Upamanyu Biswas
While the second season of ‘Tires’ continues the shenanigans of Will and Shane at the Valley Forge Automotive Center, it also introduces a new set of characters into the equation who all contribute to the assortment of laughs, gags, and drama in the workplace comedy. One of the prominent additions in that regard is Kelly Miller, a young woman who shows up at the auto-repair garage looking for some help with her car, only to win over Shane’s heart. As he falls head over heels in love with Kelly, she plays an increasingly vital role in the season, adding another dimension to Shane’s character while also diversifying the different narratives at play. However, she eventually gets caught up in a lot of drama owing to Shane’s fraught relationship with his father, Phil, which brings complications into their budding romance. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Kelly Serves as the Yin to Shane’s Yang
Kelly first appears in ‘Tires’ season 2, episode 3, during a health inspection check of the Valley Forge Automotive Center. After the inspector finds some black mold inside the garage, our main characters grow increasingly paranoid about the potential health risks of being exposed to the black mold for an extended period of time. It even sends the often uncaring and unserious Shane into a tailspin as he starts googling the potential risks associated with the black mold. It is during this so-called investigation that Kelly shows up at the shop looking for some assistance with her car. However, she finds that Shane is much too preoccupied with his Google search to pay attention to her words. Still, she eventually learns about his concerns and suggests a test that he can carry out to check if he has control over his mental faculties.
After the initial encounter with Kelly, it becomes evident to Shane that he might have feelings for her. The pair seem to share a similar sense of humor and are equally goofy and unserious despite being troubled by much bigger concerns. To that end, it does not take long for Shane to ask Kelly out on a date by the end of the episode. Subsequently, we witness the pair enter a grey zone between a single life and a proper relationship, which has its ups and downs. However, this eventually solidifies into an official relationship after a period of frigidity and misunderstanding. Subsequently, their bond becomes one of the important topics in the second season’s narrative, even influencing Shane’s tense bond with his dad, Phil. Thus, she plays a vital role throughout the second season.
Veronika Slowikowska Brings Life to Kelly in Tires Season 2
Although Kelly’s energetic persona can be a daunting task for any actor to personify, Veronika Slowikowska exhibits the character’s defining characteristics in a relatable and charming manner. A significant portion of her scenes are spent exchanging witty dialogues with Shane Gillis’ Shane, showcasing her screen presence in an amusing yet grounded fashion. However, this dynamic undergoes a shift in the latter parts of the season as she has to engage in more dramatic scenes because the complications between Shane and Kelly intensify. The actor also has a vibrant career outside her roles on the silver screen as she dabbles in comedy, which likely aided her when adding the extra zing to her humorous part as Kelly in the workplace comedy show.
Although she leaves a notable impression behind in ‘Tires,’ Slowikowska has also lit the screen in numerous projects outside the Netflix series, such as short films and regular appearances in other television projects. She is best known for playing Davey in ‘Davey & Jonesie’s Locker,’ Amber Whitelaw in ‘EZRA,’ Greta Hansen in the comedy series ‘Homeschooled,’ and Shanice in ‘What We Do in the Shadows.’ She has also appeared as Kayla in ‘Baroness Von Sketch Show’ and Kirsten Whitt in ‘Nurses.’ In ‘Tires,’ she brings a unique blend of comedic talent and dramatic ability, which make her character both likable and complex in equal measure. While things take a twist by the end of the season, she plays a notable role in how those events and character arcs shape up.
Read More: Where Was The Heart Knows Filmed? Shooting Locations of the Netflix Movie
