uhhh

I wait for the day someone asks me sumthin bout shameless

[root33]

I'm so honest I could probably defend every single shameless character If i wanted to, like I generally understand so many of their actions to such a level

[psychicpinenut]

THE BEAR 5.01. — Soda

[karen-jqckson]

Being a stan of the most hated characters in the fandom is hard work

[root33]

How do you feel about Karen? I see SUCH complex feelings on her and you seem based so I’d love to hear!

AHHHHHH OH MY GOSH HIII UR LIKE MY FAVORITE MUTE!! TYSM FOR THE ASK!!!

Karen is actually a really fun character to write about because of how controversial she is with the audience and viewers. I wanted to make sure I was not being biased in any way, so I rewatched all of her scenes to get a good understanding down.

It's important to keep in mind that all of the characters in Shameless are intentionally written to be complex and morally gray. We are never introduced to someone who manages to be perfectly good or even perfectly evil (some still coming close). The show gives everyone backstories, trauma, mental illnesses, life problems, etc. They do this to EXPLAIN the character—not defend them.

I also find it relevant to mention that Karen was not one of the show's primary protagonists like Fiona or Lip. The writers are not trying to make the audience have as much sympathy for her when it comes to her actions and choices.

From the start of the show, it is evident that her living situation does not follow the basic structure of a stereotypical family. While she has a father who goes to work as her mother stays home, her dad shows no expressed romantic attraction or sympathy for her mother. He shows a vague obsession with religious themes and the concept of purity. He lacks understanding and availability. But even that is far from abnormal. The cause of the separation lies in the fact that her mother is unable to leave her house.

Karen is often shown as a promiscuous and compulsive young girl, but it's often overlooked how, in the early seasons, she acted almost softly when it came to her mother. (Season 1, Episode 3, "Aunt Ginger," 13:17) "I've got you, Mom. I'm right here." She is able to demonstrate the familiarity of the situation. She knows to grab the pills, to speak quietly, and how to help calm her down. Karen is able to understand that her mom is sick and is used to being the one to deal with it—something her father never tried to do.

She is often presented by fans as being rude, harsh, and selfish, but these traits almost always follow interactions with male figures such as Eddie, Lip, Frank, Jody (I hated Jody), and even Mandy, since she was preventing her relationship with Lip. We don't actually see her act closely with many female characters outside of her mother, but for most of the show, she almost directs a sense of purity toward her. Because, unlike the men, her mom never belittled her for her actions and never thought one way or the other about how she presented her body.

Karen's father was not someone she was able to trust—in terms of support and understanding. He is often shown ridiculing and belittling both her and her mother for their actions and choices. Eddie was quick to give up on her, as he wasn't someone who was able to stay when placed around two people he deemed "impure." He viewed himself as someone with control (Season 1 Episode 1 pilot) "Hey! You honor thy father." Eddie wanted a close relationship with his daughter but prized the idea of being respectable over it. He spoke openly about how he found Karen's and Sheila's actions disgusting and sinful with the intention to "save them," yet it only allowed Karen to feel misunderstood and separated from her father.

Due to Eddie's mental and physical absence in the Jackson family, Karen was forced to watch after her own mom, almost making her the one acting like the parent—

—the adult.

Karen falls victim to parentification, something that often occurs when families lack subsystems, causing children to develop a lack of boundaries, an earlier sense of self, and "may hinder their emotional and cognitive age-appropriate development and restrict their capacity for play and socialization" (Byng-Hall, 2008).

https://www.sciencedirect.com (RESOURCES!)

With her father unavailable and her mother physically ill, she was only able to present her accomplishments to herself, leaving her almost blind to her own opportunity.

Something that I think is very overlooked in her character is that Karen is actually incredibly smart. (Season 1, Episode 6, "Killer Carl," 37:10) "She's prompt, poised, cheerful, has a vivid imagination, and an expansive vocabulary. Karen has greatness in her future." I don't believe that she was bound to live the "South Side life" that she's portrayed to have. She simply didn't have the things that would've allowed her to escape that destiny—someone else to know it too.

