S06.E06: NSFW

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ian's relationship with Caleb gets more serious. Meanwhile, Lip is called to appear before a faculty disciplinary committee, but Helene accepts the blame for the scandal and tells the committee she will no longer teach or see Lip.

 

Promo:

 

Clips:

 

 

 

[Primetimer]

It's halftime on Shameless's sixth season, and we're wrapping up some storylines, including Lip and the Naughty Professor, and Carlz N the Hood.

Read the story

[stagmania]

I'm struggling a lot with Fiona this season. Her characterization is just so tough for me to track from scene to scene-she goes from not wanting the "burden" of the kids anymore to fighting desperately to get the house back to keep them all together to saying she just wants to be their sister to crying because she can't take care of them anymore. And that was just in tonight's episode! Maybe the confusion is deliberate to show what a mess she is right now, but I'm finding it hard to follow and understand her feelings about her guardianship (which she legally cannot walk away from) at any given moment.

I won't bother reiterating my comments from last week re: the retcon of Ian and Mickey's relationship, except to say that it got even worse tonight. And I agree with Joe Reid, Ian and Caleb have no chemistry and Caleb is not interesting to me at all. I really wish they had done this firefighter plot as a career and self-discovery storyline for Ian rather than a tepid romance.

I really hope that was the end of Lip/Helene, but something tells me it wasn't. Here's hoping for at least a couple episodes away from it. And while I'm glad to see a more recognizable Carl return tonight, I hate the way Nick was used to get him there.

[WhosThatGirl]

Ugh. I know what you mean, with retconning Mickey and Ian. Caleb does nothing for me, either. 

 

I'm struggling with everyone this season. I feel like they've just changed everything about this show. Nothing makes sense. 

Edited February 15, 2016 by WhosThatGirl

[Dee]

That was an intense episode.

 

Ethan Cutkosky was awesome tonight.

 

Carl has never had the heart to be a true thug and tonight proved that. I've always loved Fiona and Carl's relationship, if only because, for all his juvenile delinquency, when rubber meets the road, Carl fiercely loves Fiona. Him seeing her totally dissemble, was a revelation, since most of the time she tried to hide her personal despair from the younger kids to keep their spirits up.

 

Nick and Carl had a total Lenny & George vibe tonight. Nick killing that kid was horrible, but it was telegraphed from a mile away with him being so single minded about the kid stealing his bike. I'm just glad he was arrested & didn't die in a hail of bullets like so many other young black men in similar encounters with police.

 

I love that Fiona got her abortion & didn't feel guilt about it. Like others, I was dreading that she was gonna change her mind about her pregnancy the longer she kept putting it off.

 

Gus was a total dick. It wasn't as if Fiona refused to give him back the ring. He just wanted to twist the knife even though they haven't been on the same page regarding their marriage almost from the time they'd gotten married.

 

Lip never learns. Ever.

 

Mandy & Amanda were clingy emotional basketcases and/or control freaks, but they both genuinely wanted the best for him. However, he doesn't want a woman who is open about wanting to be loved because his basic ass refuses to deal with his crippling Mommy issues. And with Helene ticking several boxes, that even Karen didn't in that regard, I predict we'll see Lip engage in a 'Season 4 Fiona' style meltdown before the season is over.

 

Helene is gross. It's one thing to have random affairs with multiple college students. It's another to genuinely fall for one while acting like it's all in their head to preserve your career.

 

Amanda having to flee the dorms to avoid the Helene blowback was karma for her assuming Lip owed her a committed relationship in exchange for her helping him out. She knew who he was, at least in that regard, from the time she met him.

 

LOVED Kev & Vee saving the alibi. Also loved Svetlana's pride in Kevin's hustle. The three of them, Amy & Gemma, Yvgeney, and the little Myanmar girl make a great, if unconventional, family unit. Shoot the bears, indeed.

 

I knew Debbie was gonna prove as hetero-flexible as dear old Dad. She, and Lip, have always been the two Gallagher kids most like Frank. All the way down to their all or nothing bullheaded attitude about people accepting their fucked up decisions.

 

That said, the bakery lady recoiled side eye when Debbie happily grabbed her arm cracked my shit up.

 

I really like Ian & Caleb. Caleb seems really into Ian and Ian seems to be receptive, even if the dating experience is still new to him. I was worried they'd try to invalidate his & Mickey's relationship, but the transition has been handled fairly smoothly. Their (Caleb & Ian) kiss was surprisingly tender.

 

Seeing Ian be perceptive and put his ROTC skills to use with the injured woman was a nice bit of character work, though he might be better served becoming an EMT, instead of a firefighter.

 

I dug Sean's commitment to being Fiona's partner. He's a sad sack, who will probably OD before the end of the season, but he's mature in a worldly way that Fiona's previous partners haven't been.

 

Frank was a complete ass about Chuckie. The kid isn't bright, but he didn't ask to be born to a whackjob Mom or into an extended family that could give two shits about his welfare. That said, them sharing hot sauce and beans was sweet.

 

When did Sherilyn Fenn morph into Shelley Winters?

Edited February 15, 2016 by Dee

[preeya]

 Uncle Carl to the rescue. Best episode in a long time. And Gus is a huge dick.

Edited February 15, 2016 by preeya

[marceline]

Poor Fiona. If only there were a legal way to end a marriage so these sorts of situations don't keep happening.

[TV Anonymous]

Gus was a total dick. It wasn't as if Fiona refused to give him back the ring. He just wanted to twist the knife even though they haven't been on the same page regarding their marriage almost from the time they'd gotten married.

 

 

And Gus is a huge dick.

 

Sorry, can not agree. Fiona is legally married to Gus and yet she has sexual intercourse with somebody else without his consent? Can not see anything worse than that in a relationship. And yet she still has the audacity to ask for his help?

[FiveByFive]

Nick and Carl had a total Lenny & George vibe tonight. Nick killing that kid was horrible, but it was telegraphed from a mile away with him being so single minded about the kid stealing his bike. I'm just glad he was arrested & didn't die in a hail of bullets like so many other young black men in similar encounters with police.

Seriously, I loved their vibe. At first I was confused by Nick but he then turned into a gentle giant and constant companion. Him popping up and not saying anything was great because he looked out of place. (Giant guy that looks mean but it appeared he wasn't.) However, the circumstances under which Carl met him added with his age and history lead us to this point.  I too was glad he didn't die in a hail of bullets but I was waiting for that to happen when Carl walked away.  He simply wasn't right in the head. I will say, I'd hoped, Carl would have said that the kid was a kid like he was and he shouldn't go after him but, again, Nick wasn't right in the head.

 

Gus was a total dick. It wasn't as if Fiona refused to give him back the ring. He just wanted to twist the knife even though they haven't been on the same page regarding their marriage almost from the time they'd gotten married.

 

His anger towards her is disproportionate with what actually happened between the two of them. You married someone you barely knew and went on tour right after. She cheated and broke up with you. You embarassed her in a crowded bar by singing a song about how horrible she was while she sat there and took it. That should have been the end of it. Now you're being an a-hole about something else just because you can be? You know what, Fiona ... I think in this case you actually dodged a bullet. 

 

Amanda having to flee the dorms to avoid the Helene blowback was karma for her assuming Lip owed her a committed relationship in exchange for her helping him out. She knew who he was, at least in that regard, from the time she met him.

 

This part I adored.  Helene may be gross but technically she should have been angry at Lip, not her. She attempted to destroy the woman's career. That goes far beyond, "You're banging the guy that didn't really want me in the first place and I originally just used in order to upset my parents .... but then I fell in love with him so now everyone must suffer!" 

 

LOVED Kev & Vee saving the alibi. Also loved Svetlana's pride in Kevin's hustle. The three of them, Amy & Gemma, Yvgeney, and the little Myanmar girl make a great, if unconventional, family unit. Shoot the bears, indeed.

 

Svetlana is one of the best things on this show. She started out as a character we weren't supposed to like in the Ian/Mickey storyline, turned into a character that we actually sympathized with because of how much she loved her son in spite of his idiot dad, and then jumped stories completely into one where she works well as the wacky bar tender at the Alibi. Her no-nonsenseness hasn't changed from the beginning but it really brings the comedy here. 

