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Shameless: The Gallagher Lifestyle

Reviews Shameless Showtime

We’re not used to seeing our protagonists screw up so monumentally that it changes everything you thought you knew about them. However, Showtime’s Shameless is not afraid of opening that Pandora’s Box. The Gallagher family is no stranger to massive screw-ups. It’s almost like a quirky family trait for them to destroy everything in their paths.

However, one of the biggest transgressions occurred in Sunday night's episode and the offender is the Gallagher you’d least expect it from – Fiona. For three seasons we’ve watched as Fiona gave up everything to support her brothers and sisters. She was the glue that kept them together and off the streets. With her new job, a steady paycheck, and a nice, honest boyfriend – season 4 started on a bright note for Fiona. In just five episodes we’ve seen her collapse everything she worked so hard to build.

This was such a surreal scene because we’re not used to seeing Fiona act like this. The first thing that caught me off guard was the cocaine use right in front of Carl and Liam. Compared to other characters on the show, Fiona has never been a real hard drug user so it was odd to see her snorting cocaine with her younger siblings in the next room.

I also don’t understand why she was so shocked when she was arrested after the incident – she even said to the EMTs, “he got into my coke.” That’s a possession charge right there along with the obvious child endangerment charges she's likely facing. What’s interesting about this though is that we’re seeing Fiona turn into her worst nightmare – Frank. 

Fiona isn’t the only Gallagher whose dark side is being explored this season. Ian returned for his first episode of the year and he’s not exactly how we remember.

Fans are speculating that he’s abusing drugs but it may be more severe than that. It’s been referenced more than enough times throughout the series that Ian takes after his mother. After watching the scene above, it looks like he’s starting to show signs of bi-polar disorder – something their mother has been struggling with for years. 

This season is showing a different side to every character. Fiona is acting reckless like Frank, Ian is suffering from a possible mental illness like Monica, and Frank is acting like a loving father for the first time in his life. As for Lip, I think we’ll see him come into his own more as the leader of the family like Fiona in season 1.

Think about the situation from his perspective: He comes home to see his family for the first time since enrolling in college and his baby brother is in the hospital for cocaine ingestion, his sister carelessly let it happen and ends up arrested for it, and his brother and best friend is clearly suffering from some type of illness or addiction. They need him now more than ever.

From the trailer for next week's episode, it looks like that's the route they're taking with this season:

Shameless airs every Sunday at 9pm EST on Showtime.