S05.E01: Milk Of The Gods

[maraleia]

 

Fiona juggles her job and a crush. Lip heads back home.

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Showtime has posted the season premiere on their official YouTube channel:

http://youtu.be/txOaHPgpocQ

[redlaces]

Still loving Mickey as much as ever. Well, minus the first couple seasons. 

[Automne]

Frank is just a horrible person, guilt-tripping Fiona like that. He of course lacks the awareness that it's been only pure dumb luck none of the kids died under his watch. Fiona just told a story last season about being left on a street for hours and Toddler!Ian become seriously ill and could have died within hours if Kindergarten!Fiona didn't have the maturity to know that he needed to get to the clinic. It was basically Fiona that probably kept away the other kids from Frank and Monica's drugs.

 

And why doesn't Sheila just call the cops on Sammi? Sheila marrying Frank doesn't give carte blanche to Sammi and Chuckie doing whatever in Sheila's home. Breaking and entering is a felony for even blood relatives, let alone bastard stepchildren.

 

Mickey has grown on me. I love how they have a conversation with him about Ian, Mickey pauses to beat the crap out of an abusive john and expose everything to the wife, then resumes the conversation with Lip and Fiona like nothing happened.

 

And what did V expect parenthood to be? People are so desperate to be parents because they're snookered in by the Kodak Moments™ shown on TV, but forget the (literally) shitty reality. I don't really sympathize.

 

I was expecting Jimmy to pop up. Guess it'll be later in the season, though the actor is going to be on Orphan Black now, he probably isn't going to be in Shameless anymore. If that's the case, then why bother having that little shot at the end of last season? It was better having him dead than reopening something that's never going to get resolved.

[Chas411]

Loved the episode and so glad the show is back. Sober Frank doesn't bother me near as much. He's still a shit human being but at least I can understand what he's saying. Nice to see Fiona in a good place after the disaster of last season. Liam has gotten to be adorable.

[fliptopbox]

I loved the interesting dynamic between Ian, Mickey, Svetlana, and whoever that other Russian girl was. It feels kind of like a polyamory vibe. Also, what was the deal with that chick who bought coffee and pie, took a bite and a sip, then left $100. Is that Jimmy's new chick?

 

Sheila definitely needs to call the cops on crazy daddy issues Sammie. She's even more out of her goddamned mind! Those dudes she was bringing home from The Alibi were straight up gross.

[Blue Castle]

I’m so glad to have this show back.  And I enjoyed this episode, too!  (I have such a weird love/hate thing with Shameless.  I’m borderline obsessed with it, but it often really bothers me.)

 

This was one of the better season openers, I thought.  Almost all the storylines were interesting and made sense for where the characters are right now (except the Sammi stuff.  Admittedly, she was slightly crazy last season, but suddenly she’s having sex with gross old men to piss off her dad?  And in front of her son?  And she’s a grown woman in her 30s?  The only way this storyline makes sense is if she had some sort of brain trauma during the hiatus.)

 

The Mickey and Ian moments were tres cute.  They are my favorite TV couple right now.  I also adore that they’ve worked things out with Svetlana and they’re all getting along in a co-parenting, semi-commune type of household.

 

I love that Fiona has landed in a good place.  Her co-workers all seem great and the diner thing reminds me of the club waitressing job she used to have.  I can see her building a career in the restaurant business (and actually I think that suits her more than the office cup job).  After all the crap that happened last year, it’s good to see her so happy and purposeful.

 

Frank annoyed me as per usual (his shitty comment to Fiona, his shitty dismissal of Sammi who essentially kept him alive last year) but at least he wasn’t in it that much. And I continue to wish that they’d give Joan Cusack better material, but whatever.  

 

Also, what was the deal with that chick who bought coffee and pie, took a bite and a sip, then left $100. Is that Jimmy's new chick?

 

Yeah, she was in the car with him last year.

 

To me, Fiona isn't really recognizable as the same character from the start of the series.

 

How do you mean?

[backhometome]

I liked it. I tend to like the Shameless seasons with the summer more than the winter.

 

I love how much Mickey is interacting with the other Gallagher's now. Him running his errand with Lip/Fiona was possibly my fav. part. I was glad to see Lip/Fiona worried about Ian, since they tend to ignore him, Mickey is in denial about his illness. I hope we get more of those 3 dealing with Ian this season.

 

Loved the Ian/Mickey bits. I don't like Ian cheating but I can understand it with his illness. Not that its an excuse but I get it. 

