S05.E12: Love Songs (In The Key Of Gallagher)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Season finale!

Fiona reunites with Gus after he returns from his tour, but she struggles with the fact that her feelings for Sean have turned into love. In Costa Rica, Frank has love struggles of his own while he works to keep Bianca happy.

 

Promo:

 

Clips:

 

[SimoneS]

So Fiona finally remembers to be a parent and pay attention to Liam and Debbie.

[ChaChaSlide]

india wilkes , the spoiler thread is located here. http://forums.previously.tv/topic/9552-speculation-and-spoilers-for-the-gallaghers-and-friends/?view=getnewpost

Also, do you have any corresponding evidence of the spoiler, like a tumblr link or a spoilerstv post?

[Primetimer]

With Ian on the lam, Fiona pondering making things permanent with Gus, and Deb trying to make a baby that'll let her mooch her way into Derek's family, how many Gallaghers are even going to see each other in Season 6?

Read the story

[backhometome]

What a crap ending to a crappy season.

 

The worst was Mickey having sex with a WOMAN. Like they cannot show Ian/Mickey having sex at all this entire season but they show Mickey, a gay man, having sex with a woman. And wtf was that break up scene.

[SoWindsor]

I really didn't like Ian breaking up with Mickey.

Interesting that Sean was the Fiona role to Fiona. And Fiona was the Debbie.

Confused with Gus saying that's what friends are for. Why did he think she'd want to hear that?

I surprisingly liked Frank and Bianca the most. That storyline really took me by surprise. I think it's because we've never seen Frank in a "caretaker" role before. It just worked.

[SoWindsor]

What a crap ending to a crappy season.

 

The worst was Mickey having sex with a WOMAN. Like they cannot show Ian/Mickey having sex at all this entire season but they show Mickey, a gay man, having sex with a woman. And wtf was that break up scene.

We've only ever seen Mickey have sex with women. Obviously he loves Ian but I think that scene with the woman followed by Mickey (for the first time) soliciting sex with a man cements that Mickey is gay. It's not just an Ian-thing. At least that's my take.

[tennisgurl]

Show...you had one really good thing going this season. You had Ian and Mickey, best couple on the show...5 years of development...loved by fans and critics...and you pull this? The only story line you had not destroyed this season...the only one I cared about in the end...and this is what we get?

 

I just...I cant. I cant anymore. 

[Advance35]

Well the many loves of Fiona Gallagher continued.   The girl is a complete disaster and personally I wonder what guy in his right mind would get involved with her.   I hope the writers give some definition to whom is supposed to be taking care of the Gallagher household going forward because I find it hard to believe that it's Fiona.

 

Debbie, a complete diaster herself but with Fiona and the way she's spiraled the last few seasons, Who can blame her.  This is going to go so badly for all involved.  I actually feel sorry for that boy foolish enough to get involved with this headcase.

 

Lip is in over his head on an emotional level, falling in love with a Professor in THAT situation.  I didn't feel bad for Amanda or really care one way or another, I thought she was pretty pathetic in the end.  I always forgave Mandy because of her background but Amanda doesn't have that excuse.   All of her scenes I just kept thinking, "Dignity Darling, Dignity."

 

I felt sad for Bianca.  The first person MAYBE care about EVER and it's under these circumstances, it's just so Gallagher.

 

Ian and Mickey.  Well that's that.  I hope Mickey TRIES to move on.    The whole relationship started with Ian caring MUCH more about Mickey than Vice Versa and it ended on a 180.  I actually felt sorry for both of them. 

 

The Hollywood Reporter indicated that Mickey might NOT be back, so I guess they wanted to end his story in a very ambiguous but Shameless way.   They succeeded in that it was absolutely bonkers.   Sniff we lost both Mickey and Mandy this year.  I'm going to miss those rascals.

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/shameless-finale-ian-mickey-split-785890

 

I was glad we got to check in on Carl though.   He's thriving behind bars like many figured he would.

Edited April 6, 2015 by Advance35

[TexasChic]

I had to rewatch that last scene, I thought the two gangs were acting like they were going to fight, but then played basketball instead.

Edited April 6, 2015 by TexasChic

[Amethyst]

That ending was anticlimactic.  At least the scenes during the credits implied that Mickey was OK, because I was seriously worried that Sammi would kill him.  And right after Ian dumped him, too.  Noel just killed that scene.

 

I know Lip doesn't owe Amanda anything, but I'm not here for him and his teacher at all.  And I think something is up with the husband.  I'm wondering if he's attracted to Lip.  But I'm more invested in Lip finally getting his education than the stuff with the teacher.

 

Sad as it was, Bianca and Frank's story was pretty moving.  At least Bianca went out on her own terms, which was what she really wanted.  Did they say how long it had been since Bianca was diagnosed?  I think she'd only been hanging with Frank a few weeks.  

