Is Jenna Elfman’s Eve Leaving Shifting Gears? The Fall Finale Drops the Clearest Clue Yet

If you watched the Shifting Gears Season 2 fall finale and went, 'Wait, did they just write Eve off?' you are not alone. The episode tees up a big, emotional left turn for Matt and Eve, and yeah, it looks like an exit. But it is not that simple.

Quick reset for anyone catching up: Shifting Gears is the Tim Allen sitcom where he plays Matt Parker, a dad figuring out life while his daughter Riley (Kat Dennings) moves back home with her kids after a divorce. Along the way, Matt falls for Eve Drake (Jenna Elfman), who runs a nearby shop. Their relationship is one of the show’s anchors this season.

What went down in the fall finale

The episode, titled 'Nutcracker,' starts with a high note and ends with a gut punch. Matt finally tells Eve he loves her. Minutes later, she drops a curveball: she is leaving the country for a while to work as a choreographer for a K-pop group. It is a surprising pivot for a character we have known mostly as a small-business owner, and it hits Matt hard. They break up, amicably but definitively, and he supports her decision even while it clearly stings.

So... is Eve gone for good?

Not necessarily. Eve tells Matt she might swing back into town once in a while, which is TV speak for 'door not closed.' There has been no official announcement from Jenna Elfman or from the show about a permanent exit. And the showrunner is hinting the relationship is not finished, just getting bumpy.

'I will say that it is really interesting to watch them. It is interesting to watch their relationship develop, and so they are going to go into high gear — but it is going to be a little bit of a roller-coaster.'

- Michelle Nader to US Weekly

Translation: expect turbulence, not a series wrap.

Where things stand right now

• In 'Nutcracker,' Eve tells Matt she is leaving the country for a while to choreograph for a K-pop act.
• Matt tells her he loves her; they break up, and he supports her choice.
• Eve says she may come back occasionally, leaving the door open for future appearances.
• No official word from Jenna Elfman or the show about Eve exiting permanently.
• Showrunner Michelle Nader says the Matt-Eve storyline is headed for 'high gear' and a 'roller-coaster,' suggesting more to come.

Bottom line

Do not count Jenna Elfman out just yet. The story is clearly engineered to create space and stakes, not to slam the door shut. We will see how much of Eve we get when the show returns after the holidays. The next episode drops January 7, 2026 on Hulu.