Rosedust

Looks like Noel has officially confirmed his departure. His latest tweet, responding to Cameron's goodbye tweet: He's also taken down the Shameless photo from his twitter account. I'm heartbroken this is how Mickey ends. I just can't believe how everyone screwed up something so amazing and special.

It actually pained me to read that sentence. There were so many possible ways to write that break-up, in a way that upheld the continuity and integrity of the characters and relationship...but to watch Ian laugh as Mickey got gunned down...I just can't. It is forever etched in my memory. Even if Noel stays and they reunite them, that callousness cannot be unseen or forgotten. I'm still utterly baffled at the complete disregard toward everything they built with those characters. Did no one in the writing room say, "Eh, maybe this isn't the right note we should end on?"

I think the fact that they didn't speak volumes. Coupled with the abysmal way they ended Ian/Mickey...tells me Wells and the writers don't have high hopes of Noel returning. Yeah, we have nothing official, but given Wells' track record of being so accommodating to his actors, I can't imagine why he would so abruptly and poorly end such a hugely popular couple if he had any sense that Noel was coming back, even for just part of next season. This felt like such a closed, if nonsensical, ending...like Wells just wanted a swift and clean break (regardless if it made sense character or story-wise). Wipe the slate clean and start over. If Noel was coming back in any capacity, I doubt they would've written the ending scene that way.

It looks like TMNT is going to be a multi-movie franchise. A sequel is already in production, which I'm assuming Noel is returning for. Who knows what their shooting schedule will be, which could explain Noel's reluctance to commit to season 6. He was able to juggle both shooting schedules last year (he said he did Turtles, then jumped immediately back into season 4 of Shameless), but maybe there is a conflict this time around? Maybe he's already under contract with the movie studio to finish out several turtle installments, so they are his first priority now. Maybe the filming schedule was too grueling last time. Or maybe he simply wants to move on. I wouldn't be surprised if he's starting to get a lot more film offers now and wants to strike when the iron is hot. But the way John Well ended the Mickey/Ian relationship was a disgrace. The breakup was written so poorly and flippantly discarded that I wonder if that was a passive-aggressive F-U to Noel for not committing.

You are definitely preaching the the choir, sister. I'm one of those die hard fans who invested, like hardcore. And that ending simply killed me. So much anger right now. Worst of all, there's no coming back from this for me. I feel like they damaged Ian's character beyond repair, to the point where I hate him now and would never root for his happiness--much less with Mickey. Even if the break up was tacked on last minute, they could've written it so much better, with respect to the characters and all their history. I could've accepted a tearful farewell, with Ian simply saying he needs time to figure himself out and love himself before he can love someone else...blah blah. But the way he flippantly disregarded Mickey's "I love you," and then walked casually back into the house laughing as Sammi (the woman who betrayed him to the army) starts gunning down his boyfriend who he has pushed to come out for 4 seasons so they could be together...I just don't get it. Why write it in this way? It's such a slap in the face.

There's an interview with John Wells floating around about the finale...and he basically says the future of Ian and Mickey is up to Noel's availability. As of now, Noel hasn't signed on for season 6. A lot of people are speculating that's the reason why the Gallavich ending was so rushed and nonsensical and...awful. That at least would make some sense. I think they wrote a happy ending for them, but by the time shooting came around, Noel still wasn't committed to another year, so they did a last-minute change and tacked on the breakup in case he decided not to return. The fact that there was a big rumor going around earlier of Noel leaving, and the fact that Wells admits he hasn't signed yet, I don't think that bodes well.

I know...I was literally in tears over the complete evisceration of that relationship. I didn't think it possible to destroy 4 seasons of character development and buildup, but they did it. In one scene! I just can't process this. The complete indifference from Ian, Mickey cheating twice, and to top it off with Mickey being chased off like some cartoon character (all that was missing was the puff of smoke behind him)...as a Gallavich fan who has heavily invested for 4 seasons, it was a death nail through the heart. I seriously still can't believe they destroyed the best thing they had going on the show. Even if they brought them together in season 6, all my investment is gone. Why give a shit when the writers are willing to so flippantly assassinate their own characters?