The wait for season 5 begins
With Breaking Bad done, Shameless has moved up into my #1 spot for best show on TV. It was a close second while Bad was on, but now it’s the easy front runner. Season 4 concluded 2 days ago and it is arguably the best season yet.
The cast of Shameless is really big, I think Game of Thrones is the only other show with more main characters. But the writers really make it work, especially this season. They found fantastic arcs for everyone to take. Frank and Fiona have been the anchors of the show from the start but this season there was a change of guard. Lip and Ian have been close to the top of the hierarchy with Carl and Debbie trailing behind. Frank and Fiona had major events go down that actually took them out of the spotlight, opening up the door for the other kids to really show what they got. Lip really took on Fiona’s roll while managing his taxing new life and while Ian was AWOL for nearly half the season, his return brought one of the best plot lines and best acting with Mickey.
Carl and Debbie are the youngest on the show (ignoring Liam here) and have more or less been in the background. They’ve been like orbiting moons around the bigger planets. This season was their breakout year with their biggest plots and far and away their best acting. They’re getting better and better, major props to Ethan Cutkosky and Emma Kenney for stepping all the way into their roles and delivering some of the more memorable scenes of the season.
It’s such a well rounded show with fantastic actors pulling off some really intense and personal acting. There was a lot going on for everyone and it was all amazing stuff. Lip’s college culture shock/forced maturation and his relationship with Mandy and Amanda. Fiona’s heartbreaking collapse, Franks’ health battle (loved the introduction of Sammi and Chucky this year, glad they will be back), Ian and Mickey’s relationship and Carl and Debbie’s adolescent growing pains in a environment that is tough enough as it is. I like how they have Kevin and Veronica Ball orbiting the Gallagher family with their own thing. It keeps their real only friends involved, but wisely out of the way so they don’t take over (a problem with the UK original).
And the ending! The hooks are set for season 5 and I’m already stuck on the line. Can’t wait for my favorite show to come back for more.