Shrinking Season 2, Episode 10 features an eventful birthday party, more honest conversations about Jimmy's love life, and a major change in Paul's home situation.
The new episode of the Apple TV+ comedy series, "Changing Patterns," chronicles Jimmy's attempt to give his daughter, Alice, an unforgettable birthday gift, but it goes down the drain after a secret is revealed. Elsewhere, Gaby comes clean with her decision regarding her mother's living situation.
Shrinking Season 2, Episode 10 premiered on Apple TV+ on December 11.
Shrinking Season 2 Episode 10 Cast & Guest Star Guide
Cobie Smulders - Sofi
Cobie Smulders reunites with her How I Met Your Mother co-star, Jason Segel, in Shrinking Season 2, Episode 10.
The actress plays Sofi, a single mom and the owner of the mini yellow Cooper that Jimmy buys for Alice.
Smulders recently appeared as part of the cast of Accused Season 2. She is also best known for playing Maria Hill in the MCU, Dex Parios in Stumptown, and Ann Coulter in American Crime Story.
Vernee Watson - Phyllis
Vernee Watson returns as Phyllis, Gaby's mother who is ready to move in with her daughter after Courtney decides to join the army.
Watson's most recognizable role is playing Stella Henry in General Hospital. The actress can also be seen in Bob Hearts Abishola, Bel-Air, and Christmas with the Kranks.
Wendie Malick - Dr. Julie Baram
Wendie Malick stars as Dr. Julie Baram, Paul's current love interest who recently lost her husband.
Malick's notable credits include The Chicken Sisters, Young Sheldon, and Night Court.
She is also part of the cast of Night Court Season 3.
Damon Wayans Jr. - Derrick # 2
Damon Wayans Jr. appears as Derrick # 2, Gaby's newfound romantic interest who has a tough talk with Paul about his true intentions with his employee.
Wayans Jr. is known for his work on Big Hero 6, The Other Guys, and Let's Be Cops.
Trey Santiago-Hudson - Jorge
Trey Santiago-Hudson brings Jorge to life in Shrinking Season 2, Episode 10.
Jorge is Sean's new friend who played poker with Jimmy and him in the previous episode. He returns to help Sean with the food truck.
Santiago-Hudson has credits in The Walking Dead: Dead City, Vineyards, and Your Hurt My Feelings.
Niccole Thurman - Woman in Line
Niccole Thurman plays the woman in line with whom Liz clashes before confronting Sean in his food truck.
Thurman previously appeared in Kenan, Jellystone, and The Opposition with Jordan Klepper.
Edy Modica - Jackie
Edy Modica guest stars as Jackie, Gaby's patient who is busy with her work application which is why she decides to leave her baby to her therapist.
Modica can be seen in Let's Start a Cult, Jury Duty, and Made for Love.
Rachel Stubington - Summer
Rachel Stubington returns as Summer, Alice's best friend, who has already made amends with her after Alice slept with her boyfriend, Connor.
Stubington's past major credits include Doctor Odyssey, Grassland, and The Seagull.
Tanner Zagarino - Dylan
Tanner Zagarino's Dylan is Alice's new love interest in Shrinking Season 2.
Zagarino previously starred in 9-1-1: Lone Star, Aftermath, and The Price We Pay.
Brett Goldstein - Louis
Brett Goldstein plays Louis, the man responsible for the death of Jimmy's wife who strikes a bond with Alice after she decides to forgive him.
Goldstein recently joined the MCU as Hercules in Thor: Love and Thunder. The actor is also part of the cast of Ted Lasso, SuperBob, and Doctor Who.
Edgar Blackmon - Eddy
Edgar Blackmon stars as Eddy, Louis' new friend and co-worker in the coffee shop.
Blackmon appeared in History of the World: Part II, Chicago Party Aunt, and iCarly.
Here are the main actors who appeared in Shrinking Season 2, Episode 10:
- Jason Segel - Jimmy Laird
- Jessica Williams - Gaby
- Luke Tennie - Sean
- Michael Urie - Brian
- Christa Miller - Liz
- Lukita Maxwell - Alice
- Harrison Ford - Dr. Paul Rhoades
- Ted McGinley - Derek
Read more about the full cast of Shrinking Season 2.
Shrinking Season 2 Plot Recap: Love is in the Air for Jimmy
Alice Decides to Move On
Shrinking Season 2, Episode 10, "Changing Patterns," is all about embracing change alongside the long-term effects that come with it.
