S06.E04: Going Once, Going Twice

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Fiona confronts Patrick about the eviction notice, but her only choice is to get a mortgage from the bank and bid on the house at auction. Meanwhile, Ian bakes cookies for the firehouse and discovers he was saved by the shift of gay firemen.

 

Promo:

 

Clips:

 

[Primetimer]

Fiona needs to scramble to save the Gallaghers' home when they get foreclosed on, while everything else on Shameless is gross and offensive.

Read the story

[giovannif7]

Chicago Fire Island would actually get me to watch one of Dick Wolf/NBC's endless parade of Chicago procedurals.

[WhosThatGirl]

I don't know anymore. Everything about the show now is just kind of there. So, the Gallaghers can never win one, I guess. This show just keeps getting more and more depressing each week, as if that was possible. Also, Sean still batting zero to get me to liking him. I doubt I will at this point. Why is Chuckie back? Who asked for him to return? 

[dangwoodchucks]

So much time wasted on the Lip and professor story. Here's hoping it'll come to an end next week.

Poor Chuckie. He only got into trouble because of Carl and now he's stuck there with him and a bunch of people who don't give two shits about him.

[whiporee]

The previews make it sound like we're headed quickly for the abyss.

I liked Lip and Helena, though I don't think that a) she could be blindsided that quickly and b) no one would interrupt a conference like that without damaging their own reputation, because the truth is he could have just been bullshitting or misinterpreting the letters, and any reasonable academic audience would know that. But I do think there's a significance to them that's more honest than it originally appeared.

The Debbie stuff just doesn't work, expect whens he saw the sonogram. The rest is just nonsense.

And the main plot -- it all makes sense, and I'm surprised nothing happened earlier. There are a couple of loose ends, though. First, didn't Jimmy buy the hose next door? Maybe he still owns it. Or now that Yannis is dead, they could move there. Or, move out of the city -- If Fiona could get a mortgage for that one, she could get one for something else. Commuting's a bitch, but she could find a place for herself, Carl and Liam that's not that far out of town.

And I don't mind Carl's sociopathic desire for love. It's at least more honest than Debbie's.

I do agree with the PP that at some point, you'd like these characters to get a win. A real, honest victory. Don't think it's coming soon, though.

[answerphone]

Despite the flaws, this episode had quite a few laugh out loud moments!

[preeya]

Topless = tapas.

[ralph]

This show is really starting to suck. I know that's not a new opinion, everyone's saying it. I just thought I should add my voice to the fray.

 

I called it last week. Either Ian was become a firefighter or fall in love with one. I still figure it's going towards both because there's a void in his life on both those fronts and if he can't be in the military, firefighting or some kind of law enforcement is an obvious consolation.

 

The only characters who got any kind of "win" in life were Veronica and Kevin, but only with Yanis off their back, the bar is still in question.

 

If the show doesn't start to get better I may just ditch and stop watching.

[WhosThatGirl]

This show is really starting to suck. I know that's not a new opinion, everyone's saying it. I just thought I should add my voice to the fray.

 

I called it last week. Either Ian was become a firefighter or fall in love with one. I still figure it's going towards both because there's a void in his life on both those fronts and if he can't be in the military, firefighting or some kind of law enforcement is an obvious consolation.

 

The only characters who got any kind of "win" in life were Veronica and Kevin, but only with Yanis off their back, the bar is still in question.

 

If the show doesn't start to get better I may just ditch and stop watching.

Me and you, spirit animals! I agree with everything you said and I called the same thing about Ian last week. I also think I may have to give up this show soon. I just don't really care about anything that's happening really. And the stuff that I do care about, makes me angry. Also the more Fiona puts off her abortion, the more I realize I'm worried she's going to end up keeping the baby. That won't happen, right? I mean, like us the viewers, she still keeps finding out more about Sean's past that doesn't make him a father figure, right? 