 

Liam is so cute. And the twins can say sentences now :) Him copying Fiona's stretches was the cutest thing.

 

I really don't care about Sammi. Id rather her screen time to go someone I actually care about. Like Debbie and Carl. 

 

Kev continues to be hilarious. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

One of the rare moments I liked Frank was when he told Sheila it was fine for her to tell Sammi to quit barging into the house. I know it was more apathy than anything else, but it was nice that he didn't insist on letting her continue to come over. I am totally over Sammi acting out. I get that she took care of Frank when no one else would but that doesn't give her the right to come and go from Sheila's house whenever she likes, dump her kid on Sheila whenever she feels like it, let him break stuff, have sex in Sheila's house, invade her privacy by going through her sex toys, or break down the door after the locks were changed. Sorry, all of that is way over the line. Now it's time to call the police for breaking and entering and whatever else she can think of.

 

Loved seeing Ian, Mickey, and Svetlana as a happy family at the beginning of the episode. I dread that domestic bliss being destroyed if Mickey finds out what Ian has been up to. And I just sighed when Ian told Fiona that he's cut "way back" on his cocaine consumption.

 

Dermot Mulroney has never done anything for me and he still isn't doing anything for me now. I did like that he busted Fiona for not charging her family for the pie. At least we know he isn't going to be a complete doormat. She seemed really good at waitressing so hopefully something good will come of this job, even if it's just Fiona getting some confidence in her job skills.

 

Poor Deb. Teenage girls are bewildering bitches. I'm glad she is so suspicious of Frank now. His beer sounded disgusting.

 

I hope that Lip doesn't end up dropping out of college. I thought it was a good sign that he didn't respond to his old buddies yelling at his window late at night (similarly I liked that Fiona made a conscious decision to change the situation when that singer texted her, deciding to have a pool party instead of hooking up with him. I don't want him getting sucked back into that neighborhood stuff so much that he decides he doesn't want or need school anymore, but you can see how conflicted he is after one day about everyone in the neighborhood referring to him as a college boy. I don't know if he will still want to go back to college after listening to it all summer.

[fliptopbox]

 

Yeah, she was in the car with him last year.

 

I could have sworn it was a different actress in the car with Jimmy than the one who's been leaving Fiona the huge tips, but whatever. I am not familiar with her anyway. I kind of wish Jimmy had stayed dead. This back and forth shit is getting pretty annoying....although someone said the actor got a role in Orphan Black so MAAAAAAAAYBE they can finally kill him for good.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Yeah, she was in the car with him last year.

I could have sworn it was a different actress in the car with Jimmy than the one who's been leaving Fiona the huge tips

It's definitely the same actress from the end of last season (Dichen Lachman) because I recognized her from Dollhouse when she showed up in Jimmy's car.

[junemeatcleaver]

It looks like the show figured out that the guy who plays Ian isn't capable of anything more complex than acting vaguely flirtatious and horny so they're focusing on the hypersexualialty aspect of Ian's bipolar disorder.  His acting is so painful, who's idea was it to give one of the worst actors on the show such a complex story arc?  He's really lucky old dude who plays Mickey is his main acting partner.

 

I really enjoyed the premiere.  I'm intrigued by all the characters for the most part, including Sammi and her daddy issues, and I'm looking forward to rest of the season.  Though, I could take or leave Jimmy's return, but I'm willing to see how that plays out.

Edited January 11, 2015 by junemeatcleaver

[LuciaMia]

Haven't watched the episode yet, but Jesus,  is there any job where Fiona doesn't end up with her boss?

[Chaos Theory]

I love how much Mickey is interacting with the other Gallagher's now. Him running his errand with Lip/Fiona was possibly my fav. part. I was glad to see Lip/Fiona worried about Ian, since they tend to ignore him, Mickey is in denial about his illness. I hope we get more of those 3 dealing with Ian this season.

Mickey in denial makes sense. He has no frame of reference for the disease and he is essentially right; what teenage gay guy isn't horny? In his mind Ian is better so why rock the boat?

 

I hope that Lip doesn't end up dropping out of college.

I think the exact opposite is what is happening. I think his storyline is going to be him seeing more and more what staying in college has to offer him and the nowhere he has to go by staying where he is. Even this episode. The train ride and how in the beginning there were people in business suits and how the further down the line he got the worse dressed the people were. One guy even had a bottle of booze with him. And then the guys Lip were talking to who were supposed to be his buddies and all they talked about were getting high and the girls they knocked up. This is the life Lip has to look forward to if he drops out or he can stay in school and get the girl with the nice car and the nice suits.

