Shane Gillis is having a moment. A massive one. After the whole SNL firing-then-hosting redemption arc, people were wondering if his brand of humor could actually sustain a full-length scripted show. Then came Tires season 1 on Netflix. It’s gritty. It’s loud. It feels like a show that shouldn’t exist in 2024, yet here we are.
It’s basically a workplace comedy set in a Valley Forge Automotive Center. If you’ve ever worked a blue-collar job or spent more than ten minutes in a waiting room smelling of burnt rubber and stale coffee, this show will feel hauntly familiar. It’s not "prestige TV." It doesn’t want to be. It’s just funny.
The Chaos of Valley Forge Automotive
The premise is simple enough. Will, played by Steven Gerben, is the nervous, socially awkward heir to an auto repair chain. He’s desperately trying to turn the business around while his cousin Shane (played by Gillis) spends 90% of his time relentlessly mocking him.
It’s a dynamic that works because it feels real. This isn't the polished, witty banter of The Office. It’s the kind of mean-spirited, brotherly love that involves constant "pantsing" and verbal berating. Honestly, the show lives or dies on the chemistry between Gerben and Gillis. Gerben plays the "straight man" with such a high level of physical anxiety that you almost feel itchy watching him.
The cast is rounded out by some heavy hitters in the stand-up world. You’ve got Chris O'Connor, Kilah Fox, and Stavros Halkias. If you know the Philly comedy scene, these names are royalty. Stavros, in particular, brings a specific kind of greasy energy that fits a tire shop perfectly. He plays a rival manager, and every time he’s on screen, the cringe factor spikes in the best way possible.
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Why Tires Season 1 Works When Others Fail
Most modern sitcoms try too hard to be "important." They want to have a message. They want to be poignant. Tires season 1 just wants to make you laugh at a guy getting hit in the head with a foam finger. It’s refreshing.
The production value is intentionally low-fi. It looks like it was filmed in a real, dirty shop—because it mostly was. This isn't a soundstage in Burbank. There’s a layer of grime over everything. That authenticity matters. When Shane is leaning against a rack of Cooper Tires, he looks like he belongs there.
- The episodes are short. Usually under 22 minutes.
- The pacing is breakneck.
- There are no "very special episodes" about personal growth.
One of the biggest surprises is how well-written the insults are. It’s an art form. Gillis has a way of finding the exact thing that would hurt a person's feelings and turning it into a punchline that somehow makes them like him more. It’s a delicate balance.
The Independent Roots
People forget that Tires started as a self-funded pilot on YouTube years ago. It was a passion project. When Netflix picked it up, they didn't sanitize it as much as you'd expect. Sure, the lighting is better now, and the sound is clearer, but the soul of the show—that raw, unfiltered Philly energy—is still intact.
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Andrew Kasch and John McKeever, who are frequent Gillis collaborators, bring a specific directorial style. It’s handheld. It’s reactive. It feels like you’re a fly on the wall in a breakroom where nobody actually takes a break.
The Controversy and the Audience
Let’s be real. Not everyone is going to love this. If you prefer the gentle humor of Parks and Recreation, you might find Tires a bit abrasive. It’s "guy humor" in its purest form. But it’s not mean-spirited in the way people think. At its core, it’s about a group of losers who have nowhere else to go.
The show actually captures the soul of the American workforce better than most dramas. It’s about the absurdity of sales targets, the pointlessness of corporate branding, and the way we use humor to survive a job we hate.
- Will represents the "trying too hard" corporate striver.
- Shane represents the "I've given up but I'm having fun" employee.
- The customers represent the chaotic reality of the public.
One specific scene involving a bikini car wash is a perfect example. On paper, it sounds like a tired 80s trope. In the context of the show, it becomes a disastrous commentary on Will’s desperation to be a "business genius." It’s less about the spectacle and more about the crushing failure of the idea.
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What to Expect Next
Netflix has already renewed the show for a second season. This is huge. It proves there’s a massive appetite for mid-budget, high-concept comedies that don't rely on massive CGI budgets or A-list movie stars.
If you're going to dive into Tires season 1, do it for the character beats. Watch the way the staff interacts in the background. Pay attention to the weirdly specific automotive details. Even if you don't know a lug nut from a spark plug, the human desperation is universal.
Practical Steps for Viewers:
- Watch the original pilot: It’s still floating around the internet. Seeing the evolution from the 2019 version to the Netflix version is a masterclass in independent production.
- Don't binge it all at once: The jokes are dense. Give it two episodes at a time to let the specific "vibe" sink in.
- Check out Gilly and Keeves: If you like the humor here, the sketch show from the same creators is mandatory viewing.
- Ignore the critics: This is a "populist" show. The gap between critic scores and audience scores is usually wide for a reason. Trust your own funny bone.
The beauty of this series is that it doesn't overstay its welcome. It gives you exactly what you want: 180 minutes of high-octane stupidity and surprisingly sharp social commentary. It’s the kind of show you’ll end up quoting with your friends at 2:00 AM. In an era of bloated streaming content, that's a rare win.