Shrinking season 3: everything we know about what’s coming next for the Apple TV+ show

Shrinking season 3 is officially on the way, and fans of the heartwarming (and often hilarious) Apple TV+ series have plenty to look forward to.

Created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, and Brett Goldstein, the comedy-drama follows therapist Jimmy Laird (played by Segel) as he starts breaking the rules with his patients while grieving the loss of his wife. His unconventional approach shakes up their lives, and his, in unexpected ways.

The show has been praised for its emotional depth, excellent performances, and its ability to balance sharp humor with heartfelt storytelling. It’s easily one of the best Apple TV+ shows and season 2 was even more acclaimed than the first, so it’s no surprise there’s already serious buzz about what’s next.

While Apple’s renewal of Shrinking season 3 itself wasn’t a shock – Bill Lawrence has always said that the show was originally pitched as a three-season arc – the speed of the green light shows Apple’s confidence in where it’s headed.

So, what can we expect from season 3 of Shrinking? Below, we’ve gathered everything we know so far, from returning cast members to potential storylines for Jimmy, Alice, and the rest of the crew.

Shrinking season 3: when will it be released?

There are no official details yet about when Shrinking season 3 will be released. But the good news is that the third season was greenlit just as season 2 was launching – and everything seems to be moving quickly since. That suggests we may still have a bit of a wait, but likely not as long as some other shows.

In even better news, production is now already underway. Apple TV+ recently shared an update on Twitter/X confirming that Shrinking season 3 has officially started filming.

The post includes a behind-the-scenes video featuring co-creator Bill Lawrence welcoming back the main cast, including Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Michael Urie, and Ted McGinley.

While there’s still no confirmed release window, we can make a few educated guesses. It took two years for season 2 to arrive after season 1, but that gap was largely due to the Hollywood strikes in 2023. This time, the turnaround is expected to be much faster, since season 3 was renewed early and filming is already in progress.

For comparison, season 2 was filmed between January and June 2024 and released in the fall of that year. If season 3 follows a similar production schedule – and so far it seems to be – a fall 2025 release feels like a realistic estimate.

Even before Apple’s video update, Christa Miller (who plays Liz) had already confirmed that filming was about to begin. In a heartfelt Instagram video, she spoke about the shoot taking place in Los Angeles – a meaningful decision for the cast and crew following recent wildfires in the area.

“It’s a really special moment for our cast and crew. Because not only do we shoot in Pasadena, we film in Altadena as well,” she says.

“And after the devastating fires that hit Los Angeles, it feels more important than ever to support all of the communities that have been affected and this is the city where the magic happens and stories are told and dreams come true and that’s why our show is staying here.”

Shrinking season 3: has a trailer been released?

There’s no trailer for Shrinking season 3 just yet – it’s still early days, with filming only just underway. But that just means we’ve got something to look forward to.

If we’re aiming for a late 2025 release (and yes, that’s still just speculation), a first teaser or trailer might drop sometime in the summer. As soon as it’s released, we’ll update this page and include it here.

In the meantime, you can always revisit the Shrinking season 2 trailer to have a look at where we left off.

Shrinking season 3: confirmed cast

We know Jason Segel is returning, he’s the main character, co-creator, and one of the writers. But what about the rest of the cast? For the most part, yes. Most of the core cast is expected to return, and as always, we can look forward to some standout guest stars along the way.

Speaking to Variety in 2023 about the cast and the three seasons he had planned, Bill Lawrence said: “Part of the fun for me in doing shows with, like, Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, is that you can tell actors that you’ve always wanted to work with, ‘If you give me three seasons, that’s fine if you want to split.’ So all I can tell you is that all the gang that we roped in for this one was down for doing that.”

We know a lot of the main cast from the first two seasons are returning, this includes:

• Harrison Ford as Paul
• Lukita Maxwell as Alex
• Ted McGinley as Derek
• Christa Miller as Liz
• Jason Segel as Jimmy
• Luke Tennie as Sean
• Michael Urie as Brian
• Jessica Williams as Gaby

We’ve also got some early casting news. According to Deadline, Jeff Daniels is joining the series as Jimmy’s father. He’s been mentioned a few times across the first two seasons, but otherwise, Daniels’ character remains a mystery – no official details have been revealed about his role just yet.

What we do know is that Harrison Ford’s Dr. Paul Rhoades has been a father figure to Jimmy and a grandfather figure to Alice, so it’ll be interesting to see how that dynamic shifts with Jimmy’s real dad now in the picture.

