Shameless
Over the past nine time of year , devotee of Showtime ’s hit clowning seriesShamelesshave watched as the nonadaptive Gallagher household and their loved ones tried to make ends meet and retrieve happiness in Chicago ’s South Side . Family patriarch Frank Gallagher drop more fourth dimension imbibe his problem forth in legal profession and strain to scam his way into a better aliveness than act as like a sire to his six children , pressure Fiona , Lip , Ian , Debbie , Carl and Liam to fend for themselves and cause them to get into all sorts of fuss in the physical process .
While most TV audience ca n’t really touch to the chaos and drama of the Gallagher household , fans have enjoy seeing the serial ' dynamic part attempt to figure out how to navigate through a world in which all the cards seem to be stacked against them . The majority of the mischief-making the Gallaghers and their friends have gotten into sinceShameless ' 2011 premiere have enhanced the serial and avail increase its ever - rising popularity , but not all of their misadventures have been hits with fans . A few plot developments which featured some of the show ’s central characters somehow pass mat and really made the darling series less enjoyable to check .
Shameless ' continued winner proves that the enjoyable storylines have by all odds preponderate some of the series ' weaker developments . Every time a storyline fell flat and threatened to make fan give up on the show , the author come up with an exciting new ontogenesis which hale viewers to stay tune up to the next installment .
Here are10 storyline That Hurt The Show ( And 10 That Saved It ) .
20. HURT: THE “THROUPLE”
The members of the Gallagher family have been a part of countless different insalubrious relationships over the past nine season . Fiona always sabotages her own happiness by date virtuously questionable men , Lip seems to enjoy see women he feels he can " cook , " Ian ’s relationship with Mickey was adorable at clock time but it was never in particular stable , and Frank could never find someone he cared about as much as Monica .
Kevin and Veronica were a totally different chronicle . Fiona ’s best acquaintance and neighbors demonstrated what couples are supposed to be like — they always supported each other and stood by each other , and have stayed in love throughout the intact show . regrettably , their kinship was almost ruined with the plus of Svetlana . When she become them into a " throuple , " Kevin and V short struggled to figure out what they really wanted and became weaker characters .
19. SAVED: THE INTRODUCTION OF SAMMI
Sammi Slott is one of the least popular characters inShamelesshistory . Frank finally entered his underground firstborn daughter ’s life in an attempt to assure her liver when his started to fail , but since she was initially unaware of their sex act , she mistake his interest in her as attractiveness and tried seducing her Padre . When she finally discover the truth , Sammi proceed to be incredibly overprotective of Frank , and came into fight with the majority of the serial ' master character reference .
Most fan care Sammi was never brought into the show , but her surprise addition breathe novel spirit intoShamelessas suddenly , there was an extra Gallagher fuddle into the admixture to keep things interesting . Sammi serve her aim well , and when the series no longer demand her , she was drop a line off and the show went back to focusing on its more likable character .
18. HURT: IAN’S PATERNITY TEST
When Monica and Bob gave Liam a DNA trial to see if Frank was really his biological boy , Ian and Lip adjudicate to test their own lineage . They jest about skip to identify that they were n’t really Frank ’s offspring , but the termination revealed that Ian really did have a different Padre than the respite of his sib .
Monica admitted that she took a lot of substances during the summer in which Ian was conceive and had no thought who his father was , but the DNA result indicate that it was someone in Frank ’s family , namely one of his three buddy . Ian determined that the most likely candidate was Clayton Gallagher , but a definitive reply was never reached because this storyline was completely abandoned and the fact that Ian was really his siblings ' half - brother / full cousin was never really mentioned again .
17. SAVED: FRANK’S LIVER FAILURE
Frank spent the majority of his grownup life hiding from his responsibilities at the town bar . He drank until he was able to block about his many problem , and in the 4th time of year ofShameless , his problems finally caught up to him and caused his liver to flunk .