 

Also I do hope the little girl sticks around and doesn't disappear like the Amish one they adopted way back in ... some other season. Of course this lead them to wanting to have kids of their own because the scam they started actually turned to them loving her so through that it served a purpose.

 

I really like Ian & Caleb. Caleb seems really into Ian and Ian seems to be receptive, even if the dating experience is still new to him. I was worried they'd try to invalidate his & Mickey's relationship, but the transition has been handled fairly smoothly. Their (Caleb & Ian) kiss was surprisingly tender.

 

I don't feel like they have any chemistry at all but I do like that this story is teaching Ian there's more to gay relationships and relationships in general than sex. You can actually go on dates and there are guys who actually want to get to know you as a person without getting into a physical fight somewhere in between all of that. Love isn't supposed to hurt! 

Edited February 15, 2016 by FiveByFive

[whiporee]

Sorry, can not agree. Fiona is legally married to Gus and yet she has sexual intercourse with somebody else without his consent? Can not see anything worse than that in a relationship. And yet she still has the audacity to ask for his help?

 

There are lots of things worse than cheating. Too many to list. One of them is showing no compassion to someone you once claimed to love enough to marry. 

 

I think this is a bad retcon of the character, but I think it's worse that Fiona doesn't have the self esteem to tell him to fuck off. And since he's clinging to the "marriage," like a petulant child, he ought to be taught there are consequences to being married, too. Maybe she should take out a few credit cards and fuck his FICA scores being married is so important to him. Illinois isn't a community property state, so she's not automatically entitled to half his earnings during the marriage, but I'm not sure how favorable a court would treat his behavior, even with Fiona's adultery.  

 

I thought the episode was solid all the way around, if getting the house back was a little too convenient. One of the things about auctions is that you don't get to rescind your offer -- on you buy something at an auction like that, it's yours. 

 

I liked Amanda having a consequence to her actions. I have a bit of fear for Lip, but I'm guessing this sets up the return of Mandy or Karen. I don't think the show can afford to have Lip lose his position in college, and frankly, the university needs to be a lot more cautious on how they treat him because, no matter what he says, if he suffers a penalty because of this, I'm pretty sure that would be actionable. 

 

And I have to give the actor playing Carl a lot of credit -- he really did look scared and broken for the first time. I don't know if he's redeemable or not, but the kid sold it. 

 

I know this will not be popular, but I don't think Ian's version of his and Mickey's relationship was that far off, at least not early. 

 

Nice to see Sherilyn Fenn again, thought it breaks my heart to think she could be playing someone's grandmother. Girl could work a cherry, though. 

Edited February 15, 2016 by whiporee

[Dee]

I don't feel like they have any chemistry at all but I do like that this story is teaching Ian there's more to gay relationships and relationships in general than sex. You can actually go on dates and there are guys who actually want to get to know you as a person without getting into a physical fight somewhere in between all of that. Love isn't supposed to hurt!

 

I feel like they have a decent amount of chemistry, and that many are forgetting that many of the more enduring Shameless ships didn't spark immediately. In fact, it's taken years for most of the Gallaghers various romantic relationships to become even semi-rootworthy.

 

Also, if we're being totally honest, I think it's more than a little gross that one of the first non-white Gallagher love interests, is being almost universally panned, largely for not being Mickey.

 

Seriously, I loved their vibe. At first I was confused by Nick but he then turned into a gentle giant and constant companion. Him popping up and not saying anything was great because he looked out of place. (Giant guy that looks mean but it appeared he wasn't.) However, the circumstances under which Carl met him added with his age and history lead us to this point.  I too was glad he didn't die in a hail of bullets but I was waiting for that to happen when Carl walked away.  He simply wasn't right in the head. I will say, I'd hoped, Carl would have said that the kid was a kid like he was and he shouldn't go after him but, again, Nick wasn't right in the head.

 

This show routinely trades in racist stereotypes with its characters of color, Nick being a prime example, but if there was any saving grace of this offensive ass pseudo-Blind Side tale, it was in Victor Onuigbo & Ethan Cutkosky's performances. As you've said it was almost inevitable, give his history, this was the endgame for Nick but the actors truly sold the hell out of it. When Nick wearily told Carl to flee, I found myself empathizing with him, even though he just murdered a kid over a bike. That's powerful acting, even if the stuff surrounding it is execrable.

 

His anger towards her is disproportionate with what actually happened between the two of them. You married someone you barely knew and went on tour right after. She cheated and broke up with you. You embarassed her in a crowded bar by singing a song about how horrible she was while she sat there and took it. That should have been the end of it. Now you're being an a-hole about something else just because you can be? You know what, Fiona ... I think in this case you actually dodged a bullet.

 

Exactly! Fiona sleeping with Jimmy and shacking up with Sean was shitty, but it wasn't like Gus was overly willing to meet her halfway in fixing their relationship after she told him about her dalliance with Jimmy. Even before she'd made things official Sean, Gus had only been to her home & met her family a couple of times. So it wasn't as if he was over eager to make things work anymore than he feels she did. Given that she was willing to return his precious family heirloom, instead of using it for her own gain, and part fairly amicably makes her more mature than him, at least IMO.

 

This part I adored.  Helene may be gross but technically she should have been angry at Lip, not her. She attempted to destroy the woman's career. That goes far beyond, "You're banging the guy that didn't really want me in the first place and I originally just used in order to upset my parents .... but then I fell in love with him so now everyone must suffer!"

 

Right. Had Lip genuinely attempted to thank her for saving his ass freshman year, without sex, she probably wouldn't have resorted to being half as petty as she was.

 

But, as I said before, Lip never learns. It's the same reason why Mandy left, with a boyfriend who abused her, without saying goodbye to the guy she considered 'the best person she'd ever met.'

 

Also I do hope the little girl sticks around and doesn't disappear like the Amish one they adopted way back in ... some other season. Of course this lead them to wanting to have kids of their own because the scam they started actually turned to them loving her so through that it served a purpose.

 

 

I'm wondering if they'll do a story where Veronica gets so attached to her she'll refuse to let her go, when other accommodations are found for the refugee kids. She's seemed to be quite taken with the little girl, in a way she hasn't been with the boys.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Dee

[FiveByFive]

I feel like they have a decent amount of chemistry, and that many are forgetting that many of the more enduring Shameless ships didn't spark immediately. In fact, it's taken years for most of the Gallaghers various romantic relationships to become even semi-rootworthy.

 

Also, if we're being totally honest, I think it's more than a little gross that one of the first non-white Gallagher love interests, is being almost universally panned, largely for not being Mickey.

 

Well in some cases it's some of the Doctor/Rose syndrome where Martha was largely hated before she even opened her mouth on screen. In those cases some of them were clearly racism and in other cases people just could not accept anyone else being near the Doctor. (At least Freema has had an awesome career afterwards.) 

 

As an African-American I was worried about this with Ian's new relationship but personally, I was never a fan of Ian and Mickey but they did seem like they gelled and as an actor, it just seems like he's reading his lines. I recognize that he hasn't done many roles outside of shorts and a supporting role in a TV movie but I'm sure as time goes on they will give him more to do, he'll improve and really give out "some" kind of vibe but that's all subjective. 

[AlliMo]

Gus is a jackass. Not sure I'm recalling it correctly, but wasn't he not even aware that she was responsible for an entire family until after he spur-of-the-moment married her? It's one thing to screw with Fiona, but he's fully aware that his actions are screwing her entire family that include minor children. Not only that, he's can't possibly be stupid enough not to realize that not having financial ties with Fiona can only be in his own best interest. Cut your losses and your legal ties and move on already, douchebag.

 

Sean may be  mess all his own, but he's a mess with at least some significant life experience. Normal, well adjusted guys just can't understand her life or where she's coming from. Sean at least can relate to her on her level.

 

Ian is an adrenaline junkie with considerable ability to improvise in an emergency. EMT or firefighter would probably be an ideal career for him.

 

This show can strike a lot of wrong notes with me, but it may be one of the better portrayals of abortion that I've seen. Showing a young woman making the decision to have an abortion because she's thought through the effect having a child will have on her ability to reach her life and the people that she loves, receiving compassionate care from a provider, and moving on without her life without regrets or doubts.

