Review: Shrinking, “I Have Been Grape” | Season 3, Episode 7

“I Have Been Grape” made me forget that Shrinking was waiting to drop another shoe. Dates of vast significance tend to do that; so do episodes with a guest-star roster that probably would’ve blown an entire season’s casting budget anywhere but Apple TV. The day that would’ve been Tia’s birthday is an auspicious occasion, replete with problematic T-shirts, some of the tightest writing of the third season, and onscreen appearances by multiple people who headlined long-running primetime series back in the day. A sweet, reassuring return visit from Louis isn’t too surprising given the show’s “created by” credit, but getting that plus Candice Bergen and Michael J. Fox in the same episode feels like Shrinking driving up to your sweet 16 in a new car with an oversized bow on top. “I Have Been Grape” wants you to know how special this all is, even if we know it can’t happen all the time.

At the risk of overpraising bog-standard sitcom plotting, I appreciate that this week’s episode has something to organize itself around. The past few Shrinkings have felt a little shapeless to me, and this one benefits from multiple stories and personal arcs connected to celebrating Tia. Most everyone onscreen has an investment in the commemoration. Alice makes it a day to remember on multiple levels, seeing as she forgot about her mom’s birthday last year. And even when those storylines aren’t directly related to the birthday—like the frosty relations between Liz and Derek’s mom—they have some substance to them.