Spoilers for Shrinking Season 3, Episode 8 are ahead! You can stream it with an Apple TV subscription and catch new episodes on Wednesdays.
Jimmy and Sofi’s first date may not have gone well, but they certainly proved that they can be great for each other. In the eighth episode of Shrinking to air on the 2026 TV schedule, Jason Segel’s character went over to Cobie Smulders’ character’s house for a date, but it ended with him Jimmy-ing Sofi and her ex-husband. However, they also have a heartwarming conversation about once-in-a-lifetime love. So, I asked the Sofi actress why these two characters could be meant for each other.
In the episode, Jimmy mentioned his late wife, Tia, and Sofi sweetly noted how that “kind of love is once in a lifetime.” In response, Jimmy said that’s “maybe” true; however, he also said, “sure hope not, though.” I’ve always had the same feeling for Jimmy, especially when it comes to Sofi. In a lot of ways, it feels like they’re made for each other. So, I asked Smulders why that’s the case and why these two could potentially be “once-in-a-lifetime.” In response, she said:
Article continues belowI think they're both romantics, you know? I think that there is, like – I honestly think Sofi's probably not found the once-in-a-lifetime love, so she's still shopping around, and it's maybe a different energy for the character of Jimmy. But I think that that is sort of like, maybe what's connecting them is the sense of being romantic.
Even though they’ve both been through loss, as Jimmy’s wife died and Sofi separated from her now ex-husband, they both have optimistic outlooks on life and love. I think that’s one of the reasons why they are so drawn together.
They also have a shared sense of humor, and when you mix all that, you get an undeniable “magic” chemistry. We can credit Segel and Smulders’ history together on How I Met Your Mother for part of that; however, these characters have also been crafted in ways that make them very open and romantic.
Along with all that, the Sofi actress told me that both her character and Jimmy are very “straightforward.” They don’t really hold back with each other, and they keep it very real. That shared way of communication bodes well for them, too, as Cobie Smulders explained:
And then also they're both very straightforward. There's really not a lot of manipulation or pretending or not a lot of pretense. It's just sort of like, ‘This is it, and I'm going to be straightforward with you,’ and I think that's very refreshing for both of them.
You can feel that energy at the end of Episode 8, specifically. Jimmy and Sofi’s date ultimately did not go very well. He also got to know her ex very fast, as well as her son. That’s a lot to take in all at once, especially at the start of a relationship. However, after the day was over, Sofi asked for a redo, they admitted what happened that day, and they moved forward (which is a key theme of this season).
With that kind of mentality, I do think that these two could be once-in-a-lifetime, and I’ve always had a feeling that they are meant for each other. However, theory and practice are two different things. So, to see if Jimmy and Sofi have what it takes to make it together on Shrinking, make sure to tune in for new episodes every Wednesday on Apple TV.
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