Elizabeth Banks to Star in "The Miniature Wife"

[ROGU3_20]

It's getting like kids waiting for Christmas morning.

Oh yeah, it is!

I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep the night before. Might have to wake up early to catch the first episode. Or two. Or ten!

Well, not all ten. Unfortunately, that Thursday and Friday are super busy at work for me. I may only be able to squeeze in an episode or two and save the rest for Saturday and Sunday. So at least I'll be avoiding this place a little bit right when it premieres.

Maybe that's why I'm getting all this stuff in now.

considering all the stuff we have right now, who can deny that this is a huge goldmine for this forum. we can't help but feel excited.

[blackbat]

excited too, I even made an online countdown:

The Miniature Wife premieres on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 3:01 AM ET on Peacock in the US

[scidram]

Another new article HERE.

It gives a little description of each of the main characters (Lindy, Les, Terry, RPW, Vivienne, Hilton, and Lulu). Not much that hadn't been confirmed in other articles, interviews, or trailers. Just wanted to share the reference.

[scidram]

It's the cover story from this week's Entertainment Weekly. Article link HERE.

A little spoilery, but not much we didn't already know or predict.

[Firewall]

I'm honestly surprised that NBC is going all in with marketing. I figured that this would've been buried before release for sure.

Side note, there was a neat video Entertainment Weekly posted on Facebook that I figured I try to share.

[rscholar]

It's the cover story from this week's Entertainment Weekly. Article link HERE.

A little spoilery, but not much we didn't already know or predict.

First off, LOVE the short vid with Banks and the cellphone.

To the point, while reading (I know I said I wanted to go in cold but I couldn't resist), the main bits that stuck out gave me weird feelings about the trajectory and tone.

SpoilerShow

Between the "canoe" - which means the flooding scene is likely - and Les specifically siccing the cat - when I read that my heart dropped...Jesus, dude - they really are going for the darker tones of the short story and that bothers me a lot, mainly because the "comedy" aspect is going to clash *horribly* with the feuding which I'd been worried about since the beginning. I'm sorry but picturing a dad having to explain to his daughter that he was pissed off enough with her mom that he essentially *murders* her via beloved pet (or if said pet gets killed in retaliation) doesn't mesh. I get this is supposed to represent real marital problems and the extremes of bitterness, but I sincerely don't believe literally trying to kill each other leaves a relationship worth salvaging - they are *done* as a couple. Just give me the scene in Marriage Story with Adam Driver punching the wall and I can get the gist, thank you.

There's going to be a lot of material to discuss, on way or the other.

[ROGU3_20]

It's the cover story from this week's Entertainment Weekly. Article link HERE.

A little spoilery, but not much we didn't already know or predict.

First off, LOVE the short vid with Banks and the cellphone.

To the point, while reading (I know I said I wanted to go in cold but I couldn't resist), the main bits that stuck out gave me weird feelings about the trajectory and tone.

SpoilerShow

Between the "canoe" - which means the flooding scene is likely - and Les specifically siccing the cat - when I read that my heart dropped...Jesus, dude - they really are going for the darker tones of the short story and that bothers me a lot, mainly because the "comedy" aspect is going to clash *horribly* with the feuding which I'd been worried about since the beginning. I'm sorry but picturing a dad having to explain to his daughter that he was pissed off enough with her mom that he essentially *murders* her via beloved pet (or if said pet gets killed in retaliation) doesn't mesh. I get this is supposed to represent real marital problems and the extremes of bitterness, but I sincerely don't believe literally trying to kill each other leaves a relationship worth salvaging - they are *done* as a couple. Just give me the scene in Marriage Story with Adam Driver punching the wall and I can get the gist, thank you.

There's going to be a lot of material to discuss, on way or the other.

all i can say is that the discussions next week is gonna be long and layered.

[Schadenfreude]

Giant Tylenol (bottom frame)!

[Schadenfreude]

To the point, while reading (I know I said I wanted to go in cold but I couldn't resist), the main bits that stuck out gave me weird feelings about the trajectory and tone.