Karen was able to see herself as something other than the "easy lay." She knew she was capable and talented, but it was something no one else saw, making her a stereotype—a "dumb blonde" with daddy issues and a high sex drive, leaving her desperate for someone else to understand her actual ability.

Once Frank entered her house, he showed himself as dirty and crude, often exhibiting lewd and sexual acts toward her mother—a trait her father never did, a trait her father often resented. Aware that her mother's boyfriend held almost no similarities to Eddie, she began to replace his presence with Frank with the intention of showing she no longer viewed her dad as her dad.

Frank also ends up supporting this concept unintentionally by sarcastically acting in place of a stereotypical father. (Season 1, Episode 3, "Aunt Ginger," 05:36) "What are your intentions?" "Excuse me?" "With Karen. Your intentions." While it is obvious that he does none of these actions under the belief that he views her as his daughter, Karen allows herself to hope somebody is able to see the part of her no parent has ever been able to see. (S1E6, "Killer Carl") "I really, really want you to come to parents' night tonight. Nobody's ever there to see how great I'm doing, and I'm really, really doing great.”

Not long after she started to replace her father with Frank, Eddie came back with a solution to make her "pure again." Aware there was still a lack of understanding between the two, he offered her his car. We (the audience) are meant to believe Karen has no care directed toward the ball and only shows excitement due to the bribery—and while I do believe this is mostly true—she was once again hopeful about the idea of being able to open up to her father. (S1E11, "Daddy's Girl," 36:23) "He humiliated me! He made me think he loved me!"

She allowed herself to demonstrate the actions of a child: crying, screaming, and throwing things,

begging for her dad one last time.

Of course, at the realization that she would never be seen as pure, she began to mold herself out of that body by cutting her hair, dyeing it black, and getting a piercing, all in the hopes of changing the way she was perceived. But it didn't take long for her to understand it wasn't just her father—it was men. Whether it was Ron, Timmy, Lip, or even Mickey (ironic, yes I know), they all thought the same thing of her. "Not to be a dick or anything, but you have been kinda a whore." (S1E11, "Daddyz Girl")

Aware no one would ever see her as the smart girl who looked after her mother, she labeled herself as what they claimed her to be.

Season 1 episode 11 Daddyz Girl 27:02

Clowns come up a lot in the Jackson household, whether it's Eddie putting them all in a box, Karen throwing them out the window, locking herself in a room of them, or them sitting on the table during her wedding day. They manage to stand out from the rest of the decorations within their home, being colorful and bright. While historically they are represented as a common fear or a nightmare, they actually represent exactly what they are intended to.

A joke.

The house of the ill lady who does not care about her daughter's promiscuous actions (a joke). A mother who offers the underage guests alcohol (a joke). A teenager who's upset her dad won't let her have sex (a joke). A kid who gets angry and hides in the basement (a joke). And the sex-addicted girl getting married to a guy she's never had sex with.

A joke.

Of course, it also represents the view of her father, as they belonged to him. While she revoked his name, her waiting until marriage with a man never seemed like her own footsteps.

Her want to be married to Jody was looked down upon and laughed at by both the audience and the characters. Her idea to "move on" was belittled by Lip and Mandy as they talked about easy ways to end the relationship.

All of her actions of purity were "clowned.". Even by the writers.

Her ending up with Jody broke down her character into something so complex and something so interesting. At her first introduction, she was meant to be perceived as a sexual, promiscuous young girl who sought mindless intercourse, yet she became oppressed by the idea of relations with her husband.

And she continues to be misunderstood by men. Despite her continuous claims of disliking sex with him, he remembers it as something she loved.

I want to make it clear that none of this is DEFENDING Karen Jackson's actions. It's simply me trying to put reason behind them. While she experienced unfair situations throughout her life, it does not excuse the wrong/immoral things she did. She often took no responsibility for the problems she caused and belittled people like Lip and her mother for their attachment to her.

Like every other character in Shameless, she's complex.

