Apple TV+’s new dramedy Shrinking had been on a rare, politics-free run for four episodes, but it unfortunately broke that streak with Friday’s fifth episode, “Woof.” The episode took a sharp, woke, left turn with anti-white male rhetoric and claims that marriage is used to “subjugate women.”
Shrinking stars Harrison Ford (Paul), Jason Segal (Jimmy) and Jessica Williams (Gabby) as three therapists who share a practice. The scene in question takes place as Gabby complains to Paul about marriage after a therapy session with a couple, and the conversation somehow turns racial. But not before Paul voices his warped, feminist views on marriage:
Gabby: I think the best thing for you two to do is share your insecurities with each other and process them together.
Woman: Do you and your husband do that?
Gabby: You betcha. You betcha? Who the f*ck says, “You betcha?”
Paul: Reba McEntire.
Gabby: True. You know, what I should’ve said was, “Marriage is a big ass pit of misery, and that’s why I got divorced, because it slowly sucks away your soul until you wake up one day and you don’t even recognize yourself in the mirror anymore.” That’s what the f*ck I should’ve said.
Paul: No, you shouldn’t say that. That’s stupid.
Gabby: Come on, Paul. Cheer me up a little bit. Please.
Paul: Gabby, marriage is the institution that was created back when people died young. It was built on land ownership and procreation. These days, it’s mainly used to subjugate women and sell air fryers.
Gabby: God, you suck at pep talks. You know that?
Paul: Yeah, I do.
Gabby: That’s okay, though, ‘cause it takes the sting a little bit out of the fact that you’re Jimmy’s mentor and not mine.
Paul: Oh, I’m not Jimmy’s mentor.
Gabby: You are, and you love it. You know, when I started here, you and Jimmy were already tight. You know, cool white guys talking about how much you guys like Nina Simone and shit like that.
Paul: Oh, I love Nina Simone.
Gabby: You know what, it’s fine. If I had my choice, you wouldn’t be my mentor anyway.
Paul: No?
Gabby: No. I’d choose somebody who looked like me.
Paul: That makes sense.
Gabby: You know when I was in grad school, all my professors were cranky, old, white guys?
Paul: I hate those guys.
That makes sense? Only seeking mentorship from people who look like you doesn’t make any sense at all. If it did, should white therapists refuse counsel from black mentors? Obviously, that’s a racist notion, and it goes both ways.
It’s also interesting to hear them tear apart the sanctity and beauty of marriage after the left fought so hard for gay marriage. There’s even a gay couple on the show who are about to be engaged. If the writers truly believe marriage is so awful and used to “subjugate women,” why would they want any part of it?
Here’s to hoping Shrinking will go back to staying apolitical (for the most part) for the rest of this season’s episodes. We won’t be holding our breath, though.