SpoilerShow

Between the "canoe" - which means the flooding scene is likely - and Les specifically siccing the cat - when I read that my heart dropped...Jesus, dude - they really are going for the darker tones of the short story and that bothers me a lot, mainly because the "comedy" aspect is going to clash *horribly* with the feuding which I'd been worried about since the beginning. I'm sorry but picturing a dad having to explain to his daughter that he was pissed off enough with her mom that he essentially *murders* her via beloved pet (or if said pet gets killed in retaliation) doesn't mesh. I get this is supposed to represent real marital problems and the extremes of bitterness, but I sincerely don't believe literally trying to kill each other leaves a relationship worth salvaging - they are *done* as a couple. Just give me the scene in Marriage Story with Adam Driver punching the wall and I can get the gist, thank you.

SpoilerShow

Apparently the daughter exposes her mother's Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction as plagiarized, online. I imagine that this starts a war between mother and daughter. So the daughter might not be too sorry about her dad trying to kill her mother.

[ROGU3_20]

To the point, while reading (I know I said I wanted to go in cold but I couldn't resist), the main bits that stuck out gave me weird feelings about the trajectory and tone.

SpoilerShow

Between the "canoe" - which means the flooding scene is likely - and Les specifically siccing the cat - when I read that my heart dropped...Jesus, dude - they really are going for the darker tones of the short story and that bothers me a lot, mainly because the "comedy" aspect is going to clash *horribly* with the feuding which I'd been worried about since the beginning. I'm sorry but picturing a dad having to explain to his daughter that he was pissed off enough with her mom that he essentially *murders* her via beloved pet (or if said pet gets killed in retaliation) doesn't mesh. I get this is supposed to represent real marital problems and the extremes of bitterness, but I sincerely don't believe literally trying to kill each other leaves a relationship worth salvaging - they are *done* as a couple. Just give me the scene in Marriage Story with Adam Driver punching the wall and I can get the gist, thank you.

SpoilerShow

Apparently the daughter exposes her mother's Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction as plagiarized, online. I imagine that this starts a war between mother and daughter. So the daughter might not be too sorry about her dad trying to kill her mother.

I wonder what context does that nose hug from both of them come from? if that is how it'll go down, i can hardly imagine them patching up and going hugs and all that.

[scidram]

Oh look, Les leaves little Lindy some good morning sticky notes!



Hmmm... could they have stolen that idea from my story Sticky Notes, which is currently being adapted into comic form at ShrinkFan? Probably not, but a guy can dream.

[shrinky]

They didn't steal the idea from you, dude. Stop being cringe.

[scidram]

They didn't steal the idea from you, dude. Stop being cringe.

I know they didn't. Just being silly.

[shrinky]

Fair enough. My apologies. I know you personally, I've had beers with you, you're cool. I just cringe whenever you make that joke. Glad to hear it's just a joke. I also want to add that I appreciate everything you do for the community.

[scidram]

Fair enough. My apologies. I know you personally, I've had beers with you, you're cool. I just cringe whenever you make that joke. Glad to hear it's just a joke. I also want to add that I appreciate everything you do for the community.

No worries! The tone in my head as I was posting mustn't have translated how I heard it. Ha!

And thanks for the kind words. Hope we encounter each other once again, but now that SizeCon is on the west coast, it's a little harder to get there.

[scidram]

S1 E4 · Don't Freak Out!
Apr 9, 2026
RPW takes Lindy on a romantic date to show her he is truly there for her, but her plagiarism scandal looms in the background; back from college, Lulu gets a glimpse at what life would be like back in her hometown.

S1 E5 · Delusional
Apr 9, 2026
Les grows concerned that Hilton's involvement in his company has ulterior financial motives; Lindy's plagiarized short story is published in The New Yorker to great critical acclaim, while Terry works to keep the real author quiet.

S1 E7 · Episode 7
Apr 9, 2026
Psychological warfare begins as Lindy becomes convinced that Les will never find a way to make her big again; when Jackie strikes a deal to give Lindy the credit for her short story, Lulu discovers how the internet can turn one from hero to villain.

Not related so much to Lindy's miniaturization, but I've been exploring the plagiarism subplot:

SpoilerShow

The minor character Jackie, who appears to be the author of the short story, is played by 21-year-old actress Miku Martinez. Lindy is a creative writing professor as well as an author. The age of this actress implies that perhaps Lindy stole the story from one of her students.

It looks like both Les and Lindy have some intriguing character flaws. Lots of layers to this thing.

[ROGU3_20]

Not related so much to Lindy's miniaturization, but I've been exploring the plagiarism subplot:

SpoilerShow

The minor character Jackie, who appears to be the author of the short story, is played by 21-year-old actress Miku Martinez. Lindy is a creative writing professor as well as an author. The age of this actress implies that perhaps Lindy stole the story from one of her students.

