shameless is a drama about the poor, dysfunctional Gallagher family. Comprised of an ensemble cast, the Gallaghers include: negligent single father Frank (William H. Macy), eldest sister Fiona (Emmy Rossum) who acts as the matriarch of the family, and the rest of the siblings, including Lip , Ian, Debbie , Carl and Liam.
shameless is unlike any other TV show aimed at working-class familiesLike it My name is Earl or roseanne, in that it highlights the effects of Frank’s drug and alcohol addiction on his family. Each episode is about his kids taking care of themselves and learning how to clean up and avoid the mess that Frank makes.
Developed for Showtime by John Wells, shameless is an adaptation of Paul Abbot’s British TV series of the same name. It ran for 11 seasons, from 2011 to 2021, although the final season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
shameless is one of those shows that offers a little bit of everything. It’s rough and funny, but also full of drama, sentimental moments and sometimes even a bit of darkness. With 11 seasons – all of which are available to stream on Netflix – here’s a rundown of each season, ranked from best to worst. Be warned, if you haven’t seen the show yet, there are guaranteed spoilers ahead.
11 Season 8
While shameless is a solid show overall, season eight was a bit of a dud. It generally feels unfocused and half baked. There are several storylines and subplots at once and none of them feel fully fleshed out, so it’s hard to keep up with what’s going on. Ultimately, the season doesn’t end anywhere, and many of the storylines continue into season nine.
The most intricate storyline has to be Ian’s (Cameron Monaghan) “Gay Jesus” rampage, leading up to the scene where he blows up a van. His character’s storyline throughout the season is just all over the place and doesn’t really feel like it fits into the rest of the shameless universe. On the other hand, there is a valuable storyline from Lip (Jeremy Allen White) about his ongoing struggle with alcohol addiction as he works to get his life back on track.
10 Season 9
Season nine is another example where: shameless packed so much into one season that it ended up being too much. Because season eight had so many complex storylines that it didn’t end before the final episode of the season, season nine picks them up right away.
The biggest event in season nine was the departure of Fiona (Emmy Rossum) from the show, which was: met some mixed reviews. While it was obviously sad to see such an important character leave the show and make the trajectory of the rest of the series uncertain, her departure feels stalled by the messiness of the rest of the season. All episodes of season nine essentially lead to Fiona leaving, but it feels like it takes forever to finally get there.
9 Season 10
Since Season 10 was the first season without Fiona, it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t as good as previous seasons either. The show writers didn’t necessarily replace Fiona – they showed viewers why her character was irreplaceable – but audiences did get to see a little more of Debbie, as she stepped up a bit and matured in an effort to stand up for the house and all that Fiona did. .
Adjusting to a season without Fiona was tough for long-time viewers, but it wasn’t all bad. Honestly, the writers made the best of what they had, and the best part of the season has to be the highly anticipated Gallavich wedding between fan-favorite couple Ian and Mickey.
8 Season 5
After season four, which is often referred to as shameless Heaviest season, season five has a more upbeat tone, though the entire series is a rollercoaster of dramatic highs and lows. Season five has a lot of strong storylines like Frank (William H. Macy) falling in love with Bianca, a doctor dying of cancer, Fiona marrying Gus, Debbie falling in love, Kev (Steve Howey) and V (Shanola Hampton) taking a break after the birth of the twins – a lot happens. Some of these storylines end badly — like when Bianca dies or Fiona’s relationship doesn’t work out — but others seem to be going well, like Kev and V reconciling their issues and getting back together.
Despite how much is going on this season, the best part is Ian’s character arc about his battle with mental illness and Cameron Monaghan’s heartbreaking, raw portrayal of his character’s struggles. Ian goes to a mental hospital where he has bipolar disorder. While having an official diagnosis feels affirmative, the comparisons between him and his mother, Monica, are painful for him — and others — to handle.
7 Season 11
The last season of shameless was faced with many trials – just like any production at the time – as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shutdowns and restrictive preventative measures forced writers to work through Zoom, making storytelling difficult. That’s not to say the final season was bad, but it’s hard to deny that the struggles the creative team faced didn’t affect the show’s airing.
