Harrison Ford’s Hit Apple TV Series Officially Begins A New Era

Published Oct 23, 2026, 9:45 PM EDT

Angel Shaw is a Lead Writer and Critic on ScreenRant's TV team, covering new-release and classic TV shows across all major streaming platforms. She has been a writer with ScreenRant since 2022 and specializes in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy. 

Angel holds a bachelor's degree in language interpreting and is passionate about all things culture and communication—especially in how it relates to popular media throughout history (from Shakespeare to Friends to Game of Thrones).

We knew Harrison Ford's Apple TV hit, Shrinking, was headed into a new, unexpected stage of storytelling, but it's now clear that season 4 will essentially launch a brand-new show. Shrinking is created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel (who also stars), and Brett Goldstein, all of whom have proven themselves to be a truly fantastic dramedy team. The show has performed consistently well since its first season and currently holds an overall score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. This sort of success opened the door to a longer run for Shrinking, and we certainly can't complain.

Shrinking was originally planned to be a three-season show. The story revolves around grief, with the central theme of "moving forward." This year's batch of episodes realized that potential rather beautifully, and had Apple TV and Shrinking's creators so chosen, season 3 would have made for an excellent conclusion. However, with such wonderful characters played by the likes of Ford, Segel, Jessica Williams, Michael Urie, Christa Miller, and more, Shrinking might as well have kept the ball rolling.

The confirmation for Shrinking season 4 arrived before season 3 had even come to a close, which was quite intriguing, since the most recent finale left things off in a satisfying place. It was a natural end, and the last thing we would want is for Apple TV to undo that. Thankfully, it sounds as if the closing arc of Shrinking season 3 is being respected. Lawrence has teased that this is a "completely new story," but with the same cast. Urie has revealed that season 4 picks up after a two-year time jump, further indicating that this is a brand-new era.

Shrinking's Season 4 Time Jump Resets Our Expectations

As Shrinking season 3 came to a close, it was difficult to imagine walking away from these characters forever. At the same time, with so many carefully constructed conclusions, it was difficult to imagine how things could carry on in a meaningful way. Shrinking established a certain dynamic among its characters that served as its foundation throughout those first three seasons, but as Segal's Jimmy has coped with his wife's death, his family (both blood and otherwise) has moved forward in various ways in their own lives. This means that foundation has dissolved.

Things will, therefore, look pretty different in Shrinking season 4. Jimmy should no longer be an absolute mess. Alice (Lukita Maxwell) is a bit further into adulthood and has been attending college on the other side of the country for two years. Gaby (Williams) should have her trauma center well underway, while Liz and Derek (Miller and Ted McGinley) will now have a toddler grandchild. Then there is Ford's Paul, who also moved to Connecticut and should now be two years further into his progression with Parkinson's Disease.

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The characters of Shrinking were basically all living on top of one another through those first three seasons. Now, they are spread across the country (if not the globe, depending on what Liz and Derek have going on). If season 4 picked up right after season 3, we would have watched these characters establish a new dynamic. Diving in after 2 years means that the new norm has already been established, and we will be dropped into the middle of it. Truly anything could happen.

What Does The Future Look Like For Harrison Ford's Shrinking?

There's really no questioning that Shrinking is an excellent TV show. However, with season 4 serving as the beginning of something brand new, we have to wipe our expectations clean. We can trust Lawrence, Segal, and Goldstein to deliver excellent storytelling, but it's impossible to predict whether they will strike gold again in this next stage. Perhaps season 4 will ultimately be a one-off sequel season. Or maybe this new era will last even longer than the first, and we will get season after season of these characters and their chaotic lives.

Only time will tell. All we can do for now is go along for the ride. Shrinking season 4 has wrapped filming, and episodes are likely to arrive on Apple TV near the middle of 2027. At that point, we can see whether this new era works and decide if it's worth further investment. Changes are, however, that this cast and creators won't disappoint.