Dermot Mulroney has never done anything for me and he still isn't doing anything for me now. I did like that he busted Fiona for not charging her family for the pie

The Gallaghers have always done things this way. Stealing and swapping things in trade but she was told outright that this season she has to follow the rules which is new for her.

 

<----Edited 

Edited January 11, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[fliptopbox]

 

I think the exact opposite is what is happening.  I think his storyline is going to be him seeing more and more what staying in college has to offer him and the nowhere he has to go by staying where he is.  Even this episode.  The train ride and how in the begging there were people in business suits and how how further down the line he got the force dressed the people where.  One guy even had a bottle of booze with him.  And then the guys Lip were talking to talking to who were supposed to be his buddies and and all they talked about were getting high and the girls they knocked up.  This is the life Lip has to look forward to if he drops out or he can stay in school and get the girl with the nice car and the nice suits.

I am thinking the same thing. He'll probably do that labor job for as much of the summer as he can, and run back to school in the fall....if he doesn't jump ship and go stay with Amanda in Miami for the rest of the summer. I know he at least visits her there, but I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to stay. Plus, she seems to enjoy spending her daddy's money on him.

 

As far as Lip and Mandy, I think even though they may genuinely care for each other or even be in love....Lip wants better and Mandy will probably never get out. She'd always be the dead weight.

[LuciaMia]

Did they mention how long Fiona has to wear that ankle bracelet?

[Slovenly Muse]

"You caught me, Daddy! Am I in trouble?" BWAH!

 

There was so much to love in this episode. Fiona actually learning something from her experiences and attempting to keep her life on track. The entire situation in the Milkovitch household. Frank's horrific "secret project" (including a propane tank from a vacant lot! Though I think my favourite moment there was when he was shovelling woodchips from an inner city playground into his still, encountered a pacifier, shrugged and tossed it in anyway). Everyone's cautious support of Ian. Lip's changing perspective of his old neighbourhood... I loved it.

 

Not sure how I feel about every single major household on the show having babies to deal with (even Sheila and Frank have Sammi!). I guess it won't be an issue as long as all the baby storylines are kept different enough.

 

I'm also loving Mickey, as usual. All dressed up and respectable-looking for his new job, which turns out to be... exactly what you'd expect! I adore his relationship with Ian, but I have to say that I am absolutely dreading Ian's spiral as he refuses to deal with his illness. That is going to be brutal, and it's already painful watching him be compelled to cheat on Mickey. He seemed to hate what he was doing, and be unable to stop himself anyway. CM has always been a bit of a weak link, acting-wise, but I thought he actually did well this time. He was able to convey the layers of what Ian is experiencing with just enough subtlety to ease my worries that he might not be up to the material that is almost certainly coming his way this season. That little look he gave himself in the mirror before stepping into the stall with that busboy? Very nicely done.

 

As for Lip, T.S. Eliot once wrote, "And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." Anyone who has spent enough time away from home knows that feeling intimately, and it looks like Lip now does too. I thought the sequence of him on the train, watching the people around him become progressively sketchier as he approached his neighbourhood was clever and very well-shot.

 

It's a great start to the new season and I am totally on board!

[fliptopbox]

Oh for anyone who has DirecTV, this episode was available to watch as of last night. Pleasant surprise on the DVR. Definitely better than that censored crap on YouTube. I have Showtime, by it's my folks' account so I dunno if I could login on the official site to see it

 

Oh well. Series recording starts tonight!

[cherrybomb]

Anyone know if you can completely submerge an ankle monitor like Fiona did in the pool?  I would think you can't.

[Cosmosgravitation]

Anyone know if you can completely submerge an ankle monitor like Fiona did in the pool?  I would think you can't.

It varies by model, but most of them are waterproof to somewhere around 50 feet.  One does not have to remove them to take a shower or go in a pool.

[Primetimer]

With everyone having survived Season 4, against all odds, who's having the best life as Season 5 kicks off? Let's rank them from first to worst.

Read the story

[SoWindsor]

I'm a bit bummed Jeffrey Dean Morgan left. What happened there? But dermont seems to have chemistry with Emmy so I'm optimistic.

