I'm Loving Shifting Gears Season 2 So Far, But I Hope We Get Way More Of Georgia Soon

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Shifting Gears episode "Loyalty." Stream the episode with a Hulu subscription, and read at your own risk!

Shifting Gears is six episodes into its Season 2 run in the 2025 TV schedule, and Tim Allen and Kat Dennings' series is doing many things right. We've gotten some great celebrity cameos and even callbacks to classic '90s sitcoms. That's all fantastic, but I still think there's room for improvement when it comes to the ABC sitcom.

There's a lot to love when it comes to Shifting Gears, but I think the show has cast one of its best stars aside, perhaps unintentionally. As someone who has watched from the start, I'd love to see more of Barrett Margolis' Georgia, and I feel underwhelmed by her presence in Season 2 thus far.

Barrett Margolis' Georgia Needs More Screentime

I had high hopes this year when Shifting Gears had a Georgia-centric episode early when Lilly Singh was a guest star, but that was only a blip in a season that has been more focused on Matt's relationship with Eve, and Riley's new venture running a coffee shop. Time between that has either gone to Carter's adventures in the workforce, or whatever is happening with Gabe and Stitch at the shop.

As much as I enjoy that stuff, I feel like I'm being robbed of Georgia's cutting wit and a character that feels grossly underused on a weekly basis. More often than not, she's caught up in some adventure that took place primarily offscreen and given a couple of insults to throw out. Barrett Margolis has rocked what little she's been given so far. I wish that Shifting Gears' writers would give her more to do.

Does Shifting Gears Have Too Many Stories Going On?

I think part of the problem, as readers might've picked up on, is that Shifting Gears has a lot going on for a 30-minute sitcom. Each episode often has a story for Matt and Riley, and more often than not in Season 2, their stories aren't intertwined. Then there's usually at least one other story unfolding on top of that.

Given that, maybe it's a wonder certain other cast members get a speaking part at all some weeks. As much as I liked the fact that Shifting Gears moved Riley out of the garage and into her own business, it seems like the episodes work to ensure both she and Matt get an equal amount of screen time.

I'm not sure what the solution to the problem is, but I do know that Shifting Gears has a talented cast. Unfortunately, the fact that it features two stars in Tim Allen and Kat Dennings, who are both capable of running a series on their own, might play to its detriment, as the series is hampered by the task of finding time for both. Here's hoping they find the balance soon, and characters like Georgia get more of a spotlight.

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Shifting Gears is on a bit of a break after this latest episode, but be sure to catch up on Season 2 thus far on Hulu. The A+ cameos alone are worth the price of admission, any minor gripes I have about other elements aside.