The trailer looked good. Jason Segel, as a therapist, finally snapping at an obtuse client who's willfully blind to her partner's abuse. And, creators of Ted Lasso! Great, right?
But, that intriguing premise, wittily pulling client's heads under "the cold tap of facts", quickly evaporates. This show is just so damn phoney, who are these people?
The way they talk, react, handle life grates with BS; it's all so try-hard and false. Even Curb Your Enthusiasm, a farce, is a more realistic rendering of wrangling first-world problems while being rich in California.
There are moments of humour, for sure (especially Michael Urie); but, so much is "huh, who talks like this?" Take Liz, please, the fake-faced next door neighbour and her gettin' real with the tiresomely vulgar Gaby...uuuggh.
"Shrinking" presents a wannabe Utopia imagined by rich, privileged people in their cozy, stylish bubbles. Also, the dialogue goes into the toilet so, so relentlessly; lame TMI sex jokes means the writers are desperate, lazy or both. And it reeks here.
The decor, clothes, cars and lush Pasadena backdrops are fabulous. But, if the brain trust here hoped they were going to impart valuable life lessons, deep truths or relationship insights, which I think they did....well....the decor, clothes, cars and lush Pasadena backdrops are fabulous.
FWIW, update: When the main character sat down with his teenage daughter to tell her about him having sex with a family friend, persisting even when she was so uncomfortable, we finally bailed. Too stupid, too unreal, too smugly weird. Sigh, too bad. We tried.
But, that intriguing premise, wittily pulling client's heads under "the cold tap of facts", quickly evaporates. This show is just so damn phoney, who are these people?
The way they talk, react, handle life grates with BS; it's all so try-hard and false. Even Curb Your Enthusiasm, a farce, is a more realistic rendering of wrangling first-world problems while being rich in California.
There are moments of humour, for sure (especially Michael Urie); but, so much is "huh, who talks like this?" Take Liz, please, the fake-faced next door neighbour and her gettin' real with the tiresomely vulgar Gaby...uuuggh.
"Shrinking" presents a wannabe Utopia imagined by rich, privileged people in their cozy, stylish bubbles. Also, the dialogue goes into the toilet so, so relentlessly; lame TMI sex jokes means the writers are desperate, lazy or both. And it reeks here.
The decor, clothes, cars and lush Pasadena backdrops are fabulous. But, if the brain trust here hoped they were going to impart valuable life lessons, deep truths or relationship insights, which I think they did....well....the decor, clothes, cars and lush Pasadena backdrops are fabulous.
FWIW, update: When the main character sat down with his teenage daughter to tell her about him having sex with a family friend, persisting even when she was so uncomfortable, we finally bailed. Too stupid, too unreal, too smugly weird. Sigh, too bad. We tried.