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In the Season 3 finale of Shrinking, fans were thrilled as Gaby, portrayed by Jessica Williams, finally received that coveted engagement ring. Williams shares the audience’s excitement over her character’s newfound happiness.
In Episode 11 of Season 3, Gaby stumbles upon the engagement ring that Derrick, played by Damon Wayans Jr., intended for her. The ring gets stuck on her finger, prompting her to kiss it and humorously murmur “my precious” in a Gollum-like voice before she starts to panic. She then convenes an emergency meeting with her close friends, admitting she’s still grappling with the loss of Maya and feeling uncertain about marriage, especially with a major career change looming. Following some candid advice from her friends, Gaby dashes to Derrick outside the Runaway Roadhouse—a beloved corn hole venue—and demands to know why he bought her a ring. While Derrick starts to express his love, he notices a familiar crowd because Gaby is about to propose to him!
Gaby declares, “You tried to surprise me, but I’m not having any of that, okay?” She continues, “Derrick, all my life I’ve felt like an outsider, like some tall alien trying to blend in with everyone else… You accept my quirks and embrace them. I love that you’re a gentleman, and I love that you don’t need me to take care of you, but would let me if I wanted. Most importantly, I love how you encourage me to move beyond my hang-ups.” Presenting the ring, she asks, “Derrick, will you marry me?” To which he enthusiastically agrees, prompting cheers from the onlookers!
During an interview with Decider, Williams expressed her thrill about Gaby being the one to propose. She thoroughly enjoyed filming the lively scene, which included friends, relatives, and even Derrick’s podiatrist. She also disclosed that there was an earlier, less romantic version of the proposal.
“Doing that reverse proposal was incredibly fun,” Williams shared with Decider. “Initially, there was a more awkward version, but the writers quickly revamped it. At first, it resembled a Lord of the Rings proposal, and the writers decided, ‘No, that’s too much. It’s too cheesy.’ They refined it beautifully and nailed it.”
Lord of the Rings proposal or not, Williams said, “My job is not to judge the characters I play. Otherwise you’re arguing all the time with everyone, and you’re arguing with your character, which is a weird vibe when you’re supposed to be channeling them. My job is to show up, and do the lines, and believe what’s happening between action and cut.”
Another extra special Shrinking Season 3 experience for Williams was choosing an engagement ring for her character alongside Shrinking‘s costume designer, Allyson Fanger.
“I got to figure out the ring. That was really fun, because, our amazing costume designer Allyson understands Gaby really well. So we got to look at rings with color. We got to look at green rings! And choosing a ring for this character that I really love was so fun for me.”
While the season ended with Gaby’s engagement, it opened with Gaby planning a wedding for Paul (Harrison Ford) and Julie (Wendie Malick). So could Shrinking Season 4 see a Gaby and Derrick wedding?!
“You never know what Bill Lawrence is going to say to you. So, I can’t commit to to anything,” Williams said. “Ultimately, I want Gaby to be happy no matter what that looks like.”
If Gaby and Derrick do tie the knot on-screen, here’s hoping 2 Padres (Shrinking writer/EP Bill Posley and Brent Lydic) can whip up a tasteful walking down the aisle number and a bangin’ reception remix with the same energy as “Give Us The Precious (Lord of the Rings Trap)” and other songs created for the show.
Shrinking Season 3 is now streaming on Apple TV.