 

LOL'd at Gus' bandmate telling Fiona that she just isn't nice, which I can't really argue with.  Cut him loose, Fiona.  Frankly, I don't think she needs to be with any man right now, but at least let Gus know where you stand instead of jerking him around.

 

Kev and V's plot was so stupid.  Glad they're back together because this dragged on way too long.

Edited April 6, 2015 by Amethyst

[AlliMo]

There are plenty of storylines this season that I found hard to watch, that I didn't love, BUT - I didn't feel that any of them were out of character.

I hate seeing Ian and Mickey break up, but I also don't think that it's remotely unrealistic in a relationship like theirs with so many challenges. Maybe they'll fine their way back to each other, maybe they won't, but none of it was out of character.

 

I hate Deb's storyline this season, but again, I think it's completely realistic for a young woman in her circumstances.

 

I do feel bad for Amanda, yet I think she's reacting realistically in her situation. She started out treating Lip like a combination  between a pet and project. He could have been more sensitive, but he took her at her word when she said things were strictly casual.

 

The one thing I didn't care for was ultra responsible Fiona who went to such great lengths to become legal guardian of her siblings suddenly making everything about her love life. Yet again, it's not surprising that someone who's shouldered that much responsibility for so long would at some point  break and turn towards their more self destructive impulses. Fiona really just needs to be alone for awhile and figure out her shit. Gus is a great guy, but he probably isn't up to the challenges of dealing with her family, and Sean, while supportive, seems like someone who's definitely taking one day at a time to heart because that's all he can manage.

Edited April 6, 2015 by AlliMo

[Amethyst]

I had to rewatch that last scene, I thought the two gangs were acting like they were going to fight, but then played basketball instead.

 

I thought they were fighting, though.  The guards were watching other inmates play basketball, and when the fight started, the guards rushed over.

[Blue Castle]

That was a horrible finale to a horrible season. Like everything else this year it felt like a shoddy term paper written by a 15 year old during an all-nighter. The Kev and V story amounted to virtually nothing. Fiona's Discount Barn of Men was consistently boring. I mean, Ian runs away, Debbie is TRYING to get pregnant, Carl is in juvie, and poor Liam is abandoned half the time and she wonders if she's a bad person because some jackass lead singer is mad that she dicked around his best friend? Who cares?! Your household is in shambles! These kids used to be your life! What happened to you? What is going on?

And don't even get me started on Ian and Mickey's breakup which literally made no sense. And then Ian, who in season 1 flipped out when Kash pulled a gun on Mickey, was just now like "LOl. Sammi may kill the love of my life! Better go inside and have some coffee."

I think I'm done with this show.

Edited April 6, 2015 by Blue Castle

[Chrissytd]

So Debbie is pregnant?

That pharmacy worker was beyond creepy.

I thought they were fighting, though.  The guards were watching other inmates play basketball, and when the fight started, the guards rushed over.

That's what I thought too.

Sad as it was, Bianca and Frank's story was pretty moving.  At least Bianca went out on her own terms, which was what she really wanted.  Did they say how long it had been since Bianca was diagnosed?  I think she'd only been hanging with Frank a few weeks.

I think when Bianca and Frank first met, her diagnosis was fairly recent.

[TexasChic]

Yes, that's what I realized after the second viewing, but initially I thought Carl said, "Lets do this", and then it cut to them playing basketball.

[The Solution]

I did feel bad for Amanda. I thought she was good for Lip.

[patchwork]

As stupid as Debbie is about getting pregnant she threw a lot of home truths at Fiona first about the lack of food in the house and that she's always the one looking after Liam then later about Fiona's flighty attitude towards men. Of course none of it sinks in until a man tells Fiona she's not a nice person but the situation has been so ignored this season I'll take anything at this point. 

 

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to take away from Ian nonchalance when Sammi is shooting at Mickey. The break-up was inevitable, Ian's in denial about needing medication and from his perspective Mickey is wrong but going into the house as Sammi chases Mickey with a gun is just a weird.

 

All in all not a great finale and I'm not exactly impatient for next season.  

Edited April 6, 2015 by patchwork

[Blue Castle]

I did feel bad for Amanda. I thought she was good for Lip.

She was too good for Lip. Godspeed Amanda, godspeed.

[Blue Castle]

I've often felt like throughout this whole season that whoever was writing or whatever this season didn't watch past seasons. Nothing felt right this season. I actually really liked last season but this season something was off for all of it and the season finale was just kind of..blah.

The weird thing is that it was most of the same writers. My only thought is that they must be busy with other projects (I know John Wells is developing something) and they no longer care to put in the needed effort to make a high-quality show.

