A review of this week's Shrinking, "Dereks Don't Die" — with spoilers — coming up just as soon as I'm afraid of Mr. Snuffleupagus...
Alan Sepinwall
My only real complaint about "Dereks Don't Die" is that it's the second episode out of the last three to involve Derek winding up in the hospital. The previous instance was a lighthearted C-story where he got incredibly high but was never in actual danger, where here it's both the title plot and a serious one that forces all the other characters to confront various fears. Yes, Derek's at an age where health issues can crop up more regularly than when Ted McGinley was on Happy Days or The Love Boat. But the close proximity of the two episodes still dilutes the impact a bit, especially since the Liz/Matthew estrangement could have been set up in some other way.
Beyond that, though, lots to love as we hit the midpoint of what's been a pretty special season.