The biggest problem with Ian’s two later-season ex-boyfriends(Caleb and Trevor) was ultimately the fact that neither of them had any real chemistry with Ian. I’ve written a long analysis on Trevor before. but actually, From a meta perspective rather than within the story itself, the core point is simple. You all know it, too.
First, the chemistry between Mickey and Ian was so strong it far exceeded what the writers themselves had anticipated.
Second, none of Ian’s other partners even came close to replicating half of that connection.
To put it bluntly, they simply weren’t appealing. As fictional characters, they lacked the depth or magnetism that gives viewers a reason to care. Yeah, Mickey appeared over the course of five seasons, while Caleb and Trevor only had about one or two seasons’ worth of screen time. Some might say they just didn’t have enough time to show the same kind of charm Mickey did. But we also have to remember that Mickey was originally meant to end with s1. He probably had less screen time than Caleb or Trevor, even then. But the actor managed to create something unforgettable in that short time, and the chemistry with Ian was immediate and explosive. That’s why the story continued—s 2, s3, and beyond. Honestly, was there anything that special about Mickey in Season 1? He was straight-up disgusting, just some thug who messed with Ian, and even after they slept together, all they became was two guys who hooked up from time to time. Mickey didn’t just “luck into” five seasons; he earned it with performance and on-screen chemistry.
The second issue was the way the writers tried to force these unappealing characters onto the audience.
As you all know, with Caleb they deliberately tried to diminish Mickey in comparison. And as you all know, that strategy completely backfired. because it happened just as Mickey was sacrificing everything for Ian, while Ian was walking away to start a new relationship. No viewer who had followed Ian and Mickey for five seasons was going to suddenly say, “Oh right, Mickey was a terrible person. I’m rooting for Ian and Caleb now!”
So in season 7, the writers adjusted course. They stopped criticizing Mickey (in fact, they just stopped mentioning him altogether) and focused on exploring a new relationship with Ian’s new partner. Like how Mickey had formed ties with the Gallagher family, Trevor was given similar opportunities to bond with them and share space. It wasn’t a bad strategy on paper. I think the writers put a lot of effort into these two.
But the first issue was too big. Trevor simply didn’t have any chemistry with Ian, and so all those efforts ultimately amounted to nothing.
On top of that, by the end of season 7, the show’s future was uncertain, and the writers had to start wrapping up the characters' arcs. And their solution? They brought Mickey back. wow. After two full seasons of trying to convince the audience that Mickey was no longer needed, they chose to reintroduce him to bring closure to Ian’s arc. That decision, ironically, proved just how essential Mickey was to Ian’s story and to his life.
But to be honest, if we go even further back, the real problem started when they broke Ian and Mickey up in s5 for no good reason. And then, in s6, they gave Mickey a cruelly humiliating send-off.
Ian visiting him only after being paid by Svetlana? Okay, maybe you could argue it makes sense. (Actually no it doesn’t) But why would you then make the departing character tattoo the name of his ex on himself?
This was a character we had loved for five seasons. And yet, they sent him off in the most powerless and degrading way, only to immediately follow it with Ian falling for another guy and baking cookies for him? What exactly did they want viewers to feel when watching that?
Yes, there were external factors—budget issues, the actor wanting to leave, and so on. I get that. But even so, I still believe the choices the writers made in season 6 were consistently the worst ones possible.
What should’ve happened instead? Ian should have continued to miss Mickey. Then, when he eventually met the firefighter, he should’ve still been struggling with those unresolved feelings. (Yes, he briefly mentions something to Mandy, but that’s it.)
Just like Lip kept thinking about Karen while dating Mandy, or cared about Mandy even while dating Amanda, Ian should have had a slow, conflicted process of moving on from Mickey—not an abrupt one.
But they didn’t do that. They just trampled over every emotional landmine that Mickey fans(and even general viewers) had.
And yet… after all those terrible missteps, somehow, Mickey came back to us. It’s funny. It’s ironic. The string of terrible choices the writers kept making ended up bringing Mickey back to us. if they had done a better job, Mickey might never have returned. It’s truly funny and deeply ironic.
I will never forgive that s6 visitation scene, but I also sure that moment was the cosmic sign that Gallavich would be endgame.
I really do. I know for sure that I’ll never change my mind about that. lol.
