Shifting Gearsat least deserves a sophomore year for several reasons, so it’s great that ABC found a way to bring it back for season 2. Tim Allen leads theShifting Gearscastas Matt Parker, a familiar archetype for Allen, who previously helmedHome ImprovementandLast Man Standingas similarly grouchy yet smug patriarchs. Allen’s star power wasn’t enough, however, to make a sustainable winning sitcom.
DespiteShifting Gears’ impressive early viewership, the family sitcom has struggled with a steady decline in ratings across its pilot season. Regardless, the show itself isn’t ready to be done quite yet. The unresolvedending ofShifting Gearsseason 1alone lays out a compelling argument for renewal, but there are other key reasons why ABC is correct for giving it another year.
5Shifting Gears Actually Got Better As It Went
The Sitcom Can Only Go Up From Here
Although the Tim Allen sitcom got off to a rough start asShifting Gearsearned critical early reviews, the primetime comedy improved with each passing episode. Kat Dennings helped balance Allen out as Riley, and their convoluted father-daughter relationship made for a fairly gripping overarching narrative. At large, the ensemble cast all came into their own as the world expanded past Allen as the headliner.
WhileShifting Gearsends in a much better place than it started, there’s still room to grow— and the sitcom deserves the chance to do just that. The comedy can be sharper, the characters more clearly-defined, and the overall energy a bit more earnest.Shifting Gearsdeserves to progress and build on the development it’s already givento side characters and underlying conflicts.
4Shifting Gears Season 1 Ended On A Cliffhanger
Matt & Eve Deserve Resolution
Jenna Elfman’s character inShifting Gears, Eve, proved to be a welcomed change of pace, as she went toe-to-toe with Matt’s overly adversarial nature. The neighboring business owners had a hostile relationship, but it was immediately clear that Eve held no real grudge against Matt and was equally willing to flirt and fight with him. Their tension surmounts in theShifting Gearsseason finale, when Eve kisses Matt.
Shifting Gears Episode 6 Exposes What Tim Allen’s Matt Really Needs To Be Compelling
Shifting Gears episode 6 continues unpacking Matt’s grief, but it also reveals what Tim Allen’s character has been missing in the ABC sitcom.
One of the biggestunanswered questions inShifting Gearsiswhat the future holds for Matt and Eve. Matt spent most ofShifting Gearsseason 1 still grappling with his unresolved grief over his late wife, and though he resolved himself to be open to dating, he seemed surprised by Eve’s advances. IfShifting Gearsisn’t renewed, there will never be closure to their soft enemies-to-lovers storyline.
3The Shifting Gears Characters Deserve More Development
The Ensemble Cast Is The Comedy’s Greatest Strength
Aside from the main family,Shifting Gearshas interesting characters at its disposal that deserve more screen-time. The truescene-stealers ofShifting Gearsare the employees at the auto restoration shop, Stitch (Daryl “Chill” Mitchell) and Gabriel (Seann William Scott). Their banter is always a treat, and they connect well to the sitcom’s sprawling plots, with Gabriel giving Carter (Maxwell Simkins) advice and Stitch listening to Riley kvetch.
Shifting Gearsfrankly deserves a season 2 for its talented cast alone.
Yet,Shifting Gearsstill has characters with mostly untapped potential. Frankie (Cynthia Quiles) has been a nearly silent member of the shop, but she could enter the fold in a possible second season and interact with the dynamic duo more. Georgia (Barrett Margolis) only had a few independent scenes and storylines, but she took advantage of every single one and left a dazzling impression.Shifting Gearsfrankly deserves a season 2 for its talented cast alone.
2Shifting Gears Set Up A Slow-Burn Romance
Riley & Gabriel Have Real Chemistry
While Eve and Matt’s relationship progressed physically in theShifting Gearsseason finale, the budding romance between Riley and Gabriel developed emotionally. After Riley almost kisses Gabriel while drunk, he explains that he doesn’t want to rush into a relationship because Riley is too important to him. Although Riley gave no indication of remembering the conversation,Shifting Gearsset up a developing love story for Gabriel and Riley.
I’m So Sick Of Shifting Gears’ Oddest Recurring Gag, It’s The Laziest Joke In Tim Allen’s New Show
Shifting Gears has struggled to find its footing as a family comedy, but one recurring joke ruins any comedic momentum the Tim Allen sitcom has.
From the beginning, Gabriel had been theperfect love interest for Riley inShifting Gears, but the sitcom had to delay them getting together. Their chemistry speaks to a long-term relationship, and their getting together needs to feel earned in due time.It would’ve been a waste forShifting Gearsto let Riley and Gabriel get together too early, but now there’s a risk they’ll never get together at all.
1ABC Needs Another Reliable Comedy
With So Few Scripted Shows, Shifting Gears Should Be Renewed
Thepossible cancelation ofShifting Gearsisn’t the only freshman showing for ABC on the bubble. However, the network’s scarce number of scripted shows could help swing the pendulum and earnShifting Gearsa second season.Out of the nine scripted shows on ABC’s primetime schedule, six are dramas(or, at the very least, dramedies). WithThe Connersseason 7 acting as a farewell event, only the already-renewedAbbott Elementaryremains as ABC’s primetime comedy.
Consequently,Shifting Gearsshould be considered to help supplement the genre and provide a different brand of comedy fromAbbott Elementary’s deadpan mockumentary. While the canned laughter and one-liners stand out in harsh contrast toAbbott Elementary’s grounded storytelling, that’s exactly what ABC needs to diversify its 2025-26 schedule. Unless an entirely new comedy is greenlit soon, ABC doesn’t just needShifting Gearsseason 2; it owes it to the family sitcom to fully prove itself for another year.