[redlaces]

Shawn is so going to kill someone now that the cat is out of the box.. Stimmy? Sammy? hmmm Oh or Maybe use the drilling machine they showed a close up on at the end of the scene. 

 

Ian and the firefighter love interest thing was a very popular opinion from a lot of folks.

 

Debbie .. I don't even know, but it will be gross.

 

Fiona will end up caught in between when Shawn kills someone again.

 

Lip is a dick and I hope he gets a case of humble pie, moves on and does his thing. (pshha right)

Maybe it will get alll twisted up and Helene **I said Yannis before derp** for some reason will end up killing Amanda..

 

The lawyer Yannis wanted to kill I think will come into the picture.

 

Liam is gonna fuck a firefighter or 6 and realize that's what he wants to do until he has a breakdown in the middle of a run and people die as a result. Probably his latest bottom bitch. Which will send him into yet another tail spin.. Enter Monica.. Or Mandy. 

 

Frank will be Frank and that is why I love him. Do your thing road dog.

 

Svetlana needs to be in every episode always..

 

Kev.. You could have easily snatched that box out of his lap. You like the danger. You could have also tried to do something.  Still love him though.

Edited February 1, 2016 by redlaces

[ralph]

Me and you, spirit animals! I agree with everything you said and I called the same thing about Ian last week. I also think I may have to give up this show soon. I just don't really care about anything that's happening really. And the stuff that I do care about, makes me angry. Also the more Fiona puts off her abortion, the more I realize I'm worried she's going to end up keeping the baby. That won't happen, right? I mean, like us the viewers, she still keeps finding out more about Sean's past that doesn't make him a father figure, right? 

For a second there, I forgot Fiona was pregnant. Her and Debbie right now, I just...argh.

With this "make their lives suck as much as possible" kick the writers seem to be on, maybe Fiona will keep the baby. Wouldn't be out of character for her to self sabotage her own life by having a baby with a former drug addict who's on the cusp of a relapse, But when I give it more thought, she has a history of getting good things and ruining them...dating the nice guy from World Wide Cup (I forgot his name, I only remember the company name because I thought it was so ridiculous) and holding down a nice job---sleeping with that guy's drug using brother...marrying nice guy,Gus---cheating on him with Jimmy/Jack/Steve...not necessarily making life worse for herself from scratch.

 

I've given it thought and the only way the writers are gonna get her to not have this baby is a miscarriage. We already know Fiona's feelings about having an abortion, there's no drama there, and like you said, Sean isn't fit to be anyone's dad, and ofcourse Fiona is too busy scraping to raise her siblings ro have a kid on her own. This situation even gives the writers a chance at one of those long drawn out Emmy Rossum crying scenes they love (because there will be crying because losing a baby and aborting a baby are two different things)

until he has a breakdown in the middle of a run and people die as a result. Which will send him into yet another tail spin

 

I very much see this happening. It's becoming like a game. Whenever things begin to look up for a Gallagher, use your knowledge of their past to guess how it will ruin their future.

[DiabLOL]

I don't think that a) she could be blindsided that quickly and b) no one would interrupt a conference like that without damaging their own reputation, because the truth is he could have just been bullshitting or misinterpreting the letters, and any reasonable academic audience would know that. 

 

Thank you! During that scene I was thinking that the way her character had been written (empowered, confident, competent) makes it totally unbelievable to me that she'd fold at all! She would have told the guy to sit down and would have said exactly what you just did and launched into her presentation.

 

The actor who plays Lip is amazingly gifted. The way his eyes and flushed face were all moist with emotion while the drunk puking prof was confessing her feelings to him. Wow.

 

Once again I'm at the point I was I think last year with this show. I don't think the comedy part works. Well, first of all it's rarely funny to me and second of all most of the actors are really good and would be better served in a drama. The subject matter is really dark and the writers maybe just don't know how to do dark comedy well instead week after week I get dumb jokes. I really didn't find it hilarious that Kev just watched a human being immolate himself in the middle of the road but the way it was shot and played I pretty much get that I was expected to.

