Image Credit: Monty Brinton/Showtime Shameless
It seems strange to call the finale a “quiet” episode, considering it featured a break-out, the beginning of a family scandal, and two major character departures (though, they could always come back). But it was all weaved so artfully into the structure of the episode that it didn’t seem like anything special. Fitting, I suppose. Life for the Gallaghers, rocky as it is, always seems to go on despite everything around them, and that’s very much the tone that was struck in the episode.
Above all, I’m interested to see how this ending serves the story going into season 3. In tonight’s finale, Monica (the children’s mother) took off with a lesbian lover after Frank and Debbie broke her out of the psychiatric ward. Ian learned that his one-night-stand from the previous episode was none other that Steve/Jimmy’s father! And Karen left home after her mother decided to keep her baby — despite her wishes. (Good riddance to her, by the way. I had no sympathy for that character and was glad to see her go. My blood pressure couldn’t take looking at her for a one more second.)
So will Monica return? How will Ian’s revelation play out in the third season? What will Fiona do with her life now that she has her GED? And will I ever stop breaking down into tears every time Debbie cries? These and more questions linger, but while we ponder those, I have a reflective question for Shameless fans: What did you think of the season now that you’ve seen it all?
Admittedly, I felt like it took a while to get on its feet. Everything I enjoyed about season one was there: Deplorable human behavior tinged with drama, pillar of strength Fiona, and uncomfortable sex scenes. But it took a few episodes for me to see where the season was going. So after a bit of a slow start, I’m please with where we ended up. What about you? Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in comments.
