Shifting Gears Isn't On This Week, So I Need To Share My Biggest Hopes For Kat Dennings' Riley

Shifting Gears is taking a break this week, but don't worry; it'll be back on the 2025 TV schedule soon. This week presents the perfect opportunity to catch up on previous episodes with a Hulu subscription, or if you're all current like me, to think about the story so far. I've grown quite attached to Kat Dennings' Riley, and had to share my hopes for her story.

Dennings is loving her return to comedy sitcoms, and I'm not surprised, given how much she has to work with when it comes to Riley. The character is going through a lot amidst a divorce, moving back in with her estranged father, and getting her children settled in a new city, but she does her best to keep it all moving. With that said, I can see her story moving in a few different directions and had to express my hopes for her character for future episodes.

I Hope Riley Doesn't Get Back Together With Jimmy

With Riley facing many new struggles in moving in with her father, Matt (Tim Allen), I wonder if she'll feel tempted to reconcile with her ex-husband, Jimmy (Lucas Neff). In Jimmy's one appearance so far, we've seen him eager to get back together with Riley and return to being a rockstar with his family on the road.

While Riley is adamant that leaving Jimmy is the best decision, she struggles in her new life at Shifting Gears. I hope I'm wrong, but I feel she could feel compelled to try to return to a life she was once comfortable with, if only for a little while.

I'm Also Hopeful Riley Steers Clear Of Seann William Scott's Gabriel

Tim Allen's return to primetime television has many of the classic tropes of a sitcom, including a "will they, won't they" storyline between Kat Dennings' Riley and Seann William Scott's Gabriel. Shifting Gears seems intent on teasing a romance between these two. Right now, it feels like that's far away from happening, and if I'm being honest, I'm not sure I want to see that.

I'd much prefer Riley and Gabe being best buddies who can confide in each other at work. Maybe I'll have a change of heart as the season goes on and new details arise, but probably not.

I Really Hope Riley Can Overcome Her Insecurities About Starting Over In Life

I hated seeing how upset Riley was when meeting up with her old friend Caitlyn (Brenda Song), and ultimately leaving dinner because of her insecurities about starting over in life. Anyone who has had to "reboot" their life in their 30s can attest to this, and the sensitivity they may have to others whilst going through it. It's not easy, but even with all that's going against her, Riley is not a failure.

While Riley is going through some hard times, she's picking up the pieces and ultimately getting her life together to set up a future for herself and her children. Add all that on top of the fact that she's navigating reuniting with her father after years of estrangement and coping with the death of her mother and man; she's going through a lot.

Overall, I'm very excited to see more of Riley on Shifting Gears, and given Tim Allen and Kat Dennings' funny responses to the #1 new comedy news, I think we'll see her character undergo many changes. Here's hoping all her future decisions are for the best, though given how sitcoms usually go, I have a feeling she'll have a few missteps along the way. I can't help but think she may try to go back to her ex-husband despite her insistence that the marriage is over.

Shifting Gears returns to ABC with a new episode on Wednesday, February 26th at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm eager to see the rest of Season 1, and I'm crossing my fingers for more scenes of Kat Dennings dancing after that hilarious moment in a recent episode.