 

The Debbie and Frank show is nauseating, not funny, not interesting and honestly I'm starting to worry that a stellar talent like Macy maybe has a huge drug problem or something otherwise why would he lower himself to this garbage. 

 

Lip's complicated love life is sure to end in murder not sure whose yet.

 

I was seriously disgusted with Fiona for even thinking of pawning that ring. She really should have given it back to him, song or no song. If it was just a ring he got at a store for her I could see her saying well fuck it it's mine to do what I want with it but the backstory made it 100% wrong for her to keep it let alone sell it and for such a small amount it adds insult to injury. Everything she touches turns to shit. 

 

What I really liked about the show in the first few seasons was just seeing how miserable and uniquely difficult their lives were. I loved hearing Fiona's insights into how people on the other side of the tracks viewed her. For example if she had a job that was mainly due to her young sexy self, she'd at some point say that even though the guys thought she was hot, she was still trash to them and beneath them. That sort of painful insight was really compelling to watch.

 

Frankly if they wanted that house so much couldn't they have still bid on the higher amount because with Fiona's loan she could have asked the murdering drug addict sure to be baby daddy to go in on it with her or something like that? I mean she's not above hocking a priceless ring for chump change so why is she so suddenly noble when it comes to getting money for the house? 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Fiona is a horrible person for pawning that ring. It was not some random ring that Gus bought at the mall. That was his grandmother's ring so it was not Fiona's to sell. I hope Gus shows up next week and demands it back, just so we can see Fiona have to confess that she doesn't have it anymore. Then he can add a new verse to his song about what a selfish bitch she is to pawn a family heirloom for less than $2000.

 

Frank trying to hook Debbie up with an old man dying of cancer was gross, but so is his plan for her to nanny until that other guy's wife dies. And does she really want to be the stepmother to three kids plus having one of her own? That is a lot of kids to take care of. She clearly still has no grasp on reality if she thought that she could work part time and save enough money to pay for her own place. And where did she plan on living between the eviction and having enough money saved for her own place?

 

Ha loved the toilet themed cocktails at the speakeasy.

 

The guy who kept interrupting Helene's talk was a dick. Even if what he was saying was all totally legit, it's fucking rude to interrupt a speaker at a conference. Hold your questions/comments until the end. Secondly, he said these letters were just found a few weeks ago so calm down. How dare Helene not have read them yet? Gawd.

Edited February 1, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[AlliMo]

Selling the ring was pretty shitty on Fiona's part, but honestly, if I had the choice between that and seeing my family out on the street, I'd probably be a shitty person, too. Gus was a nice enough guy, but I don't have much sympathy for him. He married her knowing so little about her that he didn't even *know* she had a family that was dependent on her. If the ring was that important to him, he knew where she lived. Instead he chose to write a bitchy song about her (that she deserved, to be fair.) Tough hop, Gus; join the Gallaghers in dealing with the consequences of making poor life choices.

 

If Ian could stay on his meds, I actually think he could be a good firefighter. We've already seen that he has the discipline when it concerns something he's passionate about, like his ROTC training.

 

I'm wildly ambivalent about Debbie. On one hand, I can't believe that she could be that naive about the realities of being a teen mom growing up the way that she did, and on the other hand - well, growing up the way she did is probably precisely why she thinks the way that she does. I think this is what so many people who grew up in relatively "normal," functional families often can't understand - how do you make good choices for yourself, or have aspirations for your future, when practically nobody that you've ever known has done so? Where do you even learn those skills?

 

Svetlana continues to be the best character on this show.

[Chaos Theory]

The show isn't bad per se; it is just missing the sense of pointless fun and mayhem the first couple of seasons had. Remember how the family worked together to survive and what they did was kinda of funny in a twisted way. Robbing the meat truck, faking Frank's death, Debbie stealing the baby. They were all kinds of heist capers that are missing now.

