Tires, the new Netflix comedy directed by Gillis himself, will be a must-see for Shane Gillis supporters. This might be the kind of comedy that can make you laugh so hard until your intestines loosen up, and you feel your abdominal muscles shake. In the same vein, followers of Cumtown and those adorable Stavros Halkias are expected to like it. As for the others…they may find it not very interesting in vogue as far as bromedies go. However, there is always an assembly of mostly straight white unhinged male individuals with anguished emotions bordering on chauvinism – possibly racist – who speak loudly in a tire shop; however there is just enough humor and plot premise to make this show work until the final 50,000-mile tread wears out dull.
Clearly Shane Gillis is having his moment right now and it remains to be seen how successful he will be. But Netflix has already signed Tires for another season betting on Gillis’ rising star power which began after he was infamously fired from Saturday Night Live even before he could kick start the show (He later went on hosting to mixed reviews; some people love him while others don’t care much about him.). It all happened because of some inappropriate jokes made in Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast where Gillis co-hosts with stand-up comedian Matt McCusker. Actually that podcast has approximately 80k patrons and reportedly makes around $180k per month.
This means that as at 2024 it could pass for a green flag series hence tires do not have universal appeal enough to make them attractive compared with other current corporate set comedies such as The Office or Abbott Elementary or Brooklyn Nine-Nine but they are either bearable or enjoyable depending on one’s sense of humor.
“We’re going to make a woman lug tires into the back?” asks one confused man in Valley Forge Automotive’s employ, Valley Forge Automotive, to his boss (Steve Gerbin), Will. Subsequently, Will advises his employees to keep their eyes on a fresh plan that will attract more female clients. “It means that women feel comfortable coming here, and the idea is…” “We make ‘em comfortable coming?” laughs Shane (played by, well, Shane Gillis).
That takes us through the first episode of Tires called “The Initiative”, which has our team crafting ways to interact with everybody from Asian customers to corporate politicos. Each of the season’s six episodes focuses on a singular theme— if you can call that a theme— and all of them feature Gillis’ style of humor which is a sort of laidback approach to life generally including existence itself as a whole. And anything. Made by Gillis, Gerben, John McKeever (Gilly and Keeves who also plays alongside Shane) –it swiftly establishes itself as one of those raunchy guys’ workplace comedies like The Bear. It’s just that The Bear has so much more depth, nuance and conflict that make it so much more well-rounded than this series.
Tires, like The Bear has two cousins at the front of its hurricane. One of the branch offices is now run by Will, a confused sycophant with no self-assurance. It could be said that cousin Shane is just another nail in Will’s tire since he constantly undermines him. Will is seeking for his father’s approval and there is always more than a hint that something bad may happen to the company. So enters Dave (Stavros Halkias), Will’s boss who can be seen on calls or occasionally popping in to give guidance.
However, Gillis’ presence from start to finish as well as his style of comedy are stamped on it. While Tires appears niche, one might ask what niche this really is if one watches closely enough. After careful consideration though, you might find yourself wondering whether Gillis came along after the already existing beaten down exhausted bro-y stereotype and still continues it or if Gillis himself created an intentionally not-woke bro in his writing.
This show cranked up the anguish level quite high. Deep inside, most of these men seem pissed off about something. However, this isn’t that type of series although it is an interesting avenue to explore.
It does have much of the comically heightened anxiety of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia but not its ability to create wacky situations and endearing characters that audiences love. If you want to be a bigot and misogynist you can do so; however show us a bit more than just that Archie Bunker was loved by audiences for many reasons on All in the Family as Norman Lear’s show boldly spoke about hot issues during its day.
Whatever it may be, there’s something attractive here; Giilis has all the spark and appeal of a star – perhaps even a 2020s star within an entertainment industry transforming with social media influencers at its center? But there are hints at larger story arcs later down the line, even if the show seems to be reluctant to spin too many plates. And for now, it is all about Will getting a handle on this Philadelphia branch office and keeping his team in check no matter how destructive the consequences.
The cast, which consists of Andrew Schulz, Chris O’Connor, Kilah Fox and especially Stavros Halkias are right on target creating a strong posse. This will be interesting to see how season two of this show plays out. It’s a decent enough ride while we wait. Tires has enough bounce in it to satisfy anyone. Netflix is streaming Tires.
Watch free movies on Fmovies
