Season six of Shameless has been so good to the viewers. It has been virtually flawless. The character development has been so rich, and the good and bad moments are so well written and acted. It’s no wonder Shameless has gone on this long. “Paradise Lost” was full of sweet loving moments, and harsh wake up calls.
Debbie has the baby in this episode. Like any other television show with a character near childbirth, it’s a hectic and emotional series of events. The commune seems nice and cozy until Debbie realizes that the midwife hasn’t delivered a baby in at least three decades, and the birthing tent is less than sanitary. In one final attempt, Debbie reaches out to Frank and desperately asks him to drive her home…and he does! Wow, Frank! Actually, he felt very paternal in the moments he shared with Debbie this week, and it was a pleasant surprise. So was when he got kidnapped by Carl’s ex-gang members. Frank or no Frank, Debbie has a healthy baby girl on the Gallagher kitchen table, and everyone is there to see it. As she leaves in the ambulance she denies Fi’s company and says that she has to do this alone. It’s hard to see Fiona and Debbie distancing themselves from each other, but we got a glimpse of hope this week when Fiona was so present and helpful for Debbie.
Frank causes trouble in the commune, and while his antics are always fun, that’s all they really amount to. Not much progress is made in the way of Frank’s overall character. I do wonder if the gang members and the commune leader killed each other. If they are dead, I can’t wait to see him get out of that one!
V, Kev, and Svetlana fight over how to keep Svetlana in the country. No one in the Shameless audience wants Lana to leave the South Side, so I was really pushing for V and Lana to get married. Kev was really upset by the sheer idea of it, and I thought it was so hypocritical! He’s still married to that other woman. In any case, V and Lana get married, and I assume we will see how that builds up for Kev in the following episode.
Carl and Dominique’s dad, a police officer, spend some quality time. The ride-along unintentionally fosters a love for catching the bad guys in Carl. I had a lot of respect for Carl in this episode. He really made an effort to present himself to Dominique’s father, and he even told it to him straight about how he knew that he wasn’t good enough for her. I like this version of Carl, he even admits to wanting to be a cop.
Speaking of Gallagher men in uniform, Ian takes and aces his EMT test, but gets nervous when they ask about his mental health. Caleb tells him to lie on the paper, but not to him. They have a moment expressing all of the stuff they have been through before they met each other. This relationship feels very solid, and I am so glad Ian has gotten to this point with someone stable.
Fiona and Sean begin to settle in to the idea that they are getting married soon. Fiona is determined to make the wedding as legitimate as possible. She even finds her mother’s old dress and has Svetlana tailor it (what a sweet moment!!!). Sean moves in and dismantles all of the chaos Carl constructed in the house. V arranges a bachelorette party at the local strip club, and the guys from the Alibi even host a special strip tease for her. It was absolutely hilarious, and I am just so happy for Fiona! This episode only had good things for her.
Lip on the other hand only had the very worst moments. His drunken escapades got him into more trouble than he realized and he is dismissed as the House Boy at the sorority. He even has to attend mandatory counseling sessions for his alcohol problem. As a result, he doesn’t finish the work the Professor assigned him, and I’m fairly certain he almost got fired in this episode. I think Lip does have a drinking problem, but I am not sure what will happen to him with only two episodes left in the season. As of right now it looks like Lip is back to commuting to school. At the very least he will be around to help Debbie out with her son, and who doesn’t want to see Lip take care of a baby?
I am really excited about how good this season has been. I cannot think of many other dramas that keep going for this long with this sort of consistency. We only have two more episodes left before the season is over, and I cannot wait. Can you imagine how this season could end? Anything could happen, really!
[Photo credit: Cliff Lipson/Showtime]
Follow Us