 

Lip's louche advisor is starting to become my new favorite character right behind consistent all-star Svetlana.

[Noirprncess]

Sadly, Nick's story was over the minute it was revealed that he had been in jail since he was in the single digits. You KNEW he was going to have a hard time with the world and his sad story about losing his bike to a druggy dad solidified what was going to happen.

I'm not loving that Debbie is turning into a mini Franka, sexual flexibility and all. I've never liked her character but this storyline is worst than her "accidental" rapist storyline. And that's saying something.

It's sad to recall that ALL of Ian's sexual history was tied into very little romance. While I liked Mickey, that was never a healthy, shipworthy relationship IMHO. Any romantic gesture was always followed by an overcompensating abusive deed. It would be good for Ian to finally see how healthy relationships start and thrive. I feel like this quest will ultimately end but hopefully not without him learning some helpful tools for his future relationships.

I agree with whom ever called it that Sean will die in an OD.

Fiona likes jerks. Every one of her previous dudes have been some form of petty jerk, so why should Gus not fall into that category. She has a type of man she's attracted to regardless of his financial and social status. Yes he's being petty but it's not like Fiona was perfectly innocent in the matter either. She MIGHT have been able to ask for a solid from him had she put on her big girl panties early on and properly ended the relationship. Let's not act like Gus hadn't exposed his romantic ideas early on, no matter how ridiculous they may have seemed. A healthy adult would have handled things in such a way that consisted his feelings while allowing her to move on with no hard feelings. But she didn't and now reap the consequences.

Gus also had a point. She wanted something that benefited herself, no matter the sob story, but hadn't even considered that providing something nice for Gus would have gone a long way towards getting what she wanted.

[DiabLOL]

Lip's louche advisor is starting to become my new favorite character right behind consistent all-star Svetlana.

 

Those two crazy kids should get together!

 

Did anyone else semi-suspect that Fiona lied about having the abortion? Especially when Sean remarked that it didn't take as long as he thought it would. I don't put anything past this show anymore.

 

I'm trying to ride out my Sherilyn Fenn trauma by reminding myself every two minutes that Hollywood is stupid. 

 

Two things that had me saying enough already this has gone way past too far:

 

Frank's disgusting "parenting advice" for Debby and Gus being a total dick. I can't believe I gave half a crap about Fiona pawing his ring. I now see that it's entirely his fault for giving someone he'd known for two minutes something that valuable. He is now fully one of those Nice Guys™ in my opinion. Although I'm sick of seeing Fiona do dumb stuff like forget to get a divorce. I know she's addled and stressed but come on. 

 

I hope I never have to see Amanda again. I hated her Monica-like screechy, clingy, unstable ass from the get go. The flip side to Lip's mommy issues. Sure she taught him about these things called schedules and stuff but she wasn't worth the hassle at all. I don't feel a bit sorry for Lip's prof though. 

 

So the hardest part for me was the Nick/Carl story. When Nick first showed up I started to bristle a bit with most of the characters' reaction to him. Yes he's a huge, tall quiet guy but he's a huge tall quiet African American guy and it made me uncomfortable going "whoa" when they'd see him. The reactions were solely about his physical characteristics. 

 

I started to relax a bit as we got to know him and I was really pulling for him. He seemed tormented, sensitive and complicated with sweet future dreams of being a farmer. Why couldn't the show give me this? Let me see him get there. Show that sometimes people don't fall down and get it right at some point. The way his story ended was not only horrifying to me for the obvious reasons but it deflated me because they went with the tragic portrayal we've seen far too often. Yes, everyone in this show seems just busted and defeated but I really saw so much potential in Nick I wish they'd gone a different way. Amazing performances by the two actors and I'll miss the two of them together.

[dezi]

Svetlana is only tolerable when used sparingly. She can be amusing and occasionally says things that I would usually be cheering, but knowing that she got away with forcing a rape victim to raise his rape baby through blackmail and threats of violence is a tough pill to swallow.

 

I hope V gets to keep newEthel.

 

For someone who’s had such a tough life Fiona has a massive sense of entitlement. She mistreats people then asks them for favours and is shocked when they decline. Gus’ song to Fiona was perfect and his pettiness and vengeance should have ended there. He’s starting to look pathetic now but I hope he carries on. Anything to temper Fiona’s astounding lack of self-awareness.
So glad she had the abortion. This is the second time, recently, I have seen TV abortion being dealt with so matter-of-factly. After so many years of seeing it only portrayed as a shameful, traumatic act it was delightful to see Fiona get it done and promptly carry on with her life. Exciting times.

 

I absolutely hate that Nick’s sole purpose was to be so tragically used as a wakeup call for disgusting Carl.

 

I understood Ian’s awkwardness last episode; I have no problem believing that Ian has never been in a situation where first-time sex was preceded by a date. But in this episode it made no sense. Ian has been to nice restaurants before e.g. with JimmySteveJack’s family. He went for drinks with Ned and he looked perfectly comfortable and I doubt that that was the first time. He had that fancy friend, Brian. Ian has experienced life outside the Southside and never seemed to have any trouble navigating it before. Now suddenly he can’t even hold a simple conversation. What utter nonsense.
I was convinced that no one had ever referred to appetisers as apps because that’s ridiculous, but I checked urban dictionary to make sure. Turns out at least one person has. I still think it’s stupid.
There was a serious lack of nuance in Ian’s story this episode. Apparently Southside = inability to be socially functional once in an “upmarket” establishment and not-Southside = pretentious.
I hope this was just a blip because I was enjoying the Ian/Caleb build-up, and Ian’s story in general, until that scene.
If I didn’t know how much this show loved to bask in Ian’s misery I would be very excited about his future career in emergency services. 

 

I am shocked, and slightly disturbed, at how much goodwill I have towards Debbie given that she’s now a full-blown sexual predator. I hope nothing bad happens to her baby and I really want her to succeed at motherhood.

 

I might be one of about five people who likes Chuckie but even I am always forgetting about him. Poor kid.
Of course yet another woman swoons into Frank’s arms. Do the females of Shameless all lack olfaction?

Edited February 15, 2016 by dezi

[Dee]

Of course yet another woman swoons into Frank’s arms. Do the females of Shameless all lack olfaction?

 

This reminded me of one of my favorite exchanges from the episode.

 

Kev: "Who's tired of the smell of latte foam and ball cheese?! Me! Fuck those super rich little douchebags! You guys are the real deal!"

Tony: "Here, Here! So it's back to metabolized rotgut and decaying homeless person!"

Frank: "I've been called worse."

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Sadly, Nick's story was over the minute it was revealed that he had been in jail since he was in the single digits. You KNEW he was going to have a hard time with the world and his sad story about losing his bike to a druggy dad solidified what was going to happen.

I was afraid that Nick would have a hard time adjusting to life in the regular world and be tempted to commit another crime so he could get sent back to jail or that he would kill himself like the guy in Shawshank Redemption. But I was really hoping that being around the Gallaghers would give him a sense of family and that he would slowly adjust to life outside of juvie and then be able to transition away from the Gallaghers and have a regular life. But once he explained what happened with his bike, I knew that wouldn't happen and it was just a matter of time before we lost him one way or another.

 

The other reason I wanted Nick to stick around for a while is that Carl has not been shown to be the most empathetic kid. He can be selfish and mean and reckless. Taking care of Nick was a good thing for Carl. Despite the fact that they were running around doing illegal things (like buying cars that neither of them could legally drive, demanding protection money, etc.), Carl seemed to be looking out for Nick as much as he was capable of doing. Nick might be the only person outside of the Gallaghers who Carl has ever cared about, and I'm afraid that losing Nick might break Carl and send him down the wrong path (heh, I realize that it's not like Carl's been a boy scout up until now, but I am afraid he is really going to go down the rabbit hole now that Nick is gone).

 

The one saving grace is that Nick didn't go down in a hail of bullets. If the police had killed him, I am pretty sure that Carl would have totally lost it.

