Shifting Gearsis Tim Allen’s new sitcom, which is built on his character’s contentious relationship with his daughter.Shifting Gearshas garnered high viewership numbers because of Tim Allen’s established sitcom goodwill. However, most ofShifting Gears’ critical reviews are poor, criticizing the father-daughter clash as too straightforward a premise that lacks originality. Allen as Matt and Kat Dennings as his daughter Riley leadthe cast ofShifting Gears, but the focus of the show is on Matt and Riley’s fraught relationship after Riley moves home 15 years after running away with her now ex-husband.
Matt and Riley’s constant bickering feels circular after only three episodes ofShifting Gears, but by contrast, another freshman sitcom,Going Dutch, presents a charged father-daughter relationship with fresh energy. InGoing Dutch, battle-loving Colonel Patrick Quinn (Denis Leary) is assigned as a punishment to America’s peaceful service base in Stroopsdorf, Netherlands, where his estranged daughter serves as Captain.WhileShifting Gearsfeels repetitive in its central conflict,Going Dutchbenefits from characters with clearer objectives,allowing each episode to explore a new dimension of their ongoing tension, supported by a memorable ensemble cast.
Tim Allen And Kat Dennings’s Shifting Gears Characters Are Aimless Compared To Colonel & Captain Quinn In Going Dutch
Leads Having Clear But Opposing Goals Brings A Narrative Thrust To Going Dutch
Shifting Gearshas high viewership numbersbut poor reviews because there is a lack of momentum. Riley is generally trying to get her life together and find her new purpose, while Matt was content at work and at home before Riley interrupted his solitary widower life. Because there is no overarching plot or goal, the episodes depend entirely on the main characters, and Matt and Riley are perpetually in conflict. As a result,the episodes ofShifting Gearsblend togetherwithout any specific element really standing out.
New episodes ofGoing Dutchair Thursdays 9:30 ET on Fox, streaming next day on Hulu/Disney+. New episodes ofShifting Gearsair Wednesdays at 8p ET on ABC, streaming next day on Hulu/Disney+.
Conversely, inGoing Dutch, Denis Leary’s Colonel Quinn desperately wants to get out of Stroopsdorf while his daughter, Captain Maggie Quinn, is fiercely guarding the bonds she has built with the Dutch community and stands vigilantly against her father’s attempts to turn the service base into a combat base.Because Col. Quinn and Maggie each have an ideology, every episode feels like a move on a chessboard.With four episodes ofGoing Dutchreleased, each installment feels like a distinct piece of a larger story, with small victories marking incremental changes in Quinn and Maggie’s relationship.
Going Dutch’s Supporting Characters Are More Memorable Than Shifting Gears’
Community’s Danny Pudi & The Office’s Catherine Tate Play Small But Fun Roles In Going Dutch
Shifting Gearshas introduced a handful of supporting characters, like the mechanics at Matt’s shop, but the show has been a true two-hander, with other characters used more as set-ups for jokes. The only secondary character who has been given enough screen time to feel three-dimensional is Brenda Song’s character Caitlyn Baker, Riley’s old classmate.Shifting Gearscould benefit from fleshing out their supporting charactersto alleviate pressure from Matt and Riley carrying the show. Many ofTV’s best sitcomstake time to develop, and with only three episodes released,Shifting Gearshas time to find its footing.
Ally in Dave (2020-2023)
Dr. Katja Vanderhoff
Catherine Tate
Donna Noble in Doctor Who (2006, 2008), Nellie Bertram in The Office (2011-2013)
On the other hand,Going Dutchmakes each supporting character vibrant and memorable, giving Quinn and Riley dynamic personalities to play off of together and apart.Going Dutchgives sitcom veterans likeCommunity’s Danny Pudi orThe Office’s Catherine Tate room to shine, with Tate delivering a standout performance as a particularly eccentric character, Dr. Katja Vanderhoff, a local Dutch woman who Quinn thinks runs a brothel but actually runs an immigration office for sex workers. Even the featured soldiers have distinct personalities creating a stronger base to feature Quinn and Maggie’s evolving relationship inGoing Dutch.
Going Dutch
Cast
Going Dutch follows an arrogant U.S. Army Colonel who is reassigned to an insignificant army base in the Netherlands after a controversial outburst. As he navigates his new command, he faces unexpected challenges in this comedic exploration of military life and personal growth.
Shifting Gears
Shifting Gears is a drama about Matt, a widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. Matt’s estranged daughter Riley and her teenage children move into his home, challenging him to rebuild both familial and personal connections.
