WithThe Bearset to return sometime in 2025, fans may find themselves looking for something to fill the void, and Apple TV+ has just the show.The Bearseason 4was shot pretty soon after the previous run, so although the wait between the two batches of episodes hasn’t been substantial, it has still felt like an agonizing delay given theending ofThe Bearseason 3. Thankfully, there are many other shows spread across several platforms that follow a similar formula toThe Bear, and one of them is another dramedy on a different streaming service.
The replacement show in question has quickly become one of thebest shows on Apple TV+and has gained a devoted following. With the showrunner also being the mind behind other hits likeScrubsandTed Lasso, the project doesn’t just boast experience behind the camera but also has veterans of the acting industry as members of the main cast. Althoughit doesn’t hit all the same beats asThe Bearand hasn’t been on quite as long, there are still enough similarities to appeal to fans of the award-winning Jeremy Allen White show.
Shrinking & The Bear Both Deal With The Death Of A Family Member Who Held Their Respective Groups Together
Tia & Mikey both died before the first episode of their respective shows
Shrinkingseason 1 begins with the aftermath of a character’s death who isn’t a member of the main cast. Jason Segal’s Jimmy Laird plays a therapist and father who is struggling to process his late wife’s fatal accident, and failing in his duties as a parent as a result. The fallout of his wife’s death impacts Jimmy, his daughter, and their wider social group, which is pretty much the plot ofThe Bear. Of course,Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy Berzatto loses his older brother, Mikey, but it’s still a close family member passing away that sets everything in motion.
The Bear’s Family Tree Explained: All 11 Berzatto Family Members
The Bear season 2 delves deeper into Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto’s family dynamics - here is a breakdown of what his family tree would possibly look like.
Jimmy’s wife Tia is played by Lilan Bowden, and it becomes clear asShrinkingprogresses just how instrumental she was in her immediate social and familial circle. She was the catalyst for how pretty much everybody knows each other and how they all interact, which is also true of Jon Bernthal’s Mikey Berzatto inThe Bear. Additionally, just like Tia inShrinking,Mikey is also dead at the beginning ofThe Bear, and everything that happens is a knock-on effect caused by his passing.
Both Late Characters In Shrinking & The Bear Appear In Flashbacks
The flashbacks help contextualize certain storylines in both shows
Even though Tia and Mikey both die before the events of their respective shows' first episodes, that surprisingly doesn’t mean they’re absent from the projects. Instead,ShrinkingandThe Bearhave still cast both characters so they can appear in flashback sequences. Because most of what the audience learns about Tia and Mikey is via exchanges between other characters, it’s interesting to see how they each measure up to their respective reputations that have already been established.
Tia already has more appearances in her show than Mikey does in his. Bernthal has 5 credits inThe Bear, and Bowden has 8 inShrinking.
Shrinkingis currently in its second season, whereasThe Bearseason 4 is about to begin. Despite that,Tia already has more appearances in her show than Mikey does in his. Bernthal has 5 credits inThe Bear, and Bowden has 8 inShrinking. However, although Bernthal’s scenes have been far more substantial than Bowden’s, the increased presence of Tia makes far more sense. WhereasShrinkingdwells on Tia’s death and how difficult everyone is finding it to move on,The Bearthrives on looking to the future. As such, Mikey doesn’t factor into the equation quite so much.
Mikey and Carmy were largely on good terms when Bernthal’s character died, so this separates things a little more fromShrinking.
One of the biggest differences between the flashbacks is that Mikey seems to be remembered fondly on a universal level, whereasthe dynamic between Tia and Jimmy isn’t always a good one. In fact, there are even clues to suggest they were set to break up before the accident that took Tia’s life, making the event even more complicated for Jimmy when it comes to his grieving process. Mikey and Carmy were largely on good terms when Bernthal’s character died, so this separates things a little more fromShrinking.
The Death Of Both Characters Impact The Careers Of Their Loved Ones In Shrinking & the Bear
Jimmy & Carmy both have their professional lives turned upside down
The biggest storyline set in motion by Mikey’s death is bringing Carmy home to Chicago to run the family restaurant/sandwich shop, which brings his ambition to become one of the world’s best chefs to a halt for a long while. This disruption to Carmy’s career finally rights itself, as he uses his abilities to take The Beef to new heights.Tia’s death inShrinkingalso disrupts Jimmy’s career as a therapist, and he begins to spiral out of control himself.
Jimmy’s largely in a much better place after he shifts his perspective, as is also true of Carmy inThe Bear.
Like Carmy,Jimmy eventually finds his footing and manages to turn his grief into something positive. Although it results in Segal’s character engaging in some wildly unorthodox forms of therapy, there are a lot of positives that come from Jimmy’s change of heart. Sure, there are negatives too, but Jimmy’s largely in a much better place after he shifts his perspective, as is also true of Carmy inThe Bear. Their journeys to acceptance aren’t identical, but to say they’re completely unique wouldn’t be true either.
Shrinking & The Bear Both Perfectly Blend Drama & Comedy (But In Different Ways)
Shrinking is far more openly funny than The Bear
Neither show can be boiled down to a single genre, which is a big factor in what makes them both so compelling. Althoughthere are strong comedic elements inShrinkingandThe Bear, neither show is without its grippingly dramatic moments either. That being said, the ratio of both genres differs between the two shows. For instance,The Bearis far more recognizable as a traditionally dramatic show, but it does have some very funny scenes. In fact,The Bearhas proven this by winning several comedy awards- despite its gritty and serious undertone.
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Apple TV+’s big-name dramedy just keeps gaining more stars to add to its roster, but the saturated call sheet could be about to hit its limit.
Inversely,Shrinking’s primary goal so far has been to make its audience laugh, which makes it all the more surprising when it tugs violently at the heartstrings almost out of nowhere. The Apple TV+ show has the rare ability to be hilarious one second and then devastatingly emotional the next, which is sort of the opposite of howThe Bearapproaches its storytelling. In short, both shows address the death of a loved one but choose to chronicle the grieving process in alternative ways. As a result,ShrinkingandThe Bearboth shine for different reasons while remaining equally brilliant.
