What do u think about Fiona? I don’t really see why ppl hate Fiona? I mean she’s done some stupid shit but all of the Gallagher’s have and she had to sacrifice everything to care for her siblings?? She’s done some selfish things but honestly I feel like she deserves it bc she’s put her siblings before her pretty much all the time.
Fiona is a tough one for me…
I loved her until the back half of season 5. Fiona gets a lot of hate for season 4 and while I get it, I personally don’t agree with it. I’ve actually tried to defend the whole situation with the coke several times but most people say they don’t feel any sympathy for her; but for some reason I still do. She made a TON of mistakes in season 4 that were frustrating, but I feel people forget just how young she is and that she never got to get much of her crazy out because her crazy (while certainly more wild than anything I’ve ever done) was tame compared to what she is surrounded by or what her siblings were capable of doing. Then season 4 comes around and it seems like one thing turns into another and everything snowballs for her until suddenly she’s left coke out on the counter and her baby brother got into it and finally Fiona realizes that she needs to take better care of herself and needs to figure herself out; figure out why her life was capable of spiraling the way it did when she used to be so in control. And I’m all good with that, everyone needs to figure out ways to better themselves. The problem with that though is the way she handled trying to better herself, basically left her siblings out in the cold despite her adopting her siblings. The judge even reminded her that this responsibility would be until Liam reached the age of 18. And her behavior in season 5-7 indicates that she has completely forgotten or has decided to ignore that she legally asked for responsibility of these kids.
But here she is in season 5, completely neglecting her family at home, throwing the “guardian” card around when it suits her but not actually doing much to assert her position as guardian or doing anything to make sure her siblings are staying out of trouble because she’s gone all of the time! I mean, Carl turned into full-blown thug and Debbie got it into her head to trap a boy she liked with a baby and this is definitely in-part, if not completely, due to Fiona’s absence.
Also, she has always been hateful towards the Milkovich family since the start of the series, but yet has no problem with Ian shacking up with a Milkovich despite the fact that he clearly has no idea what mental illness/bipolar disorder is? She has never felt positively towards the Milkoviches, never recognized the good either of them tried to do for their respective Gallaghers (Mandy encouraging Lip to go to college and even filling out the application that got him into school; Mickey bringing Ian home when no one else could, being a friend to him and getting him to lay off the drugs, etc.) but will allow Ian to move in with both Milkoviches and trust that they are actually going to keep an eye on him? That makes absolutely no sense and in this situation, Lip is no better. How are you going to hate on a group of people, but decide that while they aren’t good enough to hang around your family when they are dating your sibling, they are good enough to take care of your mentally ill sibling while you sort your own life out and act like you care from afar, conveniently butting in when things go to shit or after the dust has already settled?
Now fast forward to season 6 and Fiona is turning into mega-bitch. Granted they put a lot on Fiona that season, but Ian and Debbie definitely had a point when he called her out for being a bitch. Season 6 Fiona didn’t really do much to piss me off in particular, though her getting involved with Sean was annoying. Like, had she learned nothing from her experience with Gus?
Season 7 Fiona however, I have a HUGE problem with. As I already mentioned, Fiona agreed to be the guardian of these kids but now is saying “pay rent, or get the fuck out.” NOW, I understand that is her right, but she seems to forget that Debbie and Carl are still minors (15/16 and 14/15?). She can charge Lip and Ian whatever the fuck she wants because Ian has a full-time job and Lip isn’t in school and is an adult. But she was being completely unfair to Debbie and Carl.
Yes, I agree Debbie needed to pay for the baby stuff herself and maybe even pay a small rent with the house if only to teach her financial responsibility with the baby. But how can Fiona expect Debbie to get a job while in high school and with a baby without offering any assistance or even ideas for where she can get assistance? Of course she’s going to turn to stealing or prostitution or scams! I just feel like Fiona set Debbie up for failure and while some people may not feel sympathy for Debbie, and I don’t, not really, I do feel concern for the child Fiona is effectively kicking out onto the streets if Debbie can’t cough up the cash. If Debbie can’t get a job or pay $300 bucks a month living at home how the fuck is Fiona expecting her to get a job and live on her own?! Then pretends to care when Franny is stolen by the paternal family which wouldn’t have happened if she’d at least tried to work something more reasonable out with Debbie in the first place. Fiona was 110% setting her up for failure.