 

I noticed the look that Carl gave Fiona few episodes ago when she talked about how raising her siblings had been forced upon her, so it was nice to see a follow up to that tonight when Carl overheard her crying to Sean. His ridiculous whigger persona has been a front. I don't deny that Carl has done some truly crazy shit, but deep down he loves Fiona and his siblings and doesn't want to see them suffer.

 

But does Carl's bag of money really solve the problem with not having Gus's signature? Wasn't one of the things that the bank wanted Gus to sign something that said he had no ownership of the house? And how can Fiona explain having all that money in cash?

 

I don't feel bad about Helene being brought in front of the disciplinary committee. Like I said last week, my issue is less that she slept with A student than that she slept with HER student. You absolutely cannot sleep with a student enrolled in your class.

 

When Fiona came out into the waiting room and Sean said that it didn't take long, for a split second I was afraid that she was going to say that she changed her mind at the last minute. I was so relieved when she said she had gone through with it and that she would be bleeding for a few hours but it would lessen by the end of the day. Then for another split second I was afraid she was lying to Sean so I was glad later when she was at the diner and she asked her coworker if she had a pad. Fiona has done a lot of stupid things, but getting an abortion was one the smarter decisions she has made. She still has siblings to take care of. Liam is going to be a dependent for at least another decade and they just lost their house. She is in on position to take on another kid at this point. She doesn't have the time or money to feed another mouth and raise another child, so I'm glad she didn't back out of getting an abortion at the last minute.

 

I hated that she lied to Gus and said that his grandmother's ring was in a safe deposit box.

[Trixieagogo]

Ethan Cutkosky as Carl continues to impress. For all of Carl's swagger we got to see he truly did not understand the depth of Nick's obsession with the bike and that prison has made Nick incapable of letting go of a slight ("It's about respect."). Carl could have bought him 10 bikes but it was always going to go down this way. Nick could never learn but for at least this day Carl did.

I found it classically Shameless that Ian being a Gallagher who cannot help himself gets off on helping others. EMT would be a great gig for him. Until he inevitably and colossally fucks it up. Let's hope the writers figure out avway to be creative with this.

I'm not sure what Queenie is going to bring to the table but I'm glad she showed up to shake Frank loose of the cancer concierge thing that has really been treading water. Even grossly involving Deb in it hasn't made it more interesting.

I can't feel sorry for Gus; what did he expect after marrying a hot waitress he knew for five minutes? Losing grandma's ring is a cheap price to pay for being able to cut ties with Fiona and get his life back.

Lip's relationship with Helene was over as soon as he said he loved her. Because of course. I guess now we get to see how he struggles to stay in school. Or does he morph into alky prof? Both, probably.

[marceline]

 

I think this is a bad retcon of the character, but I think it's worse that Fiona doesn't have the self esteem to tell him to fuck off. And since he's clinging to the "marriage," like a petulant child, he ought to be taught there are consequences to being married, too.

 

Granted I don't watch as closely as I used to but have we seen him "clinging?" Because I can't recall anybody on this show mentioning a divorce. Fiona and Gus could easily save themselves the trouble of future entanglements by getting a divorce. It's not like they have property or kids, it would probably take all of five minutes and then they could go on with their lives free to never deal with the other again.

Edited February 15, 2016 by marceline

[stagmania]

The AV Club's review this week summarized so many of the issues I've been having with this season, down to the specifics of most of the storylines. The story is no longer character-driven at all (look at the way the house issue just got magically solved within one episode, without the involvement or even concern of most of the family), many of the characters are barely recognizable, and the widespread retconning to make everything fit the current needs of the plot has left me spinning and unsure who these people even are. For me, the only way to enjoy this season would be to forget everything I know from the previous five, and so far I haven't been able to manage that.

[Chaos Theory]

Here is the thing about Ian and Mickey. It was beautiful wonderfully tragically one of the best and favorite gay male romances I have seen but it started with Mickey taking a gun from Kash and Ian breaking into his home to get it back and them fighting on Mickeys bed. The relationship started out violently and even cruel and mean. Mickey even chose an arranged marriage over Ian. That all being said I will reidderate that it ended beautifully But I think it ended the right way tragically and violently.

I do think it is also a good storyline for Ian to have a relationship where he is not dating a man old enough to be his father or violent. I think if anything it would be good for him.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[dangwoodchucks]

So if Fiona's morals wouldn't allow her to take $3000 from Carl for a down payment, what's she going to do with the bag of cash? I have an idea. Take some of the money, buy Grandma's ring back from the pawn shop, give it to Gus, get a divorce and stop calling him and asking for favors. If Gus didn't know about Fiona's obligations before he spur-of-the-moment married her, it's because she didn't tell him. She's an idiot for agreeing to it as much as he was for asking. How's he being a jerk, she's the one who keeps contacting him. He's under no obligation to make things easier on her. Yes Fiona, Gus is a dickwad for not jumping to do something for you when you beckon. Sheesh. Sean should take note how she treats men.

 

I hope there's a whole lot more cash than just the price of the house in that bag. Fiona might let some of the issues go like the rodent problem, but she's going to have to replace all the pipes that Frank took and removing the asbestos should be a priority.

 

Frank's comment, "Was hoping for that", after seeing the gender of Deb's baby was creepy to begin with but now that we know it's a girl it's even creepier.

 

Helene deserved to be caught no matter how it came about. Since she's done this before, her comment to Lip, "Don't make this any uglier than you already have" is laughable. I don't know who this lovestruck Lip is, but the old Lip would find a way to make money off of this, maybe by suing the school for allowing this to happen.

 

The tragic Nick and Carl scene on the porch brought tears to my eyes. It was so well acted and showed how broken Nick really is. It should have ended with Carl going to V's, and after not finding Fiona there, crying in V's arms. Then I would have bawled. One thing I don't understand about Nick's philosophy of respect. He's right to believe others should respect his property, but he helped Carl make money by threatening bodily harm on shopkeepers who didn't pay them for "protection". How is that showing them respect for their person?

 

I liked V's interaction with the refugee girl (do we know her name?)too, but then they ruined it by exploiting her at the Alibi.

[preeya]

Poor Fiona. If only there were a legal way to end a marriage so these sorts of situations don't keep happening.

There is, it's called divorce or annulment.

[Empress1]

I sympathize with Gus, but why he'd want to prolong this and link himself in any way to the Gallaghers, especially financially, is beyond me. Sign the shit, get a divorce or annulment, and move on with your life, Gus. Chalk this up to bad and hasty decision-making and vow to date someone for at least a month before you marry them. (I WOULD try to get that ring back though.)

 

I was listening to that inspector like "Jeeeeeesus." That house is a shithole. I didn't think you could back out of an auction sale like that, but I totally understand why they would. Even selling it as-is, they'd take a loss.

 

I'm done with Helene. "Don't make this any uglier than you already have?" YOU fucked your student in his dorm room, Helene. You have no moral high ground here. At all. 

It looks like Lip gets kicked out of school? I don't see how that makes sense - he didn't break any rules. He could make a case that he's a victim.

 

Poor Carl. That scene was hard to watch - the sound of the mother wailing was awful. Between that and him watching Fiona collapse under the weight of being an adult ("I'm so exhausted!" was a great line, as I think every adult has felt like that at some point), it seems like he wants to stop playing grown-up gangster. Looks like Fiona relaxed her moral code.

 

I'm glad Fiona went through with her abortion, that she has no regrets, and that there were no negative ramifications. An abortion is the first sensible thing she's done in quite a while, and I'm please with the way it was depicted.

 

"You gotta order that bougie shit in advance." The bakery cashier was fantastic.

[Broderbits]

Marceline said:

 

Fiona and Gus could easily save themselves the trouble of future entanglements by getting a divorce. It's not like they have property or kids, it would probably take all of five minutes and then they could go on with their lives free to never deal with the other again.

 

But Gus is having so much fun feeling sorry for himself and messing with Fiona! If he wouldn't sign the quitclaim papers, he probably isn't going to cooperate in getting a divorce. I guess no one ever told him that the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference.

[Noirprncess]

I liked V's interaction with the refugee girl (do we know her name?)too, but then they ruined it by exploiting her at the Alibi.

I had to laugh though because right before that Kev said he wanted the biggest, baddest, meanest scary bouncer they could find. Cut to this little girl holding a sign about all the scary things she's done in her short life.

