Shameless
Showtime’sShameless , which just began its 9th time of year and is now the longest - running scripted show in the channel ’s history , has lasted as long as it has in large part because of how absolutely grip its characters are to watch .
The characters at the center ofShamelesshave always been the Gallagher family , especially the heart that includes paterfamilias Frank and children Fiona , Lip , Ian , Debbie , Carl , and Liam . The cast spiral out from there to include neighbour , friends , enemies , colleagues , lovers , teachers , tenants , extended penis of the Gallagher family , and many , many more . The fact that we were able to roll up a list of 20 " novel additions , " which only includes characters that jumped on display board in season two and beyond , just shows that there have been a lot of unlike people to come and go duringShameless ’s nine years– and numeration , as a tenth time of year is already corroborate .
While some of the theatrical role that have joinedShamelesspost - season one have done a quite a little to make the show well , just as many have brought the show down a oarlock or two . It ’s never easy balancing so many character reference , and you ’re jump to disclose a few egg when trying to add up up with the everlasting omelette of fictitious character to fill out such a show . There are some case when a character itself wasn’t– they just got stick with bad storylines– and frailty versa , as some awful characters extend to some really interesting plot of land thread .
Here are10 New Character Additions That Hurt Shameless ( And 10 That save It ) .
Hurt: Jody Silverman
Jody was comic at first . With his dopey nature and his hilariously bizarre chamber call choice , he was a decent bit of comic relief and put up an interesting third bike moral force in the complicated family relationship between Lip and Karen Jackson .
Jody ’s shtick wore thin pretty apace .
When Karen kicked him to the curb , that should ’ve been the terminal of his character ’s metre on the show . The writer thinly stretched out his story electric discharge to let in him camping out outside of the Jackson ’s rest home and , even more bizarrely , receive into a strong-arm relationship with Karen ’s female parent , Sheila . Karen and Lip ’s family relationship conk in its own compelling directions after that , and Sheila never needed help being more interesting , so it ’s not really clear what Jody ’s aim was after his initial few episodes .
Saved: Lloyd “Ned” Lishman
Ian and Mickey Milkovich have been one of the most rooted - for duo onShameless , but it was never the most functional of relationships . When Mickey is arrested , Ian is leave heartsick and alone and finally finds his manner into the arms of a man who calls himself Lloyd .
An interesting wrinkle to the introduction of " Lloyd " is that he is actually Ned Lishman , the seemingly closet father of Jimmy / Steve . While it is inauspicious that Ian ends up with another older , secretly gay man like he did at the first of the serial with the owner of the store he worked at , it does n’t make the whole Lloyd / Ned storyline any less interesting to watch , especially in how it ends up affecting Jimmy and , subsequently , Mickey .
Hurt: Sammi Slott
In season four ofShameless , we find out about Frank ’s ex Queenie Slott , with whom he apparently had a girl named Sammi . It is n’t at all surprising that a bozo like Frank would ’ve had sister with various adult female and had no idea about it until years later– if ever– when they come looking for him as grownup .
The introduction of yet another of Frank ’s children felt a bit unnecessary to the overall dynamic of the show .
It did n’t help that Sammi is an super annoying grapheme who brought along the even more annoying Chucky , her son . The whole Slott class subplot could ’ve been skip altogether , and Sammi and Chucky both frequently ended up on " worstShamelesscharacters " lists for very good reason .
Saved: Dottie Corones
Frank seems like a character almost completely devoid of empathy , which is precisely why we be intimate to detest him . Every time he exhibit the tiniest act of heart or humanity , he very promptly overturn it somehow and turns it into a selfish strategy of some variety .
Initially , Frank ’s plans with Dottie " Butterface " Corones seem like his most earthy yet . The idea is to make to get into a relationship with her so he could benefit financially from her passing play , which should n’t be too difficult given her serious heart condition– which , handily for him , could be exploited if he is familiar with her . In their abbreviated time together , Frank and Dottie in reality seem to develop unfeigned spirit for each other , and what Frank does for / to her at the end in reality comes across more sweet than we ever would ’ve expected .
