Stoned Harrison Ford, Puking Jason Segel: ‘Shrinking’ Episode 6 is Comedy Gold

Apple TV+‘s Shrinking just dropped one of 2023’s best TV episodes. The grief comedy from Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein, and Jason Segel centers around three therapists: Jimmy (Segel), Gaby (Jessica Williams), and Paul (Harrison Ford), all of whom are working through their own emotional baggage. Jimmy is mourning the death of his wife. Gaby is navigating divorce and a loss of libido. And Paul is coping with a Parkinson’s diagnosis while trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter. Each week, the series finds reason for characters and viewers alike to laugh through the pain, but Episode 6, “Imposter Syndrome,” is in a class all its own.

Written by Annie Mebane and directed by Randall Winston, “Imposter Syndrome” is a modest masterpiece that will make you laugh, cry, and long to get stoned with the great Harrison Ford. Why? Well, when Jimmy’s best friend Brian (Michael Urie) convinces him to host a surprise engagement party so he can propose to his boyfriend Charlie (Devin Kawaoka), a series of bad decisions result in some of the show’s funniest scenes.

On top giving Paul outrageous lines — including but not limited to “it’s kinda donkey dickish,” “she rawdogged me at the cheese store,” and “stankadelic” — Episode 6 allows him to let loose and escape his anxieties by downing a few too many weed gummies. Once he’s high as a kite, Paul crashes Brian’s party, plops himself on the couch, and embarks on an evening full of stoned sulking, snappy one-liners, and quality bonding with Liz (Christa Miller).

Whether he’s clutching a throw pillow like a life raft, attempting to eat his tie, or mumbling blunt questions like “Who’s this fucking guy?”, Ford’s performance as Stoned Paul leaves nothing to be desired. He effortlessly transitions from the show’s sharpest sage to a parched, hazy picture of paranoia, and his rapport with Miller is delightfully mesmerizing.

While Paul spends the night snacking and spewing feelings, Jimmy gets wasted and winds up spewing… everything. When Charlie finally arrives, Jimmy takes his place at the piano to play “You Are So Beautiful” for Brian’s classy pre-planned serenade. He slowly smashes the keys while his hunched-over body sways offbeat. His attempt at a painfully off-key duet is cut short when he projectile vomits in a fashion so epic you can’t help but cackle. Then, when he’s finally done, he calmly pronounces, “I threw up.” Who among us can’t relate to that pathetic proclamation?

From sloppily munching deli meat to repeatedly blowing chunks, Segel’s performance in Episode 6 is a masterclass in physical comedy. Both he and Ford forgo their characters’ inhibitions so brilliantly you’ll forget they’re acting, which is one of the reasons why “Imposter Syndrome” strikes Shrinking‘s greatest balance between comedy and grief yet.

Though every installment of Shrinking finds humor amidst grief, Episode 6 tightly packs an impressive string of powerful highs and lows into 30 minutes. Earnest moments of reflection and heart-to-hearts are sprinkled between ridiculously amusing scenes, resulting in an exhilarating emotional whiplash.

One moment you’ll be giggling over Liz and Gaby coining the lady version of “get it up,” the next you’ll choke up watching Paul admit his faults as a father (as shown in the clip above). You’ll squeal when Derek (Ted McGinley) gets called a waiter and you’ll hurt when Jimmy flashes back to painful party memories with his wife. Tears will well as Sufjan Stevens plays, and later you’ll cry from laughing so hard at Harrison Ford interrupting a marriage proposal with an ear-splitting Doritos crunch. Simply put, Shrinking Episode 6 mines comedy gold so pure it’ll remind you that joy and sorrow can — and should — coexist.

The first six episodes of Shrinking are currently streaming on Apple TV+. New episodes premiere weekly on Fridays.