As the mother of a teenage girl, I'm also kind of appalled at how everyone talks around her. She's 18 now I guess, but adults shouldn't be talking about their sex lives around her, and I don't think everyone should be so cavalier about her going clubbing with Sean and his friends who are what, mid-20s?
Don't even get me started on her being recruited from her *high school team* to play soccer at Wesleyan.

Anonymous wrote:Like many Bill Lawrence shows, otherwise plausible situations on Shrinking veer into the extreme where there is a joke to be made or a “heartwarming catharsis” to be had (or both). The difference between Shrinking and Ted Lasso is that there are a handful of people who will ever be inside a soccer team’s locker room while millions of people seek therapy. Even on Scrubs, the hijinks are in the interpersonal relationships among the hospital staff, not generally about actual patient care. The fact that these therapists play so fast and loose with professional ethics and accepted practice is what rubs me the wrong way, I think.

Agree with this. I also think on Ted Lasso, when they'd play fast and loose with the running of the soccer team, it was inoffensive because... it's just soccer. So if Ted tried an unconventional motivating tactic or the team's owner made an implausible hiring choice, the stakes are honestly pretty low.

This show has MULTIPLE plot lines where one of the therapists has done something that either put someone in physical danger or where they were in a position to reduce the risk of harm and they did exactly the wrong thing.

It makes it very hard to watch. I am so disturbed by the way they are moving on from Maya's death. It honestly feels psychotic to me. They are even joking about it with Jimmy saying Gabby has "dead patient face"? Uuuuuuuuugh.

Anonymous wrote:I think he dumped Sofie because his dad said he liked her. To Jimmy that was a sign that there must be something wrong with her.

Correct.

I also dislike Sofie. But in the moment, he did it because of his daddy issues.

I liked this episode a little better than usual.

I think he dumped Sofie because his dad said he liked her. To Jimmy that was a sign that there must be something wrong with her.

Like many Bill Lawrence shows, otherwise plausible situations on Shrinking veer into the extreme where there is a joke to be made or a “heartwarming catharsis” to be had (or both). The difference between Shrinking and Ted Lasso is that there are a handful of people who will ever be inside a soccer team’s locker room while millions of people seek therapy. Even on Scrubs, the hijinks are in the interpersonal relationships among the hospital staff, not generally about actual patient care. The fact that these therapists play so fast and loose with professional ethics and accepted practice is what rubs me the wrong way, I think.

Sofie entirely overstepped the whole conversation and deserved to be dumped.

The daughter shoving the driver that killed her mom down everyone's throat is just too much. Gabby is the only one who is acting like a normal person would about it.

So on the Maya storyline, they've just completely forgotten about her as a person altogether, and she's just a plot device to facilitate Paul encouraging Gabby to go into "trauma work" despite the fact that she quite obviously messed up with Maya. Something no one acknowledges or even seems to realize. Hmmkay.

The fight between Jimmy and Sofie was dumb. I do think Sofie overstepped in giving Jimmy advice about his dad (she doesn't know these people well enough, and Jimmy was actually correct to stay on guard, knowing his dad has a history of letting him and his family down). But literally the first words out of her mouth when Jimmy told Sofie about it were something like "I shouldn't have said anything, I'm sorry." Like just instant realization that her advice was bad and she should have laid off. And Jimmy handles this by comparing her to Tia and dumping her?

These people are immature narcissists who use therapy speak to justify their bullshit. That's actually pretty realistic (so many people are like this) but it makes it very hard to like any of them. The only one I like is Paul, and I think Brian is funny and at least self aware. Also Derek the neighbor sometimes. The rest of them are so grating.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Today’s new episode. Do we think no more Sofi?

I thought this week’s episode was boring. I used to love this show but this season hasn’t been my favorite.

I think Sofi will be back. I think Jimmy will come around. I’m worried Harrison Ford’s done after this season. He’ll move to CT never to be heard from again. Though, where’s Julie?! Is she giving up her practice and moving in with Paul’s daughter, too?

.


Been thinking the same? Julie moving to CT?

Anonymous wrote:Today’s new episode. Do we think no more Sofi?

I thought this week’s episode was boring. I used to love this show but this season hasn’t been my favorite.

I think Sofi will be back. I think Jimmy will come around. I’m worried Harrison Ford’s done after this season. He’ll move to CT never to be heard from again. Though, where’s Julie?! Is she giving up her practice and moving in with Paul’s daughter, too?

Today’s new episode. Do we think no more Sofi?

Anonymous wrote:I love and hate this show. I really enjoy all the actors and typically enjoy the plot lines. I have two issues that make me dislike the show. The therapists cross so many professional boundaries and like legally are putting their licenses in jeopardy. No practice would be permitting this and no responsible person with a license and mortgage who enjoys their nice life would be putting those things at risk. Additionally, therapy is so draining I find the energy they have at the end of the day unbelievable. Secondly, the subplot of being friends with, forgiving, embracing the man that killed the mother/wife friend would NEVER happen, ever. It is not believable. It would never happen with the teen daughter or the husband whose lives were derailed and temporarily ruined. That’s alone makes me not want to watch the show.

All of this. And joking around with him at her graveside?

Season one was good, season two was still worth watching, season three the writers have clearly run out of ideas and are just throwing whatever against the wall to see what sticks.

I love and hate this show. I really enjoy all the actors and typically enjoy the plot lines. I have two issues that make me dislike the show. The therapists cross so many professional boundaries and like legally are putting their licenses in jeopardy. No practice would be permitting this and no responsible person with a license and mortgage who enjoys their nice life would be putting those things at risk. Additionally, therapy is so draining I find the energy they have at the end of the day unbelievable. Secondly, the subplot of being friends with, forgiving, embracing the man that killed the mother/wife friend would NEVER happen, ever. It is not believable. It would never happen with the teen daughter or the husband whose lives were derailed and temporarily ruined. That’s alone makes me not want to watch the show.

Anonymous wrote:It's crazy how hot or cold I run on this show. I also hated this episode, was annoyed by Liz, felt Gabby was being incredibly self-centered about Maya's death and also genuinely screwed up in her treatment, and just didn't find it that funny.

The show is best when it has actual jokes and laugh lines. It's a talented cast who can really deliver a line. When they try to mine the humor in awkward situations (like Sofie randomly being at Tia's birthday party as their "first date" and then Sofie's ex and son being there for their entire actual first date) it doesn't work. It's not the office. It's not that kind of show. It just feel annoying and stupid.

I couldn’t put my finger on it, but this is exactly it! This week’s episode was the first one I hated, though. There were others that were meh, but this one was really bad. At least we didn’t have to deal with Sean’s girlfriend.

It's crazy how hot or cold I run on this show. I also hated this episode, was annoyed by Liz, felt Gabby was being incredibly self-centered about Maya's death and also genuinely screwed up in her treatment, and just didn't find it that funny.

The show is best when it has actual jokes and laugh lines. It's a talented cast who can really deliver a line. When they try to mine the humor in awkward situations (like Sofie randomly being at Tia's birthday party as their "first date" and then Sofie's ex and son being there for their entire actual first date) it doesn't work. It's not the office. It's not that kind of show. It just feel annoying and stupid.

I really disliked this episode. The gross comment about Gabby's underwear, Liz bullying the guys (though the breadstick bit was funny), and most of all, Sofi and her ex seemed like terrible people, and it was so dumb for her to ask Jimmy for therapy. (Though predictable.)