[Chaos Theory]

Gus had one good fuck you coming to him and he took it with the "Fuck You Fiona" Song. At some point you stop being the wronged party and starting being wrong.

[iMonrey]

Oh for the love of Pete, Fiona - if you can get a mortgage to buy a house, buy some other house. Didn't you just hear the building inspector's laundry list of things wrong with the house and the price tag attached to fixing them? Not only the things that were wrong with it to begin with but the fact that Frank ripped out the downstairs toilet and a lot of the copper plumbing. I get that there's some sort of psychological reason she's so fixated on this house, but sheesh. It just makes her look like an idiot.

 

 

One of the things about auctions is that you don't get to rescind your offer -- on you buy something at an auction like that, it's yours. 

 

I can't remember if the auctioneer said the house was being sold "as is" or not, because if not, all sales are dependent on the inspection, and the buyer is free to back out if the inspection report comes back as unacceptable to the buyer. That said, these people just have to look at the neighborhood to realize these properties are in terrible shape.

 

 

When did Sherilyn Fenn morph into Shelley Winters?

 

Oh Lord, I know right? I kept thinking "where do I know her from?" until I saw her name in the closing credits. 

 

Ian's bipolar disorder seems to have disappeared. I don't know if he's taking his meds or if they just dropped that plot point but he's suddenly very normal and rational. 

[MamaBird]

I knew from the start that the buyers would never be able to get a mortgage for the Gallagher castle, because there was no way it would pass an inspection.  Of course, I also realized that Fiona would have the same problem: I've watched enough HGTV to know what a show-stopper a failed home inspection is for banks.  Being able to pay cash, thanks to Carl, makes that problem go away.  It creates other problems, of course, and I'm sure we'll be seeing them in the coming episodes.

 

Gus is working my last nerve.  "You want me to do you a favor, when there's nothing in it for me."  Okay, granted; but it's not as though the favor would put him out in any way.  Signing his name to a paper that releases him from all claims on a ramshackle house Fiona is buying for her family is not exactly giving her a kidney.  The only inconvenience was his coming to the restaurant; once he was there, signing his name was the work of a moment.  He refused because he wants to make her suffer, but in doing so, he's inflicting that suffering on her innocent family - one of them a small child.  In this he reminds me of Sammi, calling the Army on Ian to get back at Carl for using Chuckie as a drug mule.  Two such douchenozzles deserve each other; it's a shame Gus couldn't have hooked up with her instead of Fiona!

 

Speaking of Sammi, I never liked her storyline, so I'm not thrilled to see her mother added to the mix.  However, I still hold out hope for a reveal that Frank is not Sammi's father after all.  Probably not the case, but I can dream.

[sazzat]

Nitpicking reality on Shameless doesn't have much of a payoff, but little stuff does bug me. Like, the only way Carl would be able to get a hotel room at anywhere but a roadside no-tell motel would be to have Nick pay a huge cash deposit and then sneak in. No hotel is having an obvious minor pay for a room in cash. Or the Ian taking the test thing...in Chicago, at least, you can't take the test to be a firefighter or EMT without passing a fitness exam (no idea if they check mental fitness) and having a diploma or GED. Not to mention that Chicago is so backed up on hiring that the last time they actually held the exam was in December 2014, and that was the first time in almost a decade. There's massive demand for those jobs; it's not like "maybe I'll decide I want to do this." Or treating Fiona's guardianship of three minor children as something she can pick up and put down. No follow up for that from the state, even after her conviction? Carl's conviction wouldn't trigger anything? Overworked state authorities aside, she wouldn't even be worried about a surprise home visit?

 

I think it's interesting that Lip is so caught up in his feelings for Helene that he can't see the possibility of abuse of power. Of everyone who knew, Lip was the most creeped out by Ian's affair with his boss and by the teacher caught sleeping with her student in season 3. Was it purely because of age?

 

Reality aside, I like the idea of Ian finding a new calling. He was the most ambitious of his family and we've never been shown that he was dumb (the show didn't treat West Point like it was impossible). Exploring how he can right himself after his bipolar diagnosis kills all his future plans is one of the best directions to take the character. I just wish it were 90% self-driven and 10% "hey, cute guy" instead of the other way around. Particularly since the show seems to think that ignoring his romantic past is necessary to get him into a new relationship, and we don't see Ian processing or reflecting on his relationships in any meaningful way. We've had Lip explaining that Ian thinks he's doomed to be like his mother, and that could make sense for why he would push Mickey and his own family away, but not why he'd be open to a new relationship instead of a hookup. And bipolar or not, Ian did once know how to dress himself and talk to other people. Even with his own upbringing and the dysfunctional aspects of his romantic relationships, he has been shown to be aware of basic social and romantic expectations.  To internalize that men have been most interested in him for sex is one thing (and expected, with his past) but to act like he did on that date, well...If we're supposed to understand that this is how Ian is interpreting his past, then the show needs to acknowledge that there's a difference between the past we saw and the past as Ian understands it. Right now it's coming across as retconning.

 

I have to wonder why Caleb would be interested in Ian for more than sex. I love the character of Ian, but Caleb hasn't seen that background, and besides Ian's hotness, what about him says "here's my next boyfriend" to Caleb? He's known this kid for what, a week? What he knows about him for sure: he's shown up at the fire station like a groupie, lusts after firefighters, and works as a janitor. What he may know about him: he's a nineteen-year-old (?) dropout, is heavily medicated for bipolar disorder, and is currently homeless and living in his brother's dorm. He's quiet and barely opens up about himself. The date conversation has just revealed that Ian is recently out of a relationship that Caleb sees as abusive. And yet he knows he wants something serious with Ian? And mentors him professionally? The show hasn't laid the groundwork for that kind of connection to develop; Caleb knows Ian superficially, and superficially, Ian would look like a total walking disaster. It's making Caleb a savior instead of a human being. It's a good example of that plot-over-character thing.

[Chaos Theory]

I think it's interesting that Lip is so caught up in his feelings for Helene that he can't see the possibility of abuse of power. Of everyone who knew, Lip was the most creeped out by Ian's affair with his boss and by the teacher caught sleeping with her student in season 3. Was it purely because of age?.

Lip has always been very smart EXCEPT when it comes to women. Then he starts thinking with his little brain (if you get my meaning. A few seasons ago the neighborhood got in a tizzy about a child molester moving in and all the male folk went to show him what for but when he opened the door it was a hot chick. Then it was discovered "she" head re relationship with an underage boy. "Luck boy" the men folk all grumbled and left all but Lip whose big brain connected it to Kash and Ian. So he younged himself down and seduced the woman but ended up falling for her when sex came into play....his little brain at work.

I know a lot of people don't like Helene but I actually did because of the crash and fail of it. Plus they had pretty decent chemistry.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[stagmania]

I have to wonder why Caleb would be interested in Ian for more than sex. I love the character of Ian, but Caleb hasn't seen that background, and besides Ian's hotness, what about him says "here's my next boyfriend" to Caleb? He's known this kid for what, a week? What he knows about him for sure: he's shown up at the fire station like a groupie, lusts after firefighters, and works as a janitor. What he may know about him: he's a nineteen-year-old (?) dropout, is heavily medicated for bipolar disorder, and is currently homeless and living in his brother's dorm. He's quiet and barely opens up about himself. The date conversation has just revealed that Ian is recently out of a relationship that Caleb sees as abusive. And yet he knows he wants something serious with Ian? And mentors him professionally? The show hasn't laid the groundwork for that kind of connection to develop; Caleb knows Ian superficially, and superficially, Ian would look like a total walking disaster. It's making Caleb a savior instead of a human being. It's a good example of that plot-over-character thing.

 

I agree with all of this, and I think the show's position, as evidenced by the "find the treasure in the trash" exchange, is that Caleb likes the challenge. He sees Ian as a fixer-upper, in other words, and he doesn't even know most of it. I'm pretty sure he knows nothing about Ian's illness (I'm not even sure if Ian is still taking his meds, since it hasn't been mentioned since ep 2 and they keep showing him drinking), and that will become a plot point later in the season. 

