“My only advice, stop worrying so damn much.”
I remember watching Shameless US for the first time. Much like its British counterpart that came out seven years prior, the absolute nonstop chaos of the Gallagher family is what drew me in. Life in the South-side of Chicago isn’t exactly something I could entirely relate to; but the more I watched the more I could see my own struggles staring back at me – and strangely, I found comfort in this self-assertive dark comedy.
I couldn’t see why no one else was talking about the show, although at the time most avid binge-watchers were focused on the likes of other US dramas such as Pretty Little Liars and The Vampire Diaries. Truth be told, I didn’t start watching Shameless until I was sixteen, and despite the fact I was desperately still holding onto my Twilight phase while also simultaneously trying to fit in by giving my opinion on who I thought “A” was (the mysterious masked villain from Pretty Little Liars) – those other shows didn’t interest me as much.
Instead, I turned to get rich quick schemes, wedding crashers and coronavirus conspiracies. Shameless closed the curtains after 10 years on air this April, but not before taking its audience on an emotional rollercoaster of watching not only the characters, but the actors grow with the show too. William H. Macy stars as alcoholic father of six children Frank Gallagher, whose endless ideas of fun include free drinks, stealing and sleeping.
Although, the absence of Frank is what makes the show chaotic, as we watch his kids attempt to get by and stay out of trouble without the stability of a parental figure. The complexity of each character is what kept me coming back for more, watching Debbie (Emma Kenney), Carl (Ethan Cutkosky), Ian (Cameron Monaghan), Fiona (Emmy Rossum), Lip (Jeremy Allen White) and Liam (Christian Isaiah) grow closer as time went on.
I bid a tearful goodbye last week as I finally pushed myself to watch the finale, and for someone who has the attention span of a goldfish, one-hundred and twenty-eight episodes later I now find myself re-watching the whole show from the very beginning. The show simply teaches its audience that no matter what happens, things will turn out alright, and in the words of Frank Gallagher “stop worrying so damn much”.
Featured image: sho.com
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