‘Shrinking’s Jessica Williams Is Pumped For Damon Wayans Jr.’s Season 2 Guest Role: “Derek 2 Is Hot”

Just erstwhile we thought it couldn’t get immoderate amended than Derek (Ted McGinley) connected Shrinking, Season 2 of nan Apple TV+ drama proved america wrong. What’s amended than 1 Derek, you ask? TWO Dereks, of course!

Wait — what?!

Shrinking Season 2, Episode 4, “Made You Look,” introduces fans to Derek #2, champion friend of Liz’s (Christa Miller) husband, besides named Derek. Played by Damon Wayans Jr., Derek #2 instantly hits it disconnected pinch nan gorgeous, hilarious Gaby (Jessica Williams), and contempt her caller Jimmy (Jason Segel) heartbreak, she gives nan caller Derek successful municipality a shot.

On-screen, Derek #2 and Gaby person effortless chemistry, which makes complete sense, because Williams and Wayans Jr. had a awesome relationship off-screen arsenic well.

“Derek 2 is hot. Derek 2 is hot.” Williams told Decider pinch a grin complete Zoom. “I emotion Damon Wayans Jr. I’ve ever been a instrumentality of his. He’s truthful insanely funny and he’s truthful fast. He has that quickness, too, that Jason has. And I deliberation Gabby requires that. So it was really, really fun.”

After a meet-cute successful Derek’s kitchen, Gaby and Derek 2 reconnect successful nan driveway, wherever they prosecute successful easy, hilarious banter astir everything from his “dicky” medicine sunglasses to her favourite vibrator. Though they ever support it light, acknowledgment to Gaby’s “breakup box,” they besides dive heavy quickly by bonding complete breakups. With Gaby dangerously adjacent to a romanticist flop era, Wayans Jr.’s upbeat, suave power is nan cleanable antidote. He’s cool, confident, quick-witted, and perfectly matches nan show’s tone. Part of nan logic nan pairing useful truthful good is because for illustration their characters, nan actors besides stock a consciousness of humor.

“We figured retired beautiful quickly, Damon and I, that we could improvise really good together and we’ll get really lewd and crude. It besides conscionable felt for illustration pinch Damon, you’re ‘cha, cha, cha,’ for illustration you’re kids play fighting together — whereas Jason, it feels for illustration you’re doing a really bully dance. So that was really fun, too.”

Photo: Apple TV+

Though they stock specified small surface clip successful Episode 4, it’s clear that Williams and Wayans Jr. beautifully lucifer each other’s freak. After Derek 2 brings Gaby java successful nan morning, they flirt amongst nan saccharine scent of maple bacon, and Gaby gets a telephone that her mom is astatine nan infirmary aft an accident, she leaves him unsocial successful her location pinch only nan sounds of nan Lord of nan Rings score’s 30-minute-long trap remix. In 1 of nan season’s top euphony moments, Derek 2 bops his caput to nan hit and asks “WHO IS THIS?!” to an quiet room. In that moment, Damon Wayans Jr. belonged connected Shrinking. Derek 2 couldn’t person been anyone else.

Shrinking admittedly had america shipping Gaby and Jimmy successful Season 1, but successful Season 2, arsenic Williams said, everything changes erstwhile he goes from “safe dick” to “pretty vulnerable dick.”

Despite Gaby and fans’ disappointment successful Jimmy for starring her connected aft he realized she had deeper feelings for him, Williams said Segel is still her “favorite personification to enactment with” connected nan show.

“We conscionable get each different connected immoderate level. You would deliberation we’re truthful different connected nan surface, but we activity really likewise and we conscionable person a small shortcut. It ever feels for illustration we’re kids successful nan sandbox playing,” she explained. “He’s really quick. I’m beautiful speedy erstwhile I’m working, arsenic acold arsenic improvising. But he’s capable to respond really quickly and he’s unfastened to immoderate and each offers. He tin conscionable do it all. We tin do drama together aliases play together. We tin do a mix. So it’s really fun. It’s 1 of my favourite parts of my occupation connected this show — he’s a really bully dancing partner.”

Photo: Apple TV+

In aftermath of Jimmy’s awesome Gaby disrespect, for illustration nan OG Derek, we were rooting for her and Derek 2. The relationships are decidedly different, but Williams says they’re each nosy successful their ain ways, and there’s thankfully much Derek 2 to come.

“It was for illustration 2 different really accelerated cars, but it was a blast,” Williams said. “I’m truthful excited for you guys to spot each nan dumb crap Damon and I sewage to do this season.”

New episodes of Shrinking Season 2 premiere Wednesdays connected Apple TV+.