Even Fiona (who I love) working at the diner is a mistake. There is no humor there. It looked good on paper and maybe it was for awhile but first couple seasons her job hopping was actually humorous. If working at the diner was funny and not just sad....

Which is my overall problem with the season or last couple season. It's just too sad.

My favorite storyline is Carl for god sake. His antics remind me of show of old. I do however get a kick out of Frank and Debbie and despite how wrong it is or maybe because of how wrong it is it makes them together entertaining.

I loved the Lip stuff and how he is seeing the world from up high for the first time in his life. The drunk talk with the professor was interesting. They are way past a cheap bang but they are short term and can never be more.

Ian and the firefighters are kind of obvious at least on the surface but maybe it will build to something more.

I am dreading the losing the house/gentrification story. Again just too dam sad for me.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[Tatum]

Selling the ring was pretty shitty on Fiona's part, but honestly, if I had the choice between that and seeing my family out on the street, I'd probably be a shitty person, too. Gus was a nice enough guy, but I don't have much sympathy for him. He married her knowing so little about her that he didn't even *know* she had a family that was dependent on her. If the ring was that important to him, he knew where she lived. Instead he chose to write a bitchy song about her (that she deserved, to be fair.) Tough hop, Gus; join the Gallaghers in dealing with the consequences of making poor life choices.

 

She did have one other choice- accepting Carl's money. Weird moral code she has there. I get that she doesn't want to be in any trouble for accepting money from someone she knows got it from illegal means, but she still had to scrape together $1,500 anyways- how can she prove she didn't take any of his money? And on that note, how fucking lazy to just go to one pawn shop. There's got to more than one in that area and she would have spent, what, another 15 min checking out a different one? At least if she got the full $3,500 she'd have a receipt proving the money for the down payment was obtained legally.

I'll agree though- it was very, very, VERY unwise of Gus to give that ring away to someone he barely knew. I mean, the only thing he knew about her was she had shown spectacularly bad judgment in the past. Not a great sign. Hopefully Fiona at least sends him the address of the pawn shop so he can buy it back.

 

The guy who kept interrupting Helene's talk was a dick. Even if what he was saying was all totally legit, it's fucking rude to interrupt a speaker at a conference. Hold your questions/comments until the end. Secondly, he said these letters were just found a few weeks ago so calm down. How dare Helene not have read them yet? Gawd.

 

I know, and then he was all like, I'm not trying to be an asshole but... Oh really? You're continually interrupting someone speaking at a conference by challenging their entire platform based on evidence that just came out a few weeks ago and hasn't been verified? Well, I'd sure hate to see what you do when you're trying to be an asshole. Maybe the guy is just a jerk, but I am holding onto the hope that he wasn't merely just a vehicle to get Helene to drink and spill her guts to Lip, and that he was actually a plant by someone with an axe to grind against Helene. Regardless, I expect this storyline to be wrapped up soon. Whatever she feels for Lip, she's not going to be in a position to shitcan her marriage and career over him.

[stagmania]

Once again I'm at the point I was I think last year with this show. I don't think the comedy part works. Well, first of all it's rarely funny to me and second of all most of the actors are really good and would be better served in a drama. The subject matter is really dark and the writers maybe just don't know how to do dark comedy well instead week after week I get dumb jokes. I really didn't find it hilarious that Kev just watched a human being immolate himself in the middle of the road but the way it was shot and played I pretty much get that I was expected to.

 

I completely agree with this. Trying to force themselves into being a dark comedy (mostly for the sake of awards they'll never win) is what killed this show.  Shameless has always been a family drama with comedic elements. The first few seasons were often funny, but the comedy came from a very natural, character-driven place. Now it's so forced it's painful. What, exactly, was the point of Yanis? I can't find one beyond the writers wanting a new mouthpiece for their particular brand of tasteless shock humor.

