<p id=”par-1_50″>The <em>Shrinking</em> Season 2 finale is here. In the Dec. 25 episode of the Emmy-nominated <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tv/”>TV show</a> from Apple TV+, it’s Thanksgiving for Jimmy (Jason Segel), and Paul (Harrison Ford). Meanwhile, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/shrinking-star-jessica-williams-felt-really-stressed-reprising-gaby-role-season-2.html/”>Gaby (Jessica Williams)</a>, Sean (Luke Tennie), and Brian (Michael Urie) deal with developments—some good, some bad—in their own lives.</p>
<p id=”par-2_21″><strong>[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from the Dec. 25, 2024, episode of </strong><strong><em>Shrinking</em></strong><strong> Season 2 Episode 12: “The Last Thanksgiving.”]</strong></p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-gaby-tries-to-fix-things-with-her-mom-and-derrick-no-2″>Gaby tries to fix things with her mom and Derrick No. 2</h2>
<p id=”par-3_56″>The <em>Shrinking</em> Season 2 finale, which began streaming Christmas Day on <a href=”https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/the-last-thanksgiving/umc.cmc.29uotgkb5hzhqht97e1xykiy7″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Apple TV+</a>, sees Gaby try to patch things up with Derrick No. 2 (Damon Wayans Jr.) and her mom, Phyllis (Vernee Watson). Unfortunately, she strikes out with both. When Gaby asks her mom to come to Thanksgiving, she replies, “It’s just too hard right now.” </p>
<p id=”par-4_40″>After working through her feelings out loud— “It’s like he wants me but he doesn’t need me. There’s no exit ramp.” —Gaby calls Derrick. Telling him he’s “amazing,” the therapist asks her ex to reconsider coming to her Thanksgiving dinner. </p>
<p id=”par-5_39″>“I don’t know, Gaby. I put myself out there and you left me hanging,” Derrick says. “You work on all that stuff you need to work on. Once you get it in order, you give me a call, OK?”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-alice-and-jimmy-make-up”>Alice and Jimmy make up</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image aligncenter size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Lukita-Maxwell-and-Jason-Segel-in-the-Shrinking-Season-2-finale.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Lukita Maxwell and Jason Segel in the ‘Shrinking’ Season 2 finale” class=”wp-image-3755974″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Lukita Maxwell and Jason Segel in the ‘Shrinking’ Season 2 finale | Apple TV+</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-6_53″>After some—OK, <em>a lot</em> of encouragement—Jimmy finally talks to Alice about why he doesn’t want to see Louis (Brett Goldstein). “When Louis came back into our lives,” he tells her, “he was like this walking, talking reminder for me of how I just really let you down when you needed me the most.” </p>
<p id=”par-7_42″>Jimmy continues, telling Alice she’s an “amazing” person “in spite” of him. “I keep getting stuck on that, on what a terrible father I am, and I’m just so sorry. I’m just so, so sorry that I am not better,” he says. </p>
<p id=”par-8_61″>Alice admits that yes, he wasn’t there after the car crash that killed Tia (Lilan Bowden). But there was “good stuff” too. “Even at your lowest you still carried me upstairs. That let me know that you were still in there,” she tells Jimmy. “So, yeah, maybe you were a bad dad for a second…you were also the <em>best</em> f***ing dad.” </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-paul-delivers-a-tearful-speech-in-the-shrinking-season-2-finale”>Paul delivers a tearful speech in the ‘Shrinking’ Season 2 finale</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image aligncenter size-full” id=”emb-2″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Harrison-Ford-and-Wendie-Malick-in-the-Shrinking-Season-2-finale.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Harrison Ford and Wendie Malick in the ‘Shrinking’ Season 2 finale” class=”wp-image-3755975″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Harrison Ford and Wendie Malick in the ‘Shrinking’ Season 2 finale | Apple TV+</figcaption></figure>
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<p id=”par-9_55″>Derrick shows up with his aunt and Gaby’s mom in a surprise moment. But that’s not the only surprise. In an unusually heartfelt moment, Paul gets emotional sharing what he’s thankful for this Thanksgiving. “We can get through anything if we have people to lean on,” he says before pointing to those he’s “leaning on.” </p>
<p id=”par-10_68″>It’s an especially touching speech given Paul’s health issues throughout the season and how Gaby, Jimmy, Liz, Derek, Sean, and the rest have all been there for each other. For instance, Derek helps Liz find her “purpose” by suggesting she nanny for Brian (Michael Urie) and Charlie (Devin Kawaoka). Liz gives Jimmy one of her coveted rocks and says she loves him. Alice talks to Sean about Jimmy. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-jimmy-finally-talks-to-louis”>Jimmy finally talks to Louis</h2>
<p id=”par-11_60″>While Paul delivers his speech and Gaby’s place is full of people, Louis sits alone on the train station bench—the one previously seen in flashbacks from the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/shrinking-nov-27-episode-recap-forgiveness-sort-flashback-1-last-drink.html/”>Nov. 27 episode</a>—after his one friend univites him from Thanksgiving. He texts Alice, but her phone’s in a basket at Gaby’s house. Just as he’s standing near the platform’s edge, Jimmy shows up. </p>
<p id=”par-12_62″>“I guess I’m here for her, for Alice. I’m probably also here for Tia. Mostly I’m here for me,” Jimmy says. The two sit down on the bench and, after an awkward few seconds, Jimmy breaks the ice with “What a sh***y couple of years, huh?” before putting an arm around Louis and making up stories for other people at the station. </p>
<p id=”par-13_9″>Watch <em>Shrinking</em> Seasons 1 and 2 on <a href=”https://tv.apple.com/us/show/shrinking/umc.cmc.apzybj6eqf6pzccd97kev7bs”>Apple TV+</a>. </p>