UNCLE SAM
Matt’s son, Sam, stops by to visit his dad and sister. He’s been serving in the Navy but plans to leave the military to pursue a different career path that will jeopardize his “golden boy” status in the eyes of his father. Meanwhile, Riley gets a rude awakening about one of Andy’s less than desirable habits.
Warning: Spoilers below
Golden Boy
Sam Parker, played by Luke MacFarlane, arrives to visit his father and sister. Matt keeps trying to guess where his son is serving in the Navy. It’s clear Matt is incredibly proud of the path his son chose as he constantly touts that Sam is on the path to being an Admiral, something he’s wanted since he was a kid. Riley is also excited to see her brother but isn’t fond of how her father fawns over her brother. Everything looks perfect from the outside, but something is clearly brewing.
Disney/Raymond Liu
Sam is very deflective of Matt’s attempts to learn more about him. But he also steps up to be a good uncle to Georgia. She’s certain that Carter took her video game and she wants to get him to admit it. Sam gives her some interrogation advice. He’s also Gabe’s favorite person in the world, even more than Riley or Matt, so Sam really is the Golden Boy.
Karaoke
Riley and Sam decide to have a party at a local karaoke club. Gabe is there with his girlfriend, Amelie. Stitch is also there. The friends are having a great time enjoying the music and how good or bad they are as singers. Stitch is manning the music and is guiding the party, until Andy shows up. That’s when things change.
Disney/Raymond Liu
Andy brings a guitar to the karaoke bar. He starts performing his own music while singing classic songs. When he requests one song from Stitch, the DJ slash car customizer tells him he could save him from himself but decides to let him make a fool of himself. This leads to Riley being mortified, Amelie quickly dropping the small crush she had on Andy upon meeting him, and Gabe ends up having the time of his life as his frustration with Andy quickly vanishes. Sam even slips out of the bar because he has some news he’s been sitting on.
Bombshell
Sam tells Riley he’s leaving the Navy. She wants to be there when he tells their dad so she can have a chance to become the new favorite child. The next morning, Matt brings up the Navy again and Riley hints that Sam needs to tell his dad his plans. Sam tells Matt he’s leaving the Navy. This upsets Matt a little bit but he’s pushed over the edge when Sam tells Matt what he wants to do. Sam wants to become an actor. This bombshell even sends Riley for a lop since she only knew that he was leaving the Navy.
Disney/Raymond Liu
Matt responds in the way he takes almost all bad news, shutting down. He tells Sam he supports his decision, then tells him that’s acting. The father and son have further discussions. Eventually Matt accepts Sam’s decision. Sam shows off his improv skills and the rest of the Parkers are not exactly impressed. However, Gabe is there to support his friend and acts like Sam can do no wrong.
What’s Next?
After hearing about Riley’s older, perfect brother, it was nice to put a face to the character. It’s a perfectly fine episode to a perfectly fine show. One child seems to be able to do no wrong until he makes a decision with which a parent doesn’t agree. We’ve seen it previously and we’ll see it again. No new ground was covered and it’s still an enjoyable enough sitcom. I really want this show to be more fun. I laugh. I like it. It just doesn’t rise to the level of love.
Check out Shifting Gears on ABC, Hulu and Disney Plus.
Article Written By: Jeremy Brown for Stelmach Brown Media 2026
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