SHAMELESS “Down Like The Titanic” (S9E7): Welcome Home Fiona
Episode seven of Shameless, “Down like the Titanic” dives into the aftermath of last week’s destruction. This is the first mid-season finale in the show’s history. Why the sudden change of delivery? Something tells me it has to do with Fiona’s final seven episodes, which we will have to wait until January to see. How did our favorite southside family fair? Overall, it’s a befitting hour of television that gives some characters new hope, some revenge, and others rock bottom.
The Way To Frank’s Heart
This is the first episode without Ian and while the shift is noticed, it’s not prevalent. The group is moving on in Gallagher fashion (though an alarm clock at 2 AM with Ian’s face and a note asking if they miss him, was a nice touch). Directed by Silver Tree, there’s an efficient concentration on Fiona, without abandoning the remainder of the clan.
Of course, that includes Frank (William H. Macy), who’s staying with Ingrid (Katey Sagal) the woman he recently met and became entranced with. Now, due to Frank’s direction, she’s off her meds. At first this seems like a dream only Frank would love, but is he still up for it? Sagal is terrific, and I hope she sticks around. She brings something fresh to the show.
Veronica (Shanola Hampton) wants to give away their baby clothes and toys to one of her friends. Kevin (Steve Howey) turns sentimental and decides to go through the lot and pick a few out. Instead, he realizes he not only can’t part with these nostalgic relics, but also wants another child. The two have mix feelings about this, and writer Molly Smith Metzler tackles this dynamic well, providing us a reasonable turn for these two cast members who needed it.
Lip (Jeremy Allen White) meets back up with the bridesmaid he had previously slept with at at Brad’s (Scott Michael Campbell) wedding, the loud, brash and previously wasted Tammy. You might recall their last exchange ending with Tammy advising Lip of how horrible of a lay he was. She’s a bit intense, even for Lip’s standards.
Apparently, she’s up for a second go-around. I’m not particularly fond of the decision to bring her back, but how do you compete with some of the early women in Lip’s life? Girlfriends such as Mandy (Emma Greenwell). There has to be more to a couple than just the ability to stun, and I hope this soon-to-be head of the Gallagher family finds his ride or die.
Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) and his new girlfriend Kelly (Jess Gabor) spend some time working on tests for Westpoint, and it is clear that he’s not very educationally inclined. His current trajectory isn’t very demanding, but still pulses with relative interest.
Can Fiona Catch A Break?
Fiona (Emmy Rossum) is woken up by Debbie (Emma Kenney) to a hangover, a lot of black and blue bruises, and the unfortunate recognition of the events from the day before. It takes a moment for her to realize that she missed Ian’s (Cameron Monaghan) entry into prison.
Debbie, along with a couple of her friends, seek out to wreak reprisal on Ford (Richard Flood) for what he’s done, in a very Gallagher like style. It’s nice to see Debbie caring so much about her family, when lately her storylines have been somewhat self-serving. If you’ve been reading my past reviews, then you know I was never fond of the character of Ford, specifically for Fiona. This seemed like a sensible end, in all its shock and awe.
I’m not alone either, as I think fans generally didn’t love Ford, and again we have proof that creators John Wells and Paul Abbott are listening.
I said it last week, but I’m excited to see how they work Steve/Jimmy (Justin Chatwin) back into the mix. It’ll be an interesting Winter addition of Shameless, and hopefully Fiona gets a more fleshed out ending. While I don’t dislike Ian’s, it felt a bit sudden.
Fiona’s had her fair share of pitfalls and bad relationships, but this is the worst we’ve seen in a long while. Basically, she’s been reset, finding herself back at home, without money or a direction. She’s pretty banged up, resembling her father in many ways (such as the alcohol binge), but in this case – it’s understandable. By the end of the episode, we’ve got the idea that – at least – she’s got her family at her back.
Her spiral this season is a realistic plummet from the entrepreneur high she had in season eight. Perhaps this will make her rethink her ambitions, and make this character find her fully-formed future. Like she mentions, and as the title suggests, she’s “down like the titanic” and while she’s thrown a life-raft from her business partner Max (wait is he not a complete dick?) she’s still got a long way to swim.
Conclusion: Down Like The Titanic
With the continuation of last week’s vibe, episode 7 distributes another Shameless highlight of season 9. Fiona’s begun her journey to the dark side, and of course, we’re rooting for and against her, all the way. It seemed a finish worthy of a Gallagher, but things are just getting started.
What did you think? How did the mid-season finale sit with you? Let us know in the comments below!
Shameless will return to Showtime on January 20th.
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