Shameless is going the predictable route in its final season, and it’s hardly surprising.
The series has been running on fumes for years. After another hiatus, Shameless Season 11 Episode 5 gave us only subtle hints about what to expect throughout the rest of Shameless Season 11.
It was inevitable the battle against the Milkoviches would end in disaster, and Liam shooting a bullet into the sky only for it to come back down and hit Terry was ridiculous.
Was it deserved? Yes. Terry has been an evil figure on the series since the beginning, spewing hate and bigotry everywhere he walked.
The only good thing about the storyline is that it will probably send the rest of the family running for the hills because they will believe they’re marked for death.
Then again, Liam yelled as he shot the gun so that he could come back to bite him if another neighbor hears about it. Carl was adamant that killing a Milkovich would not lead to any questions being asked, but will that really be the case?
The family has many enemies, but what if Liam winds up being arrested for his action, even if he didn’t mean for it to harm anyone.
The kid wanted to send a message that he was no longer frightened, but when Carl puts two and two together about where the bullet came from, I don’t doubt Liam will feel somewhat guilty.
This is all assuming Terry dies, but the final moments certainly made it seem like he was still very lucid, but he didn’t have the ability to move or speak.
Would it be poetic justice if Terry had to live out the rest of his days in the hospital without drinking alcohol, spewing hate, or speaking?
Mickey would probably see it that way, but what if the rest of the family swoops in and tries to take down the Gallaghers? This could be the sole intriguing storyline as we head towards the home stretch of this meandering final season.
Speaking of Mickey, it wasn’t even comical that the person who intercepted the van and took some of the money was his cousin. There are so many Milkoviches that I’m beginning to think they’re the reason the South Side is in such a desperate state.
Sandy keeping things from Debbie was hardly surprising. If you watch Shameless online, you know Debbie is one of the most self-centered characters on all of TV, but I’m starting to think their relationship only flourished because Debbie didn’t ask questions about Sandy’s life.
Debbie was understandably worried that Sandy was cheating on her that she became Crazy Debbie in a matter of scenes.
Sandy strikes me as the type of person who runs from relationships when they get too serious, and if Debbie questions her every move, Debbie will probably be the one left heartbroken.
The only good thing about this storyline is that it’s giving Debbie food for thought. Her selfishness knows no bounds, but if she can start to make some positive changes in her life, there’s a good chance she could turn her life around.
I predicted earlier in the season that Lip and Tami’s rented home would be sold from under them.
Lip put hundreds of hours of work into the house, despite it being rented, but I can see why. He didn’t come from much, and he wanted a home for his family that he was proud of.
Unfortunately, he learned the hard way that the person who owns the house gets to make all the big decisions.
Visiting the Slaughter household was a scary experience, but if they can make it their own and forget the past, they can put down new roots at an affordable price.
The garage’s new owners were horrid in how they wanted to cut hours and hourly rates, but it’s a tale that’s becoming all too common in this world. Shameless has been known for tackling social issues, and this might be a decent final storyline for Lip.
Unfortunately, he turned back to alcohol after losing his job, but he’s at his breaking point. The episode didn’t touch on whether meetings were still going on during the pandemic, but I think it’s highly doubtful.
Tami was a big surprise. She was on board with moving into Murder house, but she’s going to flip when she learns that Lip lost his job and is back on alcohol.
This will probably bring about her grandmother’s house again, the one that almost split them up on Shameless Season 10.
With the South Side seemingly getting more dangerous and opportunities diminishing, it’s possible that the series finale could find the Gallaghers moving somewhere new.
I believe Carl will stay behind to try to fix things as a cop, but it would be plausible to have everyone else move beyond that.
V’s political storyline may have come out of nowhere, but at least she is getting to see first-hand how the people of color have been priced out of the area.
The beauty of a character like V is that she stands up for what is right, and I hope much success is in her future.
Frank trying to kill the lady next door was typical Frank, but might he wind up in the frame for trying to kill Terry? Frank might see going to prison as a means of apologizing for his awful behavior.
That’s all I got, Shameless fans!
What did you think of the episode?
Are you growing tired of the back and forth?
Hit the comments.
Shameless continues Sundays at 9/8c on Showtime.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.