Danger
Riley finally puts herself out there to start dating again but must navigate a new world where dating apps are all the rage. Meanwhile, Matt tries to help Carter face his fears about a raccoon in the back yard.
Warning: Spoilers below.
Back in the Game
Stitch is talking about the many dating apps he’s on when he finds Riley’s profile on one. Gabe initially thinks someone is catfishing as her until Stitch points out that a catfish wouldn’t mention being divorced or a mother. This leads to Gabe and Stitch partially picking on Riley but also showing concern for what dating someone she meets through an app could mean. Stitch also checks in with Riley seeing if this means she’s gotten over the feelings she had for Gabe that she was ready to act on when she learned he was dating Amalie.
Disney/Raymond Liu
Riley makes her dating profile a little more creative while acknowledging her situation and coming closer to admitting her real age. She then accepts a date which leads to Gabe becoming increasingly more watchful over her. Plus, Georgia puts a lot more fear into Riley when she gets worried about her mother actually going out to meet someone she met through an app. Of course, Georgia’s fears are heightened because she listens to true crime podcasts.
On a Date
Riley arrives to the date and finds Gabe sitting at the bar. He’s there to make sure she’s okay. She meets Tom and the two seem to be having an okay time on the date. Stitch comes in and talks to Gabe and asks him if he’s still got feelings for Riley. By this point, Gabe is several mojitos in and is trying to talk about how he can’t have feelings for Riley since he’s with Amalie, but he keeps calling them both his girlfriend.
Disney/Raymond Liu
A couple of cops walk in and Tom starts acting a bit weird. Unfortunately, this is when Gabe and Stitch decide to leave, because from where they’re sitting, the date seems to be going well. When Tom hints they could go somewhere else, Riley tries to text for help but ends up sending the text to Tom. He asks if he’s giving off “murderer” vibes and then she starts venting about everything she’s experiencing. He explains that he’s actually a cop and the two officers who came in are friends of his and he didn’t want to deal with a bit of teasing from them. But Riley unloading all her problems has made him not want to continue the date, something that Riley completely understands.
Trash Panda
While Riley is focused on her dating life, Carter is afraid to take out the trash, because he saw a raccoon out there. Matt forces him to try again, and he runs into the racoon again. Everyone goes out to check on him and they eventually scare it away. Matt decides he’s going to help Carter face his fears, but Carter calls an exterminator to handle the situation. Matt sends the exterminator away and helps set up a raccoon trap. Matt talks to Carter about his own dad and the way he looked up to him. Eventually, the raccoon returns, but Carter has eaten the snacks for the trap and Matt snaps on him, and Carter tells him he can’t be the grandson Matt wants him to be.
Disney/Raymond Liu
Eventually, Matt and Carter talk to each other about what happened. Matt is used to things a certain way and has a hard time accepting different ways. Still, he loves his grandson and doesn’t want to push his grandson into something Carter isn’t comfortable doing. He recognizes that his father often pushed him into things he shouldn’t have been doing and works to have a better relationship with his grandson. The Parkers call the exterminator who catches the raccoon and Carter takes time to meet the rodent. He sees the raccoon as not so scary and tells the exterminator to let it go. She does and the raccoon runs right into the house.
What’s Next?
Another perfectly fine episode of a perfectly fine television show. It’s reasonably funny if you like Tim Allen’s brand of humor. He does play the gruff everyman with a heart of gold really well. But, at this point, much like Last Man Standing, the show just keeps retreading where we’ve already been with him, meaning we need more from the other characters. Matt can be more interesting with his relationship with his grandchildren and with Eve. Riley’s friendship with Gabe and Stitch makes for entertaining segments. It’s a fine way to spend 30 minutes but nothing will blow your doors off.
Check out Shifting Gears on ABC, Hulu and Disney Plus.
Article Written By: Jeremy Brown for Stelmach Brown Media 2025
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