Sumith Prasad
The ninth episode of the second season of Apple TV+’s comedy-drama series ‘Shrinking,’ titled ‘Full Grown Dude Face,’ revolves around Brian and Charlie’s efforts to become parents. They prepare for a meeting with the mother of their potential baby. Gaby’s life takes a turn when her sister, Courtney, makes an intriguing decision regarding her career, thanks to the intervention of Sean and his fellow compatriot, Jorge. Jimmy learns an invaluable lesson about parenting from Paul and tries his best to implement it in his life, irrespective of the difficulties associated with it. Similarly, Alice also learns a lesson from her father about dealing with the people surrounding her! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Gaby Unwillingly Welcomes Her Mother to Stay With Her
‘Full Grown Dude Face’ begins with Courtney attending job interviews with the pretentious support of her sister, Gaby. Even though the latter expresses her wish to see her sibling get a job, Paul sees through her and calls her out. She comes clean about her honest feelings about the predicament. Gaby knows that their mother, Phyllis, will be her responsibility when Courtney passes an interview, which may even affect her time with Derrick. The psychologist is not ready for the commitment, which proves her superior right. However, his celebration lasts not long since she takes him to her college as a guest lecturer.
Although Paul has no wish to interact with Gaby’s students, he changes his mind when they surprise him with copies of his book, ‘Moving Forward,’ making him feel like a celebrity. As he cherishes the moment, Courtney surprises her sister with a shocking revelation. She is ready to join the Army, thanks to the motivation she received from Sean and Jorge. To make matters worse for the psychologist, her sibling must report before the three months they agreed upon. Gaby is not happy about the unexpected turn of events, but she gives her blessings to her sister anyway.
Gaby discusses the predicament with Paul again, only for him to say that her caring nature will stop her from saying no to Phyllis’ move to her house. The young psychologist tries to prove that she has control over her life and decisions, but she fails miserably. Her mother not only moves to her house but also chooses her room to stay, kicking her out to the guest bedroom or the couch.
Jimmy Learns Not to Interfere With Alice’s Life
Jimmy’s poker session with Sean and Jorge gets interrupted by the visit of Dylan with the fully grown dude face, who arrives at the psychologist’s house to take Alice out for pizza. While having a casual conversation with him, a grape gets stuck in Jimmy’s throat, forcing the young boy to intervene and save his life with the Heimlich maneuver. Even though the psychologist is grateful to Dylan, he fears that the latter will use his heroism to sleep with Alice. Jimmy discusses the matter with Paul, who explains the significance of stepping back from the life of the former’s child. As a father, Paul understands why the psychologist wants to know all about the latter’s daughter.
Still, Paul advises Jimmy to control himself when it comes to Alice so that she won’t feel smothered and controlled, which will make her keep a distance from her father. Even though it is extremely hard for the psychologist not to go ahead with “Jimmying,” he learns how to be patient and gives his credit card to his daughter when she asks for it without even demanding an explanation. The change in his nature not only surprises Alice but also gradually eliminates the emotional distance between them. She even calls him when she becomes unsettled while attending an after-party at Dylan’s house.
Alice does not know how to deal with the sympathies of people around her. She has grown tired of her friends walking on eggshells around her and seeing her as nothing but a “girl who lost her mom.” When she asks Jimmy how to tackle this predicament, he reveals that he does it by joking about having a “dead wife face.” Alice returns to the party and does the same with a “dead mom face,” making Dylan and others more comfortable around her. Jimmy checks in on her by driving across the street, failing to control himself, but she is grateful to him for his advice. Meanwhile, she reaches out to Louis, who dismisses her, saying he has been quite busy because Jimmy asks him not to remain in touch with the psychologist’s daughter or friends.
Brian and Charlie Receives Disappointing News
Brian and Charlie start preparing to present themselves as admirable potential parents when they learn that a mother-to-be has been impressed by their brochure. The former does not take the positive development well, as he spirals into immense nervousness. He does not know how and what to talk to the mother of his possible future child, which leaves him scared and worried. Liz and Jimmy team up together to train him ahead of the meeting. The former is particularly excited about raising a mixed-race baby, even though the ones who are trying to adopt are Brian and Charlie.
Liz and Jimmy teach Brian to discuss his qualities and skills with the mother-to-be, Ava. They even arrange the meeting in the psychologist’s house so that he and his neighbor can keep an eye on the lawyer. However, right before Ava arrives at the house, Jimmy and Liz get engaged in the affairs of their children, affecting Brian’s confidence. He starts to act strange, making Ava comfortable. He finally comes clean about his nervousness, which is comforting news for her since she is also worried about the meeting. After an awkward start, she gets along well with Brian and Charlie as they bond over their love for musicals.
Since the meeting concludes well, Brian and Charlie expect a positive response from Ava. However, unfortunately, she chooses another couple as the parents of her unborn baby. The turn of events is highly disappointing for the two husbands, but they process the same with the help of Liz, Jimmy, and Gaby.
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