Loved mickey as usual. He's been my favorite since season 1. I don't like that ian is cheating on him. I didn't realize being overly sexual was a symptom of bipolar disorder.

I agree with the other posters that lip has really changed. He's no longer interested in the life he once had and sending that text to Amanda instead of hanging out with his friends proved that. Surprised Mandy didn't show up this episode.

I'm not interested in the frank Sheila or Sammie storyline.

[AlliMo]

Liam is finally a preschooler! That kid has been a toddler for the last five years, I swear.

 

I'm so happy this show is back. Loved the well oiled machine that is the Ian/Mickey/Russian prostitutes household. Loved Kev trying to explain his Madonna/whore syndrome to Vee. Loved a competent, healthy looking Fiona flirting with the boss who clearly likes her but is having none of her shit.

 

Sammi, on the other hand, can go any time now. She's a one note character, and that note is "pathetic."

[Turtle]

Frank should be dead.  He has become the least interesting and least entertaining part of this show.  Well, perhaps his wife and daughter are slightly lest interesting, but it's a close call.

 

The kids' storylines are so much more entertaining to me, and I wish the show would focus on those.  Easy to do if Frank dies.  Could also do without Fiona, honestly.  I'm over every man being head over heels for her, and I hate that we're supposed to think of her as the hero of the show.  She's second only to Frank on the irresponsibility/ bad decision scale. 

 

All the men in the store with their babies was cute.  The new dad, totally clueless.  Ian, who is not a biological dad, having all the answers.  The other dad, totally cruising Ian.  Just the right amount of reality and ridiculousness.

Also enjoyed the "new" Mickey.  I got the sense that the household vibe there is that the girls know Mickey is with Ian, but they're happy (well, not totally unhappy) to be protected and to have a sense of home, so it's kind of working for everyone.  The one lady whose name I will never remember gave Ian and Mickey the exact same cheek peck as she was heading out, which I thought was pretty telling about the state of the household.  Seemed to me that the ladies didn't care at all about Mickey being gay or about Ian being there, but were happy to have someone to take care of the baby and someone to keep them from getting beat up.  That's the kind of thing I first enjoyed about this show - random characters doing crazy stuff, but with a core group of folks whose motivations and feelings we got a chance to understand.

 

But really, at this point, I think the show would be improved by getting ridding of Frank and Fiona.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Thanks for reminding me how much I loved Ian and Kevin running into each other at the store with four kids between them which became even more hilarious when Ian knew exactly how to solve Kevin's poop problem and Kevin offered to beat up the guy who was checking out Ian. Technically they are just neighbors and they only met because Fiona and Veronica are friends, but now they are family which I find so adorable.

[Advance35]

Really liked the episode.   Good Premiere.

 

How HORRIFICLY awkward was that moment between Fiona and her boss over the pie.  I think my soul would have left my body and slapped a "Vacant" sign on my head.  Yeesh.  I cringed, which is what I was supposed to do and the fact that Fiona just laughed it off shows that she is "Shameless".

 

LOVE Kev and Vee and sorry they aren't seeing eye to eye right now.   Kev is taking to the whole thing like a duck to water and as we learned earlier in the series, nurturing isn't Vee's natural setting.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with that in a lot of circumstances but I imagine it's pretty difficult when you have kids.  She clearly loves them, it's just that so much is changing around her and it's not like helping the Gallaghers.   She's the authority for the twins.

 

Mikey is Mikey. lol which always makes me crack up.   Him beating up the dry cleaner and asking Mrs. Drycleaners for a favor in front of the whole neighborhood.   His latest scheme seems clever as far as such things go.  I think the Ian situation is really going to hit him hard and while Mickey has changed for the better since we've met him I don't think he deals with pain or dissapointment in the best ways.   Likewise Ian is going to be devestated if he comes back to himself and realizes things with Mickey are ruined beyond repair, or if Mickey believes things are ruined beyond repair.

 

A write up I read about the show not to long ago described Mickey and Ian as "a brutal, violent badboy who's got the closest thing Southside has to a Hero wrapped around his middlefinger."  It's interesting to see that Ian now has Mickey wrapped around his finger for the most part.     Though both Lip and Fiona seem to think the best way to get Ian to agree to go to a doctor is if Mickey ask him.  Just interesting dynamics and I hope to see more of Mickey mixing with the Gallaghers, one of my favorite storylines last year was Mickey living at the Gallaghers place.  Drinking Juice Fiona set aside for Liam, stealing and wearing Lip's clothes, he was frequently rude to Carl and when Fiona was going to miss her meeting with her PO Officer while everyone else was worried Mickey sing songed "Back to the Metal Hotel" LOL.