 

If Ian could stay on his meds, I actually think he could be a good firefighter. We've already seen that he has the discipline when it concerns something he's passionate about, like his ROTC training.

 

Is anyone else getting the impression that Ian isn't actually on his meds? He looks like shit, always seems a bit out of it, and they've shown him drinking in every episode, which we know he can't do on his meds. I think that's going to be a reveal at some point this season, probably just in time to wreck his budding career and new relationship.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

and then he was all like, I'm not trying to be an asshole but... Oh really? You're continually interrupting someone speaking at a conference by challenging their entire platform based on evidence that just came out a few weeks ago and hasn't been verified? Well, I'd sure hate to see what you do when you're trying to be an asshole.

Ha, no kidding! But I have found that whenever someone prefaces what they're about to say with, "I'm not trying to be ________," they know they are about to be _______ and they think that adding that caveat diminishes the fact that they are about to be whatever it is they claim they are not trying to be (uptight, bitchy, cheap, rude, racist, etc). To be honest, the biggest surprise about that scene was that Lip didn't get up and punch the guy in the face. I was expecting that the brawl would be what caused Helene major embarrassment. Heh, I guess that is some maturity and character growth for Lip.

[whiporee]

i.e: the ring

What's Gus going to do, give it to someone else? If he had just bought it, I could see him wanting it back so he could get his money back. And Fiona should un-pawn it and give him back the ring (she's usually got 30 days on that stuff), but I can't imagine what he'll do with it now. (Honey, remember that woman I wrote the song about? Yeah her. This was her engagement ring!! now I'm giving it to you!)

I don't mind Ian the firefighter. He's gotta do something, and he's got the physical skills for it.

[Empress1]

i.e: the ring

What's Gus going to do, give it to someone else? If he had just bought it, I could see him wanting it back so he could get his money back. And Fiona should un-pawn it and give him back the ring (she's usually got 30 days on that stuff), but I can't imagine what he'll do with it now. (Honey, remember that woman I wrote the song about? Yeah her. This was her engagement ring!! now I'm giving it to you!)

Why wouldn't he? It was his grandmother's ring. It should stay in his family. If he were to give it to someone else and divorce again, I'd think wife #2 should return it because it's a family heirloom. (I wouldn't think that if he'd just bought the ring from a regular store.) Fiona was dead-ass wrong for pawning it, and she knows she was wrong. As Tatum pointed out, her moral code won't allow her to accept cash from Carl (who she knows is doing something illegal but doesn't care to find out what, or attempt to stop him) but will allow her to sell a nice guy's grandmother's ring?

 

I think Ian would make a good firefighter, and it'll be good for him to be exposed to some other gay people who are doing positive things. Don't you need a high school diploma or a GED to become one though?

 

Lip and Helene ... can we just wrap this up? 

 

I REALLY hope they go through with Fiona's abortion. Given that she's moments away from homelessness, a baby is the last thing she needs. 

 

This was a really bleak episode. Between the eviction, Yanni's death (I admit I cracked up when Kevin tried blowing on him), and the death of the Alibi, it was hit after hit after hit. The kids are going to get split up, I assume? Kevin and Vee can't take them in with two babies at home.

[LuciaMia]

When Ian walked into the gay fireman's shift, all I could think of was that episode of the Simpsons: ("Dad, why'd you bring me to a gay steel mill?" "We work hard and we play hard!")

Cant remember his name, but Car;ls lumbering companion finally speaks!

When Yanis started to catch on fire, I kept expecting the lesbians to come running out to help him.

[dangwoodchucks]

I'm not onboard with the popular assumption that Ian wants to be a firefighter. I haven't gotten that impression at all. All I see is that he wanted to see the cute firefighter again, and then when he got there he found the mother lode. I have a feeling he'll be visiting the sculptor guy's studio. It was funny that the first fireman expected Ian to leave the cookies even though they weren't the crew that saved him.

 

I like Kev and V, but they need more to do. The Yanis stuff wasn't funny.

