SHAMELESS “Mo White!” (S9E2): They Grow Up So Fast

With each new episode of Shameless you can usually expect some sort of shenanigans, some character revelations, along with the emotional connections necessary to sustain these roles for as long as they have. When it leans too much on the zany, the show suffers. This week goes downhill from the previous episode, but its not entirely silly nature helps keep it from floundering.

Always Expecting The Unexpected

There’s one recurring theme in Shameless that never ceases to be entertaining, if not a bit saddening: Frank Gallagher (William H Macy) isn’t really a good person. We’ve seen Frank show empathy and heart when it comes to his family, but even that is a stretch. The Gallagher’s stick together, but the patriarch? He’s in it for himself, majority of the time. With episode 2, “Mo White!” we’re reminded again, the lengths that he will go to fill his pockets.

After spreading STD’s across the entire PTA, he’s back at the Alibi looking for a drink, and needing a way to supplement his habit. He discovers the war between two local democratic nominees, and of course, Frank discovers a way which he can exploit it. After realizing that the money he’s making, getting paid to take signs off lawns (and then money from the other side for replacing them) isn’t enough, he comes up with a scheme to be a campaign manager. Frank wants to “make America White again” by roping in a retired candidate Mo White (Dan Lauria). Something tells me that this schemer will be able to talk him into it.

Meanwhile, his recent antics get Liam (Christian Isaiah) kicked out of the private school he loves. Since he has nothing else to do he decides to be Fiona’s (Emmy Rossum) sidekick as she tries to wrangle in a real estate deal. Her future on the show is limited, and I’m assuming, based on rising status, that she’ll close on a good note. Fiona has a talent and she’s capitalizing on it.

Debbie (Emma Kenney) is pissed off for being paid less than the men at her job, rightfully so. She tries to go to other places of employment that are predominantly male to encourage others to join in her protest, though she doesn’t have much luck. V and Kevin (Shanola Hampton, Steve Howey) go hunting for affordable schooling for their twins, but it’s a difficult find. Of course, they are always up for some improvisation.

Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) is trying to find volunteer work to put on his application for West Point. It’s interesting how different Carl is from the first few seasons, and yet not. Cutkosky has done a terrific job of adapting to the storylines as they’ve come in a reasonable way, making Carl seem genuinely grown. Lip (Jeremy Allen White) is having some trouble with Xan (Amirah Johnson), and Ian (Cameron Monaghan) gets out of jail.

Only, his role as “Gay Jesus” and the expectations of this, are suddenly hitting him. I’m relieved by this, to be honest, because it seemed like this storyline was going too far, too fast. Anything too far fetched can get irritating. C’mon writers, save it for Frank.

Where Do We Go From Here?

This cast has fully embraced their characters, having played them for the last nine years. There’s no role in the show that isn’t on point, all the time. That’s never the problem. When Shameless is at its best it’s mastered the art of blending comedy and drama and using this intriguing family as a way to tell genuine stories. I love the boldness that this show harnesses, I just like it to have a purpose.

Lip seems to have control of his sobriety and has really matured as a character. Xan is helping him realize responsibility, and perhaps making him discover what he truly wants. It’s been a longtime coming. He’s also ready to become a sponsor for someone else. Overall, the arrogance Lip has previously wrestled with seems to finally have dissipated. Ian is at odds right now, but Monaghan always manages to be in tune with the character.

Directed by Erin Feeley, we’re given dashes of each family member over the length of the episode, with perhaps too little of Fiona and too much of Frank. That isn’t to say Macy doesn’t kill it with each scene, but you can never get enough of Rossum. Everybody is in some kind of transition, and she’s on her way up.

Fiona has been parent, sibling, and support system for this family for so long, that her opportunity (this sounds cliché) but, to spread her wings has finally come, and I want them to own it.

“Mo White” is written by John Wells, and there are some impediments, but it maintains a diverting hour. It’s difficult to maintain the same pull after nine seasons, but Shameless remains comical, and keeps finding new ways to surprise us.

Conclusion: Mo White!

Again, Shameless is able to tie in current events with the political aspirations of Frank and Debbie’s gender inequality and equal pay. There’s also plenty of laughs as this family tries to navigate life, with plenty of room for the cast to shine. It’ll be interesting to see what comes next.

What did you think? How do you think this season stacks up so far? Let us know in the comments below!

Shameless premieres every Sunday on Showtime.