Frank ’s sudden inability to pass his days in an drunk haze wedge him to turn as a character . He developed a bond with Sammi , grew closer to Carl , and at long last admitted to himself and his Thomas Kid that his failures as a father were , in fact , his own fault and stem from his young immaturity . When he eventually got a new liver and was capable to bulge drinking again , he revert back to his honest-to-goodness ways , but for a brief time fan got the chance to see a different side of Frank .
16. HURT: JIMMY AND ESTEFANIA
Jimmy Lishman was Fiona ’s first love onShameless , so for many fans of the show , he ’ll always be the character she ’s " meant " to end up with . Jimmy chose to leave behind Fiona in the serial publication ' first season to avoid going aside for grand thievery auto , but he render the follow season to give their kinship another shot . Unfortunately , he was come with by Estefania , whom Jimmy was storm to get hitched with .
Jimmy had to act to be with his married woman so she could keep on survive in the country , but he could n’t deny his carry on feelings for Fiona . He had to always spring back and away between the two relationships , and thing produce even more complicated when he started sleep with his wife any prison term he and Fiona got into an argument . The entire plot line was frustrative , and viewers uprise well-worn of it very promptly .
15. SAVED: JIMMY’S REMOVAL FROM THE SHOW
The family relationship between Jimmy and Fiona was one of the primary focus ofShameless ' first three seasons , but when Jimmy decided to enroll in medical shoal in Michigan and go for for a studio apartment flat which could n’t perhaps put up Fiona ’s sib , she realized that their lives were lead down different paths .
When Jimmy returned for the last clock time in the series ' fifth season , Fiona ’s connection to him caused her to smash her seemingly level-headed and happy union to Gus to spend just one more night with her former flame . She immediately recognize she ’d made a error and broke up with Jimmy for the last fourth dimension . Jimmy ’s resulting remotion from the show permit Fiona to search different family relationship and at long last move on and develop as a character , so while some fan pretermit Jimmy , it ’s knockout to fence that his departure savedShameless .
14. HURT: FIONA AND ROBBIE’S FLING
When Fiona started dating Mike Pratt , it seemed like she was in conclusion getting her life on track . Mike was swell with her sibling , he worry a lot about Fiona , and unlike Jimmy , he was never at risk of being sent to poky or taken out . Mike was an extremely positive influence on Fiona ’s life , but when she met his rebellious sidekick Robbie , Fiona realized that she craved chaos and dysfunction and could n’t be truly happy with a nice , modal guy like Mike .
Fiona sleep with Robbie in Mike ’s apartment while he was passed out , and Robbie continue to wangle her and convince her to keep up their affair for weeks . This relationship sent Fiona ’s life on a downward spiral , causing her to recede her chore , her boyfriend , and her siblings ' faith in her competency as their protector .
13. SAVED: LIP STEPPED UP AS LIAM’S GUARDIAN
When Liam unexpectedly ingested some substances provide to Fiona by Robbie Pratt , the youngest Gallagher was post to the ER while the constabulary arrested Fiona and set her bail at $ 100,000 . Most character on the show forgive Fiona for fail to watch over Liam , but Lip deny to give her a jailbreak and took it upon himself to be Liam ’s new guardian .
Lip brought Liam with him to college , resolve he ’d be safer in his dorm way than under Fiona ’s attention . He demonstrate a lot of maturity during his fourth dimension looking after his babe comrade , and this plot line helped him start to replace his sister asShameless ' primal hero sandwich .
12. HURT: FRANK CALLED CPS ON HIS OWN FAMILY
When Frank ’s shenanigans forced his children to gang up up against him and kick him out of the Gallagher household , Frank drunkenly called up Child Protective Services to get even on his " unthankful " offspring . He made an anonymous report of neglect and abuse , and CPS soon arrive to break up his tyke and flip them into the foster attention system .
Frank has done a lot of selfish and cruel things over the past nine seasons ofShameless , but this storyline took his character to a whole new level . witness already know that he was an awful father , but his willingness to tear apart his menage just to try out a point express that he was an even worse human being . It ’s hard to ever forgive Frank for this disgusting scheme .
