'Shrinking' Season 3, episode 1's emotional ending, explained

Shrinking is back, and Season 3 is already packing just as much of an emotional punch as its predecessors.

In a moving hour-long episode that builds to Paul (Harrison Ford) marrying Julie (Wendie Malick), there's one scene right at the end that hits harder than any of the others. So what happens, and what exactly does it mean?

What happens at the end of Shrinking Season 3, episode 1?

The final scene of the episode links back to one of its first scenes, when Paul attends a neurology clinic and meets a fellow patient with Parkinson's, Gerry (a cameo from Michael J. Fox). Paul is experiencing tremors in his left hand, and he has a conversation with Gerry — whose Parkinson's is more advanced — about the various ways the disease is affecting them.

"How's the brain?" asks Gerry at one point. "Any hallucinations?"

"No. Thank God," responds Paul.

"They're the worst. Bad enough your body goes, but then you start seeng shit. It's scary. I didn't even know that was a thing with Parkinson's."

Later, at the very end of the episode, Paul comes in from his wedding to get a glass of water in the kitchen. He turns from the sink and finds Gerry sitting in a chair, tucking into some cake. But moments later, when Julie joins him, it's clear that Gerry isn't really there.

"Oh," says Paul, as he realises what's happening. "You don't see him, do you?"

The scene is a sign that Paul's Parkinson's has continued to progress. He's now experiencing the same hallucinations that Gerry spoke to him about earlier on in the episode.

Is Paul hallucinating throughout the episode?

Some people with Parkinson's may experience hallucinations, sometimes as a side effect of medication or as a symptom of an additional condition. So, is this what's happening with Paul?

The first time Paul meets Gerry, it's pretty clear that he isn't a hallucination. When Paul is called by the doctor, the first thing she says is "Gerry, I'll grab you in a minute," indicating that she can see him too.

It's only at the end of the episode that there's any indication Paul is seeing and hearing something other characters cannot. This is what makes it such a painful moment — like Paul's trembling hand, it's yet another sign that the disease is impacting more and more parts of him.

Shrinking Season 3 is now streaming on Apple TV with new episodes Wednesdays.