AGAIN THANK YOU SO SO SO SOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR THE ASK<3 IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO POST! LOVE UR BLOG BTW

[coolbabyian]

so we know about mickey's radiohead shirt. i headcanon that it was just a shirt they found at the thrift. one day someone complimented him on it and he was so confused, and probably would have tried to fight them if mandy wasn't there. mandy took them to the library and discovered it was in fact a band tee. they found the song it referenced and mickey decided to listen to a few songs. only a few of their most popular songs such as creep, karma police, high and dry, and of course nude. then when mickey obtains an ipod those are some of the first songs he downloads

[root33]

what do you think about jimmy steve as a person and his relationship w fiona?

RAHHHHH THANK YOU SM FOR THE ASK ANONNNNN I LOVE ANSWERING THESE!!! SORRY THIS TOOK MY LIKE FOREVER TO ANSWER I WAS LOWK FIGHTING MYSELF WHILE WRITING THIS

even tho i always felt he looked more like a steve, for the sake of myself im going to refer to him specifically as jimmy during this lol

Jimmy's character is actually SUPER interesting once you lay everything out on the table.

I believe we are meant to perceive him as a hero, the person meant to save/rescue those in distress.

When we are introduced to his character, he is chasing the guy who stole Fiona's purse (Season 1, Episode 1, "Pilot," 09:32-10:14), then punching the bouncer who was being rude to Veronica and Fi (10:26-11:19). Our first interaction with Jimmy was intended for us to take a liking to him due to his kind actions, charismatic personality, and his "lack of fear," with V even saying, "That was fucking incredible. Truly, honestly, one of the most heroic things I've ever seen."

The man who robbed Fiona was almost like his Call to Action. He was able to give himself a reason to talk to her instead of just watching from afar. Something to chase after, a quest to complete.

He later provides her with a new washing machine (30:13-30:30), "saving" her from the struggle of not being able to buy a new one. He saw himself as the knight in shining armor, protecting her from robbery, gifting her flowers, and helping with her home. Fiona was the damsel in distress, locked away in a tall tower.

But she felt no need to leave that tower, for it gave her love, support, comfort, and the one thing he couldn't replace: a family.

Jimmy was a hero, but Fiona didn't need saving.

Dr. Gary Chapman originated the idea of "The 5 Love Languages": physical touch, quality time, acts of service, giving/receiving gifts, and words of affirmation. Jimmy manages to match the fourth, as he's a character who uses his money to buy and offer things such as cars, washing machines, hotels, cash/bills, etc. He shows himself in this way with the intention of proving that he is able to provide, help, and assist within a relationship and a family. He acts using his wealth as an apology and proof of capability. He is aware of his struggle to understand Fiona, so he tries to prove himself to be someone she would be able to trust.

It didn't take long for him to realize that she did not want his money, his cash, or his "heroic" acts. She wanted someone to help with the kids, help support her, someone to understand her struggle, not try to save her from it.

But Jimmy wasn't someone who was able to linger around—similar to Monica. While she left due to the need for excitement or the fear of Frank, Jimmy would leave due to his occupation, blackmail, threats, or the fear of commitment.

He lacked the ability to stay—and, similar to Frank—she lacked the ability to leave.

Within that parallel, there is also the similarity that neither of them were ever able to replace the other. Fiona used people like Tony Markovich (Season 1, Episode 3, "Aunt Ginger") and Gus Pfender (Season 5, Episode 3, "The Two Lisas") like how Frank used people such as Sheila Jackson (Season 1, Episode 2, "Frank the Plank"), Bianca Samson (Season 5, Episode 8, "Uncle Carl"), and Dottie Corones (Season 2, Episode 2, "Summer Loving") as surrogates for Monica's absence, yet every time she was reintroduced, repetitive patterns followed.

Fiona even explicitly claimed she felt that there wasn't an official end between her and Jimmy (Season 5, Episode 7, "Tell Me You Fucking Need Me," 11:16-11:37): "We were... unfinished." "Is it still unfinished?" To that, she could give no reply.

