This article contains discussion of suicide.
Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Shrinking season 3, episode 7, “I Will Be Grape.”Shrinking star Luke Tennie explains how a devastating loss will change the show significantly moving forward.
Gaby (Jessica Williams) has spent much of the new season helping her patient Maya (Sherry Cola), which has included taking advice about an unconventional therapy approach from Jimmy (Jason Segel). This involves spending time with Maya outside their sessions and introducing her to Sean (Tennie) and Alice (Lukita Maxwell). However, at the end of Shrinking season 3, episode 7, Gaby receives a shocking call that makes it clear that Maya took her own life.
In an interview with Collider, Tennie explains that losing Maya is going to change the way that Gaby and Sean choose to live their lives, from how they move through the world on a daily basis to their approach to therapy. In addition to drastically changing how multiple characters act in future episodes, and Maya living on through Gaby and Sean, Tennie explains why Cola was perfect for the role. Check out his comments below:
I started following Sherry after I met her on socials. She’s everywhere. She’s in this show, that show, the up show, the down show. She’s everywhere. She’s able to fit into so many different pieces of art because of how versatile she is a performer, but also because of the warmth that she brings to her characters. She was perfect for that part in Shrinking because we knew where it was headed, and it needed to be a lasting impression. Sherry is the performer that can make that happen. The impression that she put on the show will live in Sean and Gaby. It’s going to change the direction of how they live their lives. It’s going to make them pay a lot more attention to how they operate and move through this world where they are aware of how therapy can potentially help people. Her contribution was a lot more than just being funny and witty and warm. It really alters the entire course of a couple of characters on our show. It was a pretty important part to cast. Shout-out to (casing directors) Brett [Benner] and Debby [Romano]. They did it again. They found the perfect performer for the part.
While the show’s premise largely revolves around various characters grieving the death of Jimmy’s wife, Tia (Lilan Bowden), she passes away before the events of season 1. Maya’s death hits differently because it happens during the course of the show as viewers gradually get to know the character and as Gaby seemingly helps her. Shrinking season 3, episode 6 ends with Maya in a dark place, and her not responding to Gaby’s calls in episode 7 did not bode well. Nevertheless, her loss comes as a surprise, with the audience lulled into a false sense of security, as the call comes while Jimmy, Gaby, and their loved ones sing together and celebrate Tia’s memory.
As confirmed by Tennie, Maya’s loss is going to make Gaby and Sean reevaluate many aspects of their lives, from how Gaby operates as a therapist to Sean being someone who has done extensive work to get out of a dark place before. Gaby will probably also question whether she can open her own trauma center as she plans, given the blame she will probably lay on herself for this tragedy.
What happened to Maya is further complicated by Gaby having put aside the rules for once to “Jimmy” her patient, only for fatal consequences to ensue. Jimmy’s approach has greatly helped Sean and many others, but now it will be brought into question even more than after the Shrinking season 1 finale when one of his patients pushed her boyfriend off a cliff.
Release Date
January 27, 2023
Network
Apple TV
Showrunner
Bill Lawrence