 

Found it realistic that Lip feels out of place and between worlds as it were, though I think he's come far enough that he now wants better for himself.   Curious how things will proceed with him. 

 

Glad to see Mandy in the preview as she's a peripherary character I've always been interested in and I very much hope she has a happy ending whether it involves Lip or not.   She's got street smarts, she's not unattractive and she's got grit.   People have made it on less.  She had enough fight to make sure Lip had what he needed to get to college and I'm hoping she decides to use that determination to help herself someday.

 

Frank.  Ugh.

 

Sammi.  Ugh.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I found it hilarious when V was complaining to Fiona about finding baby poop under her fingernails, as if Fiona hasn't changed a million of Liam's diapers. I mean, I totally sympathize with V. Being a new mom is exhausting and overwhelming and frustrating, but a baby poop complaint is not going to elicit much of a reaction from Fiona because she's already been through it with Liam (and possibly Carl and even Debbie, depending on when their mom started taking off).

[dangwoodchucks]

I like Dermot Mulroney alright, but I was really looking forward to seeing Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Fiona's boss.

 

Kev wearing his daughters in the store and Ian helping him with the poop problem was hilarious.

 

Sammi and Frank can both go. Sheila can keep Sammi's son if she wants, the kid's funny with his never ending pee stream.

[Chaos Theory]

I thought the opener was hilarious "last season on shameless" and then everyone talking over each other and Mickey saying "I came out." And Ian responding happily "you came out."

Edited January 12, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[fliptopbox]

I'm just being catty here, but Amanda's haircut did her no favors. It reminded me of that popular cut Jennifer Anniston had on Friends. The Rachel. Unfortunately on a girl who's supposed to be like 19 it looks too matronly, and not youthful or stylish. Especially with the ombre ends.

[40Love]

Also enjoyed the "new" Mickey.

 

I love the "new" Mickey too! He's still very rough around the edges; still kicks ass and breaks the law. But, there's a softer side side too. He's smiles... seems genuinely happy! He was so cute holding his son... fully prepared to change his diaper and totally smitten with Ian for taking the baby so Mickey wouldn't get baby poop on his business clothes. Heh! 

 

I also loved that he didn't pull away or grimace when the ladies or Ian gave him a kiss goodbye. It's like their all friends and family now. It's a far cry from Svetlana threatening to stab "Orange Boy" in his sleep. She seems sincerely fond of both Mickey and Ian; especially Ian. Life is good! Not looking forward to it end when Mickey has to face reality that Ian needs professional help.

 

But, as Fiona and Lip implied, Mickey is probably the only one who can convince Ian to go see that doctor.  Mickey is deluding himself and believing that the strength of their love has cured Ian. I don't think they'll end up like Frank and Monica because Mickey's not a selfish, narcissistic loser like Frank.

 

I really think Mickey can help Ian once Mickey realizes just how serious Ian's condition is.  I know they're probably too young to end up together forever... On the hand, lots of high school sweethearts stay together for life. I'm so hoping for a Happily Ever After for Mickey and Ian!

[redlaces]

I really wish Kevin would cut his hair.

[40Love]

I really wish Kevin would cut his hair.

 

Looked like the actor was wearing a very bad wig!

[dangwoodchucks]

If it's going to be long, Kev's hair definitely looks better pulled back.

 

Here's a bit of life imitating art perhaps. I was just reading Steve Howey's wiki and it says his wife announced last week that they're expecting twins.

[iMonrey]

I thought the episode did a good job of setting up where everyone is right now. 

 

Clearly, Sammy has daddy issues big-time, especially now that Frank no longer needs her for anything. She would do better to try to get to know her other siblings and could probably be a help around the Gallagher house. She needs to commiserate with Fiona that Frank's only interest in his children is what he can get out of them. They could write her off the show for all I care but they do need to tie up loose ends with her. Chuckie still cracks me up though.

 

Fiona and Lip are both characters that make me nervous because things could either go very well for them or very, very badly. 

 

Debbie just annoys the shit out of me and always has but I'm probably alone in that. Carl's voice has changed. Do we know how he hurt his leg? I don't remember anything about it at the end of last season.

 

V never did really want kids, she didn't even really want to do the foster thing, she only did it for Kevin and now she's paying for it. 

