‘Shameless’ Season 9, Episode 11 Recap: Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Just when you think things can’t get any messier on Shameless, the series somehow manages to outdo itself. We’re talking unplanned pregnancy, stolen prescription drugs, ruined sobriety, and perhaps irreparable sibling conflict. For a show whose beating heart has been the connection between its siblings (no matter how bad things get), Shameless sure seems to have lost sight of what makes the Gallaghers, well, the Gallaghers. What a shame to watch the closest two siblings in the family completely destroy their relationship for reasons that probably could have been avoided with a little communication (and more thoughtful writing, maybe?).

I’ll go ahead and get the less important stuff out of the way first; the Hobo Loco competition continues to almost totally underutilize Luis Guzmán and keep Frank busy (and away from his 6-baby pregnant lady friend), while said lady friend’s mental illness is again employed as a cheap storytelling mechanism (sound like Monica, anyone?) and eventually forgotten when she (wisely) decides to leave with her ex-husband. It’s frustrating that the opportunity to say something interesting about mental illness has once again been squandered here, but I’d be lying if I said I was surprised.

Meanwhile, Kev and V’s main concern is getting Kev a vasectomy to avoid their monstrous twins attempting to murder any other children (an operation he lies to V about going through with), while Debbie’s home improvement projects and crush on Carl’s girlfriend keep her so occupied that she neglects to watch her own kid or properly prepare the house for an unexpected DCFS visit. Carl is (perhaps understandably) insecure about Debbie and Kelly’s new closeness, and his new job as the fry guy at the seafood restaurant where he previously did some nautical sign-spinning only keeps him further away from the action. Oh, and remember the youngest Gallagher? Liam? He’s nowhere to be seen this episode, but I guess we’re to assume he’s spending time with his rich school friends? I don’t even think Shameless knows how many Gallagher siblings there are anymore.

All the issues with “The Hobo Games” aside, it is undeniably gutting to watch Lip and Fiona’s lives fall apart simultaneously – as well as their once-unshakeable relationship with each other. Fiona’s never-ending bender continues with a helluva hangover, a hickey, and some stolen Oxy (hey, at least selling it means she can pay Debbie her share of the utilities). Drunken party girl Fiona seems to be the new norm, and her vodka-guzzling ways have no end in sight. Lip’s juggling act as surrogate father, sponsor, and dedicated boyfriend all collide in a largely unpleasant way when his plans to adopt Xan are hindered by a surprise DCFS visit to the chaotic Gallagher house, Jason’s 100 days of sobriety are thrown down the toilet, and Tami confesses to him that she’s pregnant. Just where does Fiona play into all of Lip’s life challenges? Well, she’s drunk and the only adult in the house when DCFS swings by, so Lip naturally blames her, though this one is sort of on him – he never told her anything about his plans with Xan, let alone a house check. (Side note: a lot of issues in the Gallagher family could be solved if everyone just TALKED to each other.) The real kicker, though, is Lip’s heartbreaking realization that Fiona is the one who got Jason drunk, resulting in Lip demanding that Fiona leave the house. Frank stumbles back home and plops down in the living room like nothing’s changed, and it’s more than a little depressing to see the parallels between Frank and the daughter who swore she’d never be anything like him.

Will this Lip conflict finally be the thing that gets Fiona back on the straight and narrow? To revive the old, responsible, caring eldest Gallagher child we know and love? The sad truth is that the only reason this falling out even hurts is because of the work previous seasons have done – nothing in Season 9 suggests to us that we should be invested in the Lip/Fiona relationship. (Frankly, it’s hard to get emotionally on board with his attachment to Xan and Jason because the show has barely given us any indication of closeness, but those are minor compared to the vital sibling relationship. Jeremy Allen White does some great work in the final scene, and Emmy Rossum continues to give us a beautiful performance despite the lackluster and out-of-character writing. Fiona’s cycle of doom and gloom is just about played out, and Rossum deserves a thoughtful, resonant exit at the end of this season. We’re still – perhaps foolishly – holding out hope that Shameless will deliver.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She is also a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.

Watch Shameless Season 9 Episode 11 (“The Hobo Games”) on Showtime Anytime