Jesse Williams Joins Shifting Gears Season 2

The garage doors are open and the ABC sitcom Shifting Gears is revving back to life for its second season with a brand new face joining the crew. Grey’s Anatomy alum Jesse Williams has officially entered the shop (in a recurring role), and fans are already buzzing louder than a V8 engine on premiere night. Williams’s addition gives the Tim Allen and Kat Dennings comedy a fresh spark, setting the stage for what could be its most entertaining season yet.

Season 2 of Shifting Gears, which premiered October 1, 2025, continues to follow Tim Allen’s Matt Parker, a gruff but lovable auto shop owner trying to keep his family business from completely stalling out. Kat Dennings returns as his sharp-tongued daughter Riley, whose millennial energy constantly clashes with her dad’s old-school ways. Enter Jesse Williams as Andy, a charming single dad who quickly becomes entangled in Riley’s chaotic orbit. Romantic tension? Check. Emotional baggage? Double check. Comic gold? Absolutely.

We expect that Williams will slide into this ensemble with the effortless charisma that made him a fan favorite at Grey Sloan Memorial. His chemistry with Dennings should hopefully give the show a boost of sincerity beneath its fast-paced humor. While Season 1 found its footing in family-driven laughs, Season 2 seems ready to shift into higher emotional gear.

The supporting cast, Seann William Scott, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, Maxwell Simkins, and Barrett Margolis, round out the team, each bringing their own brand of comedic fuel to the engine. Yet it’s Williams’s arrival that turns Shifting Gears from a fun pit stop into a full-on road trip worth watching.

If you’ve been sleeping on Shifting Gears, now’s the time to tune in. Between Tim Allen’s signature gruff dad energy, Kat Dennings’s snark, and Jesse Williams’s smooth new energy, Season 2 might just be the show’s sweetest ride yet.

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