Shifting Gears Has To Fix This Unconvincing Storyline Or It Just Won’t Work

Shifting Gears made a big mistake regarding Riley and Gabe in the season 1 finale, but it can fix it. Shifting Gears season 1 only aired ten episodes, a common number for modern-day original network TV shows. For example, NBC’s American Auto aired ten episodes in season 1 before getting a 13-episode order, and Fox’s Going Dutch aired a ten-episode first season, something that’s becoming more prevalent for freshman seasons.

Shifting Gears will also have more episodes, moving up from ten to 13. This will give the ABC sitcom more time to explore the characters’ relationships, and one relationship, in particular, definitely needs more time to bloom. As such, Shifting Gears needs to rectify this season 1 error if it hopes to become a modern sitcom classic.

Riley & Gabe’s Almost-Kiss Came Too Soon In Shifting Gears Season 1

In the Shifting Gears season 1 premiere, Gabe establishes that he has a crush on Riley, feelings he’s had since they were kids. However, Riley dated and eventually married another high school classmate, shattering Gabe’s dreams of ever being with the woman he loves. Luckily for Gabe, Riley starts Shifting Gears single once again, giving him an opening.

At the end of the season 1 premiere, Riley and Gabe almost kiss, although Gabe stops it before anything can happen. This, unfortunately, happened way too soon in the series. Yes, Gabe has always had a crush on Riley, but there’s no indication in season 1 that she may feel the same way. The almost-kiss felt like it came out of nowhere.

There simply wasn’t enough tension or mutual interest to make the kiss worth it. That’s not to say that all near-kisses have to come after lots of romantic tension in a drawn-out timeline, but in the case of Shifting Gears, it didn’t feel earned. There just wasn’t enough time for audiences to buy into them as a couple for it to make an impact.

Riley & Gabe Need A Slow Burn

If Shifting Gears wants to incorporate a successful romance like its predecessors (Friends, How I Met Your Mother, and New Girl, to name a few), Riley and Gabe need a slow-burn relationship. Without the requisite tension, fans can’t root for their relationship. It’s not enough for Gabe to like Riley; we need to see Riley show genuine, sober interest in Gabe.

On New Girl, Jess and Nick didn’t kiss until the show’s 39th episode. On Friends, Ross and Rachel share a peck in episode 5, but they don’t experience their first passionate kiss, with the show’s 31st episode. In both of these examples, audiences had plenty of time to root for their favorite couples before finally getting satiated.

Riley and Gabe have massive potential as a couple. Because they went to high school together, they’re already very similar to Ross and Rachel. Gabe could be good for the receptionist, as he has a steady job and understands Riley’s wacky family. However, it’s hard to root for a couple we barely know.

Ten episodes isn’t enough time for two people to get together in a satisfying way. Luckily, Riley and Gabe didn’t actually get together. Since they didn’t actually kiss, Shifting Gears can walk back their relationship and build up the tension from scratch. If they do so, Riley and Gabe could be the next great love story.