Location, Location, Location

Frank completes his month of court-ordered rehab and it looks like Frank had a good time. A whole group of people gives him a standing ovation at his final group therapy session so while his intoxication level may be at a low point, his charm skills are still fine-tuned. On his way home, he runs into Faye who apologizes for framing him and wants to reconnect with him when she gets back from her winter trip. Telling Frank you won’t be home for an extended time isn’t a good idea if you value your stuff.

So this means Frank has a great place to crash for a while. As he makes himself at home, strange things happen which makes Frank believe that the house really is haunted. I thought this would end up being a trap that Faye set for Frank but it turns out another guy had the same idea as Frank–he’s holed up in the basement while Frank claimed the second floor. Recognizing a fellow scammer, Frank and the guy become friends, order pizza, drink scotch, and get high together.

At the same time, Liam is still searching for Frank so he can sign the papers his school requires to keep him enrolled. Out of this episode, I think Liam’s was my favorite. They explore a lot of what he’s going through as the youngest Gallagher (Frannie and Fred not included since they are watched over at all times). First, he wants to go to school which is rather rare for a Gallagher. Aside from Lip, he’s the most academically inclined and it’s really the environment that gives him the most self-worth. Managing Todd gives him an avenue to use his scamming skills that he’s learned from Frank. But he has no one to rely on…the kid is usually by himself left alone by everyone in the house who’s too busy with their weird drama.

Liam manages to track down Frank (on his own) and manages to convince him to get off his ass and do the right thing (if for no other reason than to keep child services away from him). With that settled and with Frank in this nice big house, Liam sees a chance to hang out with Frank. Liam flat out tells Frank that he misses him and Frank laughs in response as he drives away, leaving Liam standing on the sidewalk. I felt so bad for Liam and near the end of the episode, Liam manages to get a bit of revenge on Frank by brushing off Frank when he calls for a favor.

When Liam finally makes it home after being left behind by Frank, Lip catches up him and it’s here we get to hear Liam’s perspective on things. He’s the only one in the house because Deb is off to a dance, Ian is with Mickey planning the wedding, Fiona has moved away and now Lip is leaving with Tami. “Are you going to be okay?” Lip asks.

Since the news of the free house from the Tamiette family, Lip has been apprehensive about it. He doesn’t like charity as it feels more like pity. Brad has been in this family for longer and sees how Brad as control over exactly nothing in his life. Tami’s dad runs the show (he gave the downpayment for the house and seed money for Brad to start his motorcycle shop). The South Side of Chicago is all Lip has ever known and despite the daily struggle since he’s been born, it’s what he’s used to. And most of all he doesn’t want to be far away from his family. So when he discovers the home at the end of the block is going to be rented out, Lip gets second thoughts about moving to Milwaukee.

Lip acts on his fears and rents the home behind Tami’s back. The place is a dump so that makes it an even harder sell and Tami is not surprisingly furious about him wanting to stay put. All she wants to do is get the hell out. It’s felt like she’s just been biding her time with Lip, waiting for any chance for something better to open up for them. While she’s committed to Lip, she’s not committed to this lifestyle. Tami literally walks away from him when he tells her about renting the house so this young couple could be facing an ultimatum with no compromises.

Deb’s love triangle blows up in her face. The homecoming dance is the same night as Claudia’s birthday so Deb decides she has to work both events to keep things afloat. Running across the street every half hour or so is a beyond stupid idea and it doesn’t tale long for Claudia to figure it out. When mother and daughter start arguing Deb recognizes the whole ordeal as a lost cause that she wants nothing to do with. Those two are a mess and nothing good will come from staying anywhere in their orbit. Sandy Milkovich quickly catches her eye though, so Deb quickly finds a new companion.

Mickey is on fire this week. Every scene he’s in is hilarious. He goes at it with his dad, putting him in his place and his goal to make a big deal of the wedding to spite his dad comes front and center. Ian is shocked at Mickey’s gung ho attitude and Mickey becomes a bridezilla in front of our eyes. It’s honestly some of the best scenes in the series as Mickey freaks out over Ian’s deer-in-the-headlights response and all of his planning coming up short. He gets so mad he calls in Sandy for help. The wedding should be one for the ages.

Carl continues his observation of the local sanitation company and his pursuit of justice turns into one of corruption. The guy Carl reports to doesn’t want to stop the organized crime going on, he wants a piece of the money. Every time Carl tries to do something positive, it turns into something perverse. Carl remains confident in his abilities, calling himself an undercover agent despite not being a cop. He has pride in what he does and always tries to find the silver lining. His efforts may end up helping him though as it sounds like his contact will try and get him into the police academy early. While Carl may always walk on the gray side of life, he may have a career in front of himself where he can find purpose and help some people in the long run.

Kevin is another guy looking for purpose. Forced to face the physical realities of being 38, he admits his NBA career is over. You know, the one that never got off the ground. So what’s his legacy going to be now? What can he claim to be his and his only? While thinking of new business ideas, personal training lands into his lap. His hook will be using beer kegs as exercise equipment and now Kevin is exciting, sure he’s on the cusp of starting a new fitness craze. We’ll see how many people get hurt before he calls it quits.

As the season comes to an end, it’s fun to watch as everyone is up to something meaningful. It’s safe to say that the future of the Gallagher’s relies on what happens at the wedding and what Lip decides to do. Pivotal moments are coming in the season finale. I’m looking forward to it.