Shifting Gears (2x10) ⁞⁞ Episode Spotlight

Appropriately titled "Friend," Episode 10 of the second season of the ABC comedy Shifting Gears began with leading man Matt (Tim Allen) got a surprise visitor at his car restoration business. After meeting Pete (Tuc Watkins) at her coffee stand outside, Matt's daughter Riley brought him in to see Matt, leading to a reunion as Pete was revealed to be an old high school football teammate. The two took some time to catch up, and when Matt inquired about Pete's family, he revealed that he has been married to his husband, Damien, for 15 years. Matt wasn't too surprised, as he brought up their time in high school, joking about everyone knowing Pete was gay, even back then. After sharing a few more pleasant laughs, Pete invited Matt to come to an art exhibition that Damien was hosting at his art gallery. Later, Matt & Riley arrived and Pete introduced them to Damien (Jim Rash). The meeting between Damien & Matt was prickly as Damien was unamused by Matt's humor. 

When he questioned Matt's knowledge of art, things got a bit more tense. Matt attempted to downplay things and Riley wondered if he wasn't matching Damien's attitude because Damien was gay. Matt told her that it was a no-win situation and he would rather ignore it and leave. Riley encouraged him to treat Damien the way he would treat anyone else who was being a snob. Matt then revealed his extensive knowledge of art, as a way of confronting Damien over his behavior. Despite Pete's efforts to keep things light and fun, the situation was left on a sour note as Matt left early after pointing out that the art in Damien's gallery were more copies of better artists and he didn't appreciate Damien's judgmental attitude about his business. However, the episode ended on a positive note as Pete & Damien paid Matt a visit at work, where Damien revealed that he liked hearing someone's true thoughts about art and he appreciated being challenged by Matt. The two then shared a moment, admiring one of the vintage cars.