 

My husband's first thought when Fiona was thinking of how to get the money for the house was that she was going to find someone to sell her baby to, then ask for part of the money now.

 

Frank's machinations in the past have been somewhat funny, the hooch he was making in Sheila's basement and living with his liver donor's family come to mind, but what he's doing now with Debbie is just plain gross.

[Tatum]

I'm not onboard with the popular assumption that Ian wants to be a firefighter. I haven't gotten that impression at all. All I see is that he wanted to see the cute firefighter again, and then when he got there he found the mother lode. I have a feeling he'll be visiting the sculptor guy's studio. It was funny that the first fireman expected Ian to leave the cookies even though they weren't the crew that saved him.

 

I like Kev and V, but they need more to do. The Yanis stuff wasn't funny.

 

My husband's first thought when Fiona was thinking of how to get the money for the house was that she was going to find someone to sell her baby to, then ask for part of the money now.

 

Frank's machinations in the past have been somewhat funny, the hooch he was making in Sheila's basement and living with his liver donor's family come to mind, but what he's doing now with Debbie is just plain gross.

 

I thought the exact same thing thing about Fiona and her baby! You can't legally take compensation for putting your child up for adoption, but that didn't stop Karen from doing it in season 2.

 

I also thought the same thing about Ian and the firefighters- that it was not about him finding his dream vocation but rather finding the guy who saved him. He is cute. He looks young to have kids those ages. His husband looks much older too.

 

Frank's scheme is par for the course. It's just surprising that Debbie is going along with it, but they are giving her the same character assassination they gave Karen- making her irredeemable. Karen made sense I guess but not sure why they are trying so hard to make Debbie unlikable. 

[Chaos Theory]

I might forgive the obviousness of Ian walking into a gay firehouse (of course he does) if it doesn't go down the obvious all Ian's storylines have to be about Ian being gay. If the story deals with his mental illness instead I will forgive it all.

And yes he might have wa Ted to find the cute firefighter again but that doesn't mean it couldn't turn into more especially if they treat him like a real person and not someone who is damaged.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[RandomX]

I completely agree What, exactly, was the point of Yanis?

His death may mean an available house on the block, which would make sense after being introduced to neighbors. The neighborhood is central to the storyline. Maybe for extra drama Yanis left everything to Kev, his one true friend. Regardless, Fiona still has the approved mortgage.

[iMonrey]

 

First, didn't Jimmy buy the house next door? Maybe he still owns it.

 

Jimmy had to give the deed to the house to Tony at the end of Season 1.

 

OK, I have to admit I laughed out loud at the end when Yanis was on fire and Kevin just tried to blow on him.

 

But, is there really an all-gay shift at a Chicago Fire Station? That doesn't even sound legal. Firemen have to trade shifts and substitute at different houses all the time, I can't imagine something like that ever working out or why the department would have ever put something like that together. 

 

I'll be interested to see if they really do move out and live somewhere else; the house itself has become just as important a character on this show as any of the humans. 

 

In reality Fiona could find a nicer place, not tell Frank where it was, and he'd have absolutely no business barging in and making himself at home. At this point the only siblings Fiona has to worry about are Carl, Debbie and Liam. Lip and Ian are both over 18 now, they can damn well fend for themselves.

[jbrecken]

That firehouse was so gay it might as well be a steel mill!

[LCanterbury]

I was half sure JimmySteve was going to pop up with a last minute bid at the auction! This show does like to make Fiona's love life messed up. Of course Sean killed a guy! What a catch he is.

I'm also glad that I wasn't the only one to lol at Kevin trying to blow out the Yannis fire. It was all down to the way Steve Howey played it I think.

Michael McMillian is becoming a bit of a 'Hey, it's that guy!'. Could be some questionable moments for him as an actor depending how well Frank's scheme works out.

[Cosmocrush]

I don't have much sympathy for Gus and his ring.   If it was really that important to him, he probably shouldn't have given to a woman he just met. Or performed his lovely Fuck You Fiona song for her before he got it back.    Tough lesson for Gus.  

