Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Shifting Gears season 1, episode 10!Shifting Gearsstar Kat Dennings has revealed the sitcom’s writers were “split into two camps” when it came to a “Riley and Jimmy relationship.” While the show focuses on Riley (Dennings) moving into her father Matt’s (Tim Allen) house with her kids, her ex-husband, Jimmy (Lucas Neff) has been trying to win back her affections. The relationships betweencharacters inShifting Gearsare important, making it powerful when season 1 ends by confirming they’re getting divorced. However, Jimmy is still renting close by, signaling it’s not the last Riley’s seen of him.
Speaking withScreenRant, Dennings explained howShifting Gears' writers were split about Riley and Jimmy’s relationship, with male and female writers seeing the situation differently. From her perspective, the actor believes her character has grown out of being unhappy with her ex-husband, originally not knowing how to escape. However, her affection for Gabriel (Seann William Scott) led her to realize she could be happy without Jimmy. Check out what Dennings had to say below:
ScreenRant: Riley’s been struggling with what she wants from Jimmy since he showed up earlier in the season. Do you believe she still had romantic feelings for him or was it purely about what would be best for the kids?
Kat Dennings: I really waffled about that with the writers too, because the writers were kind of split into two camps about the Riley and Jimmy relationship. It was interesting because the man writers thought one thing, and the lady writers thought another thing. And I thought the same as the lady writers. It was very interesting. It’s just interesting how men and women process these things.
But since I’m playing the character, I think I can just have final say on it. [Laughs] I felt like it had become so second nature to Riley to be with him. And she says in the episode that all she really has known is being unhappy with him, and it’s kind of part of her life and part of her identity. And I think they’ve grown apart so much that it’s just too obvious to her now that even staying with him for the kids is not possible for her.
I think she was with him for the kids for a long time just because she didn’t know what else to do. And I think that’s a pretty relatable situation for a lot of people. So yeah, I think it had finally become really obvious, maybe even through getting to know Gabriel more and seeing like, “Oh, someone could actually care about me and listen to something as small as my coffee order and remember it.” And just these small gestures that she hadn’t gotten from Jimmy ever, factored into her decision.
What Dennings' Statement Means For Riley’s Future After Jimmy
It’s Unlikely The Pair Are Getting Back Together
Throughout the show, Jimmy appears regularly, trying to win back his wife’s affections despite proving that he’s not capable of taking care of his family. He does love his family, even if he’s not a right fit for her, with him renting nearby showing he still wants to be part of their lives. ButRiley made a difficult yet important decision in divorcing her ex-husband, laying the groundwork for a possibleShifting Gearsseason 2that sees her building a new path for the future she needs.
“I Actually Squealed Out Loud”: Shifting Gears Season 1 Ending Unpacked By Kat Dennings & Seann William Scott
ScreenRant interviews Kat Dennings and Seann William Scott about Riley’s feelings for Gabriel and the Shifting Gears finale’s full-circle moment.
During the season 1 finale,Riley attempted to move on by trying to kiss Gabriel, something that he didn’t fully reciprocate. He said that they needed to wait to become more than friends, indicating that, while it’s not happening right now, it’s still a possibility on the table for season 2. SinceAllen’s newest comedyis building a story around its humorous moments, it seems like the show will return to their relationship later. For now, it’s clear Matt’s daughter wants to move on from Jimmy and forge ahead, no matter the uncertainty that lies in store.
Our Take On Riley & Jimmy’s Future In Shifting Gears
Season 2’s Big Changes Mean Bigger Storylines
Given how adamant she was about divorce, it doesn’t sound like Riley and Jimmy are getting back together in the future. The damage between the pair has already been done, meaning that, despite his attempts to put their life back together, it’s probably not going to work. This makes the prospect ofShifting Gearsseason 2 all the more intriguing, since Riley’s next chapter could end up being with Gabriel if the timing is right.