 

I'm not sure that I buy any reasonably wealthy family hiring Mickey and his brothers to move their furniture. Even cleaned up they don't exactly inspire trust.

[Slovenly Muse]

 

Carl's voice has changed. Do we know how he hurt his leg? I don't remember anything about it at the end of last season.

 

I was wondering about this, too. Did the actor get injured before filming? I couldn't tell if they were trying to awkwardly explain away why Carl would be appearing with a cast for a few episodes, or if they were setting up a plotline for him, or if they were just trying to find an excuse to sideline him for an episode or two while they dealt with other story threads. Unless it's been mentioned in an interview or something, I guess we'll just have to keep watching to find out!

[backhometome]

yeah, the actor hurt his leg 10 days before filming began. They had to actually rewrite a lot of his scenes. 

[redlaces]

Sammy Sammy.. What. The. Fuck?? I am so conflicted with her because I loathed her character from the get go, but I LOVE Emily as an actress and cabaret singer. HOT!  So I am torn. I am glad for Lip that he's getting his shit together but honestly, I don't care about him or his snotty girlfriend. I'm one of the few that loves Frank and his fucked up self. I cannot say it enough, Noel Fisher is a freaking fantastic actor. I would watch a show just about Mickey all day long. He plays that part masterfully.

[iMonrey]

 

yeah, the actor hurt his leg 10 days before filming began. They had to actually rewrite a lot of his scenes.

 

What's with the actors and their legs on this show? First Steve Howey and now Ethan Cutkosky. I think these guys must take "break a leg" too seriously.

[RedHackle]

 

loved the interesting dynamic between Ian, Mickey, Svetlana, and whoever that other Russian girl was

 

Believe that was Svetlana's girlfriend - don't know if she's the same one Svetlana told Mickey about last season.  It would have been nice to have one scene between last season and this one showing Ian doing something nice for Svetlana - anything to explain why they're all now getting along so well.  But I can believe it, families come in all shapes and sizes.  I hated Mickey with a passion his first couple episodes but he's become one of my favorite characters. Nice. 

 

Also agree that Kevin really needs to cut his hair.  Now, please.

 

And like others, disappointed at that loss of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who is delicious.  I don't hate Dermot Mulroney but he does nothing for me.  And not a single line of dialogue about how one boss left and a new one took over?  Or did I just miss it?  Because that is the same place Fiona was working at the end of last season, right?

As for Fiona's history with her bosses, please give me a break, show.  I've been working since I was 13 and I'm now older than Sanskrit, and I have never had a boss I wanted remotely to sleep with.  Not even when I was young and stupid. 

One final question and I'll let it all go (because over all, I do like this show, despite the fact that it is so raunchy I sometimes have to look away) ; Was Lip supposed to have taken the el to Chicago from MIT?  Or was that just the last leg of his journey?  Aren't they like 15 hours apart, or is there some other branch of MIT that's in Illinois?  (Not as stupid a question as you might think - I was attending University of Maryland classes in Brussels, Belgium.)

[Blue Castle]

 

Was Lip supposed to have taken the el to Chicago from MIT?

 

Despite all the stuff about Lip getting into MIT in season 3, it was established last season that Lip attends the made-up Chicago Polytechnic University (which I believe The Good Wife also references a lot--which means maybe they're set in the same fictional universe which kind of blows my mind).

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Kind of like California University on Saved By the Bell: The College Years and original 90210! Like Shameless and The Good Wife, both shows aired the same year so part of me was really hoping for a crossover (even just seeing a character from the other show walking by in the background) because it would have cracked me up.

[40Love]

It would have been nice to have one scene between last season and this one showing Ian doing something nice for Svetlana - anything to explain why they're all now getting along so well.

 

Well there was that scene last season of Svetlana holding Liam and looking really concerned when Ian wouldn't get out of bed. Guess all her hatred of "Orange Boy" had to do with her fear that Ian would cause Mickey to stop supporting her and the baby. Now that they're all one big happy alternative family she's cool with Ian. 

 

As for Fiona's history with her bosses, please give me a break, show.  I've been working since I was 13 and I'm now older than Sanskrit, and I have never had a boss I wanted remotely to sleep with.

 

IKR! Not a good idea. 1-because it's her boss and 2-because they're both in  the 12-step program. I can see somebody going off the rails over one misunderstanding, hurt feeling or (with Steve surely on the horizon) infidelity!

