Warning! Spoilers for Shrinking season 3’s finale ahead!
Shrinking season 3’s finale brought another crowning moment to Harrison Ford’s acting career. Of course, that’s pretty significant, since this actor has been on the scene for more than six decades, each of which has brought him resounding triumphs. Few other performers, if any, could claim that sort of success, and Ford shows no signs of stopping any time soon. His legacy is defined by franchises like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Blade Runner, and more, but Ford continues to push the boundaries of viewer expectations.
Among Ford’s recent endeavors is the Apple TV comedy series Shrinking, in which he plays seasoned therapist Dr. Paul Rhoads. This is, in very many ways, a role that Ford was born to play. Paul is a bit bristly and set in his ways, but he’s also wise and immensely compassionate. Ford’s Paul has had quite a journey throughout Shrinking‘s existing three seasons, and while much of it has been all laughs and dark comedy, the finale of season 3 brings this character to an emotional high point.
Ford’s final scene in Shrinking season 3 is with Jason Segel, who plays Paul’s protege, Jimmy. This pair has always had a father-son-type relationship, but Paul has been reluctant to admit as much. The tension this created between them finally breaks in the Shrinking season 3 finale, when Paul shows up for Jimmy at the moment he needs him most. It’s then that Ford delivers an emotional, hilarious, tough-loving, and beautiful monologue expressing just how much Paul loves and believes in Jimmy. It’s powerful in a sort of way we hadn’t seen from Ford before.
Harrison Ford’s Performance In Shrinking Season 3 Recalls (& Surpasses) Some Of His Most Powerful Roles
Ford is a famous action star, but his career is packed with projects across a wide variety of genres. He’s no stranger to really emotional or intense characters. A notable example is Witness (1985), in which Ford plays a detective tasked with protecting a young Amish boy who witnessed a murder. Ford’s emotional, romantic, and intense performance earned him his one and only Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. We also saw beautiful or even frightening vulnerability in films like The Mosquito Coast (1986) and The Fugitive (1993).
That big, emotional scene in Shrinking season 3’s finale brings to mind some of these past performances from Ford, but there’s just something extra here. The tone of the Apple TV series is eternally light and airy, a fact that is juxtaposed by its overarching themes of grief and trauma. It’s a backdrop that allows Shrinking‘s actors to really commit to those big moments without them becoming too heavy or dramatized.
It’s for this reason that Ford’s performance in Shrinking season 3 felt more organic and, therefore, more impactful than many of his past performances. The vulnerability wasn’t that of a lover or a hero, as we’ve more often seen from the actor, but rather that of someone far more ordinary, raw, and grounded. It’s not as if we didn’t know Ford had it in him, by any means. Instead, it’s a reminder that this actor is an absolute master of his craft.
How Apple TV’s Shrinking Has Redefined How We See Harrison Ford As An Actor
Ford proved decades ago that he has an extensive range as a performer. Still, when it comes down to it, he is most recognized as an action and adventure star. He has a knack for it, and Ford has shown no desire to distance himself from that reputation. He has readily returned to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises in recent years and even joined the MCU for Captain America: Brave New World. It’s all been a treat, but the continued dedication to these types of roles means that those emotional performances from years past have fallen to the wayside.
That emotional moment with Segel in the finale of Shrinking season 3 felt like seeing Ford on screen for the first time.
Shrinking provides an opportunity to show modern viewers what Ford is capable of beyond those more familiar performances. His character in the Apple TV series is as gruff and charismatic as any Ford action hero, but he feels, first and foremost, like a real man going through real struggles (and laughs) with real loved ones. That emotional moment with Segel in the finale of Shrinking season 3 felt like seeing Ford on screen for the first time. It was lovely and absolutely invaluable, and we look forward to seeing more as Ford and Shrinking continue into season 4.
- Release Date
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January 27, 2023
- Network
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Apple TV
- Showrunner
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Bill Lawrence
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