At the center of Episode 10's story is Alice's milestone 18th birthday, and everyone is trying their best to prepare for the big occasion.
"Changing Patterns" opens inside Gaby's house as she prepares to get her mother, Phyllis, to settle in after she moves in with her due to her sister's life-changing decision to join the army.
Meanwhile, Alice and Paul have a heart-to-heart conversation about Alice deciding to move on from therapy because she thinks that she already saw a viable path forward where she can be free from the grief of losing her mother.
To recap, Alice found that path after she decided to confront Louis (aka the man responsible for her mother's death), and the pair have become good friends since then.
Paul tells her he is proud of her while reminding her that he will always be there for her if she ever has a rough patch.
The veteran therapist then receives unexpected news about the death of his girlfriend's husband, and the gang (including Derrick # 2) gathers together during the funeral.
Julie also tells everyone that she sold her house, and Paul interjects by saying she will crash at his place until she figures something out.
Jimmy Tries to Find Alice's Perfect Gift
While everyone is busy preparing for Alice's 18th birthday celebration, Jimmy is scrambling to find the perfect gift for his daughter.
Jimmy initially denies her request for a car, but he tells Gaby and Liz that he really is giving her one for her birthday as a surprise.
His search leads him to an encounter with a single mom named Sofi and there is an instant spark between them after they bonded over the end of their respective marriages.
How I Met Your Mother Fans may be weirded out seeing Cobie Smulders and Jason Segel as a couple, especially after the hit sitcom established that their characters, Robin and Marshall, are purely platonic.
But still, everything about this episode is accepting change.
Sofi, who owns a mini yellow Cooper that Jimmy has been eyeing for a while now due to the connection to his late wife, agrees to sell it to him for $5,000.
The pair's interaction here is not about the sale. Instead, it is about the brewing chemistry between the pair that could be revisited in the final two episodes.
While Jimmy still couldn't bring himself to ask Sofi out, there is a good chance he might dip his toes in the dating scene sooner rather than later.
Gaby's Flaws Come to Light
Before the big celebration, Liz and Gaby act as Alice's party organizers, seeing it as an escape from the chaos of their own lives.
Gaby has been contemplating whether or not she will accept her mother as her new housemate, especially now that things are looking good between her and Derrick.
Things take a turn after Gaby's patient, Jacky, asks her for a favor to take care of her baby for an hour while she goes job hunting.
This leads her to cancel a supposed lunch date with Derrick while Paul arrives to have the "talk" with Gaby's new man to tell him to not hurt his friend.
Paul also confronts Gaby for allowing her to be manipulated by her patient to take care of someone else's problem, noting, "You are never going to be happy until you change this pattern."
He also drops a bomb by telling her what everyone else is thinking: she doesn't want her mother to move in with her.
While Gaby dismisses Paul's truth bomb, she fights back by telling him that he is also exhibiting a "Classic Paul" attitude, pointing out that he is so set in his ways that he is afraid of change.
During Alice's birthday celebration, Jimmy surprises her with her new car, and the father-daughter duo embraces for a moment of glee.
Tying Up Loose Ends
While Alice enjoys her new car on a road trip with her best friend, Summer, and her soon-to-be boyfriend Dylan, she receives an unusual text from Louis telling her that it would be best for them to not see each other again.
In Shrinking Season 2, Episode 9, Jimmy ends up forgiving Louis for the part he played in his wife's death, but he also tells him to back off and stop hanging out with his friends and family.
Alice heads over to Louis' workplace to ask him why he is suddenly cutting her off from his life. Louis comes clean by telling her what Jimmy told her.
Elsewhere, Paul decides to change the pattern by allowing Julie to move in with him, and he thanks Gaby for giving him the courage to do what is right.
After the call from Paul, Gaby finds the strength to tell her mother she doesn't want her to move in with her. Unfortunately, Phyllis doesn't take the news lightly, and she kicks her before giving her the chance to explain.
The episode ends with Alice barging into Jimmy's room to confront her father about his ultimatum to Louis, saying, "You told him not to talk to me even when you knew it was helping me?”
That one sentence is more than enough to ruin Alice's 18th birthday which is quite dismal for Jimmy, especially after his efforts of finding the perfect gift for her.
The next episode of Shrinking Season 2 is set to premiere on Apple TV+ next Wednesday, December 18 at midnight PT.
