:06Number seven, Paul and Jimmy's fight.
04:08Usually, there's no topic that these two won't go toe-to-toe on,
04:12but this fight goes beyond their usual debates.
04:14Wait, no hugging if you're gonna cry.
04:16Dad's been crying every time I go near him.
04:21Not everybody's as sensitive as he is.
04:23I'm a tough guy.
04:25I can handle it.
04:26After a disappointing visit from his dad,
04:29Jimmy overhears his mentor describe him the same way his father did,
04:32and it tips him over the edge.
04:34As all of his built-up frustration boils over,
04:37he hurdles past any attempts to de-escalate the argument.
04:40Easy kid.
04:41No, I'm mad, Paul!
04:43And I'm embarrassed.
04:44I have to find out from Meg that you're moving?
04:46You don't even have the decency to come and look me in my eyes
04:49and tell me that you're leaving me!
04:51If the looks on their faces weren't devastating enough,
04:54the end of the episode is even more of a tearjerker.
04:57As Paul gets ready to leave and gets no response to his text,
05:00the two friends part ways without a proper goodbye.
05:03Do I remind you of your daddy and his eighty-eight-four?
05:10Labrador hanging out the passenger door.
05:14Jimmy apologizes to Alice.
05:17You're never going to forgive yourself for shitting the bed as a father
05:20until you bury your soul to Alice.
05:24She might still blame you,
05:26but it's the act of revelation that's healing.
05:30After spiraling into a dark place after Tia's death,
05:33Jimmy does his best to mend his relationships
05:35with his friends and family throughout the series.
05:37However, it isn't always smooth sailing,
05:40and the guilt of not being there for Alice continues to haunt him.
05:43Alice, you are who you are.
05:45This amazing woman.
05:49In spite of me.
05:51And I keep getting stuck on that.
05:53I keep getting stuck on what a terrible father I am.
05:55In one of the most vulnerable moments in the show,
05:58he finally sits down and directly apologizes to his daughter.
06:02According to Jason Segel,
06:03the pivotal and sob-worthy scene
06:04is almost entirely from the very first take.
06:07Yeah, maybe you were a bad dad for a second,
06:10but...
06:11Hey, you are also...
06:13the best...
06:14f***ing dad.
06:17And I am so lucky that you were mine.
06:19Not only is the conversation an important healing moment,
06:23but it also shows the strength of the pair's unique relationship.
06:26Flaws and all.
06:28Number 5.
06:29Alice forgives Louis.
06:31The second season introduces an unexpected curveball
06:33when Louis, the drunk driver who killed Tia,
06:36becomes a recurring character.
06:37When Alice first tracks him down,
06:39she's overcome by grief and rage
06:41and lays into him at the coffee shop where he works.
06:44I can't imagine what you've been...
06:46Shut up!
06:49Shut the f***ing up!
06:51However, after some encouragement from Brian,
06:54they meet again.
06:55And this time the interaction goes differently.
06:57Although she's still angry at Louis,
06:59she tells him a story about her mom
07:01and accepts his tearful apology.
07:03She bought that other hat in case we found that kid again.
07:06We looked for him everywhere.
07:07Did you find him?
07:11Yeah.
07:12It was awesome.
07:15I'd forgotten about that.
07:17The emotional moment of forgiveness speaks to Alice's strength and Tia's character.
07:22In a twist only Shrinking could come up with,
07:25the two go on to form an unlikely friendship.
07:27I wish I could change it.
07:28I wish I could go back and do it.
07:30I forgive you.
07:31What?
07:37I forgive you.
07:40It's what my mom would have done.
07:42Number four.
07:43You look so much like your mom.
07:45With running bits like Dead Whiteface,
07:47the series consistently finds humor in unexpected places.
07:50You've been walking around for so long,
07:53acting like it only happened to you.
07:55But it happened to us.
07:57It happened to me.
07:59And I've been dealing with it on my own because I had to.
08:02So please don't think that blueberries and washing a shirt is enough.
08:06From the very beginning,
08:08the pilot episode sets that tone,
08:10with both funny and heartbreaking scenes in the midst of rock-bottom circumstances.
08:14As Jimmy desperately tries to reconnect with Alice,
08:17things don't quite go as planned.
08:19He still delivers an emotional apology,
08:21even with an ice pack and a bloodied nose.
08:23I would have come sooner, you know.
08:26It's just, uh...
08:33Yeah, you look so much like your mom.
08:35The confession lets the audience into his struggle.
08:38And as the show continues,
08:40what once made it difficult to face his daughter
08:42soon becomes one of his favorite things about her.
08:44Uh, you okay?
08:46Yeah.
08:48I'm doing this thing where I grieve hard for 15 minutes a day
08:52just to get it all out.
