If you are wondering if Shrinking just ended after that season three finale, don’t worry — the show isn’t over. It’s coming back for season four. And co-creator Bill Lawrence confirms that the entire ensemble, including Harrison Ford, will return.
The season three finale, titled “And That’s Our Time,” did feel like it could have been a series finale. There’s a reason for that: It was initially going to be the end of the show. The hit Apple series co-created by Lawrence with stars Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein was pitched with a three-season plan.
The End of a Three-Season Story
“We’ve told the story of whether or not Jason Segel’s Jimmy is going to make it through the death of his wife and come out the other side as someone who might be able to find joy and happiness in his life again,” says Lawrence of season three ending with Jimmy being ready to pursue a relationship with Sofi (Cobie Smulders).
“This is the finale of that three-season story. And I hope that people will dig it that when we come back — whether there’s a time jump or not — that it’ll feel like we’re telling a completely different story.”
Where Everyone Ended Up in the Finale
| Character | Finale Status |
|---|---|
| Jimmy (Jason Segel) | Ready to pursue a relationship with Sofi |
| Gaby (Jessica Williams) | Engaged to Derrick No. 2 (Damon Wayans Jr.) |
| Liz (Christa Miller) & Derek (Ted McGinley) | Extended trip to Barcelona |
| Brian (Michael Urie) & Charlie (Devin Kawaoka) | Heading to Tennessee |
| Sean (Luke Tennie) | Moving out of Jimmy’s pool house |
| Alice (Lukita Maxwell) | Off to college in Connecticut |
| Paul (Harrison Ford) | Moved to Connecticut with wife Julie (Wendie Malick) |
The Entire Ensemble Is Returning
- Including Harrison Ford: “Yes, Harrison’s back on the show,” Lawrence confirms.
- Michael J. Fox: “He made the mistake of saying he enjoyed it. He’ll definitely be back.”
- The full cast: Gaby, Liz, Derek, Brian, Charlie, Sean, Alice, and Paul will all return.
A Significant Time Jump
Lawrence reveals that the time jump to season four will be “significant and beyond a year or two.”
“It’s not an accident that Alice goes to school at Wesleyan University and that in the end of the finale, she’s going by to have dinner at Paul’s house,” he teases. “Time passage changes a lot of things — as to where people are, where they’re living and how things have progressed.”
A New Story for Jimmy
When asked if Jimmy is still the core focus, Lawrence says: “My one hint would be that I don’t think you can ever get away from where the show started, which is with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, who both have very distinct things we know we have to service.”
He adds: “I want to do right by Parkinson’s and by Harrison’s journey… So that will, without a doubt, go on. And Jason is the anchor and the weed of the show.”
The Louis/Brett Goldstein Story
Brett Goldstein, who played Louis and is also a co-creator, took an onscreen step back this season. Lawrence explains:
“The Louis thing of it all is two things. I always say, ‘A lot of people might not like this story; as long as it feels authentic, that’s a great reason to do it.'”
The secondary reason: “Brett has his own show that he’s working on — Escorted at Amazon — so we knew he wasn’t a long-term character.”
The ‘Ted Lasso’ Connection
Lawrence draws a parallel to Ted Lasso‘s upcoming season: “Everybody who has seen the pictures and knows that Ted Lasso is coaching a girls team [in season four] is like, ‘Oh, this isn’t season four of Ted Lasso. This is season one of whatever new Ted Lasso is now.’ And that’s definitely something we were looking at for Shrinking.”
How Many More Seasons?
Lawrence is planning for at least two more seasons: “I know that we aren’t going into this season as if it’s our last, because we’re telling another story that needs a little space to tell it. So I’ll probably do this year and then ask our partners, ‘Do you want to end it year five, or you want to end it at year six?'”
What to Expect in Season 4
- A significant time jump (beyond a year or two)
- Jimmy entering a “new romantic era of his life”
- Continued focus on Paul’s Parkinson’s journey
- Easter eggs planted in the season 3 finale for future storylines
- A completely different story from the first three seasons
