Jason Segel hints Shrinking could run long past season 4: “This could go on for quite a while”
Jason Segel says Shrinking isn’t done yet, with the creative team finding fresh avenues beyond the original plan — the only question is how far they’ll take it.
Fans of Shrinking on Apple TV+—here’s a bit of good news for anyone wondering if we’re about to hit the end of the line. Turns out, Jason Segel and the rest of the creative team aren’t quite done yet. If you assumed they’d stick to their original trilogy plan and call it a day after Season 4, it might be time to think again.
Shrinking got the green light for a fourth season on Apple TV+ before Season 3 even premiered in January 2026.
Segel, who serves not only as lead actor but also as one of the writers and executive producers, popped up in an interview this week talking about where the show could be headed next. According to him, they’ve found themselves with fresh storylines and “cracked a whole new set of story,” as he tells it, which wasn’t guaranteed at the outset. To be fair, the show wasn’t originally developed to be one of those endless sitcoms that runs until the sets fall apart. They mapped out three seasons—Season 1 tackling grief, Season 2 centred on forgiveness, and Season 3 all about moving on. By the end of the last run, just about every major character storyline got some kind of closure: Jimmy finally got his life together, Paul retired off to Connecticut, and the rest of the gang landed at new milestones. No proper cliffhangers left hanging in the wind.
So how exactly does the team keep going after everything’s been wrapped up? Segel reckons they’re only now getting to the good bit, with the writers unlocking new creative territory rather than just stretching out what’s already been done. In his own words during that chat:
‘Well, we keep saying that as long as we can think of stuff to make it worthwhile, we’ll keep going. And as long as we’re having a good time — and right now we’re having a great time. I think that they’ve really cracked a whole new set of story. I can’t give too much away, but that makes me feel like this could go on for quite a while.’
A New Direction for Season 4
This next chapter is supposed to feel different to the neatly packaged trilogy, at least if co-creator Bill Lawrence is to be believed. Expect a two-year time skip when Season 4 kicks off, with all the characters stepping out into new phases of their lives. No word yet on official plans for a Season 5 (Apple hasn’t locked it in), but everyone involved keeps dropping hints that the door’s open if the ideas keep flowing and the cast stays interested.
- Shrinking was co-created by Lawrence, Segel, and Brett Goldstein
- The series mapped out Seasons 1–3 as a loose trilogy (grief, forgiveness, moving forward)
- Major arcs concluded by the end of the third season, with no big cliffhangers
- Season 4 promises a fresh storyline after a two-year jump, less a retread and more of a reset
- No official order for Season 5 yet, but the creative team is optimistic about the show’s future