Tim Allen is back in the driver's seat with the second season of his ABC sitcom Shifting Gears, which premiered this week to a mix of nostalgia and fresh laughs. The show, centering on a widower running a classic car shop who suddenly takes in his divorced daughter and grandkids, has quickly become a vehicle for Allen's signature gruff humor. Indeed, the season opener wasted no time pulling in familiar faces, starting with Nancy Travis, Allen's onscreen wife from the long-running Last Man Standing.
Travis, who played the level-headed Vanessa Baxter opposite Allen's Mike for nine seasons, guest-stars in the premiere as a character who playfully calls out Allen's Matt for his budding romance with Jenna Elfman's Eve. It's a cheeky nod to their past chemistry, and Travis has hinted she's open to more appearances, telling outlets she enjoyed the "family reunion" vibe on set. However, the episode doesn't shy away from poking fun at Allen's history of onscreen entanglements—a line where Travis dubs him a "slut" for juggling affections landed with the crowd, blending awkward family dynamics with self-aware comedy.
Moreover, the premiere expands the nostalgia tour by reuniting Allen with Patricia Richardson from Home Improvement, his first big sitcom hit. Richardson pops up in a cameo that stirs up old memories, while the core cast—Kat Dennings as the exasperated daughter Riley, Seann William Scott as the shop's quirky mechanic, and the kids played by Maxwell Simkins and Barrett Margolis—keeps the engine running. Daryl Mitchell's Stitch adds reliable comic relief, as always. The season promises 22 episodes, up from the first's 18, with showrunner Michelle Nader steering toward more heartfelt restorations amid the wrenches and oil stains.
Yet, one can't help but notice how reliant Shifting Gears seems on these callbacks; it's almost like Allen's workshop is a garage for recycling TV tropes. Still, the Valentine's Day episode from last season, where Travis first returned for an unconventional meet-cute, proved these reunions can spark genuine warmth. As the series shifts into higher gear, viewers might ponder whether leaning so heavily on the past will keep the ride engaging or just spin its wheels.