It also looks like Brett Goldstein could be making a return as Louis. Lawrence was talking to Deadline and, when asked if Louis would return for season 3, said: “Yeah, I gotta leverage that dude. I think the ending was satisfying. I hope it was for people. But I think I’ve been public about saying the first year is about grief, the second year was about forgiveness and third year’s about moving forward.”

He continued: “I don’t think you can do this show about moving forward without knowing how that guy’s life moves forward, at least for an episode or two. So now I just got to leverage Brett into doing what I want him to do. He’s a very busy man. It’s very frustrating.”

In another interview with TV Line, Lawrence said: “I’m going to strong-arm Brett into showing his face, hopefully, at least a couple more times.” So although we don’t know for sure, it really sounds like Lawrence wants Goldstein back, at least for an episode or two.

Shrinking season 3: story synopsis and rumors

Potential spoilers follow for Shrinking below.

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Apple TV+ and the Shrinking team haven’t shared any official plot details just yet, but the creators have dropped some interesting hints in interviews.

In a 2023 conversation with Variety, co-creator Bill Lawrence revealed that the show was pitched with a clear three-season arc:

“The second year is about forgiveness, and the third year is about moving forward […] We pitched three seasons – the beginning, middle and end,”

That kind of clarity is always reassuring. When a show knows exactly where it’s headed, it often means more satisfying stories and stronger emotional payoffs. That said, don’t expect a neatly wrapped ending.

In a more recent interview with TV Insider, Lawrence explained:

“You can imagine by just the overarching title of forgiveness that what we’re really going to be watching is whether – and by the way, it’s not always cut and dry. I think we all have people in our life that we can never get over the hump with. And so Shrinking, it’s not necessarily going to be the most hunky dory, soft edges type of ending.”

He added: “Whenever anybody undergoes a true catastrophic stick in the spokes in their life, like the characters in the show did, what you’re really talking about the first two years is what it means to survive and then kind of bury the hatchet and mend fences. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be able to move forward in your life and start over again. I think that’s what people will probably be watching the third year.”

And looking ahead to what’s next, he says: “And when you say moving forward, even off the top of my head so it’s not a spoiler, I think people are aware that we’ve intentionally made a young woman who’s a senior in high school. We’ve potentially gotten some people in serious relationships. We’ve intentionally been looking at Harrison Ford’s character and how much longer can he do this with the condition he has. And so I think it’s going to be a rich third year too. I say that because we’re already writing it.”

So, while it’s unlikely Shrinking will tie everything up in a neat bow, we can expect the characters to be facing some major crossroads – especially when it comes to aging, independence, parenting, and starting over.

Even without teasers, we can make a few educated guesses about season 3 of Shrinking based on how season 2 wrapped.

Jimmy ended up forgiving Louis and, ultimately, saving his life. That arc also helped Jimmy process his grief and forgive himself. His relationship with Alice began to heal too. After months of tension and emotional distance, she forgave him for how he’d acted in the wake of her mother’s death.

As for the other characters, Paul (Harrison Ford) had his own moment of truth, admitting he’ll need support as his Parkinson’s disease worsens. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lawrence said that Paul’s story is “gonna be a huge part of next year”.

There’s also a hint at a new storyline from Christa Miller (Liz), who posted a behind-the-scenes photo of herself holding a baby on Instagram.

This would line up with how season 2 ended. Brian and Charlie were preparing to adopt, and they asked Liz to help out. She agreed, possibly taking on a nanny role.

With so many emotional threads in play, season 3 is shaping up to be an opportunity to dig deeper into growth, change, and how people move forward.

Will there be more seasons of Shrinking?

Now that season 3 is officially happening, and Bill Lawrence has revealed that he knows where it’s headed, the big question is, could Shrinking continue beyond that into future seasons? Right now, it doesn’t seem likely.

Lawrence has been clear from the start that Shrinking was always envisioned as a three season story. He’s even hinted at how things will wrap up. That said, in TV land, we’ve learned to never say never.

Just because season 4 isn’t part of the original arc doesn’t mean the show couldn’t return in some form – especially if the audience keeps showing up and Apple sees potential. Still, fans probably shouldn’t hold their breath for more Shrinking after season 3. And if it did happen? It would likely take longer to hit screens, since the first three seasons were plotted from the start, and anything beyond would require a whole new chapter.

For now, it looks like this story has an end in sight, but stranger things have happened.

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For more Apple TV+ series-based coverage, read our guides on Severance season 3, Silo season 3 and Slow Horses season 5.