 

What I can't figure out is why the writers think this is a good thing. Caleb essentially wants to "fix" Ian, which is exactly what Ian accused Mickey of trying to do ("you can't fix me, I'm not broken") when he pushed him to be healthy and stick to his treatment, and the supposed reason Ian broke things off with him. But now he's all gung-ho to jump into a new relationship with a guy who basically told him straight out that he wants to change him. It's so inconsistent for Ian, and definitely plays into a kind of "savior" role for Caleb when they seem to want us to think he's super into Ian romantically.

 

Essentially, none of this is hanging together for me and I don't understand how it connects to Ian's larger story or progresses logically from where he was at the start of the season. If the romance aspect was removed from this storyline and the focus was on him taking the steps to become an EMT (getting his GED, passing fitness requirements, studying for the test, etc) with Caleb helping out as a friend or mentor, it would make a lot more sense to me. But I guess that's not the kind of story Shameless is interested in telling.

[Dee]

I have to wonder why Caleb would be interested in Ian for more than sex. I love the character of Ian, but Caleb hasn't seen that background, and besides Ian's hotness, what about him says "here's my next boyfriend" to Caleb? He's known this kid for what, a week? What he knows about him for sure: he's shown up at the fire station like a groupie, lusts after firefighters, and works as a janitor. What he may know about him: he's a nineteen-year-old (?) dropout, is heavily medicated for bipolar disorder, and is currently homeless and living in his brother's dorm. He's quiet and barely opens up about himself. The date conversation has just revealed that Ian is recently out of a relationship that Caleb sees as abusive. And yet he knows he wants something serious with Ian? And mentors him professionally? The show hasn't laid the groundwork for that kind of connection to develop; Caleb knows Ian superficially, and superficially, Ian would look like a total walking disaster. It's making Caleb a savior instead of a human being. It's a good example of that plot-over-character thing.

 

Caleb and Ian have been on one date. One.

 

A date where Ian struggled to make small talk about himself. So unless Caleb is a mind reader, which we know he's not, it's unrealistic to expect him to know about Ian's diagnosis, let alone the full extent of his family and romantic histories.

 

I also fail to understand how one date, a single kiss and a brief visit to Caleb's studio, constitutes Caleb and Ian as 'being in a relationship.' A relationship was the last thing on Ian's mind when he began hanging around the firehouse, and from their scenes thus far, it's clear Caleb would like to know Ian better while taking things slow, but he can't and won't force Ian to open up.

 

The only reason Caleb ventured that Ian's past relationship was abusive was because of the vague details that Ian offered. And, as we've repeatedly been shown on Shameless, those who aren't from the South Side; aren't always aware of the South side lifestyle, which is hardly a crime.

 

Given all of that, I have a really hard time seeing them as anything more than casual acquaintances right now. If it blossoms into more, on both their parts, that's great, but it certainly isn't love at first sight for either of them.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Dee

[40Love]

Also, if we're being totally honest, I think it's more than a little gross that one of the first non-white Gallagher love interests, is being almost universally panned, largely for not being Mickey.

 

As an AA woman, Caleb's race (or that he's not Mickey) has nothing to do with me panning his "relationship". It's mainly this from sazzat:

 

The show hasn't laid the groundwork for that kind of connection to develop; Caleb knows Ian superficially, and superficially, Ian would look like a total walking disaster. It's making Caleb a savior instead of a human being. It's a good example of that plot-over-character thing.

 

They've had no time to develop chemistry... I keep asking "why"... other than them both being cuties... why are they so into each other? Makes no sense. I agree it's the plot-over-character thing. That's why the writers are making Gus such an asshole. If he weren't an asshole, Fiona would have no obstacle in the way of buying back the house. If she had no obstacle she would have no reason to break down in her boyfriend's arms in front of Carl. If she didn't breakdown in front of Carl, he wouldn't have dug up the money to buy the house back.

 

JMO , but I think plot-over-character is the same reason poor Nick couldn't get his happy ending of living on a farm (although the guy was pretty messed up). His character was sacrificed to tie-up loose ends... to free up all the cash to buy the house and bring Carl back into the fold. I suspect the lives of all the Gallagher kids will implode some how over the next few weeks as a plot device to bring all the kids back to the house, which is like it's own character. Just a guess.

[ralph]

Did Lip completely ignore the fact that this isn't Helene's first relationship with a student? and he still thinks there's really something there? and he thinks she's willing to lose her job and her relationship with her son (and maybe her husband- I'm not sure what's going on there) but can't blame him for being a dreamer. But I can't believe that he actually sat there and was about to make the "there's nothing wrong with a consensual student/professor relationship" speech. I know he's smarter than that.

 

Ian's whole "doesn't know how to make small talk on a date-isn't kissing what you do after sex-where I'm from people communicate with their fists-treasure in trash" thing with Caleb is a little sickening. Not everyone from the ghetto is that fucked up.

 

Maybe it isn't something I should even talk about, but really...Nick KILLED the kid? Even given his problems, the dude was prefectly capable of TAKING the bike and leaving.

 

Oh for the love of Pete, Fiona - if you can get a mortgage to buy a house, buy some other house. Didn't you just hear the building inspector's laundry list of things wrong with the house and the price tag attached to fixing them? Not only the things that were wrong with it to begin with but the fact that Frank ripped out the downstairs toilet and a lot of the copper plumbing. I get that there's some sort of psychological reason she's so fixated on this house, but sheesh. It just makes her look like an idiot.

 

Like she cares. They lived in that house with most of those problems and will live in it after. They don't care. (at least that's what fits into the "these are filthy, scummy, I don't give a shit" attitudes that the writers want you to believe.

 

And Gus is a douche. We get it, she broke your heart but damn, you're being a little bitch about it dude. I would've done the same thing if I knew what she did to my grandmother's ring...but if at that point in time he thinks he can still get it, so he's just hurting her as much as he can.

 

But does Carl's bag of money really solve the problem with not having Gus's signature? Wasn't one of the things that the bank wanted Gus to sign something that said he had no ownership of the house?

I think they can still buy the house back whether or not Gus signs those papers. They way they explained it, I think those papers were only to relinquish any right to the house he had as Fiona's husband.

Edited February 15, 2016 by ralph

[Happytobehere]

Nick's downfall was heartbreaking. Given the size disparity, he could have simply taken the bike, but I think the point was to show that Nick could never function outside of confinement because of his upbringing. He had so much potential as a character and he and Carl worked as friends. I was pleasantly surprised that Nick wasn't killed by the cops -- that could have served as Shameless' pandering racial trope.

Notice the show had to make Gus the villain in an effort to redeem Fiona.

Helene should have been fired. Lip remains a moron.

Debbie has officially joined Frank as being nothing more than a ff moment on the show. She is truly awful and like her father, someone who isn't worth the effort.

I might find a way to be interested in Ian and Caleb if I thought the show had an actual plan for either character.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Happytobehere

[Matt K]

There is, it's called divorce or annulment.

Although to be fair, is a lot of states it take over a year to actually become divorced.  You have to have a separation period (usually months) and once the papers are filed, some states will wait another 6 months or so before the divorce becomes official.  No idea what the laws are in IL though. 

[Dee]

At the beginning of the show Ian has a sweet streak with his bedmates, but he was never all that good at communicating with them.

 

He & Kash never dated openly and once Linda found out about their dalliances, Ian had already began sleeping with Mickey & dropped Kash like a lead balloon.

 

Ian's "dates" with Jimmy's Dad were largely based around Ian being a kept boy, and for all their rolls in the hay Ian never really opened up to him beyond getting help with his schoolwork. And, like Kash, once their sexual relationship was brought to light, Ian again, immediately loses all interest.

 

Finally, it takes Mickey three & a half seasons to admit he & and Ian are couple, just to Ian. And he's still willing to remain in the closet until Ian gets fed up with the charade & threatens to end things permanently.

