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A familiar face recently re-entered Tim Allen’s world, but not through his car-centric series Shifting Gears. Instead, the surprise came in the form of a nostalgic reunion from his beloved sitcom days.
It has been four years since Last Man Standing concluded its nine-season journey, and Allen was in for a delightful surprise when Kaitlyn Dever, who portrayed his on-screen daughter Eve Baxter, paid him an unexpected visit. The heartwarming encounter was captured and shared by the official Shifting Gears Instagram account, quickly turning into a moment of pure comedy gold.
As seen in the video clip, Allen casually enters the kitchen set, clearly anticipating finding Kat Dennings, his current TV daughter, looking through the fridge. Instead, Dever emerges from behind the refrigerator door in a surprise move akin to a jump scare, catching Allen completely off guard. The studio audience erupts with cheers and applause, creating the perfect sitcom-style chaos, as Allen embraces Dever in a heartfelt hug.
The audience warm-up host steps in to affirm what everyone is buzzing about: the presence of “the amazing Kaitlyn Dever,” who has since made a name for herself with Emmy-nominated roles in Hulu’s Dopesick and HBO’s The Last of Us. After warmly greeting Dennings, Dever shares another hug with Allen before making her exit.
The last time Allen and Dever shared the screen was during the 2021 finale of Last Man Standing, although their interaction was limited due to pandemic restrictions. Dever was occupied with filming for the Dear Evan Hansen movie, and due to strict COVID protocols, her scene had to be shot separately, with her appearing via FaceTime. Executive producer Kevin Abbott previously explained to TVLine, “The crew could be masked up, but the cast couldn’t, which left no time to follow proper quarantine procedures.”
Dever isn’t the first Last Man Standing alum to stop by Shifting Gears. The series previously welcomed Nancy Travis and Jay Leno, and Travis’ second episode even served as a mini Home Improvement reunion with Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn, and Debbe Dunning all appearing.
The show’s fall finale airs Wednesday, December 10 at 8 p.m. on ABC, with episodes hitting Hulu the next day.