 

Relax Fiona... just be friends and can it with all the sexual innuendo! Even teasing the band leader with a body search for tattoos was going too far. Just stop it!!

 

I so want Sammy to take a hike. Sheila needs to put a serious ass-kicking on her. Call one of Mickey's brothers. The other kids kept trying to tell her Frank was no good. But, she somehow thought she had a special bond with him. Now that he's ignoring her, she's lost her mind. I feel so bad for her kid. He deserves better adults in his life. 

[Amelie06]

I can't bear any scene with Frank in it. I've been over him and his foolery for awhile. I'm still watching the show because of Lip and and Fiona. This season premier has actually made me interested in Mickey and Ian's drama. I'm a bit concerned that Ian won't be able to believably pull off the sad descent into madness.

This show will permanently lose my business if Lip drops out of school. He went through so much in his first year and battled back, it would unforgivable if they had him quit! I don't think they are going to do that, though. This episode was clearly showing the ever widening gulf between Lip and his former life. It's sad but true, sometimes you have to leave people behind if they can't or won't change with you. Those "friends" are obvious fuckwits and Lip saw how his life would grind to a halt if he stayed in the neighborhood. I'm not convinced that Lip needs to be with that rich girl. I can't decide if she is just generous with the wealth that has been given to her, or if she is just playing with Lip and his life because she feels empty. I don't want him back with Mandy. It's nice that she got him in to college, but she is a crazy person. She tried to murder a girl! No, Lip will definitely not be climbing any corporate ladder or running a non-profit with a batshit crazy girlfriend that may set the house on fire because he is late for dinner.

Liam is so cute! His mimicking Fiona when she was stretching was so awesome, I could barely focus on what they were saying.

The boss switch is strange. Jeffrey Dean Morgan seems to flit in and out of things at random.

[wrestlesflamingos]

The ages of the characters on this show drive me nuts. Fiona is nearly 30 but started the show at 19? Lip is 19, Ian is somehow 17? That makes his army stunt at 15? Liam is clearly martian and human aging is inappropriate. Deb is now 16 but Carl is 12? 

 

Frank should have died. It would be an interesting story to show that life doesn't get immediately better without him. It would shine a light on Fiona's flaws. Not dead Frank feels like a novelty stunt by insecure writers.

 

This show existing in the same universe as The Good Wife is a nice idea.

[whiporee]

Fiona is maybe 23. She's never been said to be anywhere near 30.

[fliptopbox]

Fiona is maybe 23. She's never been said to be anywhere near 30.

Yeah last I heard her age mentioned it was 23. She may be 24 by this season's end, but she's still not close to 30....even though Emmy Rossum is 28 IRL.

 

And I gotta say for as fucked up as the Gallagher family is, she certainly has her shit together pretty well for just being 23. Although, with Frank and Monica as parents I am guessing that was more out of necessity than anything. She's certainly fucked up in some areas....but again, she is only 23. Nobody has it all together at that age.

[Blue Castle]

 

Fiona is maybe 23. She's never been said to be anywhere near 30.

 

Yeah, she actually said she's 23 in the finale last year.   I think Ian will probably have a birthday this season (although it is ridiculous that he's been 17 since season 3).  And although the show's been on tv for 4 years, it's only been 2 1/2 years on the show.

[Emily Thrace]

I think while Lip dropping out might break my heart I can understand why the show would do that . This show is always been at its best when its about fucked up people doing fucked up shit. Nothing would disapoint me more than if this show became the story of six extraordinary ghetto kids who succeed despite the odds. This show has done an amazing job of being truthful about how people like the gallghers live without being patronizing. If they are going to keep that up realistically some of these kids will crash and burn.

I think thats why Lips job interests me a bit. Construction might actually be a solid option for Lip. It would give him the money and challenge he needs but he could still suceed on his terms. I think thats what really bothers Lip about school it means conforming to a point. I think he feels if he goes to far from where he grows up he validating all shit he ever taken for being a ghetto kid

Fiona s man drama is so temporary its not even funny. I don't mind it cuz Fi needs someone to drop some home truths and then move on. Fi needs to learn relationships can be about more than drama I really despise Stimmy so I'm dreading his return. I just hope last year was rock bottom and we can see her start building herself up.

[iMonrey]

 

Fiona is maybe 23. She's never been said to be anywhere near 30.

 

Didn't she have her 30th birthday party at Worldwide Cups last year?