Wow, is by far the best way to describe this unique show in one word. Shameless is a TV series set in the modern world but throws a few monkey wrenches into the plot. Like having one of the main characters be Frank Gallagher (William H Macy) who is a raging alcoholic and father to most of the other main characters. Specifically six other characters one of which is named Fiona (Emma Rossum) who I feel the show tends to focus on the most. Which is also a great narrative choice considering she took legal guardianship of the rest of Frank's kids around season three. Since then the show now has 8 seasons and counting. Overall the twist and turns the show has makes it all the more interesting to see a low income family try to survive on the south side of Chicago. Even in the very first episodes we here one the family members Ian Gallagher played by Cameron Monaghan who is absolutely perfect for the role more on that later, is actually gay. One great part of the show is its lack of hesitation, just a little later on in the same episode we see Lip Gallagher attempting to confirm if his brother is gay by taking him to a "study session" with one of his peers (who so happens to be a girl). A few minutes go by and when they think no one is looking Karen Jackson (the girl) goes under the table to confirm Ian's curiosity. Although this awkward moment doesn't last too long for the viewer because soon enough Mr. Jackson comes to the living room where the kids are "studying" and figures out what was happening, shortly after he chases them outside with a hammer. Take into consideration this was the very first episode of the series and things only seem to get worse from there. Nothing ever seems unbelievable. The directors (John Wells and Paul Abbot) and writers (John Wells and Sheila Callaghan) do a great job of making every scenario seem at least plausible. Although this wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the phenomenal actors.
Since there are so many characters in this show i'll only be discussing a few on the phenomenal actors. Like Cameron Monaghan also known as Ian Gallagher who I mentioned before. Shameless was not the first show that I saw with him playing an important role in. It was actually Gotham which i made a review on earlier in this year. Both series he plays as someone who you can literally call crazy, and man does he do a great job at it. Although both shows take very different approaches to his "crazy" personality. Gotham focused more on a joker-esk style of schizophrenia, while shameless provided him with a much more realistic approach of Bipolar disorder considering in the show his mother suffers from the same mental health issue. Just the portrayal of his mental health throughout the seasons could not be executed any better. We as viewers get to see time and time again Ian seeming completely normal but suddenly take a turn for the worst; ie when he suddenly stole his boyfriends baby and decided to go on a road trip with no food or money. When it came to portraying these extreme mood swings Cameron Monaghan could actually have bipolar disorder for all I know. Next up comes Emmy Rossum the actress for Fiona Gallagher; she fills the shoes up for their family's missing mother. Their have been multiple instances where the family seems like they are going to be completely separated and placed into foster homes until Fiona steps up to the plate. Despite being very emotional and crying at least 5 times a season Fiona as a character is a strong one. Her actress Emmy Rossum expresses this in a way unlike many others by showing us the characters tears. You can tell that she really does care for this family and only wants to see it do well, even if their not her kids there still her family.
All together Shameless is a show you should not watch with sensitive eyes around or in school. Considering it prominently features booze, drugs, and sex Shameless has literally no shame when it comes to showing the harsh life of "southside" (a term they use heavily as their home town). Which is also part of what makes the show so great. All because it doesn't restrict itself it can be a very harsh but realistic interpretation of the real world. We all know the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows but many shows try to make them seem that way especially American comedy series. Although Shameless metaphorically said "screw that" and made a show that is best described as a family of shit going through a lot of shit. So overall if your'e looking for a show that will send you through an emotional roller coaster, Shameless is a good place to start.
Rankings compared to other Netflix series:
1.) The Office
2.) The Punisher
3.) Shameless (would be on top but the others are just that good)
4.) Agents of Shield
5.) The Flash (first two seasons)
6.) Stranger Things
7.) Gotham
8.) Supernatural
9.) Luke cage
10.) Iron fist
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