Hey Shameless, You’ve Changed

I’m on a re-watching binge of Shameless US, because it’s been 10 years of episodes and the series finale is gonna come faster than the COVID-19 vaccine. Binge watching produces a different result and reaction than waiting every week for an episode. I noticed so much that went over my head and the biggest thing I took away is that Shameless has two different eras. Different eras of shows is inevitable when the series has a cult following and a ten season order.

Shameless changes in season 5, when Lip settles into college but it’s also when Debbie enters her teenage years. The series in the first five seasons had an A story usually along the lines of an outside threat to the Gallagher family and then the characters had their own B storylines that intertwined with the A story. In season 1, the infamous Jimmy/Steve/Jack wants Fiona the main family caretaker to himself and Monica returns but because she wants to take Liam. In season 2, Lip thinks he might become a father, Frank’s mother is released from prison, and Hurricane Monica strikes again. In season 3, Fiona fights to keep her siblings out of foster homes meanwhile she finds structure in a steady paying job, a suspicious threat. We know if something seems too good in the Gallagher familys’ life, it’s probably not going to last long. Evidently, in season 4, that job didn’t last long and led to Fiona having a bender, Liam almost dies, and Lip is strongly disappointed with Fiona. Then season 5 approaches, the only external threats would be Debbie’s story line and Fiona’s elopement.

The Gallaghers make for great television and even when they grow apart in season 5, they are still too good to watch. However, can I say something controversial? I love watching the first four seasons more, the plots lines had higher stakes, Sheila was my favorite character and . The only good thing about this second era is no more of this back and forth with Jimmy/Jack/Steve.