Shameless - The one that could've been.....
Ok so been a while, basically between university, COVID and non-for-profit treasury, I got busy. BUT I AM BACK and here to talk about a show that I just recently finished.
From Paul Abbott's british series of the same name, Joel Keller and John Wells created a US adaptation with a stacked cast including William H Macy, Emmy Rossum, Justin Chatwin, Steve Howie, Shanola Hampton, Joan Cusack and many many more. This show ran for 11 seasons and it follow's Frank (WHM) and his family of barbaric, dysfunctional, poor and cunning archetypes that ravage the notorious "SOUTH SIDE" of Chicago. Through scamming, cheating, sex, drugs, violence and pretty much anything R-rated in order to highlight the vulgar and eye-opening lifestyle of low socioeconomic status citizens in the US who get pushed around by their government.
You are supposed to see these characters from early on and see them develop into viable citizens parallel to the slowly gentrifying state of Illinois...but not without a few drawbacks, relapses and moments that really have you down in the dumps.
Overall a very engaging show, you really start to care about the characters as they get older. You want them to survive in the hard game of life and when they backslide, it is heartbreaking.
However, I am a critic and I am allowed to say my piece on how shameless fell short in a few areas in the end. But not before I talk about a few of the best scenes:
- S02E11 - JUST LIKE THE PILGRIMS INTENDED:
I mean you know the scene I am talking about. It is truly one of the first massive "OH SHIT" moments that you get in this show. Like you here the stuff that the characters do off screen and you think its all talk but then you see this. THE CONTRAST FROM THE HAPPINESS OF THE FAMILY DINNER, to this is absolutely shocking. It does set the precedent for Jimmy Steve to come in and save the day and be that hero for Fiona and fam, but truly sets up the next season of Frank Gallagher perfectly as his reaction to the incident is so unique and obvious as he knows that both Monica and Frank took the pills that would the incident. Couple this with what happens later at the hospital...makes for a hella loaded episode.
- S10E12 - GALLAVICH - THE WEDDING:
I mean this was a long time coming. A truly passionate wait for it moment that you can't help but smile about. A few twists and turns before the end of the aisle for them but at the wedding, it just shows how far the show came. Every character has had more-or-less a pretty strong character development and to see them all together, smiling and laughing as Monica woulda wanted...you can't plan that kind of chemistry on set...Its just magical and it takes time to develop that relationship. Its like in Friends, HIMYM or any other sitcom, you watch these characters and you connect to them over time so when they are all happy together, it is just nice. You dos have Lip who does backslides at the wedding which is so heartbreaking alongside Liam and Frank doing their classic shenanigans together, but it is a great milestone episode that is one for the ages
- S07E12 - REQUIEM FOR A SLUT - METH SCENE/CONFESSION/EULOGY:
This is by far the best episode in the show. So much heat, drama, personal growth and dirty laundry aired out. It is just magnificent. The power of death is the ultimate change to think about how truly valuable your life is. THE METH SCENE...William H Macy won an Emmy for and rightly so. The way he talks about morality, democracy and the need to survive economically with no rationality or censor on what is done is tested to the limits in this scene. The moment Fiona thinks she is in the right about what to do with the meth and see her family disagree is heartbreaking. She is so disappointed in what her brothers and sisters chose cos ultimately, it means that the influences of Monica and Frank outweighed her motherly figure in the family and despite what examples she tried to set, they all saw the "dirty diamonds" and wanted to secure the bag.
The confession between Fiona and Frank is a testament to this. She hated her, Monica ruined and warped the straight and narrow path that she attempted to take on her own shoulders and allow her own brothers and sisters to make a name for themselves beyond the legacy of Frank and Monica. "SHE WAS NEVER HERE....SHE LEFT...I WAS NINE AND TAKING CARE OF YOU!!!!". Truly raw and unfiltered, everything Fiona has ever wanted to say about Frank and Monica, let out in this 4 minute slot. We say Walter White doing everything for the family....but boy does Fiona give him a run for his money
Lastly, the funeral...Franks eulogy is beautiful. It highlights so many things, his love for her as SHE MADE FRANCIS GALLAGHER turn into FRANK. She is the influence on him and he does not regret it at all. He loved her, and he loved how she was with the kids. "HATE HER IF YOU WANT...SHE'S IN YOU...AND THAT IS A GOOD THING". It really encapsulates nature vs nurture. Like he and Monica were not good role models, but they did in a way impact and influence all those kids for better and worse. "I WOULDN'T BE WHO I AM AND YOU WOULDN'T BE WHO YOU ARE IF SHE DIDN'T COME INTO OUR LIVES". The funeral and death...allow the look towards next season to be so bright. All the characters realise that they need to get their shit together in order to not end up wasting their life. Lips story in particular, as his potential is so high, he thinks he's too old and truly screwed his life up. He's scared of the future and he doesn't know how to keep on the straight and narrow without alcohol. But it is clear that he was going to step into AA with open arms and become what he was meant to be.
