Diksha Sundriyal
ABC’s ‘Shifting Gears‘ follows the story of Matt Parker, a recent widower who runs an auto shop, whose life goes through a massive change after his daughter, Riley, and her two children move in with him. Due to the complicated nature of the father-daughter relationship, there is a tug-of-war between them, especially when it comes to the rules that Riley and her kids need to follow while living under her father’s roof.
The second season sees her taking her first steps towards freedom as she focuses on her own career and even starts thinking about getting a place of her own. Meanwhile, her romantic life also goes through a massive upheaval, mirroring the conflicts that her father faces in his own personal life. These conflicts and struggles will continue in the third season, which was renewed in April 2026. Given the show’s release track record, the third season is expected to air sometime in fall 2026.
A New Character in Shifting Gears Season 3 Will Shake Up the Parker Household
The Season 2 finale of ‘Shifting Gears’ packs many punches. To begin with, it finally brings Matt to the realization that Eve is the one for him. In the first two seasons, we see him trying to get back in the dating pool while still mourning the death of his beloved wife. He forms a strong bond with Eve but is still unsure about fully committing to it, especially since her career puts her on the move. At the end of the second season, Eve briefly returns to town, resurfacing Matt’s feelings for her and leading him to join her on the next plane as she continues her tour. Meanwhile, Riley breaks up with Andy, while Gabe breaks up with Amelie. For a minute, it seems that it’s finally time for them to be together.
However, Andy hasn’t given up on Riley yet, which means she has quite a choice to make. Another interesting thing that the finale presents to the audience is Sam Parker. So far, he’d just been name-dropped several times. It was mentioned that he was in the Navy, and Matt was quite proud of him for that. But now, the prodigal son has returned, revealing that he is quitting the Navy. This means that another Parker will join an already chaotic household. In the third season, we will see him take a more prominent role, especially as he starts to understand the current dynamics, especially between his father and sister. Whatever balance the father and daughter had achieved might be upturned with Sam’s arrival.
Her brother’s return might also make Riley more focused on getting her own place, as living in the same space as her father and brother might become too much. This is especially true when her love life is taking one surprising turn after another. Notably, Sam and Gabe are also great friends, so it will be interesting to see how Sam’s return affects Gabe and Riley’s dynamic. Meanwhile, Matt’s commitment to Eve might finally have him settle down a bit in the romantic department. There won’t be any more quirky dates for him. However, with both his children at home together, he has a lot more on his plate than before.
Shifting Gears Season 3 Will Bring Back the Main Cast
The third season of ‘Shifting Gears’ will continue to explore the stories of Tim Allen’s Matt Parker and Kat Dennings’ Riley. The regular cast members like Seann William Scott as Gabriel, Daryl Chill Mitchell as Stitch, Maxwell Simkins as Carter, and Barrett Margolis as Georgia are also expected to reprise their roles. With Matt and Eve getting back together, we might see a lot more of Jenna Elfman. Another character to recur prominently in Season 3 would be Luke Macfarlane as Sam Parker. It remains to be seen whether he will continue to be in a guest role or if he will become a regular member of the show.
Interestingly, the second season ends with Andy still vying for Riley’s love, which means that Jesse Williams may stick around for a recurring role. However, it will entirely depend on what choice Riley ends up making. As for Carson Fagerbakke’s Amelie, things don’t seem so hopeful after Gabe breaks up with her. Apart from this, new cast members are expected to join the show as the story expands and more people become entangled with the drama and chaos of the Parker family.
Read More: Shifting Gears: Is Parker Custom Cars a Real Shop?
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