 

Even in Mickey & Ian's much adored "open" relationship in Season Five, Mickey has so little interest in anything about Ian that doesn't conform to his single minded possessiveness, that he flatly refuses Ian's siblings pragmatic advice, leading to Ian suffering a serious psychotic break & a subsequent stay in a mental health ward. Once Ian is released, Mickey is so ill equipped to deal with Ian's condition or even communicate his feelings, he pushes Ian away in the aftermath, and only returns after one of Ian's sisters confronts him. He does help Ian begin to regulate his meds, briefly, after all of that; but once Ian disappears after being released into Monica's care, Mickey's back to sleeping with women AND men. Not a word of which he breathes to Ian, when Ian returns from his sojourn in Meth Country.

 

So, I can totally believe Ian's nervous behavior and lack of communication skills at dinner with Caleb. Hiding in grocery aisles & hotel rooms with your older lovers and eating pizza rolls & watching Steven Seagal films with your downlow booty call, is a totally different ballgame than a mature dinner with a sweet natured potential romantic interest you're on fairly equal footing with.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Dee

[SourK]

The scene with Gus drove me nuts. Fiona is a terrible partner, and he has legitimate reasons to be angry about her behaviour -- plus, she's lying to his face about his ring, which sold behind his back, even though she had no right -- but signing the papers isn't a favour. It's an obligation that he brought upon himself by marrying somebody he didn't know. And, if he wants those obligations to end, he needs to get a divorce. Acting like she should just ignore him from now on is not a realistic solution.

 

Speaking of obligations -- it also drives me crazy when the show acts like it's a legitimate option for Fiona to just stop taking care of the kids she's responsible for. Like, I agree that it's not fair that this responsibility was thrust on her at a young age, but it still exists. When she was like, "What if I just want to be their sister?!" I was like, "Too bad." I also had a hard time getting on board with Sam's idea last week that Debbie and Carl could take care of themselves so Fiona shouldn't worry about where they would be when they got evicted from their house.

 

I... am cautious about the Helene story line. I've never disliked her -- she's in an open marriage and Lip is an adult; they can have sex if they want to -- but this whole thing with the college makes me... well, I'm cautiously waiting to see if anything else comes out of it. Basically, the administration's whole issue is that she's supposed to be discreet about it and... it's not like she chose to have someone post a topless photo of her on the internet. She's really the victim here, in a lot of ways, and I understand her being mad at Lip, if she thinks it's his fault. I also understand why she wouldn't just suddenly dump her family and career for him, even if she thought about it one night when she was drunk. Also, he beat up her son one time, which was pretty uncool.

[wovenloaf]

Ick, it took all of two (maybe three?) episodes for me to go from hoping that baby was Gus's to just being totally done with him. Like grow the hell up dude. You married a stranger. It crumbled fast. (Shocker.) Buck up and move on. And she TRIED to give him his ring (that so *super* special one he gave away to a person he didn't know...) back, but he chose to publicly humiliate her in a crowded bar instead.

And it's not like she keeps calling him to help her bring in the groceries. She needs him to sign a sheet of paper so her and some minor children in her care can have somewhere to live. Like get a grip, Gus.

Edited February 16, 2016 by wovenloaf

[dangwoodchucks]

The scene with Gus drove me nuts. Fiona is a terrible partner, and he has legitimate reasons to be angry about her behaviour -- plus, she's lying to his face about his ring, which sold behind his back, even though she had no right -- but signing the papers isn't a favour. It's an obligation that he brought upon himself by marrying somebody he didn't know. And, if he wants those obligations to end, he needs to get a divorce. Acting like she should just ignore him from now on is not a realistic solution.

 

Speaking of obligations -- it also drives me crazy when the show acts like it's a legitimate option for Fiona to just stop taking care of the kids she's responsible for. Like, I agree that it's not fair that this responsibility was thrust on her at a young age, but it still exists. When she was like, "What if I just want to be their sister?!" I was like, "Too bad." I also had a hard time getting on board with Sam's idea last week that Debbie and Carl could take care of themselves so Fiona shouldn't worry about where they would be when they got evicted from their house.

 

I... am cautious about the Helene story line. I've never disliked her -- she's in an open marriage and Lip is an adult; they can have sex if they want to -- but this whole thing with the college makes me... well, I'm cautiously waiting to see if anything else comes out of it. Basically, the administration's whole issue is that she's supposed to be discreet about it and... it's not like she chose to have someone post a topless photo of her on the internet. She's really the victim here, in a lot of ways, and I understand her being mad at Lip, if she thinks it's his fault. I also understand why she wouldn't just suddenly dump her family and career for him, even if she thought about it one night when she was drunk. Also, he beat up her son one time, which was pretty uncool.

I'm sure Gus is aware he made a mistake marrying Fiona, but how does that obligate him to sign a paper? Either one of them could file for a divorce and it probably would be fairly easy since there is no property and no kids. Since Gus took the time to go to the diner he could've just signed the paper but 1) he'd never get the ring back and 2) the show wants him to be the villain so we'll see Fiona as a victim once again. Gus owes Fiona nothing.

 

Fiona suggesting that Sean accommodate all of her siblings was ludicrous and her anger that he wouldn't was just as bad. He had valid reasons for not wanting them all there and it was Fiona who said that Debbie and Carl had other arrangements anyway.

[dezi]

I have to wonder why Caleb would be interested in Ian for more than sex. I love the character of Ian, but Caleb hasn't seen that background, and besides Ian's hotness, what about him says "here's my next boyfriend" to Caleb? He's known this kid for what, a week? What he knows about him for sure: he's shown up at the fire station like a groupie, lusts after firefighters, and works as a janitor. What he may know about him: he's a nineteen-year-old (?) dropout, is heavily medicated for bipolar disorder, and is currently homeless and living in his brother's dorm. He's quiet and barely opens up about himself. The date conversation has just revealed that Ian is recently out of a relationship that Caleb sees as abusive. And yet he knows he wants something serious with Ian? And mentors him professionally? The show hasn't laid the groundwork for that kind of connection to develop; Caleb knows Ian superficially, and superficially, Ian would look like a total walking disaster. It's making Caleb a savior instead of a human being. It's a good example of that plot-over-character thing.

 

Caleb probably knows that Ian risked his life to save a stranger's. He knows that Ian holds down a job, even though it's a job he hates. (Janitors deserve love too.) He also got to see Ian's care and concern for a stranger, first hand. Pretty sure he knows nothing about Ian's bipolar and living situation. The point of dating is usually to get to know someone better and most of the time, in my experience, it starts with physical attraction. This is the groundwork being laid. Neither of them have made any declarations of undying love yet.

Ian was instantly smitten with Mickey after their first time. This was back when Mickey looked like he smelled bad (not Frank level bad but bad). All Ian knew about Mickey was that he was the local thug, terrorising Ian's boyfriend and saying mean things to Ian. Yet Ian couldn't get enough. I doubt Ian/Caleb will have longevity but their early days make far more sense than the early days of Ian/Mickey.

 

So, I can totally believe Ian's nervous behavior and lack of communication skills at dinner with Caleb. Hiding in grocery aisles & hotel rooms with your older lovers and eating pizza rolls & watching Steven Seagal films with your downlow booty call, is a totally different ballgame than a mature dinner with a sweet natured potential romantic interest you're on fairly equal footing with.

I agree with your assessment of Ian's "dating" history and it explaining why he would have trouble being a good date. The way that this was shown is the problem. Ian is not a chatterbox and is not one to have deep emotional conversations. But Caleb was asking him the most basic of questions. There was no reason, even with his dysfunctional history with men, that Ian couldn't have engaged. I would have preferred it if they'd shown him getting tripped up by a deeper topic. That part of it just seemed like lazy writing at the expense of characterisation.

[TyranAmiros]

Here's the thing about Ian: it wasn't just Mickey. Ian was basically working as a prostitute/porn star for most of Season 4 and part of Season 5. It wasn't just an abnormal relationship with Mickey--he was also getting it reinforced working at the clubs. As a gay man, I can personally attest to guys who find kissing more intimate than sex and don't kiss until after sex. I know it sounds like a stereotype, but I've definitely encountered it. I'm sure with Ned or any of the wealthy older men, they took the lead in any conversation and Mickey knew Ian's family/history well enough to avoid that sort of small talk.

Carl/the actor portraying him did an incredible job tonight. For all his swagger, he's still a young teenager. I can't wait to see where the go with the character.

