Apple TV+’s Shrinking debuted in 2023 and was received with great response. Starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford in key roles, the show follows Segel’s Jimmy Laird, a therapist, who, after losing his wife, starts telling his patients exactly what he thinks instead of sugarcoating his words.
While he takes this approach to deal with his own loss and grief, how it affects his patients and also his personal life builds the crux of the story. Given the generous response that Shrinking received, it was renewed for a second season that premiered earlier than expected on October 15, 2024.
Among the many different characters that feature in the show, one important character is Meg (Lily Rabe), Paul’s (Harrison Ford) daughter. The evolving relationship between her and her father is one of the key storylines of Shrinking.
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Who is Meg in Shrinking and how is she related to Paul?
Meg, played by Lily Rabe, is Paul's daughter in Shrinking. They share an estranged relationship on the show as Meg had always seen Paul prioritizing his career over his family.
This led to a lot of resentment and disappointment on Meg's part, which the father-daughter duo is seen to be working through in the show.
The fact that they share an estranged relationship becomes clear when viewers understand that though Paul’s friends and colleagues know about his Parkinson’s disease, his daughter does not.
The fact that he feels more comfortable sharing such a huge detail about his life with his professional circle and not his immediate family, says a lot about his personal life. However, eventually, Meg does get aware of her father’s disease and that is one of the key moments in their healing journey.
In Shrinking season 1 episode 7, titled Apology Tour, Paul and Meg are seen to be bonding in a way that had seemed impossible to happen even a few months earlier.
Though their storyline here is less exciting than Paul’s weed-gummy journey, it is an important one that is based on a series of events that bring forth all of Meg’s pent-up resentment towards Paul for not being there for her when she was a kid.
Initially reluctant to let Meg accompany him to his hot neurologist, Paul ultimately lets her. This leads to some gentle teasing on their part and the two also share a tender dancing and take care of the rest of the paperwork.
However, another wave of hurt comes when Meg assumes that Paul will say yes when she asks him to move across the country to live with her and her son. She is so sure that her father will readily agree that she tells the news to her son even before Paul confirms.
While it is understandable that Meg would want him to be with her, it is also kind of presumptuous on her part that her father, who had always chosen work over family, would leave his successful career in California and move.
What makes the situation worse is that one of Paul’s freezes occurs when Meg is leaving and that prevents him from seeing Meg off at the door and setting things straight.
However, as seen in season 2, which will conclude on November 12, 2024, Meg and her husband Dave are seen to be living with Paul in his house with Susie, his ex-wife. This means that their relationship has been evolving and the return of Susie also adds new layers to their dynamic.
Also Read: Shrinking renewed for season 3: Everything we know so far
Who plays Meg in Shrinking?
Lily Rabe plays the role of Meg in Shrinking. She has previously appeared in projects like American Horror Story, The Undoing, The Underground Railroad, The First Lady, Presumed Innocent, and Love & Death.
Shrinking can be streamed on Apple TV+.
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