Good news for fans of “Shrinking”: Jimmy, Gabby, and the rest of the crew will return for Season 4.
As “Shrinking” concludes its third season this week on Apple TV, creator Bill Lawrence has said this wraps up a three-season storyline focusing on themes of grief, forgiveness, and moving on. In a social media post on April 4, Lawrence promised a “completely new story next year” that he described as “scary/risky/fun.” He later clarified that Season 4 would feature “a new story with the same cast.”
Some fans of “Shrinking” misunderstood these posts, thinking Season 4 would feature the cast in new roles.
Lawrence has since clarified that while the current three-season arc is ending, the actors will continue to portray the same characters in Season 4, just with a new storyline. The setting in Pasadena/Altadena/Northeast Los Angeles will also remain unchanged.
“My mistake. Yeah. They’re the same characters,” Lawrence wrote on X after the confusion arose.
In an interview with Variety, Lawrence mentioned, “I think people will feel when they come back to this show that it’s a completely different story. We feel that the characters of this show have enough stuff going on in their life that we were interested in seeing what a new story for these characters looks like… We’re already deep into the writers room, in the fourth season, so I’m lucky enough to know what happens. And I think people will dig it.”
Lawrence also noted that when “Shrinking” returns for Season 4, there will be a time jump. “People shouldn’t be surprised if there’s a time jump and it feels like we’re telling a completely different story,” he said.
“Shrinking” was renewed for Season 4 by Apple TV earlier this year, ahead of the Season 3 premiere. The series stars Jason Segel, alongside Harrison Ford, Christa Miller, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell, and Ted McGinley. Segel plays therapist Jimmy Laird, a recent widower who, over the first three seasons, navigates his grief and rebuilds relationships with his daughter, colleagues, friends, and neighbors.
The Season 3 finale of “Shrinking” premieres on April 8 on Apple TV.