He understood that his absence did not fully rid the love she felt for him, so he showed less hesitation in leaving, with the belief that there wouldn't be an extremely negative impact: "Do you still love me?" "No." "Liar." (Season 5, Episode 6, "Crazy Love," 15:55-16:01)

Fiona looked for someone who would be able to match Jimmy's risk while still being able to love and take care of her. She dated people like Mike Pratt (Season 3, Episode 9, "Frank the Plumber"), someone who managed to provide the support that she needed and would be able to watch over her family. But he lacked any sense of danger, leaving her feeling unentertained and bored. So she got with Robbie in response (Season 4, Episode 3, "Like Father, Like Daughter"), someone who held that same excitement, but to an amount that was harmful and dangerous.

"You ever wonder what would've happened if you ran off with Jimmy-Steve?" "Lying sociopath Jimmy-Steve? My life would be a non-stop psycho thriller, and I definitely dodged a bullet with that one." "What if nothing ever gives you that same thrill again? Will you still feel like you dodged a bullet?" "I don't know... probably?"

Fiona fought for this balance in stability and risk, yet wasn't able to process that she was still just looking for Jimmy.

In their relationship, they lacked the understanding of struggle. Jimmy was placed in consistent situations of blackmail and manipulation with plots such as him being forced into marrying Estefania (Season 2, Episode 6, "Can I Have a Mother") and him cutting up the body of his fiancée's ex-lover (24:40-25:08, Season 3, "El Gran Cañon"). Due to the legal implications of these actions, it was not something he was able to complain about. So when less extreme things, such as him finding out his father is gay (Season 2, Episode 12, "Fiona Interrupted"), happened, he tended to cling to and complain more because he was able to without putting himself or others at risk.

But Fiona knew that he couldn't understand poverty. With him growing up surrounded by money and fortune, she viewed his acts of service as pity. Jimmy could not understand what it's like having to drag in your father every morning or having to choose which bills to pay. She resented him for leaving like her mother did and for not appreciating how much work she put into her house and family.

Season 1, Episode 2, "Frank the Plank" (52:18-53:45) (He buys Fiona a van.) Season 1, Episode 3, "Aunt Ginger" (5:38-15:51) (Tries to pay the bills.) Season 1, Episode 4, "Casey Casden" (08:26-08:43) (Offers to pay for a baby sister.) Season 1, Episode 7, "Frank Gallagher: Loving Husband, Devoted Father" (02:48-03:02) (Gets Fi a hotel.) —all things Jimmy gifted Fiona that she declined—

(Season 3, Episode 11, "Order Room Service," 19:35-20:21) "Right, I got sucked into your world. I bent to your rules. I assumed that we'd decide how to move forward together like couples do, but there never was a 'we.' What have I been doing? Cooking, cleaning, laundry, living in a goddamn slum!" Jimmy wasn't able to stay in a place like Fi's. He dreamed of being able to be her escape, to show her the world, and take her out of a life of poverty, yet that house was her universe, her purpose.

In that moment—even if vaguely—her sympathy for him dropped.

Alone, I believe Jimmy was ignorant. He blinded himself with the idea of saving her when she didn't need to be saved.

I do believe he loved Fiona, but class and wealth managed to become a separation between them.

He was manipulative and a liar. That's not to say Fiona was much better. I do think the two of them were meant for each other in some way. Jimmy just wasn't able to take that step to get there.

"I'm ready to give up everything for you." "Why are you doing this?" "Because we were right together, Fiona. We are right together." "You said this was the biggest job you've ever had." "I don't care about any of that. I want us to have a life. Just tell me you want the same thing." "...You have to let me go. You have to let me let you go. I need you to do that for me." (Season 5, Episode 7, "Tell Me You Fucking Need Me," 45:17-46:55)

And it wasn't true, because in what world would he really cancel that job?

