Tires Season 3 finally finds its identity

Netflix’s Tires has never looked like a typical big-budget comedy, and that is probably the best thing about it. Most of the show takes place inside the fictional Valley Forge Automotive Center, where the staff spend almost as much time insulting each other as they do working on cars. By Season 3, that simple setup has become the show’s biggest strength.

Released on August 13, Season 3 brings back Shane Gillis as Shane, Steve Gerben as Will, Chris O’Connor as Cal, Kilah Fox as Kilah and Stavros Halkias as Dave. Will is still trying to keep the family auto business moving forward, while Shane continues to make that harder than it needs to be. The difference this time is that the show feels more confident. It is not just relying on one-liners or Gillis being outrageous. The characters actually feel more developed, and the story gives them more to do.

More than just stupid jokes

That is what stood out to me most. Earlier seasons could sometimes feel like a bunch of funny scenes loosely connected by the workshop setting. Season 3 still has that same rough humour, but it feels more like a proper workplace sitcom now. Shane starts thinking more seriously about where his life is going, Will has more pressure on him with the business, and the supporting characters get more time to become actual people rather than just setups for jokes.

The humour is still very much the point of the show. Tires is immature, crude and definitely not for everyone. Some jokes go too far, and there are moments where the show seems determined to ruin anything serious with another offensive punchline.

For me, the auto-shop setting is a big reason why. I work in a car service centre, so the constant messing around, people annoying each other and the way small moments at work somehow turn into jokes all feels strangely familiar. Obviously, Tires exaggerates everything, but the basic workplace dynamic feels believable. It is one of the few comedies where the characters actually sound like coworkers instead of actors waiting for their turn to deliver a line.

A workshop that actually feels real

The setting also helps because the show does not feel overly staged. Netflix says all three seasons have been filmed in Pennsylvania, with Season 3 using real automotive businesses and locations around places including West Chester, Philadelphia and Glenside. That gives the series a rougher, more grounded look that suits the story.

Season 3 also seems to be finding a bigger audience. Netflix reported that the season reached No. 5 on its English TV list with 2.8 million views, the highest ranking the series has achieved so far.

Audience reaction has been strong too. Tires Season 3 currently holds a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on more than 100 ratings. Screen Rant critic Greg MacArthur also gave the season 9/10, praising its decision to focus more on the core cast rather than relying on celebrity cameos. That lines up with what works best about this season: the characters finally feel strong enough to carry the show themselves.

A show that finally knows what it is

Tires Season 3 is not a complete reinvention, and it does not need to be. It is still a comedy about people wasting time, arguing and trying to keep an auto business running. Tires no longer feels like a show that only exists because Shane Gillis is in it. By Season 3, it feels like a proper workplace comedy that has worked out what makes it funny.

For me, that is why this season is the strongest so far. It is still crude, stupid and rough around the edges, but that is part of the appeal. Tires works best when it keeps things simple and lets the characters bounce off each other, and Season 3 finally gets that balance right.