08:54I like how I, um, pee before bed so I can sleep through the night.
08:57Isn't that just for old people?
08:58I think it's for people of all ages.
09:00Number 3.
09:01Jimmy calls Paul for help.
09:03I told Sean something once that I should have told you.
09:07You can't hide from your trauma.
09:10And if you don't deal with your past,
09:13boom.
09:14Cool explosion noise.
09:16Thanks.
09:17Although Paul likes to insist that they're nothing alike,
09:19this episode draws a parallel between his and his co-workers' lives.
09:23As the older therapist's Parkinson's medication becomes less effective,
09:27Jimmy also finds that his coping mechanisms
09:29are no longer keeping his grief at bay.
09:31I'm not gonna call you.
09:33I'll be okay.
09:34So what are you gonna do?
09:36You gonna find some other patient?
09:38To make all better?
09:40Because I know you're Johnson for a fix and this is your drug.
09:43But take it from somebody who knows.
09:45The drug wears off.
09:47Although he initially insists he's okay,
09:49he soon finds himself backsliding into old, destructive habits.
09:53However, this time around,
09:54he takes his friend's advice and asks for help.
09:57The emotional exchange is multi-layered
09:59because not only is there an on-screen mentorship,
10:01but Jason Segel also admitted that he really wanted to impress Harrison Ford
10:05with his acting in this powerful scene.
10:08I'm not okay, Paul.
10:15I'm not okay, Paul.
10:22If the other scenes on this list are tear-jerkers,
10:24this is a full-on ugly cry episode.
10:27Are you doing here?
10:30I thought you were staying over at Summer's tonight.
10:33That was last night.
10:35Is this your daughter?
10:37Do you want some dinner, sweetie?
10:39No, I'm fine.
10:40After Jimmy sees Alice having dinner with Louis,
10:42the storyline circles back to the lead-up and aftermath of Tia's death.
10:46Not only does the narrative reveal more of Jimmy's failures as a father,
10:50but the audience also learns the other side of the story.
10:53You forgave him?
10:56Yeah.
10:58I think you should too.
11:02It might be good for both of you.
11:04This devastating flashback shows Louis' guilt as he pushes away his fiancée
11:08and Alice's pain when her dad doesn't reciprocate her cries for help.
11:12While most of the series focuses on healing,
11:14this episode is a powerful reminder of the gravity of the character's grief
11:18and just how far they've come.
11:20So I think that when I see that guy,
11:28I'm forced to see what a f***ing terrible father I am.
11:35And how I broke the last promise I made to my wife.
11:38Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:42Gabby confronts Louis.
11:44Gabby tearfully scolds Louis and says she'll never forgive him.
11:48They may have forgiven you,
11:51but I never will.
11:53Ever.
11:56Tia doesn't get to be here.
11:59Dancing like an idiot.
12:01And living her life.
12:04Just because of you.
12:05Sean opens up about Afghanistan.
12:07The veteran finds the courage to share about his time overseas.
12:11Everybody thinks I was some kind of hero over there.
12:16I was a completely different person.
12:18I was kicking in doors, dragging people into the street.
12:22I was pointing guns at kids.
12:24For what?
12:25For nothing.
12:26Tia was my person.
12:28Gabby tells Jimmy how much she also misses Tia.
12:31I just really f***ing miss her.
12:34Yeah.
12:35See, I can't talk to you about stuff.
12:37No, no, no, no.
12:38It's wrong.
12:38No, it's not my place.
12:39It's not wrong.
12:40It's not wrong.
12:41You lost your best friend.
12:44I can be here for you.
12:46Paul freezes.
12:47After fighting with his daughter,
12:49Paul's Parkinson's prevents him from taking a step.
12:51Meg, stop!
12:53Please!
12:54I will tell Mason that you said hi.
13:03I will tell Mason that you said hi.
13:18Sometimes it's hard not to feel sorry for myself.
13:22You know, poor me with my failed, fragile body.
13:31Harrison Ford's powerful performance is magnetic and gut-wrenching.
13:35Even the cast shared that they had a difficult time holding back their tears.
13:38I don't know how much longer I'm going to have to work with you,
13:47hang out with you, laugh with you.
13:52Road's going to get tougher and tougher.
13:57However, it turns out the words are even more meaningful
14:00as they're inspired by a speech given by Michael J. Fox
14:02about his own Parkinson's journey.
14:04The moment highlights the true heart of the series,
14:07showing the healing power of love and community
14:09even in the most difficult times.
14:11Because we can get through anything
14:16if we have people to lean on.
14:21I'm leaning on you.
14:23I'm leaning on you.
14:24Which of these scenes from Shrinking brought tears to your eyes?
14:27Let us know the moments that moved you the most in the comments below.
Comments