Overall, I respect his character. I liked how I could never tell if I hated him or missed him, but to summarize him as well as I can "Jack is a good thief, Fiona, but a bad person." (Season 5, Episode 7, "Tell Me You Fucking Need Me," 48:23-48:59)

AGAIN TYSM FOR THE ASK IK THIS ONE IS LOWK SHIT I HAD LIKE 100 OTHER THINGS I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT BUT DIDNT WANNA FIND EM 😭🙏

[gallavichmallagher]

Mandy and Svetlana fans WHERE YOU AT

[root33]

RIGHT HERE TWIN 🙌🙌

[root33]

Somebody please give me a shameless ask bro I actually LOVE answering them

[kissthebridee]

Mickey's obsession with that one specific photo of Ian will never not make me laugh 😭😭😭 everytime I think about it I start giggling uncontrollably

[wifeof-thejoker]

sometimes I remember that ian gallagher canonically has tumblr and it lwk makes my day

[root33]

look at the damage monica was able to do as the absent mother as she was, imagine how much worst it would have been if she had been around all the time

(damage to ian alone was: introduced ian to underage sex work, encouraged ian to not take his meds and break up with the love of his life, leaving him suicidal and alone and lost, tried to isolate him from the rest of the family, encouraged him to sleep with older men when he was a child, etc (i could go on))

HIII OMG IM SO SORRY I NEVER RESPONED I DIDNT SEE IT IN MY INBOX IM STILL VERY NEW TO TUMBLR LOL

I'm assuming this was a response to a post I made a while ago where I was wondering what it would've been like if Monica stayed and Frank left

For starters, I would like to state that in NO WAY do I think Monica would have been a good mother. I'm also aware that the concept of her staying goes against the depth of her character entirely, as she is meant to represent instability and false hope. During that post, I was just thinking about how that difference would've affected the Gallaghers.

In truth, I do not believe Monica was ever meant to be a mother. There are aspects of her actions that create uncertainty. For example, I don't think she wanted to have children in the first place due to a line Frank says while talking to Debbie (Season 6, Episode 3, "The F Word," 10:01–10:29): "I had to handcuff Monica to a bed when she was pregnant with Carl. I kept her loaded for months until he was too big to abort."

That's not to say I don't think she cared about her children—she was just horrible at showing it. When Ian came to her for help, she viewed him more as a friend than a son. Hence why she took him to clubs, tried to set him up with guys, and praised the idea of buying drugs under the counter rather than taking him to a doctor, helping him find honest work, contacting his family, or fulfilling the responsibilities a parent would have in that situation.

But Monica isn't meant to be that type of character. In Season 2, Episode 9, "Hurricane Monica," she is portrayed as a false sense of security—a broken lock that's supposed to keep a door closed. She's someone her children mistake for stability. Both Ian and Fiona fall victim to this because they believe she can be a source of support.

Similar to Frank, Monica struggles with addiction, money, housing, and sobriety. However, the two parents are in no way the same. Frank is portrayed as more possessive, intelligent, and manipulative, while Monica is shown to be more indecisive, mentally unwell, sympathetic (arguably), impulsive, and unstable.

I'm very interested in what the outcome for the Gallagher children would have been if she had been their primary caretaker due to how she interacted with characters like Ian, Fiona, and even Debbie. I'm curious about what traits they might have picked up, what they would've learned, how they would've coped with her behavior, and how they would have cleaned up after her, etc.

Specifically with Ian, as the two of them managed to have a relationship unlike the ones she had with any of the other siblings, as they shared a sense of sorrow for one another—knowing they were the only two who could truly understand due to their biological relationship, struggles with mental illness, and, to an extent, Ian's sexuality.

Again, I do NOT think she would have been a good mother. I think she would've been just as poor a parent as Frank. It's simply something I enjoy thinking about because of the unique effect her character has on the people around her.

Thank you so much for the ask!!!! I am SO SORRY I never answered it. When I saw the date my heart genuinely dropped 😭🙏🙏Please don't think I was ignoring you or anythining. I absolutely love talking about this kind of stuff lol!

[root33]

so shameless right. Asks you about it

AHHH. YOU BET!! minor spoliers? (for the people like me who watch shows years after they ended)

I could talk for actual hours over this show, it a little difficult without anything specific thing so i lowk just spun the wheel of names to see what character it landed on and we got Debbieeee

Debbie is a bit of a difficult character to write about due to the person she grew into, but that alone is why I'm honestly really excited to talk about her as a character cuz I think she is a GREAT example of her circumstances.