Edited April 6, 2015 by Blue Castle

[coleycole6]

That was a horrible finale to a horrible season. Like everything else this year it felt like a shoddy term paper written by a 15 year old during an all-nighter. The Kev and V story amounted to virtually nothing. Fiona's Discount Barn of Men was consistently boring. I mean, Ian runs away, Debbie is TRYING to get pregnant, Carl is in juvie, and poor Liam is abandoned half the time and she wonders if she's a bad person because some jackass lead singer is mad that she dicked around his best friend? Who cares?! Your household is in shambles! These kids used to be your life! What happened to you? What is going on?

And don't even get me started on Ian and Mickey's breakup which literally made no sense. And then Ian, who in season 1 flipped out when Kash pulled a gun on Mickey, was just now like "LOl. Sammi may kill the love of my life! Better go inside and have some coffee."

I think I'm done with this show.

 

So. Much. This. I binged watched S1-S4 before the start of S5 and I was so looking forward to this season. That was the most disappointing and baffling season finale I have ever seen of a series -- which pretty much summed up the train wreck that was S5.

 

The entire season seemed to be so forced and contrived. The main reason I fell in love with the show was the strong family bond of the Gallaghers; particularly Ian, Fiona and Lip. But now, I don't even recognized these characters anymore. Fiona was an absentee parent for pretty much the entire season, Lip is the luckiest mofo that ever walked the planet who never face any consequences and Ian -- who had the most compelling storyline -- was barely shown his POV and was completely out of character in the final scene with Mickey. I mean, I can believe given the circumstances Ian and Mickey could break up but what I refuse to believe is that Ian would have no reaction to Mickey telling him that he love him and that he would do absolutely NOTHING when Sammi was trying to kill MIckey. I have never seen so much character annihilation in one season. Even Mickey, who is clearly upset and emotional with the breakup with Ian gets into a freakin' Scooby Doo chase with Sammi and again Ian just jokes about it with Fiona and Vee? 

 

If I watch S6, it definitely won't be live. I might bing watch just see what happens to Ian and Mickey (if Noel Fisher returns to the show).

Edited April 6, 2015 by coleycole6

[Sisygambis]

Because of my great love for this show , I've been really willing to cut this season a lot of slack.  But this finale was terrible.  There was some good stuff in in - everytime Debbie yelled at Fiona, Fiona trying to talk some sense into Debbie, everything with Ian and Monica, even damn Frank had some good stuff.  Bianca playing Russian Roulette had me on the edge of my seat.  But the ending . . . .  dear lord.  It was like watching a cartoon. 

 

That scene between Ian and Mickey should not have ended the way it did.  I can get behind a breakup, especially if it is about the reasons that Ian gave (sorta) about needing to understand himself and not wanting a caretaker.  But adding the Sammi bit ripped away any emotional payoff - and this story should have had the tears flowing.  Both actors were great, but the entire moment should have been about them.  The writers were able to give us that kind of moment in 506, when Ian goes into the hospital, but not here.

 

I don't even really know what to say about the ending.  I'm really looking forward to reading everyone elses thoughts over the next few days.

[Amethyst]

That scene between Ian and Mickey should not have ended the way it did.  I can get behind a breakup, especially if it is about the reasons that Ian gave (sorta) about needing to understand himself and not wanting a caretaker.  But adding the Sammi bit ripped away any emotional payoff - and this story should have had the tears flowing.  Both actors were great, but the entire moment should have been about them.  The writers were able to give us that kind of moment in 506, when Ian goes into the hospital, but not here.

 

That's a great point about the emotional payoff.  Ian and Mickey's breakup is a big deal, because Ian is willingly ending it; he's not in the throes of a psychotic break, and you could see how that devastated Mickey.  It's a lot to process and Sammi being forced into the moment interrupts an amazing scene.

 

Ian's casual reaction to Sammi shooting at Mickey didn't really surprise me.  I don't think it's a matter of Ian not caring, but feeling numb and detached from everything, which has been his problem ever since he was released from the psych ward.  Ian is torn between two obstacles: feeling like he belongs with Monica but knowing that road leads to a dead end, and staying with Mickey who will try to medicate him because he loves Ian and desperately wants to help.  

 

Even though Ian is finally admitting that he has a problem, he's choosing not to take the meds because they make him feel worse and he doesn't want to live that way.  I don't think that's going to help matters, but I can see why he's doing it.

[Rosedust]

And don't even get me started on Ian and Mickey's breakup which literally made no sense. And then Ian, who in season 1 flipped out when Kash pulled a gun on Mickey, was just now like "LOl. Sammi may kill the love of my life! Better go inside and have some coffee."

I think I'm done with this show.

 

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?

[Rosedust]

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.

