‘Shifting Gears’: Tim Allen Accidentally Reveals Matt’s Relationship Status Ahead of Season 3

Did Tim Allen just spoil his Shifting Gears character’s relationship status? The actor talked about Jenna Elfman, who plays his love interest on the show, and her future on the ABC sitcom after she signed on to lead another show.

Allen plays Matt Parker, the widowed car shop owner who is dealing with his daughter and grandchildren moving in with him after her divorce. However, he is also trying to date again and has found a relationship with Eve Drake (Elfman). The two have been on-again, off-again throughout the series.

In the Season 2 finale, the pair seemingly got back together, and Matt jetted off with Eve as she continued to choreograph a world tour. While the finale left their relationship status open, because who knows if them being on the road together would work out, Allen seemingly confirmed that the couple will stay together.

When talking to Us Weekly, they asked him if Elfman would return due to her new role. Allen replied, “I just saw Jenna. We went to see No Doubt with a whole group of people at The Sphere in Vegas. She said, ‘Now this is gonna only work for them if I can do eight episodes with you.’ And I said, ‘God, I’m glad that you said this.’”

“I love doing the show, and I love what we’ve got. I’m amazed that they’re able to do this. But they’ve got it set up that she’ll be in most of the season,” he said. Seasons 1 and 2 had 10 and 13 episodes each, so if Season 3 follows suit, Elfman will be in most of the season.

If Matt and Eve broke up, she’d most likely be in one or two episodes to show their breakup and let Matt get his closure, but this implies that the two of them are staying together. Although nothing is confirmed yet, their relationship seems to be going strong.

“She’s so fun to be around, and it’s brought out a whole different part of the show. It brought a different audience to that show. … You’ve got romance for the people that want that on the show, and it turns out the flirting and the actual activity between these two characters is working,” Allen continued.

Although the cast won’t start filming Season 3 until July, which is set to premiere in early 2027, Allen has some questions about what Elfman’s comment means for the characters’ futures. “My question is — and we haven’t talked about it yet because we’ll start in late July to do our new season — is Jenna going to move in with me, or am I going to move in with her [on the show]? I don’t know. I’d like to stretch it out where we’re just dating a little bit,” he told Us Weekly.

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“I said I don’t foresee it coming, but [showrunner] Michelle [Nader] and her team surprised me again. I’m uncomfortable with it — because I’m a comedian — so I don’t know where this goes. It doesn’t matter; it’s working. It makes a dynamic sitcom move a little bit wider, definitely.”

In May, Elfman revealed her fate at the Fox Upfronts, saying that she could “go play on Shifting Gears,” but the number of episodes was unknown at the time. Elfman is set to star in the new series The Interrogator, alongside Luke Kleintank and Michael Beach as series regulars, according to Deadline. The 12-episode series will see her play Woodrow, a former rising star in the CIA whose career was derailed after a mission went awry.

The actress said that she would even love to have Allen make an appearance on her new show. “[Having Tim Allen on] would be very entertaining. He’s very funny, and I think Stephen interrogating Tim Allen [would be cool],” she said.

Shifting Gears fans will have to wait until 2027 to find out how it all plays out.

Shifting Gears, Season 3, TBD 2027, ABC, stream past seasons on Hulu