SPOILERS for the premiere of Shrinking Season 3 are ahead! Read with caution, and stream the series with an Apple TV subscription.
Season 3 of Shrinking began on the 2026 TV schedule with a lot of massive updates and life changes, specifically for Harrison Ford’s character, Paul. Throughout the first hour of this new installment, it’s made very clear that Paul’s Parkinson’s is getting worse, and it’s impacting his life more.
Meanwhile, he and Julie also decide to get married. At the wedding, he sees Gerry, a man who has Parkinson's that he recently met at the doctor’s office. However, the twist is that the new man, who is played by Michael J. Fox, wasn’t really there. Now I’m quite nervous about what could happen next.
Why The Final Scene In Shrinking’s Season 3 Premiere Made Me Nervous
Alright, let’s dive into the specifics about what made me nervous. In the final moments of the episode titled “My Bad,” Paul goes into the house while his wedding reception is happening, and he sees Fox’s Shrinking character, Gerry, eating a piece of cake.
They talk about how much Gerry loves cake. Then, Julie walks in, and the following conversation happens:
- Julie: Hey, stud.
- Paul: Hi.
- Julie: So, who are you talking to?
- Paul: Gerry.
- Julie: Who?
- Paul: [Points to an empty chair] Gerry. Oh. You don’t see him, do you? Woof.
- Julie: Yeah.
And that’s how the episode ends. The man whom Paul had spoken to at the reception was not real, and that made me wonder if Gerry was totally imaginary. Was he fake at the doctor’s office earlier, too, when he was introduced? I’ve been spiraling about this and the notion that Michael J. Fox’s character could be a total figment of Paul’s imagination.
However, while he did imagine Gerry in this instance, Fox's character is also real, and his first scene proves it.
Why We Shouldn’t Fully Panic Yet About Gerry
Toward the start of the premiere, Paul goes to the doctor, and that’s where he meets Gerry. They have a conversation in the waiting room about how they’re handling Parkinson’s, and Gerry asks if Paul’s had any hallucinations yet. Paul said he hasn’t. Not long after that, the doctor comes into the room and says:
Gerry, I’ll grab you in a minute. Paul, you ready?
So breathe easy, everyone. The doctor did acknowledge Fox’s character in the waiting room, meaning he’s not just a figment of Paul’s imagination. Gerry is real.
However, while we now know that the Back to the Future star is, in fact, a living character, a new question arises: what is going on with Paul at the end of this episode? Why did he imagine Gerry eating cake at his wedding? Is he having those hallucinations that Fox’s character mentioned in the waiting room? Will it get worse?
Ford did say Fox’s involvement in Shrinking has been “essential,” and co-creator Bill Lawrence said Gerry is a “full-fledged character.” So, I’m sure all this will play a big part in Season 3. However, we’ll just have to wait and see. So to find out why Paul was seeing Gerry, be sure to tune back in to Shrinking next Wednesday on Apple TV.