It looks like both Les and Lindy have some intriguing character flaws. Lots of layers to this thing.

and to think it was her daughter that caught her right in the act too, ouch.

[scidram]

Not related so much to Lindy's miniaturization, but I've been exploring the plagiarism subplot:

SpoilerShow

The minor character Jackie, who appears to be the author of the short story, is played by 21-year-old actress Miku Martinez. Lindy is a creative writing professor as well as an author. The age of this actress implies that perhaps Lindy stole the story from one of her students.

It looks like both Les and Lindy have some intriguing character flaws. Lots of layers to this thing.

and to think it was her daughter that caught her right in the act too, ouch.

SpoilerShow

Or at least exposed her. We know from some article months ago that Lindy and daughter Lulu have a complicated relationship. Maybe Jackie is a friend or classmate of Lulu. Who knows?

[Jeebus]

Spoilers are starting to leak through without the tags in this thread

[scidram]

New interview with Assif Mandvi HERE.

Nothing really new or spoilery, but an interesting scene between his character Martin & Les.

[rscholar]

New interview with Assif Mandvi HERE.

Nothing really new or spoilery, but an interesting scene between his character Martin & Les.

"She's small but she's MEAN, y'know?"




"Tiny Lindy's mean."

[Schadenfreude]

They didn't steal the idea from you, dude. Stop being cringe.

I know they didn't. Just being silly.

Someone who worked on The Miniature Wife must have read Tabitha King's Small World. Lindy is knocked unconscious by the shrinking process, then she's placed in a dollhouse that's so realistic that she doesn't realize that she's been shrunk. (Though Lindy soon finds out what's happened to her, whereas Leyna Shaw never realizes that she's actually been shrunk. She just thinks that she's lost her mind.) Plus food and other supplies are shrunk for Lindy, just like with Leyna Shaw. (Except Leyna Shaw didn't have clothes shrunk for her. She has to wear the jogging outfit that she was wearing when she was shrunk, or wear doll clothes while her clothes are being washed.)

[Schadenfreude]

Not related so much to Lindy's miniaturization, but I've been exploring the plagiarism subplot:

SpoilerShow

The minor character Jackie, who appears to be the author of the short story, is played by 21-year-old actress Miku Martinez. Lindy is a creative writing professor as well as an author. The age of this actress implies that perhaps Lindy stole the story from one of her students.

It looks like both Les and Lindy have some intriguing character flaws. Lots of layers to this thing.

and to think it was her daughter that caught her right in the act too, ouch.

SpoilerShow

Or at least exposed her. We know from some article months ago that Lindy and daughter Lulu have a complicated relationship. Maybe Jackie is a friend or classmate of Lulu. Who knows?

Secrets and scandals about the characters emerge. Just like in "How the Chips May Fall" and "Short Time". We'll have to wait and see if one of the female characters turns out to be a lesbian.

[scidram]

Someone who worked on The Miniature Wife must have read Tabitha King's Small World. Lindy is knocked unconscious by the shrinking process, then she's placed in a dollhouse that's so realistic that she doesn't realize that she's been shrunk. (Though Lindy soon finds out what's happened to her, whereas Leyna Shaw never realizes that she's actually been shrunk. She just thinks that she's lost her mind.) Plus food and other supplies are shrunk for Lindy, just like with Leyna Shaw. (Except Leyna Shaw didn't have clothes shrunk for her. She has to wear the jogging outfit that she was wearing when she was shrunk, or wear doll clothes while her clothes are being washed.)

Even if they didn't read Small World, there are certain SW tropes that we're going to see. That's part of the reason I've been joking around about similarities to my own work. Consider most of the other mainstream shrunken person stories, and you're going to see:

Person shrunk/shrinking with obstacles to restoration: That's in The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Small World, Minami-Kun No Koibito, and so many others, including stories by me and other writers in this community.

Shrunken/shrinking person inhabiting a dollhouse: ISM, ISW, Small World, and several others, including stories by me and other writers in this community.

Shrunken/shrinking person having a run-in with an animal: ISM, ISW, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and several others, including stories by me and other writers in this community.