Edited April 6, 2015 by Rosedust

[Blue Castle]

 

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.

 

If that's true, that just proves yet again that the writers are bad at their jobs.  If they were planning a happier, non-break up ending for them (which the rest of the episode seemed to imply) they still could've done it!  If Noel Fisher didn't want to be in seasons six they could just say Mickey's in jail for something or other.  I mean, come on--why invalidate the characters' journeys for this season just because one actor might not be available for next season?  The ending was insulting to anyone who was invested in those characters.

[Pete Martell]

It's hilarious to think they shamelessly (see what I did there) sold merchandise to fans when they knew the relationship would end with Mickey being shot at and chased with a gun because of a misguided attempt to avenge Ian, while Ian laughs at him and strolls back into the house. They must really hate their fans to rip them off that way.

[Rosedust]

The ending was insulting to anyone who was invested in those characters.

 

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 hilarious to think they shamelessly (see what I did there) sold merchandise to fans when they knew the relationship would end...

 

It's such a slap in the face.

[Advance35]

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.

 

That doesn't bode well for me either since Mickey is pretty much my favorite character.  I like Ian/Mickey together but if they break up for good I would be fine with it as long as I get to see Mickey on the show in some capacity (and not just as a prop).   I like Ian and I think CM has DEFINITELY grown as an actor BUT I actually like Mickey much more than Ian.   He's one of the few characters on the show that can make me laugh and be lump in my throat touching.

 

If I were the show runners I would be very accomodating to Mr. Fisher, because his Mickey brings a lot to the show the other characters aren't able to deliver.  If he and Ian are through move Mickey to Kev and Vee's sphere, he plays off of them very well.

[kathybgd]

I couldn't even finish watching. I turned this shit off when Frank and that doc out of complete nowhere were on the beach with her moaning. This show went to hell for me, about three episodes in, when they decided to turn the character of Fionna into Chicago's top slut and marrying her off to random good guy. Sammy ruined this show, the two youngest are left in that big old house to fend for themselves. What utter crap! Also, (in my opinion) there's no reason to have a character from the show appear on my screen the beginning of the episode talking to the audience (me) rudely announcing what we missed in the last episode while pissin on the toilet! I don't care what the title of the show is! Its dead and done to me!

[junemeatcleaver]

I really don't give a fuck about Mickey/Ian or Gallovich, or whatever the hell they're called, but Noel Fisher was a hell of find and he needs to stay on this show.  Mr. Fisher really was the glue that held this mediocre season together, if this was his last season, I hope he lands a good project.

 

I don't think I can stand another season of Ian's descent into mental illness.  I was praying that Ian was going to stay with Monica and finding out that what's his face was leaving the show to focus on making teen movies while he's still young enough looking to pass for a Hollywood teenager.  Without Noel Fisher to lift him up, I'm really not interested in watching Ian outside of the Gallagher family unit.

 

The things Fiona was told and saw during the finale should be her wake up call.  But her arrest and felony conviction were supposed to be her wake up call and she fell down harder on her job as guardian this year than she did in season 4 so I have little confidence that Fiona will finally catch a clue.

[SimoneS]

Apparently, Noel has a new movie lined up which is why he did not want to sign up for another year. This is the price that they pay for not signing him to a multi-year contract from the start. With Noel not re-signing, they clearly had to end Ian and Mickey. I thought the break up scene was well done. I  don't like that they are happy to show tons of hetero sex and few gay sex scenes. Maybe it is the actors, but whatever it is, it is not a good thing.

 

Fiona has been abysmal this season. I am embarrassed for the writers who have apparently given up on her. I hope that the point of discovering that Debbie is pregnant is to wake Fiona up because she has effectively abandoned her responsibilities to her younger siblings even though she is their legal guardian. The actress who plays Debbie is fantastic. 

 

I feel for Amanda. I think that she and Lip still have a chance. His infatuation with the professor won't last long. I am just glad that all of this drama is keeping him in school.

 

Overall, I think that the showrunner and writers have out of steam.  I don't know if I will be back next season. I will wait and see how it goes.

Edited April 6, 2015 by SimoneS

[Advance35]

Well from what I've read nothing has been decided yet.   Noel Fisher has always been very complimentary to the fans and to the show as a whole, especially his co-stars so I wouldn't be at all surprised if they work something out where we do get to check in on Mickey sporadically through the season.   The guy said he has to see what he can "work out" with Noel.   Fingers crossed.  Though I think he could have ended the finale with Ian/Mickey together and kept Mickey off screen for the first part of next season if scheduling was going to be a big problem.

 

I know they were able to work with CM.   But I wonder if the WRITERS feel there is value to Mickey's character if he isn't linked with Ian.  It's clear he means very little to Fiona or Vee outside of his relationship with Ian, and I think that's true for the majority of the characters on the canvas, we the audience have been able to bond with him but Mickey isn't exactly friendly to others.