 

And the main plot -- it all makes sense, and I'm surprised nothing happened earlier.

I've always marveled the good fortune that whatever happened to the Gallaghers, they always had a house to call home.  The last time they almost lost it there was a last minute save and so I was expecting one this time too.     I'm not sure what they will do but they have to stay in the neighborhood; not only because of Vee and Kev but this neighborhood is integral part of the series. 

[iMonrey]

If Gus wanted his ring back the time to ask for it would have been before he deliberately humiliated Fiona in a bar room full of people. He apparently cared more about that than his grandmother's $7,000 wedding ring. So Fiona shouldn't feel too back about hocking it. Cheating on him and ditching him? Sure. The ring? Not so much, now.

 

Also, maybe I'm forgetting something but I don't remember Gus ever giving Fiona an expensive ring. When they got married they had to use the twist tie off the flowers because that's all they had, it was so spur of the moment. Maybe I missed a scene where he gave her an expensive family heirloom but I think it's more likely this ring materialized out of plot contrivance.

[The Solution]

Please let this be the last season of this show. Far too depressing now. It's gotta end with Jimmy coming back and saving everything.

 

And really? Helene doesn't even know how to pronounce Simone de Beauvoir's name? Someone obviously coached her on all the other French words she parroted. They could at least have told her that it's not Boo-voir.

[Petunia13]

Fiona's having that baby for sure.

[WhosThatGirl]

Fiona's having that baby for sure.

I suspect that too. The longer they put off her abortion appointment, the more I fear this. That won't be good at all. 

[redlaces]

Oh yeah also, was that the only hock shop in Chicago!? Didn't even attempt to shop around. 

[dangwoodchucks]

Fiona's use of the term 'pre-certified' for the mortgage has been bugging me. Normally it's 'pre-qualified' or 'pre-approved'. Given the time frame, there would not have been time for pre-approval so we have to assume that she was only pre-qualified. That usually just means checking debt/income ratio and credit scores. I rather doubt she would pass the more in-depth pre-approval process since they usually like to see that you have a couple months mortgage payment in your bank account. I'm probably overthinking it and the writers just don't care, although they did have Veronica mention something about how she thought the lenders had learned their lesson about giving just anyone a mortgage.

 

I began watching the show sometime in the second season and I always wanted to go back and see what I missed. I've seen the first two episodes now and I have to laugh at everyone losing their minds over Frank being missing and Fiona being angry at Steve for leaving him in Canada. I bet they would all pay to have Steve take Frank and leave him somewhere now. They were all apparently sharing a cell phone back then too, now they all have one, except maybe Liam. Seems like money is only an issue when the writers want it to be.

 

I also watched the first episode of the UK Shameless. The pilot of the US version pretty much copied it, word for word, scene for scene. I don't care too much for their version of Frank but I love me some James McAvoy.

[BucFan]

When the pawn shop guy was first looking at Fiona's ring, I thought he was going to tell he it was not a real diamond and worthless.

[WaltersHair]

 

OK, I have to admit I laughed out loud at the end when Yanis was on fire and Kevin just tried to blow on him.

Okay, I did too. I don't know why I thought that was funny and the teacher thing was not. I guess everyone has their prejudices in comedy.

[TyranAmiros]

I cringed at the inaccuracies of the academic conference. To be fair, they've never handled academic stories well. Lip's tuition struggles seem to come from the same place. At least, however, there's some momentum in his life.

Having just been dragged to a speakeasy last weekend, I am loving the hipster bar storyline. It's barely exaggerated. Also, most gentrification stories have a "save the old neighborhood" theme, and it's good to see them subvert this--the neighborhood isn't worth saving, but it has consequences, starting with the Two Lisas and ending with the Gallaghers losing their house and the Alibi getting no traffic.

I'm also calling that Debbie miscarries.

