‘Shifting Gears’ Boss Teases Matt & Emma’s Romance & What’s Next in Season 2

ABC’s Shifting Gears returns for its second season on Wednesday, October 1, and Tim Allen and Jenna Elfman’s characters are set for a bumpy ride as they take their romance to new heights.

Speaking to Us Weekly at the ABC Summer Soirée on Friday (September 5), showrunner Michelle Nader teased what’s to come for Matt (Allen) and Eve (Elfman) after they shared a kiss in the Season 1 finale. While Nader promised the relationship would kick “into high gear,” she also warned there would be lots of ups and downs along the way.

“I will say that it is really interesting to watch them,” Nader told the outlet when speaking about Matt and Eve’s blossoming romance. “It’s interesting to watch their relationship develop, and so they’re going to go into high gear — but it’s going to be a little bit of a roller-coaster.”

Shifting Gears premiered on January 8, 2025, and centers on Allen’s Matt, a widower who runs an auto restoration shop with his estranged daughter, Riley (Kat Dennings). Elfman plays Riley’s boss, Eve, while Seann William Scott plays Riley’s love interest, Gabriel.

The first season featured nods and Easter eggs to each actor’s career, which Nader told Us Weekly was “very intentional,” adding, “We felt like we really wanted to slow play these relationships in a romantic comedy way. So yes, you’re going to see some real results from those Easter eggs.”

In April 2025, ABC renewed Shifting Gears for a second season, and Elfman is super excited to be able to continue being a part of the sitcom.

“I’m loving doing the show. I love working with everybody on it. I love the showrunner,” she said at the ABC Summer Soirée event. “It genuinely is like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop because I can’t believe how good it is. I’m very excited for everyone to see it.”

Elfman, who is perhaps best known for playing Dharma on the ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg, went on to say she is “blown away” by the writing for Season 2. “The stories are sincerely hilarious. Like, at work, we’re all doubled over laughing repeatedly,” she added. “So that makes me very excited for everyone at home because I know they’re going to have a great laugh with their family.”

Shifting Gears, Season 2, Premieres, Wednesday, October 1, 8 pm ET, ABC