Shrunken/shrinking person having difficulties with standard everyday objects: All of the above. That's obviously part of the fun. In Gen V, Emma was in a toilet, and the behind-the-scenes video shows Lindy falling in one. Pat Kramer felt down the sink drain. This is gonna happen.

Having to keep the shrunken person hidden from others so as not to expose the accident/technology/person: Minami-Kun No Koibito, and that was a key plot point in my novel Desperate Measures.

Secrets and scandals: Well, that's not limited to SW fiction!

The point I'm trying to make is that we as a community are going to expect many of these common tropes, and some of us would be disappointed if they weren't there. From what we've seen and read thus far, it looks like the writers and producers of the show have done an interesting job fitting in A LOT of the limited source material (it's like a 20-page short story, after all) and really fleshing it out with interesting characters, backstories between them, and a hell of a lot of ways to exploit the SFX & prop design to show a shrunken person having to deal with it. And that's impressive.

And what this series has above all the other mainstream examples listed above, beyond the impressive SFX & prop design, is an immense running time. Ten episodes, each an hour long? Given that there will be scenes without Lindy when Les is in the lab and Lulu is off doing her [spoilers] stuff, if we figure Lindy to appear in at least 50% of each episode, that's FIVE HOURS minimum of SW content with her. Other than say Land of the Giants, have we gotten anything prolonged like that? No! And with this kind of SFX? HELL NO! It's gonna be BIG!

Or small.

You know what I mean.

SIX MORE DAYS!

[ROGU3_20]

Someone who worked on The Miniature Wife must have read Tabitha King's Small World. Lindy is knocked unconscious by the shrinking process, then she's placed in a dollhouse that's so realistic that she doesn't realize that she's been shrunk. (Though Lindy soon finds out what's happened to her, whereas Leyna Shaw never realizes that she's actually been shrunk. She just thinks that she's lost her mind.) Plus food and other supplies are shrunk for Lindy, just like with Leyna Shaw. (Except Leyna Shaw didn't have clothes shrunk for her. She has to wear the jogging outfit that she was wearing when she was shrunk, or wear doll clothes while her clothes are being washed.)

Even if they didn't read Small World, there are certain SW tropes that we're going to see. That's part of the reason I've been joking around about similarities to my own work. Consider most of the other mainstream shrunken person stories, and you're going to see:

Person shrunk/shrinking with obstacles to restoration: That's in The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Small World, and so many others, including stories by me and other writers in this community.

Shrunken/shrinking person inhabiting a dollhouse: ISM, ISW, Small World, and several others, including stories by me and other writers in this community.

Shrunken/shrinking person having a run-in with an animal: ISM, ISW, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and several others, including stories by me and other writers in this community.

Shrunken/shrinking person having difficulties with standard everyday objects: All of the above. That's obviously part of the fun. In Gen V, Emma was in a toilet, and the behind-the-scenes video shows Lindy falling in one. Pat Kramer felt down the sink drain. This is gonna happen.

Having to keep the shrunken person hidden from others so as not to expose the accident/technology/person: Not as common, but it's out there. That was a key plot point in my novel Desperate Measures.

Secrets and scandals: Well, that's not limited to SW fiction!

The point I'm trying to make is that we as a community are going to expect many of these common tropes, and some of us would be disappointed if they weren't there. From what we've seen and read thus far, it looks like the writers and producers of the show have done an interesting job fitting in A LOT of the limited source material (it's like a 20-page short story, after all) and really fleshing it out with interesting characters, backstories between them, and a hell of a lot of ways to exploit the SFX & prop design to show a shrunken person having to deal with it. And that's impressive.

And what this series has above all the other mainstream examples listed above, beyond the impressive SFX & prop design, is an immense running time. Ten episodes, each an hour long? Given that there will be scenes without Lindy when Les is in the lab and Lulu is off doing her [spoilers] stuff, if we figure Lindy to appear in at least 50% of each episode, that's FIVE HOURS minimum of SW content with her. Other than say Land of the Giants, have we gotten anything prolonged like that? No! And with this kind of SFX? HELL NO! It's gonna be BIG!

Or small.

You know what I mean.

SIX MORE DAYS!

Im honestly gonna be seated on how the sound design is going to be in Lindy's perspective. we already had a preview of it when Les exclaims out loud when he sees her fine in the trailer, how booming his regular voice actually is compared to her. imagine how loud it must be when its not voices, but footsteps, doors, etc. not to mention i want to see ANGLES, they also set the atmostphere. i need that.