Shrinking was one of my favorite shows of 2024 and 2023, and, honestly, it’s become a comfort series. So, you better believe I can’t wait for Season 3 of Shrinking. To be blunt and a bit over the top, I also wouldn’t be opposed to this show going on for as long as it can. Thankfully, co-creator Bill Lawrence has no plans on ending the series anytime soon, and he explained why “there’s always more story to tell” too.
Now, the goal of Shrinking going beyond Season 3 isn’t surprising. Earlier this year, co-creator and star Jason Segel said he’d be “really surprised” if the upcoming season was also the last one. Now Lawrence has also shared his two cents on the matter with THR, starting with the three-season plan they’ve had all along:
The way we approach Shrinking is that we know Jason’s character’s journey, which is grief, forgiveness and moving forward. That’s a three-season tale.
He’s said this before. At this point, it’s well known that the pre-conceived arc for Jason Segel’s lead character, Jimmy, would be three seasons long. However, that does not mean the show will end. In fact, if these guys get their way, we aren’t even closer to the series finale.
According to Lawrence, Shrinking has the potential to go on for as long as they want it to, for the following reason:
But if you’re asking me, ‘What are the next three seasons going to be?’ Well, they’re therapists, and just because you’ve gotten over the biggest stick in the spokes of your life doesn’t mean there’s no more pathos.
I read Lawrence’s comments here in two ways.
One has to do with the Shrinking cast, the primary characters in this show – Jimmy, Alice, Paul, Gaby, Liz, Brian, Sean and Derek – are always evolving, changing and dealing with different hurdles in their lives. So, like life, the story can always go on.
Then, from a professional standpoint, Jimmy, Gaby and Paul are therapists; there’s an endless mine of emotional and funny stories to tell in that realm too. So, this feels like a natural show to continue past Season 3. To that point, Bill Lawrence said:
We intentionally put these people in a world that brings all of that to their doorstep, so there’s always more story to tell. We definitely put some Easter eggs into the third season that will allow people to see what’s coming.
Along with that, earlier in the interview, he also explained that they're in the process of getting to a place where they can "make the show with the same cast." Lawrence said that the big hope is "everyone's game to do another one."
It’s important to note that while Shrinking is one of Apple TV+’s best shows and featured on the list of 2025’s Emmy nominees, it has not been renewed for Season 4. However, its critical acclaim and the track record of the team behind it suggest that renewal is highly likely. Also, with both Lawrence and Segel now saying they’d love to make more episodes, I’d be genuinely shocked if they weren’t allowed to.
So, get excited, folks, there’s a plan for more Shrinking, there’s 100% more story to tell, and this team clearly wants to tell it. However, we have Season 3 to focus on first. It has officially wrapped, so hopefully we’ll be streaming it with an Apple TV+ subscription sooner rather than later, and then after that, let’s hope therapy will continue in a fourth installment.