What I would have liked to see would be Fiona mentoring Debbie so that she learns a lesson about what she did, but also recognizing that the baby is here now and punishing the mother is punishing the child who is 200% innocent in this situation. I would have liked to see Fiona telling Debbie to get someone to watch Franny three nights a week so she can work, maybe Ian or Lip offering to watch her; you know, helping your siblings out like you’re ideally supposed to. But Fiona is basically punishing Debbie for having this baby despite her warnings and their fights, and I don’t think it’s right.
Then the whole “don’t call me, put me at the bottom of your emergency contact list” thing was bull. shit.
She is their guardian. Period. For the adults, sure, ask that they call someone else if they have anyone else. But do NOT put YOUR responsibilities on another sibling who did not ask for these responsibilities so that you can get your life going when you AGREED to put your life on hold until the youngest was 18. There were so many different ways Fiona could have handled this and I was not a fan of how she handled it. I get trying to make a point to Lip that she can make something of herself despite her situation, because Lip needed to be put in his place for being the elitist prick he always claims to hate. But don’t then take that out on the rest of your family to make the point to one. And the rest of the season she had a disgusting “all for one”, “me for me” attitude. I’m proud of her for finding ways to make something of herself and for doing well, but why did she have to be such a bitch about it? Why did she have to push her other siblings (namely Debbie) to doing dangerous things to care for themselves when it is literally her JOB to care for these kids? She’s lucky that Carl had Luther to guide him in season 6 and 7 or else he probably would have gone back to the gang for money. She’s also lucky that Frank was there (oh dear God did I say that?) for Liam because she wasn’t there to find out that the school was closed! So Liam found Frank who was surprisingly there for him in a way he’s never been there for any of his other kids before.
She turned into a serious pragmatist in season 7 and it just honestly tainted her whole character for me. I really hope that turns around in season 8 because it does look like the whole family comes together for something, but I’m also seeing some spoilers to indicate otherwise, so we’ll see I guess.
Anyway, that is my very LONG explanation of my very complicated feelings on Fiona. Season 1-4/5 Fiona, I love. She is my baby. Season 5.5-7 Fiona? Can seriously rot.
Thanks for the ask, anon! :)
P.S. I know it gets colorful and probably a little heated, but it’s towards the character and the events, not you! <3 Feel free to send me another anon to argue or ask for clarification :)
Apparently I'm rambling again. If I'm annoying you please say so and I'll stop or try to keep it simpler. The other thing I noticed with Mickey in the apartment, anytime he says something he looks like he expects to be looked down on. It's the same at the Alibi too, he looks around and seems a little surprised when people don't give him shit. It's amazing acting on Noel's part, cuz it's accurate for someone who's been abused and I doubt that's in the script every time. And also just so sad!(2/2)
Never worry about bothering me. I can give you a 110% guarantee that you, nor anyone else, bothers me by sending me opinions and asking questions. If the day ever comes when I do feel bothered, I will shut down my ask box. (I do NOT see that happening, but just so you know that would be the sign lol)
Moving on to your observation:
YES! That is a HUGE thing about Mickey that he is actually really insecure at his core. He puts on this air that he’s self-assured and doesn’t need anyone’s approval but I argue 100% differently. He knows where he stands on the social ladder, and by most people’s standards he is near the bottom where everyone stares down their nose at him and waits for him to say or do something stupid or savage. He’s genuinely uncomfortable with putting himself out there (something you’ll see in the season finale of season 4) and so he’s definitely waiting for someone to just start shitting on him. He looks around like he’s waiting for someone to look at him the wrong way to make him flip his lid and start swinging; and also that if anyone starts talking shit he’s prepared to go down fighting because that’s the only way he knows how to defend his integrity and dignity.
Noel adds so. fucking. much. to. this. character! It’s so unreal. I will NEVER get over how JW let him go because he was able to turn this character, who was really only supposed to be on for one, maybe two seasons, and made him into a fan favorite. It’s insane. I think it’s beautiful how Noel was able to humanize this thug to make people start considering how “criminals” still have stories, may have reasons for doing the things they do, and show that if we knew some of their stories maybe we wouldn’t be so quick to judge. He did such a beautiful job and I’ll be forever grateful for his performance.
