Jimmy and Liz rush to support the couple as Ava gives birth, but a missing signature almost destroys their dream before a heartfelt decision changes everything.
The third episode of Shrinking Season 3, titled “D-Day,” delivered the moment viewers have been waiting for since the show’s second season. Brian and Charlie’s long adoption journey reached its emotional end on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, when the couple officially became fathers .
Written by Bill Posley and directed by Zach Braff, the episode takes place almost entirely at the hospital where Ava (Claudia Sulewski), the birth mother, goes into labor. What starts as a day of celebration quickly turns into hours of uncertainty when Brian learns that Ava has not yet signed the adoption papers .
The Missing Signature That Almost Broke Brian
Michael Urie’s Brian spends most of “D-Day” in a state of panic. After getting the call about Ava going into labor while shopping for a car seat with Derek, he rushes to the hospital expecting to meet his baby. Instead, Stuart, the adoption coordinator, delivers the news that the papers are unsigned.
Ava admits that her mother got inside her head, making her question if placing her baby for adoption was the right choice. For a brief moment, Brian believes he might lose the child he and Charlie have already fallen in love with .
What makes the scene so powerful is Brian’s response. Instead of getting angry or pressuring Ava, he listens. He tells her that what she is doing—choosing them to raise her baby—is one of the best things a person can do for a child. This moment of genuine kindness and vulnerability shifts everything .
Derek’s Words of Wisdom Help Brian Find Peace
One of the most talked-about scenes in Shrinking Season 3 Episode 3 happens between Brian and Derek. While Brian is spiraling, Liz sends the two of them out to install the car seat. Brian rants that everything they have been preparing for is meaningless if Ava does not sign.
Brian asks Derek for “the special,” referring to Derek’s habit of telling people everything will be okay. Ted McGinley’s character delivers a response that fans are already calling the best line of the season .
“Brian, everything’s going to be okay. Maybe just not the way you want it. All we can do is believe things are gonna work out the way they’re supposed to. That’s what everything’s going to be okay really means.”
This moment of calm helps Brian return to the hospital room with acceptance rather than desperation. When he walks back in, the signed papers are sitting next to Ava .
Liz Brings the Chaos, But Also the Heart
Christa Miller’s Liz is at her most Liz in this episode. She terrifies the hospital staff, checks Ava’s vitals herself, and refuses to leave the room. The nurses are genuinely afraid to come near the room because of her. Yet underneath the overbearing exterior is a woman who loves Brian like her own child and will do anything to make sure his family stays intact .
Her dynamic with Jimmy throughout the episode also gives viewers one of the season’s best underrated duos. When Jimmy flirts with Ava’s nurse, Kimmy (Lisa Gilroy), but refuses to ask her out, Liz calls him out. She tells Jimmy that by avoiding romantic connections, he is cutting himself off from happiness. It is a short but important scene that reminds audiences why Liz is the nosy, loud, protective neighbor everyone wishes they had .
The Final Scene: Everyone Together
The last few minutes of “D-Day” bring the entire cast together in Ava’s hospital room. Harrison Ford’s Paul, dragged there by Gaby despite his protests, ends up holding the baby. In a moment so quiet and tender it feels almost sacred, Paul looks down at the newborn and says four simple words .
“Enjoy the ride, kid.”
It is a callback to everything the show has been teaching its audience since 2023. Life does not go the way anyone plans. People make mistakes. Grief never fully leaves. But there is still joy to be found in the small moments, in the people who show up, and in the belief that things will work out the way they are supposed to .
Derek plays “Baby” by Jennifer Hudson as Brian holds his son for the first time. Brian’s lifelong dream of a Broadway-worthy moment comes true, not on a stage, but in a hospital room surrounded by the village that helped him get here .
What This Means for Brian Moving Forward
Michael Urie spoke about Brian’s journey to fatherhood in interviews before the season aired. He described his character as someone who brings chaos and style to everything he does, but who is also deeply insecure about whether he is good enough to be a parent. Having Charlie, who is grounded and mature, alongside a community of fathers who guide him, helps Brian figure out his new role day by day .
Now that the baby is home, the show has the opportunity to explore what parenting looks like for two dads who are still learning how to be parents while also managing their careers, their marriage, and their individual personalities. Brian’s narcissism and theatrical tendencies do not just disappear because he has a child. If anything, they will likely become funnier and more chaotic.
Sean’s Side Story and Paul Passing the Torch
While Brian’s adoption story takes center stage in Shrinking Season 3 Episode 3, the episode also moves forward two other important arcs.
Luke Tennie’s Sean reconnects with his ex, Marisol (Isabella Gomez). Sean wants accountability and communication. He wants to talk through their past mistakes. Marisol, however, is not interested in rehashing old wounds. She chalks their issues up to youth and wants to move forward. The scene shows how much Sean has grown through therapy. The man who once expressed every emotion through rage now seeks vulnerability and closure .
Paul also makes a major decision about his future. Recognizing that his Parkinson’s diagnosis means he will not be able to practice therapy forever, he asks Gaby to take over as Alice’s therapist. He tells Alice that life does not stop throwing challenges at people, but now she knows she can get through them on her own if she has to. Having Gaby sit with Alice on the bench—the same bench where Paul has counseled so many people—is a beautiful passing of the torch .
Jimmy’s Dad Comes to Town
Jeff Daniels joins the cast as Randy, Jimmy’s father. The tension between them is immediate. Randy calls his son “Jimbo,” a nickname Jimmy clearly hates. Jimmy is protective of Alice and does not want her to experience the same disappointment he has felt his entire life. When Alice almost invites Randy to her graduation, Jimmy pulls her aside and asks her not to .
This storyline is clearly setting up more exploration of Jimmy’s past and why he struggles so much with attachment and vulnerability. Fans of the show have long suspected that Jimmy’s deep bond with Paul comes from the absence of a loving father figure. Seeing that dynamic play out on screen adds another layer to Jason Segel’s character.
How to Watch Shrinking Season 3
Shrinking Season 3 premiered on Apple TV on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. New episodes release every Wednesday .
Global streaming release times vary by location:
- United States: 12:00 a.m. ET / 9:00 p.m. PT (Tuesday night)
- United Kingdom: 5:00 a.m. GMT
- Canada: 12:00 a.m. ET
- Australia: 4:00 p.m. AEDT
- India: 10:30 a.m. IST
The season consists of 11 episodes, with the finale scheduled for April 8, 2026 .
A Season 4 renewal was announced before the third season even premiered, confirming that audiences will be spending much more time with these characters .
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Why This Episode Matters
Shrinking has always been a show about broken people trying to put themselves back together. But “D-Day” raises the stakes by showing what happens when those broken people are trusted with the care of a brand new life.
Brian and Charlie’s adoption journey matters beyond the fictional world of the show. Stories like theirs show global audiences that gender and identity do not determine who can give a child a loving, permanent home. What matters is the human heart. What matters is empathy. What matters is showing up .
For viewers who have followed Brian from his early days as Jimmy’s narcissistic, perpetually single best friend to the man standing in a hospital room holding his son, this episode is not just good television. It is validation that people can change. People can grow. People can become the parents they never thought they deserved to be.
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