Another season of Shrinking<\/a><\/em> in the books, another iconic soundtrack<\/a>. And Shrinking<\/em> star and music supervisor Christa Miller thinks Season 3 saved the best for last.<\/p>\n From Jason Segel\u2019s \u201cNightswimming\u201d cover<\/a> to Christina Perri\u2019s \u201cA Thousand Years\u201d (and the \u201cI Will Be Grape\u201d Version)<\/a>, Shrinking<\/em>\u2018s third season delivered moving, clever, meaningful, genuinely incredible needle drops week after week. But when Decider asked Miller her favorite music moment in all 11 episodes, she shouted out the last song of the season: Brandi Carlile\u2019s \u201cYou Without Me.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n The gorgeous song makes an appearance earlier in the episode as Jimmy (Segel) drops his daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell) off at the airport, then swells again shortly before the end credits roll. After Paul (Harrison Ford) delivers a tear-jerking speech, encouraging Jimmy to \u201cgo make some new scars\u201d and rekindle his relationship with Sofi (Cobie Smulders), Carlile\u2019s stunning vocals and soul-stirring instrumentals help set the mood, accompany Jimmy\u2019s long-overdue leap of faith, and mark the end of a Shrinking <\/em>era. <\/p>\n \u201cI love the all the music that is in this season, and [the songs] were favorites. But I have a Super Favorites list. I think one of the best moments was Brandi Carlile\u2019s song,<\/a> which my daughter\u2019s fianc\u00e9, Andrew Watt, produced,\u201d Miller told Decider over Zoom. \u201cI heard it two years ago, and the second I heard it, I was like, \u2018Well, that\u2019s the first song for Shrinking<\/em>! It has to be! I want it!\u2019 And he\u2019s like, \u2018It\u2019s not even finished. It\u2019s being produced, relax.\u2019 So last year I wanted it again. I\u2019m like, \u2018It\u2019s for Shrinking<\/em>!\u2019 He\u2019s like, \u2018It\u2019s not ready.\u2019 And it was actually a blessing in disguise. It really should have been for this season.\u201d<\/p>\n During production, Miller finally got the call she\u2019d been waiting for, but the competition was fierce. \u201cBrandi and her wife Catherine called me and said, \u2018We have four other shows that want the song.\u2019 And we were in the middle of shooting, and I\u2019ve never done this before, but I was like, \u2018We\u2019re buying it! We want it!\u201d Miller recalled. \u201cAnd because we had it so early, I was able to to bring it Bill and the writers, who loved it. Thank god. So they wrote for it. And that makes it a whole different ballgame.\u201d<\/p>\n After Paul heads to the airport, Jimmy lets his wisdom soak in and silently hypes himself up to face his fears and move forward. He walks over to Sofi\u2019s table, sits down, and says \u201chi.\u201d She smiles, and says \u201chi\u201d back. He chuckles. And as the two flash goofy grins, resume effortless banter, and laugh, the music gets louder, the camera pulls back, and Shrinking<\/em> leaves us with a ridiculously romantic final shot before the end credits roll.<\/p>\n \u201cThey, like, brought in a crane. I have goosebumps just telling you about it,\u201d Miller told Decider. \u201cIt was everything I wanted. And also for her, for Brandi, I wanted it to be amazing. And I hope she loves it.\u201d<\/p>\n Carlile\u00a0\u2014 who co-wrote the song with Elton John, Bernie Taupin, and Watt \u2014 opened up about the inspiration behind it<\/a>, saying, \u201cI wrote and recorded this one late at night in the studio. It\u2019s about my kids, that first moment where they really truly separate from you\u2026\u201d In Carlile\u2019s case, her eight-year-old daughter, Evangeline, decided not to go to a gig with her for the first time, because she didn\u2019t want to miss her soccer game. And when you listen to her emotional lyrics with that parent\/child context, the song placement in Shrinking<\/em>\u2018s finale is beyond perfection. I mean, Jimmy sent his daughter off on her own for the first time! And Paul left Jimmy, the man he just said was like a son to him, to move to Connecticut! <\/p>\n When describing the vulnerable feelings at the root of \u201cYou Without Me,\u201d Carlile said,\u201dYou\u2019re simultaneously devastated and proud.\u201d If we had to sum up the finale\u2019s bittersweet Jimmy\/Alice and Paul\/Jimmy goodbye scenes \u2014 the love and admiration that fuels them, the struggles of letting go, and the thrill and terror of that newfound independence \u2014 those five words are spot-on.<\/p>\n Alice is without Jimmy. And Jimmy is without Paul. They\u2019re all moving forward, growing, and finding new parts of themselves on their own, but like Jimmy said, all it takes is one tug on the invisible string between hearts to reconnect.<\/p>\n Bravo, Miller and Carlile. Bravo, Shrinking <\/em>writers. <\/em>And bravo, me, for holding back tears long enough to type this article. Now if you need me, I\u2019ll be sobbing listening to \u201cYou Without Me\u201d<\/a> and rewatching Season 3\u2019s final scene through a new lens!<\/p>\n Stay tuned for more Shrinking<\/em> coverage from Decider.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Paul](\"https:\/\/decider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/shrinkingfinale.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=300)
![\"Sofi](\"https:\/\/decider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/shrinking-finale.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=300)