THESE SPECIFIC MOMENTS GIVE SHAMELESS THE TRUE MESSAGE. YOU CAN FUCK UP, BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN...BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T BOUNCE BACK....OR SO I THOUGHT
- S11E12 - THE ENDING - LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST:
How did they manage this ending. I get Emmy Rossum could not fly over for the shoot due to COVID restrictions, but there was no reference to her at all with any meaning. NOT EVEN IN FRANKS FINAL LETTER. Like it was just not right to leave on this show with so many specifics and moral understandings with such an "open ended" interpretive style.
I will say Mickey and Ian get wrapped up well, they are starting a new life to together, shacking up on the West side thinking about family future. THAT IS NICE, but that is about it...
Debbie, absolutely nuts to introduce this HEIDI character with two episodes to go. RIDICULOUS CHOICE but I do understand that basically Debs has followed in the footsteps of prior Fiona, now she's older she can now bounce from girl to girl in the pursuit for her own happiness.
Carl is ok, I get the morality shift is nice but also just underwhelming to see him play into the system so much, it is quite a good political showing of US police force but really hard to see Carl flip flop back and forth in his intelligence as well as his intentions as a "moral" police officer.
Liam is also ok, I like his relationship with Frank, kind of sad he doesn't get to read the letter. But his story overall from day 1 is quite boring, there is no real development for him as a basketball manager or for him to know about his past with the cocaine, like it bears no weight on his life at all. But ye I guess he was never a main character at all.
KEV and V. I rate their arc. They were always a strong comic relief for the show and seeing the gentrification of the south side pushing out African American citizens, it made sense for Kev and V to move to Louisville. It was a very funny outing for them with her mother as well as Kev's bartending scene in Kentucky was class. Good riddance to them and happy times in the south.
BUT THE BIGGEST PAIN OF THE WHOLE SHOW WAS LIP. Phillip Gallagher for me personally, wass such a relatable character. A young adolescent, no respect for authority, too smart for his own good and always was naturally academically inclined without having to try to hard. Yes his alcoholism and choice of women take its toll on him but he always had a future in academics and could subsidise the family easily by going down this path. BUT HELL NO, you clearly never always
end up where you wanna be. Yes he gets Tami pregnant and starts his own life but to me he could've been so much more than that. Like he could've started college alongside the baby, just community college or something, top his class and move on to bigger things. HE WAS INSANELY SMART, doing well in MIT and even at the end when he helped that random dude with his stocks. Like it is evident that Frank and Lip were very smart and fell victim for their substance abuses, but he felt shame for alcoholism and wanted to be better. Lip was always better than the bike job and it is sad to see him just fall short at a possible life to support his entire family.
Whereas Frank did not feel shame at all. Like it is clear Frank gave no F's and had no regrets which is clear from day 1. He lived the shameless life and you can't ask for more than that. He is truly as advertised.
Overall, the show is worth the watch. Different characters peak at different seasons which is why it has such critically acclaimed longevity. Characters like Fiona and Monica peak earlier on in season 1-4, Debbie is kind of boring earlier on and she really starts developing from season 3. Liam only gets good when the actor changes so season 8 onwards, Liam is pretty good. Carl is definitely much more interesting later on when he starts training for military. AND OBVIOUSLY FRANK, Kev, V, Lip and Ian stay pretty engagin IMO for the whole show.
Shameless has so much depth, it combines drama, comedy and violence; attempting the Breaking Bad style themes and genres to a tea. It comes close in notoriety but just misses the mark in some areas and had opportunities that could've been taken to a new level but definitely kept me watching and engaged from season 1-11.
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