[redlaces]

I liked the Bianca and Frank plot. I would never expect Frank to be anything but selfish and though he cared for her, it was still out of selfishness. I also understand Bianca moaning on the beach.And uuuuuugh! Drowning? They say you go through a state of intense euphoria before you die from lack of oxygen, but, no.  I was an addict for years, and although I only have had to deal with several bouts of acute pancreatitis, that's a pain that I would not wish on my worst enemies. I'm also 32 and my chances for getting cancer there are well, pretty damn high.  A lot of sex, which is fine, but it did feel lazy. Ian and Mickey as a couple I could not give 2 shits about. Ian to me, is just bland. It's Mickey I love. He has grown so much and to me, he is a part of the family at this point. He's been there since the beginning, and yet Sammi gets a free pass? That bitch would not be allowed in the door back in the day. I want her to stay though. I know I know.. She is at least entertaining. I would rather watch her story than Fiona trotting her magical muff around. Same with Lip. As soon as Monica's man walked up, I said "meth lab" and his name is Walter.. The Debbie plot is hard for me to watch because I still see her as a little kid. If I was Fiona I would pop a plan B into her breakfast or something. I know that's wrong, but her having a baby is way more wrong.(Like totally) Poor Liam.. I'd only like to see this show go on for 10 more years to watch Liam break a chunk of of their selfish asses. The meeting of Carl and Chuckie I thought was pretty obvious. The guards were standing near a group of people playing ball and ran over once the fight broke out. They didn't start playing basketball, they were just near kids that were. Also about how long Bianca knew she had cancer. She was checking out Frank, took off out of the room and told Frank she had just found out about having cancer within the past couple hours. 

 

Come back Noel.. Please don't leave. You are fanfreakingtastic. One more season. Please???

[The Solution]

She was too good for Lip. Godspeed Amanda, godspeed.

You're right. Lip was just using her, just like all of the Gallaghers use everyone who comes into contact with them. We heard Fiona, who at one time was the most sympathetic Gallagher, be told that she just isn't a good person. None of them are. Lip is better suited to a dilettante who fucks him in front of her husband than he is to Amanda.

[Rosedust]

Though I think he could have ended the finale with Ian/Mickey together and kept Mickey off screen for the first part of next season if scheduling was going to be a big problem.

 

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.

[Tatum]

 

She is at least entertaining. I would rather watch her story than Fiona trotting her magical muff around. Same with Lip.

 

I know! I am so bored with Lip and Fiona's romantic or sexual exploits. it's the same damn thing over and over. Decent people (well, perhaps decent is a stretch, but people who honestly care about Lip/Fiona and have unselfish motives where they are concerned) will try and get involved with these two, only to be used and forgotten, while people who really don't give a shit about them are chased after and idolized. Both of them just deserve whatever they get at this point. And I'm really sick of both Fiona's boss and Lip's professor.  But honestly, Fiona doesn't deserve Gus and Lip doesn't deserve Amanda so I guess they should just stick with their bad choices and let the chips fall where they may.

 

I can't decide how I feel about Debbie trying to get pregnant. On the one hand, it's really stupid, not to mention completely shitty to a guy who has been nothing but kind to her. Tricking him into teenage fatherhood because she wants an escape from her dysfunctional family is both incredibly selfish and naive- hasn't Debbie ever watched 16 and Pregnant? Her boyfriend's sister in law way glorified teenage parenthood and her case is by the exception, not the rule. That said, Debbie has been taking care of kids that aren't her responsibility for most of her life, and I can kind of see how she feels she is ready for motherhood and that her boyfriend, while dragged in unknowingly, would eventually feel the same. That sister in law really should have reconsidered her words before talking to an impressionable 14 year old from an unstable family.

 

And what was the point of buying both a pregnancy test AND Plan B? From what I know, Plan B is just supercharged birth control, meant to take the day after unprotected sex. If you get a positive pregnancy test, you're way too late for Plan B. And since she already HAS birth control (from when the doctor gave to her with Fiona) she won't need Plan B for any future encounters.

[wrestlesflamingos]

They stunt casted Jimmy this season for nostalgia ratings, I'm sure they'll stunt cast Micky. I won't know, show ended for me last night.

[Lemons]

I really didn't like Ian breaking up with Mickey.

I surprisingly liked Frank and Bianca the most. That storyline really took me by surprise. I think it's because we've never seen Frank in a "caretaker" role before. It just worked.

 

The Ian and Mickey couple was my favorite part of the show.  It won't be any good if they aren't together.