11. SAVED: IAN’S mental struggles
Every season , the Gallagher nipper become more and more like their parent . Fiona portion out her father ’s erotic love for chaos , Lip has become just as much of a job as Frank is , Carl relish come up with schemes as twisted as the ones his father is known for , and Debbie partake her parent ' penchant for using people to get what they want . Ian is n’t really Frank ’s son , but his struggle with Bipolar Disorder get it clear that he ’s definitely Monica ’s .
Like Monica , Ian refused to ever accredit the gravity of BPD or take his medicament . His struggle with being bipolar made his character arc incredibly relatable for a wad of viewers , and it really strengthened his sports fan - favorite relationship with Mickey because it hale Mickey to put aside his insecurities to take fear of Ian .
10. HURT: DEBBIE TRICKED DEREK to get PREGNANT
Debbie watched Fiona promote a house full of kids throughout her intact childhood , so she grow up think that it was passably normal for adolescent to act as female parent . That ’s probably why when she go dating her infatuation Derek Delgado , she lied to him about being on the pill so she could play a joke on him into giving her a baby .
Debbie was desperate to lock in Derek into their relationship and get an early start on motherhood , but her design did n’t quite work out . Derek break up with her , and Fiona told her that she would n’t do anything to help raise Debbie ’s daughter . Debbie was previously one of the most ripe and responsible Gallaghers , so her determination to be a undivided mom at such a new historic period was really unexpected and take the series in a focusing viewers were n’t quite quick for .
9. SAVED: CARL ENROLLED IN MILITARY SCHOOL
IfShamelessfans were order after the first season that Debbie would become a manipulative teenage mother while Carl would acquire into a mature military student , they probably would n’t have believed it . Carl depart out as one of the most perverted , rebellious member of the Gallagher home , so it always seemed like he ’d grow up to be on the button like Frank . looker were n’t surprised when he took on a job sell substance and got thrown into jail , but his staring personality switching before long after his release was quite the shock .
After Carl started to mature while attempting to print a crush ’s Padre , he recruit in military school . There , he learned that he actually enjoyed following rules and helping others . Ever since then , Carl has been one ofShameless’most upstanding characters and his emergence as a character has made him more enjoyable to watch .
8. HURT: FIONA’S BRIEF MARRIAGE TO GUS
Fiona and Gus hit it off from their very first date , and were scantily together for a few hebdomad before they decided to skip several crucial relationship steps and get married . It really seemed like their self-generated marriage was going to work out out and Fiona was finally going to be happy until , of course , Jimmy came back to Chicago and deflower everything .
Fiona could n’t stop herself from being with her ex , and when she confessed her error to her husband , he made it clean that their wedlock was over . Gus was in and out of Fiona ’s life history over the course of just a couple of months , so it really seemed like their family relationship was merely a ridiculous and unneeded plot machine produce to cue fans just how much of a screw - up Fiona could be .
7. SAVED: LIP’S BREAK-UP WITH HELENE
While Lip was attending college , his life started to become too static and irksome . He was on the fast track to becoming the first unfeignedly successful Gallagher , soShamelessneeded to throw something in Lip ’s path to keep his character reference bow as interesting and chaotic as his sib ' . That ’s when Professor Helene Runyon arrived to mess up his intact life .
Lip was attracted to Helene ’s due date and experience , and quickly fell in erotic love with her . They put down into a steamy affair , but Lip failed to realize that his kinship with Helene would discompose his " friend with benefits " Amanda and incite her to peril the duo . sass was suddenly left heartbroken and expelled , and his fall from grace has actually madeShamelessbetter since it ’s permit buff to root the tragical Hero of Alexandria on as he tries to get his life back in edict .
6. HURT: DEBBIE’S FAUX RELATIONSHIP WITH NEIL
Debbie was once one ofShameless ' most innocent and caring characters , but as she grow up , she became the worst individual on the show . She slumber with Matt while he was intoxicated , despite know that he did n’t desire to be with her . She play a trick on Derek into get under one’s skin her significant . Then she took vantage of Neil by pretending to know him so she could populate in his home and use him as a liberal baby-sitter .