When we are first introduced to the Gallaghers, each sibling is kinda given a stereotypical role. Fiona, being the eldest, has her as the caretaker (the Mother, the Matriarch). Lip's knowledge has him as the smart one (the Golden Goose, the Sage). Ian's sexuality has him as the Outlier (the Black Sheep, the Outcast), and Carl's unpredictability has him as a comic relief (wild card, jester). (I could do an entire section for Liam, but he wasn't really a character until the later seasons.)

All of these traits are shown for each sibling from the very first episode and even follow most of them throughout the rest of the seasons.

Fi continues to watch out for her family (until S9 E14).

Lip is still considered smart even after his college arc.

Ian's sexuality still separates him from people (Shim).

Carl still remains unpredictable and random. (I do think his character showed a lot of change throughout the seasons, but this one ain't about him lol.)

But Debbie?

When we first meet Debbie, she is quite literally described as a pure angel (S1 E1 "Pilot" 01:12-01:30): "Ah, Debbie, sent by God. Total angel." Her character is introduced as what I would consider hope. She is shown as selfless, kind, caring—the Innocent

The first episode of Shameless goes into the depth of how Frank manages to be a horrible father, how he teaches through neglect and abandonment, leaving Fiona with the burden and responsibility of watching after her siblings. The show makes it evident that Lip, Ian, and Fi all hold resentment towards their father for his instability, for how he excuses his lack of teaching by the existence of it. With the audience aware that Debbie's age would make her the next to come to this realization, the viewer almost holds their breath at her kind actions toward Frank. Her blindness to the situation.

Season 1, Episode 1, "Pilot," 36:23-36:49—Debbie putting a pillow under Frank's head as he's passed out drunk.

Her character back when she still viewed him as what he was meant to be: a father. Not as the addict or druggie her siblings saw him as.

Debbie's character is meant to be something that the viewer can almost cling onto. Similar to watching a young animal be hunted by a predator. You know what its future will be, but because of its youth and innocence, you begin to hope for another outcome—one where that animal is able to get away.

"The American Dream," S3 E2, 38:55-39:47. Frank tries to break back into the house as Lip, Ian, Fiona, and even Carl try to keep him out. He runs up the stairs into Debbie's room as the rest of the siblings try to drag him out of the bed before he eventually runs into her school project, ruining it.

This part alone is the breaking point for Debbie—the start of the change for her character throughout the rest of the show. We are quite literally able to watch the difference, as during the start of the scene we hear her defend her father: "Lip, don't." "Stop it, guys! Stop!" "He didn't even do anything..." Up to this point, the only thing she ever fought for in this family was peace. She couldn't understand why her siblings weren't able to forgive Frank because she still viewed him as her dad, but once he broke her project she began to understand the perspective everyone else was looking from.

Frank breaking the little wood house became the first changing factor, as Debbie's response was far from passive, far from peaceful, and far from pure. Her beating her father with a bag of soap was her "growth" from adolescence. This was her form of defense, a form of violence. It was a survival realization. She became aware that Frank would not be able to help her the way she helped him. "How could you do this to me?"

And this trait followed her character. She quickly started to understand that to live on the South Side she would have to defend herself and began to act on more violent concepts. S3 E5, "The Sins of My Caretaker," 54:30-55:16: "Oh my God! I totally almost drowned a slut! She was kicking and scratching, but I held my breath and hung on until she passed out..." Compared to the girl who placed a pillow under her father's head and raised money for UNICEF year-round, her actions began to differ.

And as the season continued, she loses this innocence we remembered her having because she realizes that promises can't get you far when everyone has their fingers crossed, glitter only keeps you safe if it's in someone's eyes, and that Frank Gallagher isn't the type of father to show up to the daddy-daughter dance.

So she chases after the rest of her family.

