ABC’s Shifting Gears marks Tim Allen’s return to primetime sitcoms, bringing his signature gruff charm to a family comedy that feels both familiar and a bit stuck in neutral. The show centers on Matt (Allen), a conservative father who has been estranged from his liberal daughter Riley (Kat Dennings) for over a decade. When Riley, recently divorced and with two kids in tow, shows up at Matt’s doorstep asking to stay with him, the stage is set for a classic odd-couple dynamic.
Despite the strong star power of Allen and Dennings, Shifting Gears struggles to find its rhythm. Allen plays a character who is very much out of touch with the modern world, lamenting that it’s no longer okay to use the term “dwarf” and declaring that he won’t make jokes about pronouns because he “hates everyone equally.” It’s an attempt at humor that feels more dated than sharp, and while the show seems to be leaning into Matt’s old-school views as a character trait, it doesn’t land as either funny or particularly insightful. Instead, it feels like a lazy caricature of the "out-of-touch conservative dad" trope, without much depth or real bite.
Where the show does shine, however, is in the moments between Allen and Dennings. The chemistry between them — two hard-headed individuals trying to rebuild a relationship strained by years of distance — is where Shifting Gears shows the most potential. There are glimpses of warmth and tenderness, especially when Matt awkwardly shows a moment of vulnerability toward Riley. One standout moment involves Matt, taken aback by Riley’s emotional openness, awkwardly patting her foot, a moment that balances slapstick with a genuine sense of family complexity. It's here that Shifting Gears feels like it could evolve into something more poignant, though it's still early in its run.
However, these emotional beats are overshadowed by the show’s reliance on forced humor and overly simplistic writing. A lot of the dialogue feels heavy-handed, with lines like Matt’s boast that “When I build stuff, it’s built to last” followed by Riley’s retort, “Except our relationship!” It’s the kind of writing that feels more like a sitcom punchline than a meaningful exchange, leaving little room for nuance. Similarly, the generational divide is often explored through clunky, predictable scenarios, like Riley’s son trying to update Matt’s Instagram or Matt giving advice to his granddaughter about career and relationships. These moments could have been opportunities for deeper character exploration, but instead they feel like filler, relying on stereotypes rather than real emotional growth.
The show also struggles to find balance between its family dynamics and the professional setting of Matt’s classic car restoration business. The title Shifting Gears suggests a focus on the world of cars, but the workplace aspect feels more like an afterthought, overshadowed by the personal drama. Riley’s aspirations to become a lawyer are mentioned but not explored, leaving the show’s core themes of career and family somewhat underdeveloped.
The B-plot about Riley trying to set up Matt’s employee, Gabriel, with a high school friend doesn’t add much to the overall narrative either. It feels like an unnecessary distraction, offering nothing substantial to the main storyline or characters. The romance angle between Gabriel and Riley seems forced and unearned, serving as little more than a filler plotline rather than something integral to the show’s development.
Overall, Shifting Gears has potential, but it hasn’t yet found its footing. The father-daughter relationship at the heart of the show could evolve into something meaningful, but for now, it feels like a work in progress. There are moments of genuine emotion, but they’re often buried beneath clunky writing and predictable sitcom tropes. As it stands, Shifting Gears is still trying to figure out what it wants to be, and it’s hard not to feel that it might eventually get there — but for now, it’s stuck in neutral.
What did you think?
Loved it
Hated it
So/So
Comments