Shifting Gears
Shifting Gearsepisode 4 was a huge tonal shift for the better , with Matt ( Tim Allen ) and Riley ( Kat Dennings ) finally confronting their grief . While Matt and Riley ’s consistently one - note , contentious human relationship is part responsible for forShifting Gears’poor decisive reviews , another element is how compressed the secondary fictional character felt because they were not give enough screen sentence to develop . Allen ’s Matt own a definitive automobile restoration shop , and the crew that works there has been underused until episode 4 .
InShifting Gears ' most promising episode 4 , Matt leaves his honcho in charge of the shop for the forenoon , give the car shop prole their own storyline for the first time . Seann William Scott ’s Gabriel , Daryl Mitchell ’s Stitch , and Cynthia Quiles ' Frankie have been present since the archetype , primarily serve as fodder for Matt ’s jokes or Riley ’s claptrap . flesh out more of the secondarycharacters inShifting Gearsmakes the show less generic , helping to create fan - favorite character while centering on the show ’s most singular set piece : the automobile shop .
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The machine shop class crew has been underserved , treated more as airplane propeller than people , one of thereasons forShifting Gears ' initial poor reviews . Riley uses Gabe as a sound board for when she need to air out about her father . InShifting Gearsepisode 2 , " Accommodations , " Matt uses Stitch ’s status as a wheelchair user to make a point to Riley . However , Gabe and Stitch eventually get their own story inShifting Gearsepisode 4 , which demonstrates how entertaining they arewhen given just a little screen time .
pitch Gears Main Characters
quality
Actor
Best Known Role(s )
Matt
Tim Allen
Tim Taylor inHome Improvement , Mike Baxter inLast Man Standing , Buzz Lightyear inToy Story
Riley ( Matt ’s daughter )
Kat Dennings
Max Black in2 Broke Girls , Darcy Lewis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Carter ( Riley ’s boy )
Maxwell Simkins
Nick Ganz inThe Micky Ducks : Game Changers
Georgia ( Riley ’s daughter )
Barrett Margolis
N / A
Gabriel " Gabe "
Seann William Scott
Steve Stifler inAmerican Pie
Stitch
Daryl " Chill " Mitchell
Dexter Wilson onThe John Larroquette Show
Frankie
Cynthia Quiles
Brenda inWhy Women drink down
Gabe is excited to be in bang but overwhelmed by decision - qualification , let out a more sensitive and anxious side than previously shown . Stitch is a hoaxer , joyously needling Gabe about his new responsibilities , until he sees that Gabe is really hard-pressed , and Stitch aid reconstruct Gabe ’s confidence with a rousing speech communication . Stitch could beShifting Gears’version of Phoebe fromFriends , revealing some quirky judgment when he proudly portion out that he think aliens are literal but " just shy . " audience will now look forth to checking in on Gabe and Stitch every week .
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Hopefully , episode 4 marks a newfangled normal forShifting Gearsrather than a trematode worm . produce the classic car restoration store more central to the show might assist make the level feel less overdone . This would of course give Gabe and Stitch more screen time . WhileCynthia Quiles ' gay Latinx grease monkey , Frankie , is n’t featured as conspicuously in episode 4,she has a much more relaxed attitude compare to Matt and Riley . Bringing Stitch and Frankie out from the backcloth will also bring out fresh perspectives toShifting Gears .
Tim Allen returns to meshing TV in 2025 via his new ABC sitcom Shifting Gears , while one of his first clowning series is stream on Netflix .
The classic sitcom formulaShifting Gearswants to bond to works if the characters are endear and three - dimensional . The show is adding more characters , with Allen bug the introduction of Matt ’s son and photos revealing the return ofRiley ’s alienated husband Jimmy . However , even with new characters , there ’s still room to feature Gabe , Stitch , and Frankie . WithShifting Gearsseason 2seemingly likely , hopefully , the show rely more on its secret weapon system to secure renewal : the personality at the auto store .
New episodes ofShifting Gearsair on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu .
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