 

And I hated the Frank and Bianca part.  Frank doesn't get to have a minute of happiness after all the child abuse and neglect he inflicted over the years.  And the fact that they gave his character absolutely no redeeming qualities, it was unrealistic. 

[TV Anonymous]

Nitpicks:

 

How does Frank return from Costa Rica to Chicago? Does he have money? Bianca went of shopping spree using her credit card, that she knew she would not need to pay back. Can Frank purchase international ticket using someone else credit card?

 

On a lesser scale, how does Ian return home without any money at all? Unlike Monica, he does not have meth to sell.

 

Sammi was able to shoot Frank with such high precision that the bullet just grazed his arm. She neither missed nor hit the arm completely. Yet she is unable to shoot center-mass on Mickey?

[iMonrey]

 

I know Lip doesn't owe Amanda anything

 

Oh I don't know, I think he does owe her. She's the one who got him to buckle down and work hard enough in his first semester to get grades good enough to keep his scholarship. She had to get him organized on a schedule because his method of flying by the seat of his pants wasn't working for him. That said, Amanda was quite clear that their relationship was non exclusive. She even let her lesbian roommate go down on her twice. She has no right to expect Lip to be faithful or profess his love for her. Then again he was a shit to her for sneaking out when she left to warm the pizza.

 

I found the season finale underwhelming to say the least. I think it would have been a lot gutsier to end it with Sammi actually shooting Mickey. I know they wanted to leave the door open for Noel Fisher's possible return next season but the emotional gut punch of actually seeing him get shot would have been far more gratifying than the silly chasing scene and everyone's nonchalant attitude towards the situation. 

 

Debbie is an idiot. Wasn't she just telling Derek's sister in law she gets straight A's and likes school? Just goes to prove you can be book smart and still dumb. I get that she's had bad role models and envies a seemingly nicer family, but still - she has Lip to look up to as an example of the possibility of getting out of that hell hole and bettering her life. You'd have to be really, really dumb to think getting pregnant at 14 is a good idea.

 

 

How does Frank return from Costa Rica to Chicago? Does he have money? Bianca went of shopping spree using her credit card, that she knew she would not need to pay back. Can Frank purchase international ticket using someone else credit card?

 

Bianca left Frank two envelopes. One said "please give to my family" and the other was for him. I couldn't read what was written on it except the last word which was "enjoy." So maybe she left him her credit cards or whatever cash she had.

Edited April 6, 2015 by iMonrey

[Slovenly Muse]

Ok, I agree that this finale was really weak, and a lot of the season's themes and plots went exactly nowhere. BUT I do feel a need to speak up about the Ian and Mickey situation. For one thing, I think the breakup was very realistic, if not necessary. It was pointed out in another review last week that right from season 1, Ian has been in puppy love with Mickey, just smitten from the start, while Mickey was the one who, in later seasons, was pushed into a position of having to confront his feelings towards Ian and actually lay everything on the line to fight to keep Ian. We've never really seen Ian having to fight for Mickey. Combined with his bipolar disorder, things are different for them now. Now that Ian is sick, Mickey's role in the relationship IS caretaker... that and waiting around at home, wondering where Ian is and if he's ever coming back, fielding Ian's unbalanced, self-destructive ideas, wondering when Ian is going to kidnap and endanger his child again... that is not a fair position to put your partner in. By not taking his meds, that's what Ian is expecting from Mickey. It was the right thing to cut him loose while he got his shit together.

 

I think a lot of the "love me for who I am" shit is Monica's fault. Ian accepts that he's sick, and that he doesn't want to live Monica's life, but he is still very much in denial about how dangerous to himself and others he can be when he's manic. If Ian were really seeing his actions clearly (which his disease prevents him from doing), I think he would be appalled at the things he has done (swinging a bat at Deb, kidnapping and nearly harming Yevgeny, hot-wiring a helicopter, really worrying and terrifying everyone who loves him), and would absolutely deny that that is "who he is." Now he's trying to have it both ways: Securing himself into the stability of the family who loves him AND embracing the dangerous volatility of not taking his meds. I'd actually be HAPPY to have a season of Ian having to face the truth of his illness, figure out who he REALLY is now that he does have this disease, and really struggle to become the kind of person with whom it is possible to have a serious and stable relationship. And then fighting like hell to get Mickey back. Because everyone wants them together, including the writers and showrunner. And just because Noel might be filming a movie soon, that doesn't mean he can't return afterwards, at the end of the season or the beginning of the next one for an inevitable reunion! "Not yet signed on for next season" doesn't mean "gone for all subsequent seasons as well." Ian having to get his shit together WITHOUT Mickey might be a really interesting journey, and I have no doubt at all those crazy kids will end up back together sooner or later. I haven't been impressed with this season, but I'll stick around for that.