[Chaos Theory]

Okay, I did too. I don't know why I thought that was funny and the teacher thing was not. I guess everyone has their prejudices in comedy.

I find the teachers thing funny in part because I come from a family of teachers and the last thing any of them want is an armed faculty. Even the more conservative of my family think the very idea is inviting tragedy. I like the scene in the cafeteria when a simple falling tray had all the teachers pulling out their guns. Plus I think the kid playing Carl is killing it this season.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[Noirprncess]

Please let this be the last season of this show. Far too depressing now. It's gotta end with Jimmy coming back and saving everything.

  

Sadly, it's already renewed for another season.

Okay, I did too. I don't know why I thought that was funny and the teacher thing was not. I guess everyone has their prejudices in comedy.

Me too. That was the most memorable part of the episode.

[Dee]

I hope Svetlana sticks around. Isidora Goreshter is a great actress and the character has grown surprisingly layered.

 

With so many of Shameless wonderfully vivid supporting characters now rarely seen (Carol, Kermit, Iggy, Kate, Lou) or departed (Mickey, Ethel, Sheila, Mandy, Karen, Jimmy, Beto, Bonnie, Jody, Jackie, Kash & Linda) in the past few years, the show is beginning to feel hollow.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Dee

[Lexxy]

Debbie has always and will always drive me crazy.  I can't even put my finger on why, she's just so annoying! 

[gwhh]

I like how when Lip gets to be shown the better things in life by his order woman with class.  He just slides right into it and does well in the real world.  Now we just need to get him a haircut and better set of clothes. 

 

Thank God no one asked if they wanted eggs this episode. 

[aemom]

Gus could sue Fiona for the ring in small claims court and he would win, because you have to give back an engagement ring.

If she doesn't have the ring, then he can get the value of it and if he has supporting paperwork, she could be really screwed owing all that money.

I think they will wind up in Yannis' place.

[whiporee]

 

Gus could sue Fiona for the ring in small claims court and he would win, because you have to give back an engagement ring.

Except they weren't engaged, they were married (without a prenup), and I think it would fall into community property, or at minimum, since he gave it to her, it would be a gift that predated the marriage and it wouldn't even be considered marital property. It belongs to her, free and clear -- the nice thing would be to give it back, but I don't think there would be any legal reason for a divorced wife to return an engagement ring to a divorced husband. 

[junemeatcleaver]

 

It belongs to her, free and clear -- the nice thing would be to give it back, but I don't think there would be any legal reason for a divorced wife to return an engagement ring to a divorced husband.

 

That's how it goes on Judge Judy, she only forces women to give the engagement ring back if they didn't go through with the marriage.  It's Gus's problem for giving a stranger a family heirloom instead of a cubic zirconia from Target or a ring pop until he got to know her better.

[Andromeda]

Fiona better have the abortion -- but she keeps putting it off! This is worrying. I can't even count the dozens of shows that didn't allow a woman to actually go through with it. This is Shameless, an abortion is nothing on the scale of all the stuff the Gallaghers have pulled. If any show can allow a woman to have an abortion, it's got to be this one.

I would love it Debbie had a miscarriage or a change of heart. This show really doesn't need more babies.

The guns in the cafeteria was a great message.

[stagmania]

I'm positive that at least one of them will have a baby this season. This show is obsessed with babies and pregnancy-there has been at least one every year since season 2. My money's on Debbie. And like others, I'm starting to get nervous about them stalling on Fiona's abortion.

[gwhh]

I agree.  Remember in season 4 episode 4 when Lip tried to talk Mandy into letting him knock her up for basically no reason other than he thought a kid made by them would be nice to have!  I thought that showered how damaged all members of this family is   

 

 

I'm positive that at least one of them will have a baby this season. This show is obsessed with babies and pregnancy-there has been at least one every year since season 2. My money's on Debbie. And like others, I'm starting to get nervous about them stalling on Fiona's abortion.