Tag Archives: Shameless review recap

Shameless “Love Songs (In the Key of Gallagher)” Review (5×12)

5 Apr

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“That’s the most important thing to find: someone to love, right?”

The Gallaghers constantly get themselves into trouble. That’s one thing that they can’t deny, and we know that for a fact because we’ve watched their antics for the last five seasons, laughing and cringing and crying along with them. At the same time, there’s a uniting force that grounds all these characters: their need to find happiness, to find people who love them for who they are. The word “happy” pops up quite a bit throughout the season five finale, and the episode raises the question of whether these characters can ever be truly happy. “Happiness is overrated,” Sean says at the end of the hour.

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Shameless “Drugs Actually” Review (5×11)

29 Mar

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Don’t worry, the truck is going to drive off a bridge soon.

It seems like the writers anticipated the outpouring of Sammi hate following last week’s episode, and it shows throughout “Drugs Actually”. The show has quite a bit of fun with her character, bringing up possible Sammi death scenarios and showing us a nipple shocking and contrasting Mickey’s nonchalance with Debbie’s horrified reactions. It’s ultimately proved to be a fake-out after Sammi’s heard screaming from the truck, but it sure is satisfying to watch; the same can be said about the rest of the episode, which is an engaging and entertaining set-up for what I’m hoping will be an excellent season finale.

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Shameless “South Side Rules” Review (5×10)

22 Mar

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“It’s a shame when someone you love gets taken away.”

Dammit, Sammi, do you not see those smiling faces above? Are you purposefully trying to anger the entire Shameless fan base? I’m attempting to open this review in a semi-coherent manner, but all I can come up with at the moment is: UGHHHHHHHHHH. It’s really devastating that this comes right when we begin to see Ian come to terms with his illness, and it’s definitely a gut punch coming after the wonderful moment Ian and Mickey share in the dugout together. Last week’s Sammi storyline was mostly played for laughs, but at the end of “South Side Rules”, we see the ramifications front and center; we see everything come apart at once, and it’s looking like the season is not going down a happy path.

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Shameless “Carl’s First Sentencing” Review (5×09)

15 Mar

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“Livin’ life to the fullest. I wouldn’t trade a day.”

“Carl’s First Sentencing” is yet another masterclass in balance, in giving us the Gallagher hijinks that we know and love while also delivering poignantly beautiful moments throughout. It features some questionable writing choices, but as we near the end of another season–which is going by so fast–it’s hard not to get swept up in the constantly unfolding tapestry of the Gallagher universe. I simply can’t tear my eyes away from this hilarious, messed up, and wonderful show.

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Shameless “Uncle Carl” Review (5×08)

9 Mar

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“Gallaghers: it’s kind of a diagnosis, though, right?”

No matter how far apart they are or how many wedges are thrown between them, the members of the Gallagher family will always be tied to each other in one way or another. It’s a big family that is just so damn compelling to watch, and “Uncle Carl” seems to be about emphasizing the connections that all these characters share, about highlighting the positives and negatives of a family tree that is like no other. It’s not the easiest time for the Gallaghers–when is?–but there’s a reason they all share the same name.

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Shameless “Tell Me You Fucking Need Me” Review (5×07)

1 Mar

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“We’re all adults. We have to take responsibility for each other.”

Watch out, because Sammi Gallagher will shoot you in the arm if you don’t appreciate her enough. It’s one of the wildest moments of the series thus far, but it’s not completely unexpected for a show like Shameless; after all, it’s clear that the frustration’s been building up over the last few weeks, the tension in the Gallagher household rising with every passing minute. Here, it finally explodes when Sammi pulls the gun on Frank, and as a result, I suspect that the dynamic within the household will not be the same moving forward.

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Shameless “Crazy Love” Review (5×06)

16 Feb

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Shameless features quite possibly the best ensemble cast on television, and “Crazy Love” displays that cast at the height of its power. This is one of those episodes in which everyone shines, in which everyone breaks your heart in one way or another, and it’s the kind of episode that solidifies this show’s deserved placement in the upper echelon of television. It’s an hour about love, but it also delves into the constant struggles surrounding that love, and it’s a tense, moving, and heartbreaking piece of television that moves us right along into what should be an excellent second half of season five.

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Shameless “Rite of Passage” Review (5×05)

8 Feb

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“Rite of Passage” is all about transitions, about being caught between an old life and a new life, about becoming stuck in a limbo of sorts as you attempt to figure out where you want to go next in life. After all, that’s what a rite of passage is: an event that marks a person’s transition from one status to another. We see the past and the present clash with each other throughout this episode, and in fine Shameless form, it’s yet another entertaining episode punctuated by poignant and genuine moments.

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Shameless “A Night to Remem… Wait, What?” Review (5×04)

1 Feb

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One of the calling cards for the Shameless gang seems to be an undercurrent of unease and uncertainty. The Gallaghers and co. embark on a plethora of wacky adventures every week, and while it can be highly entertaining watching them do so, what grounds them is a growing understanding that this kind of lifestyle isn’t all sunshine and roses. In fact, the very title of this episode is a perfect encapsulation of this idea: we see characters having “nights to remember”, but then, the realization hits them; the “Wait, what?” hits them.

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Shameless “The Two Lisas” Review (5×03)

25 Jan

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Shameless can be uncomfortable and disturbing and wacky and darkly hilarious, but what makes it special is its ability to turn those moments into something heartfelt, something poignant. It doesn’t just focus on the joke aspect of a situation; it also explores the ramifications of certain actions on certain individuals, and as a result, it creates a distinct style and balance for itself that is rare among television shows.

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