Christa Miller Unpacks Liz's 'Horrible' Misstep on 'Shrinking'

The actress and music supervisor discusses Liz's harsh words about son Matthew, choosing the music for Derek's high scene, and representing fire-affected LA neighborhoods.

Feb. 22, 2026 at 6:55am

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Christa Miller, who plays Liz on the comedy series 'Shrinking,' opens up about her character's harsh words towards her son Matthew, the music selection for Derek's high scene, and how the show represented fire-affected neighborhoods in Altadena and Pasadena, California.

Why it matters

Miller's insights shed light on the complex dynamics of parenting adult children, the creative process behind the show's music choices, and the production's efforts to authentically depict the impact of recent wildfires on the local community.

The details

In the latest episode of 'Shrinking,' Liz calls her 25-year-old son Matthew an 'asshole' and says she is embarrassed by him, which Miller describes as a 'horrible' and 'mean' thing to say. She notes that Liz struggles to let her adult children make their own mistakes, unlike Miller's own parenting style. As the show's music supervisor, Miller explains how the selection of Vampire Weekend's 'Capricorn' perfectly captured the 'hectic vibe of a little anxiety' during Derek's high scene, which was inspired by a true story from the writer's room. Additionally, the production represented the fire-ravaged Altadena and Pasadena neighborhoods by having the characters wear locally-made apparel and sourcing food from local restaurants and food trucks.

  • In Episode 4, Liz calls her son Matthew an 'asshole' and says she is embarrassed by him.
  • Prior to Derek's unintentional high, Matthew was still at Liz and Derek's house, and Liz asked Derek to be the one to tell him to move out.

The players

Christa Miller

An actress who plays the role of Liz on the comedy series 'Shrinking' and also serves as the show's music supervisor.

Matthew

Liz and Derek's 25-year-old son who has lost his latest job and moved back in with his parents and then his brother.

Derek

Liz's husband, who accidentally gets high after eating 650 milligrams of Matthew's weed gummies, thinking they were candy.

Bill Lawrence

Christa Miller's husband and the showrunner of 'Shrinking.'

Altadena

A neighborhood in California that was affected by wildfires at the beginning of 2025, which impacted the production of 'Shrinking.'

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What they’re saying

“As a parent, I have three children. Liz has three children, and you never want to make a mistake. You're gonna make mistakes. You don't do perfect things, but that was really bad, and that was a really mean thing to say.”

— Christa Miller, Actress

“[Vampire Weekend] have that hectic vibe of a little anxiety. I thought it worked perfectly there, and I had thought of it when we were shooting because I knew, that scene — I'm not gonna say who it is, but it comes from a real story that happened to someone in our writers room.”

— Christa Miller, Music Supervisor

“We're really proud that we shoot in LA, and Pasadena and Altadena were really affected by the fires, and we were delayed in shooting there because of it. Our two houses that we use were affected by the fires, and are in Altadena. Bill made the decision to wait, and so we didn't shoot [those scenes] til like three quarters into the season, and we had to shoot days and nights. None of the actors complained.”

— Christa Miller, Actress

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.