Can’t wait for your next set of observations! Keep sending ‘em! <3
I'm curious about your thoughts on the "suck my duck anytime I want" agreement. Mickey's clearly okay with it in the end but... that whole exchange felt a little wrong. It was the first time I think we see Mickey is really desperate to keep Ian. But is he too desperate? Is Ian taking advantage of him or trying to push boundaries so they can be out together? (I've seen up thru 4x9 now. I love the scene with Mickey in the hipsters apartment. His face when he said, "I'm a pimp." 😂 Priceless.)(1/2)
You’re not wrong, anon. What Ian did was absolutely manipulative. Granted, while I do think Ian was mostly kidding when he first proposed Mickey “suck [his] dick whenever[he] want[s],” he still let Mickey go through with it and was being sexually manipulative by accepting a sexual favor (with future promise of more at his discretion) in exchange for giving their relationship another try, taking advantage of how desperate Mickey clearly was to have him stay. It’s good that Mickey did seem okay with it in the end, but it doesn’t lessen how wrong it was by much.
I think that was definitely the point of the scene to show just how desperate Mickey was to have Ian back and keep him even though he wasn’t ready to come out. Up until this point, Mickey avoided doing and saying anything that would be perceived as “gay” and going down on another dude? Super gay xD So this is a huge leap for Mickey to put himself out there and give Ian something he wants as a demonstration that he wants him back and wants to fight for them (which is what I think Ian wanted. I think Ian just wanted to know that Mickey actually wanted him back and was willing to bend a little so they could start working towards a more open relationship, something I think they both want but Mickey never believed he could have).
Hi, I'm the anon who sent that ask about the blanket scene. Just saw the post on someone giving up on the show and I feel kind of guilty about it. I feel like I've been too negative about everything in season 7. I'm still pissed that the writers did what they did but there are good parts too. Like Noel and Cam's chemistry that is just. Absolutely. Mind-blowing. And the jeep sex lol. It's not too late to fix Ian's character, right? I don't really know what my point is, sorry if I'm annoying
Not at all, love; I promise that you, nor anyone else, is bothering me or ever has bothered me or annoyed me 😙
And don’t feel bad. Some people don’t have the energy to devote to a pairing that at this point may not get a happy ending, and I understand that. It also sounded like there were other things from the show that were wearing on them, then finding out that they aren’t together right now was probably just that final straw, and I get that too. This show is not easy to watch at times.
I know lots of people who can’t watch even from the first episode because Frank rings too true to their own alcoholic/flighty/abusive parent and I understand that, some other people just can’t get over “glorifying” illegal activities to make ends meet, and though I think it limits their moral perspective to what they know and understand, again, I understand.
For those of us that have watched it’s absolutely okay to express our criticism because that’s the only way to make media better. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like the writers receive the criticism well, but that may also be because some of the “criticism” comes across as full-blown attack on social media. It is true, though, that the quality of the writing seriously downgraded between season 5 and 6, and while season 7 was better it still wasn’t on par with what season 4 and season 5 brought, not by a mile!
And season 7 absolutely brought some good moments (especially the Gallavich ones). I try to focus on those more than the negative aspects if only because I think it’s the only way I won’t grow too resentful against the writers or the show. But yeah, Jeep sex, the dock scene, the spiderman kiss, “Never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad I finally found Jesus,” returning to their old routine and dynamic as though nothing had changed... those are all beautiful things and even if the writers tried to pull a few stops/fast ones on us, Noel and Cam absolutely saved it by being true to the characters even when the writers weren’t.
What bothers me is that it’s absolutely not too late to fix Ian’s character and bring Mickey back. They can have Mickey come back despite the risks, have them start back where they left off with Mickey’s legal troubles to drive his plotline for a little while before they figure out what to do with it, and then from there they can have Ian being 110% supportive, and they can bring Gallavich back stronger than ever. Will they do that? I have absolutely no clue. From what I’m seeing from the folks who have been with this fandom for years, my indication is to not get your hopes up and that’s why I definitely understand that person’s decision to stop while things are already getting sad, and hope to hear of Mickey in the future.
Don’t feel guilty that someone decided to stop. I respect that decision as much as I respect your criticism. On one side of the coin, it’s super important to talk about media and especially when media isn’t doing a solid job at telling a quality story or is misrepresenting someone/something; on the other, it’s okay for someone to unplug because life is entirely too short to fret over a fictional world unless that is entirely what you want. That’s another great thing about media, you can choose what media you want to consume (for the most part) and if you don’t like it, shut it off :)
Much love, anon, and please don’t be afraid to send more thoughts! I’m all for talking about media, even the sad/bad parts! <3