But Lip, Ian, and Fiona still see her as the little girl she is. They still view her as someone who needs to be protected from the wrongs of the world, from addiction and poverty, but she understands what this is now and wants to make herself useful.

So Debbie tries to grow up, and she tries to grow up fast.

In the very first scene of Season 4, we see her mimic the actions of Fiona, from the way she acts to the way she dresses. She starts to hang out with more promiscuous characters like Holly and uses more aggressive/hostile language. She is shown having more conversations with Mandy—a character who, from the first time we meet her, is associated with sex and violence. She does all of these things in hopes of showing her siblings that she's no longer the defenseless animal caught in a fence.

With time, she begins to realize that her attempts to show her age weren't working how she wanted, so she felt this need to make her actions more extreme by following after an idea that only teenagers and adults do: sex.

But why stop there!? Debbie doesn't just want to be included; she wants to be trusted. She wants her family to know they are able to rely on her. She wants them to tell her what's happening and believe that she will be able to assist with the problem and fix it.

So Debbie asks herself, what type of person is someone who's always there? Fiona's always there, but what kind of person is she? She's almost like a mother.

Debbie then becomes obsessed with this idea that her getting pregnant and giving birth will make her worthy enough to be trusted, and it's not like she isn't good with kids because, down in her heart, she still is that kind little girl who would put a pillow under her father's head. She's still the kid who was said to be a gift from God. She's still innocence, even if she's no longer seen that way.

But at the end of all of this, I can't help but wonder: why is she the most disliked Gallagher? Why is she one of the most hated characters in the show? How come so many people would rather curse out her name over Frank's? Because she is a victim of her circumstances. She is a victim of nothing other than her own actions. The audience wished for her to become something other than the prey being hunted, unaware that the "other" was the animal hunting. She became the things we liked her for not being. We met Frank knowing he was dirt; we met her thinking she was hope

RAHHHH TYSM FOR THE ASK THESE ARE SO NEW FOR ME AND SOOOOO MUCH FUN TOO WRITE!!!

[root33]

ok so u very kindly asked me like MONTHS ago what my fav gallavich moment is and im genuinely the worst so the ask is still in my inbox 😭 i got overwhelmed trying to think of my #1 favorite out of everything & then i was gonna make a list but i put it off thinking i wanted to make it like well thought out and put together but then i lowkey thought if i did that i'd just do a bad job so i put it off more & then i guess i was lowkey ashamed of how long it had been so i continued leaving it 😭 idfk bro but im really sorry for seemingly ignoring u! i was just overthinkinggg

but ive finally decided think my #1 favorite gallavich moment is their "suck it harder" fight & then kiss 🩷 i had goosebumps the first time i saw it, the music, their constant push & pull, the violenceeee & how raw ian feels plus how vulnerable mickeys willing to be. just obsessed i eat it up every single time i see it. my answer will probs change soon but thats what im going w rn

now what is yours!!!!!?? alsooo are you more drawn to ian or mickey? and do u have favorite headcanons abt them? 👀

thank u sm for the ask im sorry again!!!!!

OMGG HIII!!! IVE LIKE NEVER BEEN GIVEN AN ASK B4 THIS IS SO EXCITING!!

Mickey is by far my favorite character in Shameless, so I'm definitely more drawn to him. I love his complexity as a character. Comparing his personality from Seasons 1–3 to Seasons 4–5 is such a huge jump in growth, and it really shows the depth of his character.

But that's not to say I dislike Ian. I think, realistically, I probably relate to him the most out of all the Gallaghers, with my older brother even reminding me a considerable amount of Lip.

My favorite Gallavich scene is pretty basic, but I've watched it so many times that I literally can't not mention it.

Season 3, Episode 11: "Order Room Service" (31:38–32:23), (37:38–39:26), and even (47:35–48:07), when Mickey and Svetlana get married.

For starters, it's the first time we see Ian and Mickey kiss outside of the van scene (Season 3, Episode 5, 50:01–50:11, "The Sins of My Caretaker"), which I always thought was interesting because I felt like that would've happened during the sleepover in Season 3, Episode 6. But during the sleepover itself, we actually get little to no content with them together.

