Brett Goldstein knew he had to nail the emotional scene at the center of this week’s episode of “Shrinking,” in which Alice (Lukita Maxwell) confronts the man who killed her mother in a drunk driving accident, played by the “Ted Lasso” alum. Thankfully, this isn’t his first time riding the Bill Lawrence train of heartbreaking television.
“Shooting that scene was really, really special,” Goldstein, who co-created the series alongside Lawrence and star Jason Segel, told CNN in an interview last month. “I think we all knew this scene really matters so we better get it right.”
Still angry about her mother’s death, Alice agrees to talk to Louis (Goldstein) after Brian (Michael Urie) confesses that he’d been in contact with him after a chance encounter. At Louis’ house, Alice lovingly recalls a memory of her mother before the mood shifts.
“All I can tell you is that not a single moment goes by that I don’t think about her or you or your dad,” Louis tells Alice, his eyes welling up. “I wish I could change it, I wish I could go back…”
Before he can finish, Alice interrupts him.
“I forgive you,” she says.
Louis fumbles in his response but settles on a simple one: “Thank you.”
It’s a tearjerking moment, enhanced by Goldstein and Maxwell’s nuanced performances.
“It is the pivotal moment in the season in terms of the forgiveness arc. Alice does it and it’s then, ‘What’s going to happen with Jimmy (Segel)?’ It’s now his story,” Goldstein said.
“Shrinking” stars Segel, Maxwell, Jessica Williams and Harrison Ford, among others. It follows Jimmy, who starts to use non-traditional methods in his therapy practice as he grieves the death of his wife. His decision to throw ethics and his training out the window results in big changes in his clients lives, Alice’s and his own.
Goldstein’s character was introduced at the start of Season 2.
Goldstein acknowledged that the weight of the scene – Alice facing the man who is the reason her mother isn’t there anymore and forgiving him – wasn’t lost on anyone present on set the day they filmed it.
For a set that is usually filled with laughter and “playing around,” silence befell it when it came time to film this scene.
“It was one of (those) real special days that you get sometimes when you make something. Everyone was quiet that day… I think everyone was really zoomed in on it,” he said. “I found it very moving on the day, and I love that scene very much.”
Segel encouraged Goldstein to take on the role of Louis, a drastic departure physically and otherwise from the gruff, fully-bearded UK football star Roy Kent that he portrayed on the Emmy-winning “Ted Lasso” for three seasons.
“I was very nervous of it,” Goldstein said about guest starring on Season 2. “This show is good. I don’t want to be the reason it f—ing explodes,” he added, with a laugh.
Segel told CNN that his reason for encouraging Goldstein to take the role was simple, calling him “one of the best actors working today.”
But he also he empathized with Goldstein’s position as an actor who is now synonymous with playing a well-known television character. (Segel played goofy married lawyer Marshall Eriksen on CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother” for 9 seasons).
“The thing that changed my life and my career is that I did not wait around to have someone believe I could do something,” Segel said. “I knew Brett wanted to play that part and basically what I said is, ‘You created the show. You get to play any part you want. This is where you do it. This is where you show that you can do the other stuff.’ And I’m just really glad that he said yes, because he’s perfect.”
Episodes 1-6 of “Shrinking” are available to steam on AppleTV+. New episodes premiere on Wednesdays.
