‘Shrink’ is The Perfect Mini Binge For Your Holiday Break

The holiday season is the perfect time to reconnect with family… for like, a day or two. At most. After that, late December is the ideal time to catch up with your best friend: television. There was no shortage of quality content in 2018 — A.P. Bio, The Good Place, and Detroiters are essential viewing — but if you’re in the market for a holiday TV binge that’s off the beaten path, I enthusiastically recommend Tim Baltz and Ted Tremper’s 2017 comedy Shrink.

Now streaming on Hulu and NBC.com, Shrink follows David Tracey (Baltz), a med student who loses his residency and finds himself $500,000 in debt. Out of options, David pivots towards obtaining a psychologist license by completing over 1,900 hours of unbilled sessions. Forced to move back in with his mom (Meagen Fay), stepdad (Joel Murray), and antagonistic stepbrother (Kyle S. More), David offers free therapy sessions out of his mom’s garage. The premise is both relatable and fresh and Baltz, a veteran of Second City and iO Theater in Chicago, imbues the character with a subtle yet razor-sharp humor. He often plays the straight man when dealing with his patients — a host of familiar UCB/Second City standouts like T.J. Jagodowski, John Lutz, and Tami Sagher, among others — but it’s more of a “blind leading the blind” situation as the pseudo psychologist gamely attempts to emit a veneer of confidence and expertise.

Despite the show’s proclivity for delivering random, unexpected laughs, Shrink is so much more than just a straight comedy. The series isn’t afraid to add moments of genuine drama and heartbreak, and those intermittent injections of pathos elevate the already rich humor. Shrink is a deft mix of comedy and melancholy. It’s not an easy balance to maintain, but Shrink, which may very well be the funniest show you’ve never heard of, does it and does it well.

The one word I’d use to describe Shrink is endearing. One of the most compelling relationships on the show is the romance between David and Rachel (Mary Holland). Anyone familiar with Holland’s work on Veep, Comedy Bang! Bang!, or Blunt Talk is already well aware of her innate comedic charisma, but the adorable flirtation and easy-going banter between the pair adds a whole new dimension to Shrink. When you watch the show, you genuinely want David to succeed. There’s just something inherently comfy about watching a plucky underdog who’s in way over his head attempt to find love and happiness. Everything that can go wrong in David’s professional and personal life has gone wrong and yet he endures because, I mean, what else can you do?

The quality and watchability of Shrink is elevated thanks to its audacious storytelling. It’s a show that isn’t afraid to take risks, and even though it only lasted eight episodes, Baltz and Tremper more than proved their bonafides when it comes to creating a compelling, uniquely hilarious TV series. If you’re looking for an entertaining mini binge this holiday season, you won’t be sorry if you make an appointment to watch Shrink.

Where to stream Shrink