Maybe if the pandemic hadn’t been such a setback, the last season could have offered more, or maybe it would have gone in a completely different direction. It is difficult to estimate. For what it’s worth, it was still an entertaining season. It didn’t end each character’s storyline with a bow – except maybe Frank’s – but in a way it’s nice that it didn’t, because it gives the audience room to speculate what they think is going on with their favorite character. characters happened.
6 Season 6
Season six is good. It has incredible acting, well thought out storylines and sees a lot of character development. However, only a few of those well-thought-out storylines are truly memorable, while the rest just fade into the background. In a way, season six serves as a solid starting point for season seven, one of the show’s best seasons.
The most notable plot points viewers will likely remember from season six are Fiona’s wedding, when Frank ruins it and tells her Sean is still using drugs, Lip’s problems with alcohol addiction continue to mount, and the pinnacle of Carl’s (Ethan Cutkosky) mobster lifestyle. In one of the saddest episodes, “NSFW,” Carl’s friend Nick kills a child who has stolen a bicycle. Although Carl tries to stop him, he is too late and the shock and fear of the situation almost scares him.
5 Season 2
Season two took all the best parts of season one and ran with it, expanding on the characters and both the funny and tragic situations the Gallaghers find themselves in.
One of the main triumphs of season two was to show how high and low shameless was willing to get. There was laughter and classic Gallagher shenanigans, but there was also real pain and emotion, often alongside the good times. For example, in “Just Like the Pilgrims Intended,” when the Gallagher family sits down for Thanksgiving dinner and Monica gets up and tries to kill herself in the kitchen, sending everyone into a life-saving panic. Sometimes it’s hard to watch, but the power of shameless is what makes it such a standout series.
4 Season 1
The season that started it all. Season one does a great job of getting you hooked on the show. You meet all the unique characters and get to know them just enough to want to know more. When shameless premiered in 2011, there really was nothing else like it on the air. It was fresh and charming, but also rude and funny. It was a perfect mix of genres and offered a little bit of everything for everyone.
It’s no wonder fans became hooked on the Gallagher family after season one and enjoyed the show for 10 years. Even today, while other shows and movies featuring dysfunctional families have appeared, nothing is like shamelessand that first season put the show on the map.
3 Season 3
The third season, which leads into the dark, heavy fourth season, is about as dramatic. It’s one of those seasons where we see the Gallaghers at odds, fighting tough battle after tough battle, with little or no positive resolution.
Frank’s true toxic nature is revealed when he calls Child Protective Services and has the kids taken away, Mandy drives Karen into a coma that puts her in a coma, and Ian and Mickey (Noel Fisher)’s relationship comes to a head when Mickey’s homophobic Dad gets caught Hun together. Season three shows so much character development as the Gallaghers face some of their toughest times yet, which is part of what makes season three so great.
2 Season 7
Season seven is probably most remembered as the season Monica died, and while that storyline really affected Frank, season seven saw the rest of the Gallaghers reconnect and experience more positive things than they did in the previous season. Season six ended in a tough spot for many characters — Fiona was left at the altar, Lip’s alcoholism spiraled out of control, and so on — but season seven offers a sense of closure.
By the end, the Gallaghers have reconciled many of their differences and each of them is set up in such a way that they will continue to see improvements next season – although in true Gallagher fashion, that’s not the case for everyone. As far as season finales go, season seven offers a much neater, full-circle close than others.
1 Season 4
Season four proved that while shameless can be a high quality dramedy, it can also get extremely dark, and the dark points of the show are really some of the best. While the first three seasons had some tough moments, nothing compares to the weight of season four. Liam overdoses on Fiona’s cocaine – which leads to her being arrested, Ian having to struggle with his bipolar disorder, Mickey comes out and Frank nearly dies. There’s just a lot happening.
All of these dramatic moments really show the cast as incredibly talented actors. Not only that, but these harder storylines appealed more to the emotions of the audience, leading to deeper connections to the characters and the show as a whole.