It’s a rare feat that a cable drama can run for longer than a decade, but Shameless just completed its 11th season. Shameless has been a staple of Showtime’s network and the dysfunctional antics of the Gallagher family have been emblematic of the network’s programming. It’s not easy to end a long-running series and final seasons are a tricky endeavor where it often seems like it’s impossible to please every fan.
It’s always a major disappointment when the final season of a show doesn’t stick the landing and becomes a letdown. Shameless’ last year is flawed, but it still feels like an appropriate finish for the series. However, there are still a number of decisions that could have improved the final season in simple ways.
10 Fiona Returns & Frank Gets His Goodbye
If there’s any major element that’s missing from Shameless’ final season, in particular in its series finale, is the return of Fiona Gallagher. Fiona exits at the end of season nine and while there’s still plenty of drama to fuel the remaining Gallaghers, her absence is still felt.
One of the saddest elements of Shameless’ final episode is that Frank wanders the Southside in a stupor as he tries to reunite with Fiona one last time before he passes on. Frank’s memories confound him and he never gets this farewell. He passes away alone and it’s a strangely dark end.
9 Lip Realizes His Potential & Gets A Tech Job
Shameless’ middle years position Lip as the one Gallagher that might be able to rise above their lower-class roots and make something of himself through university. Lip ultimately gets in the way of himself and all of his potential and intelligence towards a future career in tech becomes dismantled.
Lip becomes accustomed to a meager lifestyle and the series finale offers reminders of his abilities in other areas, but he doesn’t get to apply them anywhere useful. This would sit better if it were tackled at the start of the season so Lip can actually head in that productive direction.
8 Carl’s Work At The Police Force Actually Gets Him Ahead
One of the better character arcs throughout Shameless’ 11 seasons is the burst of discipline that enters Carl’s life as he excels at military school and later joins Chicago’s police force.
Carl’s optimism clashes with the corrupt and passionless work ethic of the rest of the police department and Carl ends up demoted to parking duty by the end of the series. It’s inspiring to see Carl’s values not get compromised, but after all of the work he’s done, it’d be even more encouraging to see this behavior pay off for him.
7 The Return Of Mickey’s Forgotten Child, Yevgeny
Any television show that goes on for over a decade is bound to lose track of some of its many storylines, but there’s some especially clumsy work when it comes to the past of Mickey Milkovich.
The series finale of Shameless has Ian and Mickey contemplate children and Mickey has doubts that he’ll be a good father. Mickey actually is a father, even if the circumstances behind it aren’t especially romantic. Svetlana gives birth to Mickey’s child, Yevgeny, which promptly gets forgotten. A return to this storyline or an attempt from Mickey to parent his actual child would go far.
6 Debbie Takes A Year Off From Relationships & Focuses On Herself
Debbie is adorable at the start of Shameless, which makes it so discouraging to see the unhealthy path that she heads down in its later years. Debbie struggles to find herself and her efforts as a young parent towards Franny are often problematic more than they are inspiring.
Debbie flies through a number of misguided and destructive relationships during Shameless’ final years, which culminates in the final season. Debbie finding clarity and realizing that she needs to focus on herself and take a break from relationships would have been a much more refreshing arc for her that exhibits actual maturity.
5 Appearances From Important Older Characters Like Sheila & Svetlana
Shameless’ earlier seasons had a robust supporting cast that was often as important to the series as the Gallaghers and it’s shocking to think of how characters like the Jacksons or Svetlana are completely absent when the series ends.
Checking in with Sheila Jackson and her own dysfunctional family would have been a great detail for the end of Shameless. The same can be said for Svetlana, who was in a steady relationship with both Kev and Vee for a while. She would have been a solid choice to buy the Alibi.
4 Lip Maintains His Sobriety
A major aspect of Lip’s character through the later years of Shameless are his struggles with sobriety as he works to not give in to his alcoholism. Lip succumbs to these temptations during some particularly difficult moments of weakness and while he works hard in the final season there are still a few occasions where he can’t help himself.
Lip’s alcoholism doesn’t derail him in the final season as it has in the past, but it’d go a long way to have him remain sober and demonstrate that he’s at least gained some control over this aspect of his life.
3 Carl Buys The Alibi & Makes It A Police Bar
Shameless’ final season has Kevin and Vee eager to find a buyer for the Alibi before they head off to Louisville, Kentucky. There are hints offered towards the future prospect that Carl’s friend on the police force, Officer Tipping, is interested in preserving the Alibi’s dive bar energy.
John Wells, Shameless’ creator, also has spoken about dashed plans for Carl to buy the bar himself and for Debbie to become the bartender. This is actually a great development that would have fit into the finale better than some of its actual developments.
2 Frank’s Brothers Band Together Around Frank’s Illness
For 11 seasons Shameless portrays Frank Gallagher as an invincible cockroach, but these final episodes reckon with his mortality in a moving way. The family is kept in the dark for most of the season over Frank’s dementia and his other growing health problems.
Shameless has established the other members of Frank’s family and that he has three stubborn siblings, Jerry, Wyatt, and Clayton, who have all been seen or mentioned in various capacities. It’d have been a sweet idea to have some of Frank’s family return to his side and be there for him when his own offspring aren’t.
1 The Gallaghers Maintain Their Legacy
Shameless’ final season focuses on fresh beginnings and that these characters need to move on, so it’s only fitting that the season concludes with many of the characters fragmenting in different directions.
There are still many characters, like Frank, that want to cement their roots and not have their mark on the South Side get erased. In the end, it’s implied that the Gallagher house gets sold off, but it would have been nice to see a friend swoop in to buy the property and allow this dysfunctional family to emotionally mature, but still stay together.
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