The creator of Shrinking has confirmed that Harrison Ford will return for Season 4; the grief storyline will conclude with a “very hopeful and happy” ending

Spoiler warning: This article contains details from the Season 3 finale of Shrinking, which is currently streaming on Apple TV+

According to the CinemaDrame news agency, Harrison Ford will remain part of Shrinking. The series concluded its third season on Wednesday with an emotional episode—one that creator Bill Lawrence had repeatedly referred to in interviews and on social media as a kind of ending. This led some viewers to believe the show might undergo a major transformation in the next season.

However, as previously announced, the main cast will return in their roles for the new season, including Ford, who delivers one of the best performances of his career as Dr. Paul Rhoades and has already signed a deal to return. At PaleyFest Los Angeles, he said that being part of the series has been “one of the most enjoyable experiences of his life.”

The rest of the cast will also return for Season 4, including Jason Segel as Jimmy Laird, Jessica Williams as Gaby, Lukita Maxwell as Alice, Luke Tennie as Sean, Christa Miller as Liz, Michael Urie as Brian, and Ted McGinley as Derek. These characters are expected to enter new narrative directions.

Lawrence said: “I think when audiences return, they’ll feel like they’re watching something completely different. The reason we continued the series is because we felt these characters still had more stories to tell.”

He added that the early renewal allowed writers to plant seeds for future storylines in Season 3. While the next season may feel different, it will still build on previous events.

“Some storylines in Season 3 remain unresolved, which suggests the next season will be different. We might even see a time jump,” he said.

One of the central arcs in this transformation is Jimmy’s character, whose journey moves from grief in Season 1 to forgiveness in Season 2 and forward movement in Season 3, now reaching a kind of resolution. In the Season 3 finale, Paul, who has moved to Connecticut, returns to Los Angeles to help Jimmy, setting a new path for him.

Lawrence said: “If Season 4 starts and Jimmy is still stuck in the same grief, then we should just turn off the TV. We can’t repeat the same story again. We hope audiences see this as a very hopeful and happy ending.”

He praised Jason Segel’s performance in the final episodes of Season 3, where his character faces loneliness, distance from his daughter, and emotional separation from Paul—until Paul’s return becomes a turning point.

However, not everything is resolved for Jimmy. According to Lawrence, issues related to his relationship with his father remain unresolved, and there is a possibility of Jeffrey Daniels returning in the role of his father. Cobie Smulders may also return to the series.

Meanwhile, with Ford’s return and the potential appearance of Wendie Malick as his new partner, his storyline is expected to continue intersecting with Alice, who was previously his patient.

Lawrence emphasized: “The fact that Harrison’s character moves to the state where Alice goes to college is very intentional.”

Paul continues to struggle with Parkinson’s disease, which remains a significant part of his arc. In Season 3, he meets another patient, Jerry, played by Michael J. Fox. Lawrence expressed hope that Fox will return in Season 4, something the actor himself has also agreed to, saying: “I would be delighted to do it; it’s an honor for me.”

Meanwhile in Los Angeles, Gaby will take over Paul’s clinic and therapeutic center to launch a new crisis treatment facility. However, she is still grieving the loss of her patient Maya (played by Sherry Cola), who died by suicide in Season 3.

Lawrence said: “For a character like Gaby, who lost a patient in a relatively normal clinical setting, what does it mean for her to now enter the treatment of people facing exactly those kinds of crises? On one hand, she is dealing with trauma from losing a patient she may have become too close to, and on the other hand, she is entering that same environment. There are also ongoing tensions between Gaby, her mother, and her sister.”

Among other main characters, Liz and Derek—now facing “empty nest syndrome”—discover in Season 3 that one of their sons is about to become a father, opening new storylines around their adjustment to becoming grandparents. Candice Bergen may also return as Derek’s mother and Liz’s rival.

Sean has moved out of Jimmy’s house, reunited with his girlfriend Marisol (played by Isabella Gomez), and is on his way to becoming a chef. Brian is still adjusting to fatherhood, a role he initially doubted.

Lawrence said about Brian: “Some people think he entered family life hesitantly, but now we have to see how that develops. We know his childhood was turbulent, especially regarding his family’s attitude toward his sexuality, but we still haven’t seen his mother in the story—and that is intentional.”

When asked whether he plans long-term three-season structures, Lawrence said there is no formal long-term plan with Apple TV+ or Warner Bros. Television. He added: “We don’t go into a new season thinking it might be the last. There are always more stories to tell. What matters is that the characters are evolving and growing. As long as we feel we are telling fresh and engaging stories, we will continue.”

He also emphasized that despite changes, the show’s core identity will remain: “The characters still live in the same spaces. It is still about a chosen family that spends too much time together. The locations will remain familiar, even if some changes happen. We don’t want it to suddenly become an office-based show. The overall feeling will remain the same, but the story will be different.”

Writing for Season 4 has already begun, and Lawrence believes audiences will respond positively. He said: “If the actors didn’t want to continue, we wouldn’t continue the series. The main motivation for Season 4 is that Apple wants it and the cast enjoys being part of it. There are still many stories left for these characters—we just can’t keep telling the same one.”