Warning: This article contains spoilers for Shrinking Season 2, Episode 4, ‘Made You Look’.
Shrinking season 2, episode 4, “Made You Look” is a pivotal episode for Brian (Michael Urie), including the episode’s final scene with Louis (Brett Goldstein). When Brian’s husband, Charlie (Devin Kawaoka), expresses his interest in having a child and meets with an adoption coordinator, Brian has to get used to the idea of being a father, which terrifies him. Much of the episode is spent with Brian navigating this fear with the help of Shrinking characters who are your friends.
As important as this storyline is, equally vital is her reaction to seeing Louis at the end of the episode. One of Alice’s (Lukita Maxwell) two big scenes in the previous episode showed her confronting Louis and accidentally leaving behind her wallet at the coffee shop where he works. When Brian sees Louis heading to Jimmy (Jason Segel) and Alice’s house in this episode, he must decide what to do when he sees the man involved in the accident that killed Tia (Lilan Bowden).
Brian’s Reaction To Seeing Louis Shrinking Season 2 Episode 4 Explained
Brian’s compassion overcomes his initial anger
When Louis hands him Alice’s wallet and asks how she and Jimmy are, Brian is initially dismissive and angry in response. It’s an understandable reaction, as he doesn’t want to see his best friend, Jimmy, or Alice hurt by Louis. Brian was also close friends with Tia, so he’s naturally angry at seeing the drunk driver who contributed to her death, and his instinct is to be suspicious of Louis’ concern about how Jimmy and Alice are doing since the accident.
Just seconds later, Brian visibly regrets this response and tells Louis that they are better off now, as is everyone who knew and loved Tia. Brian also asks Louis if he’s okay. Although Brian can be vain, he is also an incredibly compassionate personwhich his friends helped him recognize at the beginning of the episode, during the storyline of him facing the idea of becoming a father. Even though Louis tells Brian he’s fine, he’s clearly not fine, and Brian can’t help but feel empathy when he sees this.
Why Louis Lied and Told Brian He Was “OK”
Louis is punishing himself
In all of his appearances so far, Louis appears to deeply regret what happened the night of the accident and is still punishing himself for his actions. He showed nothing but kindness and humility in his scenes with Jimmy and Alice, but both interactions ended with them furiously yelling at him. Meanwhile, there is no evidence that Louis has anyone in his life to help him overcome his trauma and regret, as he apparently lives a solitary life outside of his coffee shop job.
Even if Louis wasn’t punishing himself, it would be highly unlikely that he would admit that he needed help from a close friend of the woman whose death he caused.
Louis is not well, but he tells Brian otherwise because he doesn’t believe he is worthy of help. Even if Louis wasn’t punishing himself, it would be highly unlikely that he would admit that he needed help from a close friend of the woman whose death he caused. It’s simpler for Louis to just lie about how he’s doing and continue to be consumed by the self-loathing, sadness, and guilt that you have lived with since the accident occurred before Shrinking season 1.
What does the final scene of episode 4 of the second season mean?
Louis’ role is about to expand even further
If Brian tries to help Louis, Goldstein Shrinking the character will likely become even more intertwined with Jimmy and Alice’s lives. After Brian sees that Louis is not a monster, but simply a man in pain, It might just be a matter of time before Jimmy and Alice are able to look at Louis differently also. Becoming friends with the drunk driver in the accident that killed your loved one may seem like overkill, but it wouldn’t be more extreme than some of the unorthodox things Jimmy has done to help his patients.
Sean (Luke Tennie) went from being Jimmy’s patient to living in his house with a pool, becoming an integral member of his group of friends and starting a food truck business with his neighbor, Liz (Christa Miller). Louis becoming friends with Jimmy and Alice would be more extreme of what happened to Sean, but it’s possible. At the very least, Louis is about to become an even bigger part of Jimmy and Alice’s lives, as Shrinking season two continues now that Brian has taken an interest in Louis’ well-being.