Frank utilized a similar manipulation inShameless ' first time of year , and pretended to like about Sheila so he could have a gratuitous place to outride and spend all of her money . When Debbie used Neil , however , it seemed even more vile because Neil suffered from a learning ability injury and Debbie decline to give him proper attention . This plot line ruined Debbie ’s character beyond fix .
5. SAVED: MONICA’S FINAL RETURN
The Gallagher kids originate up with interracial emotion regarding their mother , since Monica abandoned them and always seemed to just take the air in and out of their life-time whenever she please . InShameless ' seventh season , she returned to Chicago to conjure one last farewell to her family , and her net days brought with them some much - needed closure and made for the utter end to her character .
When Monica regain out that she had a brain aneurism , she immediately decided to give-up the ghost away in the companionship of her ex - married man and their children . She and Frank renew their vows and had a few last mishap together before she passed smother by her bang ones . Her kin gathered to speak at her funeral , and while Fiona struggled to say anything electropositive , she did refer to Monica as her mother , something she ’d struggled to do in the past times .
4. HURT: LIPS INDECISIVENESS WITH SIERRA
Lip was in a very dark position before he met and fell for his diner co - worker Sierra . He had recently gotten dumped by Helene , was complain out of college , and he was struggling with his government issue . Sierra gave him the motivation he call for to dig his way out of his pit of economic crisis and get his spirit back on path , but even after he finally sobered up , he could n’t make things work with her .
It seemed like Lip ’s elementary end was to win Sierra back and start a menage with her and her son , but as soon as he change enough to make Sierra quick to be with him , he told her that she should just attempt to make things work with her ex or else . The Lip and Sierra romance storyline was all ramp up - up with no actual return .
3. SAVED: FIONA STARTED INVESTING IN HER FUTURE
It ’s been incredibly difficult for fan to care Fiona ever since she started sabotaging her own felicity by choosing guys like Robbie and Jimmy over more stable and desirable selection like Mike and Gus . For years , she made countless mistakes that hold her from reaching her own potential , but that start to change in the 7th time of year when she buy a launderette and flipped it to reduplicate her money in a affair of weeks . She then used the money she made to buy an flat building , and started to play lie a real , responsible for adult .
Fiona ’s investments motivate her to finally focus on her own achiever , which in number made her a significantly less frustrating character . She bulge out to have a bun in the oven her sib to look after themselves while she run to her own business , which helped her and the other Gallaghers become more main .
2. HURT: PROFESSOR YOUENS' BOND WITH LIP
Professor Youens was always far more than a mere donnish supervisor and mentor to Lip . Youens was more like back talk ’s Padre anatomy and drink buddy , and even after they had a falling out , he bailed Lip out of pokey and was the one who convince him to enter rehab . Youens had his own struggle with crapulence , so the two unlikely friends helped each other through their dark moments and grow to see each other as peer .
Their plot line add up to a surprising and incredibly disappointing end when the professor legislate away during his immurement and Lip discover that his bond with Youens was n’t at all unequaled . gobs of other educatee claimed to be as close to the prof as he was , and their speeches at his funeral seemed to tarnish sass ’s retentivity of Youens and made their relationship seem far less meaningful .
1. SAVED: IAN AND MICKEY’S RELATIONSHIP
When Ian and Mickey first started being with each other , Mickey turn away to acknowledge Ian as his fellow . Their relationship was strictly physical , but the more clock time they spent together , the closer they became . Mickey let Ian tear his walls down , and he eventually mustered up the confidence to amount out to his illiberal father so he could truly be with the piece he roll in the hay .
lamentably , their human relationship started falling aside when Ian was diagnosed with bipolar and defy to take his medication . Mick to help Ian get better , but Ian was upset that his boyfriend seemingly want to commute him . Mickey never barricade loving Ian , though , so devotee never barricade hoping they ’d find their way back to each other . In Ian ’s last episode , looker got what they wanted and the couple found their felicitous end together in jail as cellmates .
