How The Shifting Gears Season 2 Finale Sets The Stage For Potential Season 3 On ABC

TVLINE | The Christmas episode really stood out to me, especially that breakup scene between Matt and Eve. Since the finale reunites them just a few episodes later, what was the intention behind that temporary split, and what did you want both characters to learn in the time apart?
I really wanted this romance — especially for people who are a little older — to feel real. I actually date a widower, and the way he approaches the loss of his wife really informed this story. He truly loved her, and he’s the kind of person who wouldn’t just jump into another relationship. He’s very loyal, very much about love being forever.

So when Matt meets Eve, it’s unexpected — that’s sort of the first round. What we were really chasing was: What are the challenges of relationships later in life? Eve is a career person. She has her own life. And the question became, can a guy like Matt do a long-distance relationship?

The line we wanted him to say was that he already loves someone he can’t be with and he can’t do that again. That felt very poignant to us, and that’s why that moment landed the way it did. But then he’s alone. He misses her. He goes on that date. And the universe brings her back.

The fact that Matt is willing to go to another country — that’s a huge step for him. That willingness is a really beautiful statement about him pushing past his own fears and comfort zone.

TVLINE | You spent a lot of Season 2 slowly integrating Eve into the Parker family — not just through Matt, but through her relationships with Riley and Georgia as well. How intentional was that from the start, in terms of making her feel like part of the show’s larger ecosystem rather than just Matt’s romantic partner?
Very intentional. When you start dating someone who has a family, you’re really dating the whole family. Eve also already knew Riley, so that was part of it.

It was funny — Georgia likes her more because, obviously, she’s so cool, and then Riley gets jealous and does the whole “you can’t replace my mom” thing, even though what she’s really feeling like she is being replaced. All of that is based on real stuff.

That’s what we want to do in a sitcom. These are real people and real situations. It’s funny, but it’s also true — and that’s where the best stories come from.

TVLINE | Having shown us Matt and Eve both apart and back together this season, does that change how you think about writing them going forward? Is there a sense that the show has now earned the right to let them stay together, rather than using the relationship as a constant source of conflict?

Yes, exactly. I don’t think this is a “will they or won’t they” anymore. They are in it now. The question becomes: How do they make it work?

Eve still has a career. She still travels. She has friends and family. She and Matt are very different people. So now we get to explore a relationship where Matt is very rigid in certain ways, and Eve has a completely different personality.

That’s where the story lives now. It’s not if they’ll be together. It’s how.