 

I do agree, however, that Sammi's reappearance there was bizarre and uncalled for. I guess they were going for "just another day in the neighbourhood" with that ending, with Ian's apathy intended to communicate to us that Mickey is perfectly capable of defending himself against Sammi and there's no real need to worry, and Fiona's "Yep, that sounds like Monica" and matter-of-fact responses to the situation giving a sense of "things are back to normal here, order is restored," but it was too abrupt a shift with no real payoff, especially since they may not be using Sammi next season, it made no sense to bring her back just to kill the mood. Hopefully the writing team will hear the overwhelmingly negative responses towards this season and take it to heart while planning the next one. I find it good policy to forgive those who learn from their mistakes!

[LuciaMia]

I was almost relieved that it turned out Monica was selling meth; at first thought there was a quick sex act going on between her and the truckdriver, ewwwwwww.

*******

I assume Bianca swallowed the rest of her pain pills before walking into the ocean? From 'A Star Is Born' I've always thought that has to the worst and hardest way to commit suicide.

[hertolo]

Meh, I don't get the negative response in here. I'm not watching to see Ian and Mickey get a happy ending or any other succesful ships. I want to see a (logical) development, but nothing of all that coupley things, or rather more than just "will they get/stay togehter"-stuff. That's why I don't think Kev and Vees story was pointless this season. Rather that they end up exactly where they started makes sense and is a strong storytelling point. Sameways, Ian's breakup does make sense from his point of view.

 

One element that this season however showed is that you can only go so long with the same characters. That's a weak point for the show since they kinda did everything for the moment, no? Changing the silhouette is something weeds for example did magnificiently and the UK original somewhat as well by concentrating on different characters. Now that wouldn't work for Shameless USA, but I do feel they should maybe think on a time jump. The ending kinda suits since a pregnant Debbie doesn't strike me as interesting, Lip-in-college means just more screwups (since hard working successful means boring-for-television) and nobody I guess wants to see more of Fiona's lovelife... Sure, they are really open with the rest, but as the opinion in here shows, they do kinda need to change the formula slightly anyways...

[Empress1]

I mean, Ian runs away, Debbie is TRYING to get pregnant, Carl is in juvie, and poor Liam is abandoned half the time and she wonders if she's a bad person because some jackass lead singer is mad that she dicked around his best friend? Who cares?! Your household is in shambles! These kids used to be your life! What happened to you? What is going on?

Amen. I am completely out of fucks to give about Fiona and her love life. Put on your big girl pants and raise those damn kids. At least she admitted she's doing a terrible job at that.

 

I do feel a little bad for Amanda, but if she wanted to be exclusive with Lip, she should have said so. That’s a common 19-year-old mistake though, so hopefully she’ll learn to use her words. I am not interested in Lip’s dealings with his professor; I just want him to get a degree and a job.

 

I’d think you’d have to fight very hard against the survival instinct when drowning yourself, and I also feel bad that Bianca's family will have nothing to bury. But I am a big believer in the right to die as you see fit, so I didn’t mind that send-off for Bianca. (But I maintain that sex with Frank would be disgusting.)

[LuciaMia]

 

(But I maintain that sex with Frank would be disgusting.)

A little like having sex with Gollum.

[Amethyst]

Oh I don't know, I think he does owe her. She's the one who got him to buckle down and work hard enough in his first semester to get grades good enough to keep his scholarship. She had to get him organized on a schedule because his method of flying by the seat of his pants wasn't working for him. That said, Amanda was quite clear that their relationship was non exclusive. She even let her lesbian roommate go down on her twice. She has no right to expect Lip to be faithful or profess his love for her. Then again he was a shit to her for sneaking out when she left to warm the pizza.

 

Yep, the bolded part was what I meant.  Academically, Amanda has done a lot for Lip, but she can't get mad at him for going along with the fwb relationship that she herself agreed to.  But I thought Lip sneaking out was a shitty thing, too.  I think he knew that Amanda was developing real feelings for him so he bounced before they could get into a confrontation.  I was OK with him getting punched.

 

Bianca left Frank two envelopes. One said "please give to my family" and the other was for him. I couldn't read what was written on it except the last word which was "enjoy." So maybe she left him her credit cards or whatever cash she had.

 

Bianca was talking about the pills.  The other envelope read "Nine left, enjoy!" and the pill bottle was sitting next to it. 

[junemeatcleaver]

 

But I maintain that sex with Frank would be disgusting.

 

I can see why someone, a dying woman who is saying Fuck You to the world at that, would find Frank attractive.  Underneath the crust, and away from his family, he is intelligent and can be rather charming.  Bianca's never seen Frank at his worst, he's just the filthy charming rogue she's getting her final rocks off with.

