‘Shrinking’ season 4’s two-year time jump could bring heartbreaking changes for Harrison Ford’s Paul as Parkinson’s threatens his independence

Apple TV’s Shrinking is getting ready to open a new chapter in its story, although the major twist may lead the series into the toughest storyline it can ever face. The fourth season will be set two years into the future from where the previous seasons left off, which would be very risky considering how Paul Rhoades, the character portrayed by Harrison Ford, suffers from Parkinson’s disease.

The time jump will enable the series to break away from the theme of grief, healing, and self-improvement that was prevalent in the three previous seasons.

But at the same time, there emerges an awkward question regarding Paul – how will his life be after another two years of suffering from a degenerative neurological disorder?


The series has not shown us yet just what happens with regard to Paul’s health situation.

However, time passing allows the authors to go into the depths of Paul’s situation, which was impossible to do in previous seasons. This is especially interesting because for most of the series, he has been working hard to control every aspect of his life.

A two-year jump could change Paul's health story

The duration of the leap in time has been revealed by Michael Urie, the actor playing Brian, while he was interviewed during the Newport Beach TV Fest. According to him, the next season will take place after two years, and therefore Brian will have a toddler, not a baby.

This alteration will not be felt only by the young characters of the series.

Paul had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at an earlier stage, and the disease has influenced his choices despite his ongoing work as a therapist.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that may influence such processes as movement and coordination.

Since the course of the disease varies among patients, it is hard to predict what will happen to anyone in particular during a certain period of time.

But this doesn't necessarily mean that there will be any dramatic change for Paul because of the two-year gap.

But this gives Shrinking enough scope to demonstrate what has happened to him after the passage of some time beyond those short spans of time which were covered in previous seasons.

This problem faced by Harrison Ford was already admitted by the actor in one of his interviews with Backstage magazine. He said that each season covers a short span of time, and that is why we have not been able to see the progress of Paul's disease throughout his life.

Retirement could bring new challenges for Harrison Ford's Paul

The choice Paul makes to retire and relocate to Connecticut at the conclusion of season 3 has already affected his relationship with Jimmy Laird, an actor in the TV series.

For a considerable amount of the show's duration, Paul has served as the mentor for Jimmy. He was not always easy to work with, but his power to confront Jimmy has been a vital element of the series' plotline. Even if retirement gives Paul a chance to be closer to his family, it does make him leave the professional space he was used to all those years.

His health will likely come up alongside the other issues. Changes brought on by the illness can impact his level of independence, day-to-day living, and his hopes for the future, even though the series has yet to specify what it will choose to focus on.

Another thing to consider is the issue of distance. With Paul in Connecticut and Jimmy in California, their relationship may take on a different tone now that two years have passed since they last met.

The show's emotional focus could shift again

The situation of Paul is not the only thing that Shrinking has ever concentrated on, since this show successfully balances heavy topics and humour, along with the complicated relationships of its characters. This may be especially helpful for season 4.

This series already demonstrated Paul, who struggles with his health issue while remaining at work and making friends and future decisions.

More time passed between seasons could give an opportunity to the writers to reveal the consequences of those decisions without making Paul a sick person in the story.

Also, it could influence the relationship between Jimmy and Paul.

Their connection had much to do with Paul helping Jimmy overcome grief and restore his life. It would be interesting to see if Paul is faced with some difficulties and then Jimmy has to give him the support that he always received from his protege.

In addition, Bill Lawrence, who is one of the show's co-creators, has stated that Ford will appear in season 4, thus giving assurance to the audience that the storyline of Paul is not going to end in season 3 with him moving to Connecticut.

The show's creator has also said that the next season is going to be a new story with the same characters.

At the moment, there is no information about whether Paul's health is going to deteriorate greatly or not.

Nevertheless, a time gap of two years that is introduced in this season allows Shrinking to show how uncertain being sick with a progressive disease can be, along with the usual changes that occur with age.