Hurt: Robbie Pratt
Every show demand conflict . What makesShamelessinteresting is how much of that battle involves the Gallaghers themselves , both in dealing with the struggle of poverty - level animation in a big city and with their addict , often absentminded Fatherhood . That is n’t to say that there is never difference with external character or that does n’t require the Gallgahers just trying to get by , but that ’s the groundwork on which the show was build and is by and large the most fascinating expression of it .
When Robbie was introduced and eventually became something of the " main villain " of the show for almost an entire time of year , it kind of develop aside from what makes the show so great in its well moments . have such a individual , malevolent force– besides Frank– cause so much chaos for so long got a little deadening .
Saved: Professor Hearst
It is established very early on that Lip is exceedingly intelligent and is capable of great thing if present with the correct chance . Unfortunately , those opportunities do n’t well demonstrate themselves to low - income hoi polloi in abject - income neighborhood , and Lip is often forced to utilise all of his smarts and resource for less – than - noble pursuits .
Eventually , back talk crosses track with Professor Hearst , who sees Lip ’s potency and put up him a place to put his skills to better , more donnish use . Lip , of grade , is hesitant of this offer , but Hearst is n’t willing to take no for an answer , and often knows just what to say and how to say it to get Lip ( temporarily ) on the right-hand course . In fact , Professor Hearst is arguably one of the only characters onShamelesswho is capable to effectively spar with Lip on that grade .
Hurt: Svetlana Yevgenivna
Svetlana ’s initial entering onShamelessimmediately put viewers off of the fictitious character , being hired by Mickey ’s dada to squeeze herself on him for wrick him flat .
Svetlana is just require with one incense game line after another .
Her sham marriage to Mickey was never enjoyable to watch– especially in what it does to Ian– and the subplot that stem from her career choice just gets more and more absurd the more that ’s piled onto it . That she then blackjack Mickey and threatens to tell his sire about his rekindled relationship with Ian and also cruelly mocks him . She ’s also awkwardly involve in Kev and Vee ’s family relationship .
Saved: Trevor
Trevor is the first major part on the show to be tran , and not surprisingly , Shamelesshandles it with class and realness . He also terminate up being one of the more positivistic relationship for Ian , for as long as that last , with that being one of the chief threads of the seventh season .
alas , Trevor ’s 2nd major season was time of year eight , which was n’t one of the well - received seasons of the show . As such , he kind of got lost in the shuffle of the backlash against the show that year . Putting that by , his pining for / miss Ian that time of year and the love trigon of Ian , Trevor , and Mickey is one of the more interesting parts of a reasonably dud season .
Hurt: Amanda
If there is one thing thatShamelessisn’t lacking in , it ’s character . At any given time , there are more than enough characters on the show between the master cast and whatever recurring persona are around to make for interesting and wide-ranging stories . On the rarified occasion that the show just has a completely spare character , they stick out like a sore thumb . Amanda is one such character .
She has never once felt like a truly necessary character .
She ’s never been require in any plot that could n’t either have been omitted only , or could ’ve involved another , better character . Amanda never does anything in particular egregious on the show , but she just never seems to justify her front , either .
Saved: Sean Pierce
With the exception of William H. Macy , the stamp ofShamelessprimarily dwell of actors who were either all fresh when the show set forth , or were still on their ascension to stardom . Still , every so often , the serial knows just when to bring in another ex-serviceman for a little of the wisdom that only someone who has been act as for X can supply .
That was the case when Dermot Mulroney joined the show as Sean , the possessor of Patsy ’s Pies , which is how he cope with Fiona . The duo strike up a romanticism that even resulted in them getting hire , though they never went through with the wedding . While his time of year eight return felt a little forced and unsatisfying , his time on the show before that and his kinship with Fiona was a highlight of seasons five and six .