 

Thinking more about Fiona abandoning Liam, the thing that hurts me the most is remembering the story she told about Monica (and Frank?) leaving little Fiona, Lip and Ian at the bus stop and Ian getting severe sunburn.  Liam may not be being left outside for hours on end, but what she did this past season was a form of abandonment.  And unlike Fiona, Liam doesn't have siblings around his age to sit in front of the tv with him.  Fiona fought for Liam, she's the only parent he's ever really known, and she leaves him practically alone for months.  How dare she.

[whiporee]

I'm gonna step up and defend the Gallaghers here.

Fiona didn't become guardian of the kids because she wanted to -- she did it because the only alternative was eventual foster care, and she and Lip both had enough experience there to know it's not place to be. She said the right things, but the girl is only 23 or 24 -- there's no one that age who's in an emotional/mental place to raise a 14-year-old kid. She's a kid herself. As for her relationship with Deb, that's on Deb. There is not a single thing Fiona could do to stop the path Deb is one -- Fiona is incapable of filling the hole left in Debbie by the very clear and palpable rejections from both of her parents. Don't forget Deb helped break Monica out of the psyche ward just to see Monica drive off -- those acre scars Fiona couldn't solve if she read Deb bedtime stories every night. Which she probably did. Fiona was probably doing her best to raise Debbie and Ian and Carl when she was Deb's age -- she would expect Deb to step up, because that's what you do when there's a void in the household. I don't know why it's demanded of Fiona that she grow up when no one is expecting anyone else to. It's an unfair and sexist burden that's been placed on her and I think it's perfectly natural that she want a break from it even if she doesn't know that's what she is doing. She made one major fuckup and she paid a real price for it, but I think it's unreasonable to demand that she keep paying for it.

It's why she let Sammi take over the way she did -- there was a void, and someone was willing to fill it. That void has/had been filled with Fiona for a long time, and I think it's perfectly in character for her to allow someone else to fill it.

I felt bad for Amanda because I always feel bad for a character whose heart is getting broken, but I can't blame Lip. Amanda has gone out of her way to keep the relationship casual, and she was the one who gave him the sleepy blowjob while she was dating his roommate. I don't think he used her at all -- I think he took what she offered, and to me there's a difference. And Amanda is hostile toward him in regards to Helene -- maybe she should be, but he hasn't asked for her approval, any more than she asked for his when she let her roommate go down on her. It's understandable to be hurt when fuck-buddiness goes bad, but it's not fair to blame the other side.

And even Frank -- at times he can be charming, and that's the way he's always been portrayed. And damn near brilliant. He's just an unrepentant drunken narcissist, but there is always something charming about the narcissists in the world; I don't know why, it makes no sense, but those people who put themselves first always seem to have people around them. There's a great poem called "From the Manifesto of the Selfish" by Stephen Dunn -- it's have to transcribe the whole thing to make the point, but to me it sums up Frank, at least to a degree. He's capable of real kindness, and I think that's what he showed Bianca (and the little girl in the hospital, too). It was away doomed, but she would not have been abel to do do the things she did without him, and that's something.

As for Ian and Mickey ... I care very little. Mickey's a bad guy. The fact that he's gay and in love does not take away from the fact that he is a bad guy, and I don't find his relationship with Ian in any way redemptive. But as for Ian, I've been around a few bipolar people, and this idea of not liking who the meds turn them into isn't uncommon. Monica was a train wreck, but I can see her point -- the madness is a part of who he is, and everyone keeps telling him to reject it. The drugs make him into someone else, someone whose thoughts he doesn't recognize. Maybe a better man would accept that as his fate, but it's hard to condemn someone who wants to be who they are.

[Chaos Theory]

Frank isn't attractive in a real world sense but he would be to a dying woman who has never really lived. He is pure id and to someone like Bianca who has probably always done the "right thing" Frank's hubris lifestyle would be an attractive way to go out. Plus it made Frank extremely entertaining at least for awhile.

I am not sure what to make of Deb. I am one of the people who has a;ways liked her. I think the actress who plays her is extremely talented. However I am not sure where the show is going with the pregnancy thing. I guess someone has to continue on the legacy of unwed mother and a 16 and pregnant Shameless style might be interesting.

Carl was born for prison and I want to see more of him there.

I am not sure how I feel about the break up between Ian and Mickey. It was bound to happen sometime. I do believe these two are going to be endgame but I think right now the show needs to deal with Ian's mental illness and Mickey himself and what it really means to be a homosexual. I don't think he has really been with anyone besides Ian and I think it would be interesting to at least explore the options. Nice sane boyfriends....that bore him to death.

I think Fiona and Lip actually have a lot in common. They fall for the wrong people. Instead of the good, safe relationship they want to the crazy adrenaline rush relationship..

Edited April 6, 2015 by Chaos Theory