Tim Allen’s Matt Parker is going on an unexpected date in Shifting Gears’ Valentine’s Day episode. The ABC sitcom revolves around Matt and his daughter, Riley (Kat Dennings), after she and her children move in with Matt. Shifting Gears’ cast of characters also includes Gabriel (Sean William Scott) and Stitch (Daryl Mitchell), who both work at Matt’s car restoration shop. Matt and Riley work on repairing their relationship after years of estrangement while also growing in their personal and professional lives.
A new clip from ComingSoon shows that in episode 5, Riley and her children are confused by Matt being dressed up for a Valentine’s Day date, only for Matt to explain that he is going to visit the grave of his deceased wife. At first, Matt tries to dodge his family’s questions and be vague about his plans, before revealing that he is going to see his wife. His grandson, Carter (Maxwell Simpkins), reminds Matt that his wife is dead, leading to Matt pretending to be shocked. Check out the clip below:
What This Means For Shifting Gears
Matt’s Grief Will Be Central To Episode 5
While it is a mostly lighthearted sitcom, Shifting Gears does explore the challenges of long-term grief. That will continue to be the case in episode 5, as Matt spends Valentine’s Day by paying respects to his late wife. As revealed when Matt and Riley went to see a therapist in an earlier episode, neither of them has fully dealt with the grief of losing one of the most important people in their lives. This challenge will be present again in the show’s Valentine’s Day episode.
Navigating this grief is not something that can be “solved” in a single episode, but episode 5 could be an important step forward if Matt allows himself to be emotionally vulnerable when he visits his wife’s grave. Processing his grief will continue to be a major part of Matt’s story in season 1 and in a potential Shifting Gears season 2. He seems to be making a solo trip, but it may also do Riley some good as well to visit her mother’s resting place and to open herself up to some of the difficult emotions she has not yet confronted.
Our Take On The Shifting Gears Clip
The Sitcom’s Issues Continue, But There Is Potential For Change
Despite its impressive viewership numbers, reviews for Shifting Gears have not been positive, partly because of the show’s lackluster comedy and inability to dig deeper into some of its topics. The awkward jokes in the episode 5 clip about Matt’s wife being dead are an extension of these issues. Nevertheless, the episode does have the potential to better explore Matt’s grief, which may help Shifting Gears find a more optimal balance between its heart and comedy.