On the other hand, Lip's story just gets more and more ridiculous. I hope he's not kicked out of school for good, but knowing this show, he'll be out until the show ends.

Agree that the show missed a major opportunity to grow by giving up the house.

[Emily Thrace]

Sadly, Nick's story was over the minute it was revealed that he had been in jail since he was in the single digits. You KNEW he was going to have a hard time with the world and his sad story about losing his bike to a druggy dad solidified what was going to happen.

I'm not loving that Debbie is turning into a mini Franka, sexual flexibility and all. I've never liked her character but this storyline is worst than her "accidental" rapist storyline. And that's saying something.

It's sad to recall that ALL of Ian's sexual history was tied into very little romance. While I liked Mickey, that was never a healthy, shipworthy relationship IMHO. Any romantic gesture was always followed by an overcompensating abusive deed. It would be good for Ian to finally see how healthy relationships start and thrive. I feel like this quest will ultimately end but hopefully not without him learning some helpful tools for his future relationships.

I agree with whom ever called it that Sean will die in an OD.

Fiona likes jerks. Every one of her previous dudes have been some form of petty jerk, so why should Gus not fall into that category. She has a type of man she's attracted to regardless of his financial and social status. Yes he's being petty but it's not like Fiona was perfectly innocent in the matter either. She MIGHT have been able to ask for a solid from him had she put on her big girl panties early on and properly ended the relationship. Let's not act like Gus hadn't exposed his romantic ideas early on, no matter how ridiculous they may have seemed. A healthy adult would have handled things in such a way that consisted his feelings while allowing her to move on with no hard feelings. But she didn't and now reap the consequences.

 

Fiona isn't a healthy adult and asking her to act like one is frankly ridiculous. The whole point of the show is how fucked up everyone is. Although Fi is better than most on the show.

 

I actually think the whole point of this season is allowing Fi to choose raising the kids. Its always been something she had to do before. I think what the writers are trying to do are put Fi in  a place by the end of the season she chosen or will chose to raise her kids again. I also think that's probably the end point for Debbie Carl as well. they've spent the last few season trying to grow up and push themselves  put of the nest I think at the end they're going to realize they need Fiona.

[Noirprncess]

Fiona isn't a healthy adult and asking her to act like one is frankly ridiculous. The whole point of the show is how fucked up everyone is. Although Fi is better than most on the show.

 

I actually think the whole point of this season is allowing Fi to choose raising the kids. Its always been something she had to do before. I think what the writers are trying to do are put Fi in  a place by the end of the season she chosen or will chose to raise her kids again. I also think that's probably the end point for Debbie Carl as well. they've spent the last few season trying to grow up and push themselves  put of the nest I think at the end they're going to realize they need Fiona.

The problem with this, if that is in fact where the writers are going, is that Fiona had more than a few opportunities to shirk the burden of being the guardian for the kids. Particularly when she went before the judge who tried to help her see the seriousness of it. He emphasised that once she received responsibility legally, she couldn't just walk away from that. It was also seriously in jeopardy when she accidentally left drugs out in Liam's reach. Again, she pledged to make things right. So the time is past for her to change her mind and try to walk it back because life has gotten a little more difficult.

The other thing is, I think one reason this season has more complaints than normal is that ALL of the Gallaghers have regressed in the last few seasons for the sake of pushing forth a wacky, over the top storyline instead of relying on organic humor in their natural progression. Look at Kev and V, both have matured a little over the course of six seasons while still adding to the overall humor of the show.

[Pete Martell]

Well in some cases it's some of the Doctor/Rose syndrome where Martha was largely hated before she even opened her mouth on screen. In those cases some of them were clearly racism and in other cases people just could not accept anyone else being near the Doctor. (At least Freema has had an awesome career afterwards.) 

 

As an African-American I was worried about this with Ian's new relationship but personally, I was never a fan of Ian and Mickey but they did seem like they gelled and as an actor, it just seems like he's reading his lines. I recognize that he hasn't done many roles outside of shorts and a supporting role in a TV movie but I'm sure as time goes on they will give him more to do, he'll improve and really give out "some" kind of vibe but that's all subjective. 

 

Some of the reaction was racist, but it was also about the show constantly comparing Rose to Martha and every time Martha came up short in the Doctor's eyes, and therefore, in the eyes of viewers. Even the brief scenes where Martha was supposed to find her true self-respect and leave were quickly overshadowed by Donna's very loud arrival moments later.

 

In this case, the comparisons are just the opposite, in that Caleb is supposed to be healthy and good and Mickey was an abuser, and Ian has to learn how to have a positive relationship, rather than life with an abuser. Which just makes Ian a victim and also makes me wonder if the show resents the backlash they got from some of the Ian/Mickey fans for the transparent baiting and poor writing last season.

[WaltersHair]

Is the ring really in a safety deposit box, or is Fiona lying? I'd say Gus lost any right of ownership to that ring or any of Fiona's respect. And she needs to stand up to his bullying because that's exactly what he did to her.

 

I've never noticed how much Carl resembles Fiona when he pulls an "oh shit' face. Glad he got his comeuppance with trying to be a hard ass, but yeah, poor Nick. Lose the dreads by next episode, please.

 

Ian and the firefighter. Zero chemistry. Ian is far too immature and just plain young for that guy.

 

Frank can leave with Chuckie. Forever. Please.

 

I hated where this episode started, but liked where it ended.

[Petunia13]

^ Carl and Fiona look a LOT alike.

[stagmania]

In this case, the comparisons are just the opposite, in that Caleb is supposed to be healthy and good and Mickey was an abuser, and Ian has to learn how to have a positive relationship, rather than life with an abuser. Which just makes Ian a victim and also makes me wonder if the show resents the backlash they got from some of the Ian/Mickey fans for the transparent baiting and poor writing last season.

 

There definitely seems to be an element of spite in the writing here. To claim that Mickey was an abuser is just unfair, and a complete contradiction to the way they wrote their relationship in seasons' past. In fact, in season 5, the narrative was that Ian was a terrible partner (due in large part to his struggle with accepting his bipolar diagnosis), while Mickey tried his best to help him deal with it and take care of him. Ian cheated numerous times and lied about it, Ian had increasingly bad manic episodes that affected the home and safety of the Milkovich family while denying his disorder, Ian made a porno with no protection, Ian kidnapped Yevgeny, Ian refused treatment again until he almost hurt Debbie, Ian hit Mickey and called him by homophobic slurs as a way of venting his frustrations, Ian ran away with Monica without a word to Mickey, Ian came back and harshly dumped Mickey because he didn't want to accept treatment or someone who thought he needed it, and then Ian shrugged and walked away while Sammi tried to kill Mickey.

 

All of this is not to say that Mickey was flawless and perfect throughout these struggles-of course he wasn't, he absolutely was ill-equipped to deal with all of this and just trying to keep it together-but the idea that he was a bad partner that held Ian back just does not hold any water. Ian held Ian back. Not to mention that to go from a season in which Ian's disorder and his refusal to accept it played such a large part in his life and relationship struggles, to this season, where suddenly he's medicated and it's barely part of his story, makes absolutely no sense. They're just rewriting Ian to be someone completely different, and they're not interested in holding him accountable for his own past mistakes. 

 

The problem with this, if that is in fact where the writers are going, is that Fiona had more than a few opportunities to shirk the burden of being the guardian for the kids. Particularly when she went before the judge who tried to help her see the seriousness of it. He emphasised that once she received responsibility legally, she couldn't just walk away from that. It was also seriously in jeopardy when she accidentally left drugs out in Liam's reach. Again, she pledged to make things right. So the time is past for her to change her mind and try to walk it back because life has gotten a little more difficult.

 

 

Yes, exactly! They already did this story in season 3, and Fiona made a firm choice to take on guardianship. She was warned that it was forever and that she couldn't take it back, that these kids would always be her responsibility, even if she wanted her life back someday. So them acting as if her walking away from these kids is a choice she can make is just wrong. If it was framed more like her regretting committing to this but knowing she doesn't have a choice, that would make more sense, but that's not how it's being written. In both season 5 and now, she's considered moving away from the kids or just being their sister again, as if that's an option she actually has.

Edited February 16, 2016 by stagmania