“Honesty Era” (episode 5) of season 2 has Kelly Bishop’s Shrinking debut as Susan, a significant figure associated with Paul (Harrison Ford). Paul has made tremendous progress in both his personal and professional life during Shrinking season 2, even though his Parkinson’s disease symptoms are steadily getting worse.
He has reconnected with his daughter Meg (Lily Rabe), befriended his former patient Raymond (Neil Flynn), and moved in with his fiancée and former neurologist, Dr. Julie Baram (Wendie Malick).
At work, Paul is still very good at helping his patients, especially Sean (Luke Tennie), his newest patient. Paul is now more willing to work with Jimmy (Jason Segel) and values his opinions to provide Sean with the best care possible, even if, at first, he wanted Jimmy to have no involvement in Sean’s treatment.
Bishop enters Shrinking’s roster of characters because, although Paul has been avoiding his past, he stresses to Jimmy and Sean the importance of facing theirs.
Who Does Kelly Bishop Play in Shrinking Season 2?
The actor from Dirty Dancing and Gilmore Girls portrays Susan, Paul’s ex-wife, who sees him for the first time in a long time. Although she has been mentioned before, especially in Paul and Meg’s chats, this is her first appearance on the Apple TV+ program.
Susan is in town to attend the lecture, and she’s also coming to meet Paul again. In the last episode, Meg came to town because she was giving a distinguished talk.
Julie’s connection with her ex-husband has not caused Susan any bitterness. Susan and Julie click immediately, bonding over harmlessly making fun of Paul.
When Brian (Michael Urie) visits to have Paul sign some legal documents, Susan’s sense of humor is still evident. She doesn’t hold back while telling Brian they should have completed the family trust years ago, but they could not, as Paul had been evading her for decades.
Why Did Paul and Susan Divorce in Shrinking Season 2?
Paul tells Brian what happened to his marriage long before Shrinking Season 1 when he demands that Brian get him out of the unexpectedly packed house. They then proceed to Paul’s office.
Paul explains that he and Susan were married at a young age and that his career took off immediately after Meg was born, making him prioritize his career over his family. A particularly heated argument resulted from his and Susan’s emotional drift apart. Days later, Paul was having an affair when Susan called him to apologize.
Paul’s marriage to Susan failed after he came clean about the affair. Paul was ashamed of his infidelity and of losing his family’s trust, so he did not fight back when she pulled Meg away from him.
As the years went by, Paul attempted to avoid facing this unpleasant aspect of his life and remained terrified to discuss what had happened with Susan. Now that Susan is living with him, Paul finds it more challenging than ever to stick to his avoidance plan.
Why Is Susan Back in Paul’s Life in Shrinking Season 2?
Brian urges Paul to ask Susan directly as he wonders why she has returned to his life, and he eventually does. She wants to get back in touch with him before he passes away because she had a friend who had Parkinson’s disease and died a few months later.
As she continues to speak later in the episode, she makes it apparent that Paul is the only one who has not forgiven himself by admitting that she no longer harbors any animosity toward him and that she has long since forgiven him. Having someone like Susan in his life who is supportive could be beneficial when the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease grow more severe.
They exchange drinks from a flask at Meg’s lecture, much as they did when they attended Meg’s school performances years ago. Knowing that Susan has forgiven him for a long time and that he doesn’t have to punish himself anymore has relieved Paul of a burden.
Right now, Paul is doing great. Nonetheless, having a supporting someone like Susan in his life could be beneficial when the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease worsen and he continues to shrink.
About Shrinking
Shrinking is a comedy television series created by Brett Goldstein, Bill Lawrence, and Jason Segel for Apple TV+.
The plot revolves around a therapist dealing with severe grief who begins to breach ethical barriers by telling his patients what he completely thinks, resulting in massive changes to his and their lives.
The series stars Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, and Christa Miller, among others. The series has been renewed for season 2.
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