The wait for Shrinking Season 3 Episode 3 is finally over. Apple TV released “D-Day” early Wednesday morning, and within hours, the conversation online shifted from the adoption storyline to one specific, quiet moment. It did not feature high drama or loud arguments. It featured Harrison Ford sitting in a hospital room, holding a newborn baby.
Paul Rhoades, the grumpy, Parkinson’s-battling therapist who usually hides behind sarcasm and short sentences, did not say much. He did not have to. The image of the oldest member of the cast cradling the newest member of this fictional family—surrounded by Jimmy, Brian, Derek, Liz, and Alice—has become the defining visual of the season. It is not just a sweet scene. It is the moment the show reminds everyone what it is really about.
Paul Hands Over the Bench as He Faces Bigger Changes
Long before the baby arrived, Shrinking spent “D-Day” showing why Paul is slowly letting go. Harrison Ford delivered some of his most honest work in this episode. During a quiet scene at the park bench—the same bench where Alice has processed her grief for three seasons—Paul admitted his body does not move the way it used to. He did not complain. He simply stated facts.
Then he did something unexpected. He told Alice that she does not need him anymore. More importantly, he told her that Gaby would be the one sitting with her from now on. This is not a small change. Paul has been Alice’s unofficial therapist since season one. Watching him walk away from that bench, trusting Jessica Williams’ character to take over, landed like a punch to the chest for viewers.
Gaby noticed immediately that Paul was not okay. She did not ask. She just sat down and showed up. That is the unspoken language this show has mastered. Harrison Ford and Jessica Williams shared a scene with almost no dialogue, yet it said everything about how far both characters have come .
Jeff Daniels Arrives as Jimmy’s Dad and Brings the Baggage
While Paul was dealing with the future, Jimmy was dealing with the past. Jeff Daniels made his first appearance as Randy, Jimmy’s father. He did not arrive with a dramatic apology or a tearful reunion. He showed up for dinner, teased his son about his fear of talking to girls, and called him “Jimbo.” Jason Segel played the scene with tight shoulders and forced smiles.
Lukita Maxwell’s Alice, on the other hand, loved every second of her grandfather’s visit. She laughed at the embarrassing stories. She told Randy about Jimmy being too scared to ask out Sofi (Cobie Smulders) . The dynamic is already clear: Alice wants a relationship with her grandfather, and Jimmy is not ready to forgive the man who was absent when his wife died.
Jeff Daniels brought a specific energy to the table. His Randy is not a villain. He is just a guy who shows up late and acts like nothing happened. For Jimmy, that might be worse .
Brian and Charlie Finally Become Dads
The main event of “D-Day” was the birth of Brian and Charlie’s baby. Michael Urie’s Brian spent most of the episode in a full panic. The birth mother, Ava (Claudia Sulewski) , had not signed the final adoption papers. Charlie (Devin Kawaoka) was stuck in Chicago. Liz (Christa Miller) was running around the hospital pretending to be a doctor, terrifying actual nurses.
Derek (Ted McGinley) , as always, provided the rescue. He orchestrated a full Jennifer Hudson Show-style spirit tunnel for Brian, complete with the song “Baby” playing as Brian walked through. It was ridiculous. It was also exactly what Brian needed.
When Ava asked Brian if she was a bad person for giving up her baby, Michael Urie delivered a response so sincere it stopped the comedy cold. He told her that what she was doing was one of the best things a person can do for a child. There was no judgment. Just gratitude. Claudia Sulewski, in a single scene, made Ava feel like a real person making an impossible choice .
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Sean Finally Faces Marisol and Owns His Past
Luke Tennie’s Sean spent the last two seasons learning how to communicate instead of exploding. In “D-Day,” he put that work into practice. Isabella Gomez made her proper debut as Marisol, Sean’s ex-girlfriend from his pre-Afghanistan days.
Sean wanted to apologize. He wanted to be held accountable for the cruel things he said to her when he was young and angry. Marisol did not want an apology. She told him they were both kids and both made mistakes. She just wanted to move forward.
The dinner scene, chaperoned by Summer (Rachel Stubington) pretending to be an army buddy, was painfully awkward in the best way. When Marisol finally kicked Summer out and asked Sean why he was acting so strange, Sean laid it all out. He was mean. He was wrong. He remembered.
Marisol kissed him anyway. Not because he earned it. Because she was ready to live in the present, not the past. Isabella Gomez brought a warmth to Marisol that made it immediately clear why Sean still thinks about her .
Jimmy Admits He Cannot Handle Another Bad Ending
In a quieter moment, Jimmy told Liz something honest. He said, “I do not think I can handle another bad ending.” This is a man whose wife died. Whose daughter is leaving for college. Whose father just walked back into his life asking for spaghetti and laughs.
Liz understood immediately. She did not offer advice. She just pointed at the vending machine and told him to go talk to Nurse Kimmy. Not because Kimmy is the love of his life. Because Jimmy needs to practice having something end without it destroying him.
Cobie Smulders’ Sofi is still out there. Jimmy admitted she feels too real, too important to mess up. Kimmy is the low-stakes rehearsal. Liz knew that. Jimmy knew that. The audience knows that .
How to Watch Shrinking Season 3 Episode 3 and What Comes Next
Shrinking Season 3 Episode 3, titled “D-Day,” is now streaming on Apple TV. The episode was directed by Zach Braff and written by Bill Posley.
For viewers in different regions, here are the general availability times:
- United States: Available from 12:00 a.m. ET / 9:00 p.m. PT (February 10) on Apple TV
- United Kingdom: Available from 5:00 a.m. GMT on Apple TV+
- Canada: Available from 12:00 a.m. ET on Apple TV+
- Australia: Available from 4:00 p.m. AEDT on Apple TV+
- India: Available from 10:30 a.m. IST on Apple TV+
- Global: Available simultaneously on Apple TV in regions where the service is active
Episode 4 will release next Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Apple TV subscriptions remain at $12.99 per month in the US, with similar pricing in international markets. The service offers a 7-day free trial for new subscribers .
Shrinking has already been renewed for Season 4. The current 11-episode season will run until the finale on April 8, 2026 .
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