This article contains spoilers forShifting Gearsseason 1, episode 10, “Kiss.“Shifting Gearsstar Kat Dennings opens up about that finale kiss between Tim Allen and Jenna Elfman’s characters, explaining why it will make Riley furious. The hit ABC sitcom, which stars Allen and Dennings as Matt and Riley, respectively, recently concluded its first season run. Although the previously estranged father and daughter duo made big strides in their relationship,theShifting Gearsfinale complicates matterswhen Matt kisses Riley’s boss, who Elfman plays.
In an interview withScreen Rant’s Rachel Foertsch, which also included fellowShifting Gearsstar Seann Williams Scott, Dennings opened up about Riley’s reaction and detailed why she was upset. Dennings, who is also a producer on the show,indicated that this new potential relationship between Matt and Eve (Elfman) makes Riley’s job harder:
Riley is going to be absolutely furious. That I am 100% sure about. She finally has this job that she really likes and this environment that’s really good for her, and she loves Eve, and this is just the worst thing that could happen—for her dad to start dating her. To her, maybe not for him. But I think she’ll be mad.
As for Scott, who plays Gabriel, theAmerican Piealum mentioned thathis character wouldn’t be too surprisedby the development. Considering that Gabriel works for Matt, as Scott explains in the quote below, he would have seen some of the flirtation between Matt and Eve:
Gabriel has had a different experience than Riley because there’s been so much back-and-forth flirtation in the car shop. So I would imagine that he wouldn’t be too surprised.
What The Shifting Gears Finale Means For The Show
It Goes Back To The Premiere
In the debut ofShifting Gears, which is helmed by Michelle Nader, the daughter and father duo have a heart-to-heart about the difficulty of moving forward after the death of the family matriarch. She acted as a buffer between Riley and Matt, often the peacemaker, and it’s clear that they don’t fully know how to move forward now that she’s gone. Riley’s hurt feelings may be about her job becoming more complicated, theremay be more going on underneath the surface.
Barrett Margolis
Georgia
The family dynamics inShifting Gears, generally, need clarification. There is a budding relationship between Riley and Gabriel, coupled with the fact that Riley may not be completely over her ex-husband.Shifting Gearsseason 2 is not officially renewed, but considering that it’s one of ABC’s biggest hits, an official renewal announcement is likely. If so, that would mean that season 2 will further tackle this new development, with Riley, at some point, confronting her dad about the kiss.
Our Take On The Shifting Gears Ending
It Mixes Things Up
It’s not yet known how long Elfman will stick around onShifting Gears. But while she’s there, the goal is that her character might help to illuminate the relationship between Riley and Matt. In that sense, the kiss in the finale already does the job of altering the sitcom in a significant way and setting up the states for a very likely season 2.