The first time we ever actually see them make out happens right after Ian says, "If you give half a shit about me... don't do this." Mickey then leans in and kisses him. He knows he has to marry Svetlana and that he can't stop it, so he was trying to show that he does give a shit, even if he can't say it or do anything to prevent what's happening.

And then there's the aftermath. Ian thought the kiss meant Mickey was going to end the wedding and call it off.

"You gonna tell everyone to leave?"

He thought the kiss meant Mickey was finally giving up this battle for his father's approval. But it wasn't.

And, of course, there's the line: "Not everyone gets to just blurt out how they fuckin' feel every minute."

Which is SO MUCH coming from Mickey. Up to this point, he's never actually said anything about how he feels. He's always shown it through his actions—giving Ian the gun, punching Ned, the van kiss, the sleepover. This was the first time he ever verbalized anything about his feelings, and what he said was that he couldn't.

And the actual wedding. My God. It's such a short scene, but I could dedicate paragraphs to it.

The fact that Ian stays, knowing that nothing will change. The fact that they show Terry sitting there in the audience as a reminder of everything that happened. And, of course, last but not least, fucking Svetlana.

She looked SO happy walking down the aisle. It genuinely hurts me.

At this point, the only thing we know about her character is that she's a prostitute who's pregnant. The first time we ever see her outside of her job, she's smiling so brightly. It genuinely makes me sick because, while Mickey and Ian's lives were falling apart, she thought hers was finally coming together.

I also don't know what I'd do with myself if I didn't mention this specific frame because I've practically assaulted all of my friends with it.

The way she holds his hand as the word "FUCK" is the only part visible, the way Mickey's hand is completely straight because he's not holding hers back, and the way Ian is out of focus in the background, walking away... it's SO well shot.

When I watched this scene for the first time, I thought Ian was leaving the wedding, and I was genuinely shocked when I realized he wasn't. Because who would stay to watch the person they love get married to someone else?

But he doesn't leave.

And I think it's because, for some reason, he believed that maybe the wedding would get cancelled. It shows just how much he was willing to put himself through—to sit there and watch everything fall apart.

You could even argue that it's a parallel to Terry forcing Ian to stay and watch as punishment for even trying to be with Mickey back in Season 3, Episode 6.

And then, at the end of the episode, Lip and Mandy break up. Ian goes up to his brother and says: "You try sitting on your ass while the person you love—... No. I'm sorry. I mean the guy you've been fucking..."

It genuinely HURTS because, in that scene, we literally watch Ian change what he was about to say. We watch him finally give up on the idea that he and Mickey could ever be anything more than fuck buddies.

This isn't as related, but I also found it interesting that they ended Mandy and Lip's relationship in the same episode.

I also noticed that, when Ian is complaining about Mickey getting married, he calls Svetlana a "Commie" on multiple occasions.

I found that kind of interesting because it's well known that Ian wants to go into the military (and even joins in the next episode). In the U.S., Russians are often portrayed as villains or antagonists in literature and media, so I wondered if this was Ian doing that very thing—viewing Svetlana as the cause of everything that was happening.

But overall, Season 3, Episode 11 has my favorite Gallavich scenes.

God, watching that for the first time had me CLAWING at my TV

Sorry if my answer doesn't make a lot of sense. I always have all these ideas but I never really know how to put them down into words, and oh my gosh, you're actually so valid for not knowing how to respond to and ask. I literally stared at my phone for like an hour before I even knew what to write. AND THE FIGHT KISS DUDE THAT IS ACTUALLY SUCH A GOOD RESPONSE THAT SCENE IS AMAZINGGGGG

[ineedcoffee42]

im rewatching shameless and it is making me miss winter clothes even more than i already did

[dershoimvik]

okayyy doomscrolled too long. what are we supposed to do about anything

[root33]

I'm so honest I could probably defend every single shameless character If i wanted to, like I generally understand so many of there actions to such a level

[iansnusualfascination]

you sure?

[root33]

Na fuck that pig

[dershoimvik]

despite it all we persist