‘Shameless’ is Another Showtime Gem You Shouldn’t Miss

From the recommendation of my little brother, I started watching one of Showtime‘s new series last year, Shameless. The second season starts this upcoming weekend, but I caught up on the first season through the wonder of DVR. What’s DVR? Leave now please.

With all the episodes recorded and ready for my viewing pleasure, I plowed through them at an alarming rate. I just started a week ago — considering that, finishing the first season’s 12 episodes is an achievement. I couldn’t stop. The story lines weaved into this show from the various and many interesting characters, both very young and old, kept me wondering what will come next for this low income Chicago family. Hit the jump to hear more about the series, and why I love it so much.

Showtime has another polished gem starting from the pilot episode. Like other Showtime hits — Nurse Jackie and Weeds – Shameless has a female lead that drives this show like a mule in a serfdom. Her looks do not mirror this description as we are talking about the lovely and immensely talented Emmy Rossum (Phantom of the Opera). But if you have seen her in the aforementioned film, you probably will barely recognize her in this role as a very poor Chicago woman named Fiona. The glamor is gone as Rossum pulls off the role as the grungy oldest Gallager acting as the head of the household — grungy doesn’t mean Rossum is not still absolutely stunning.

Don’t think for a second the strong-willed Fiona will take a hand out, she and her siblings all work odd jobs to make ends meet — her very big family has a unique way of gathering income. This impoverished family of seven does whatever they can to pay the bills — do homework and take tests for other students, work undesirable jobs, babysit, and even sell stolen meat. The family is comprised of six kids — one of them a black infant amongst all white siblings — an alcoholic deadbeat father, and no mother around. With two absentee parents, Fiona assumes the role as decision maker and keeps the family together. The Gallagers couldn’t make it without her acting as the mother.

The family dynamics make Shameless the ultimate kaleidoscope of entertainment. One brother Lip is a genius, another named Ian is a closet homosexual fooling around with many under the radar gays in the bigot neighborhood, while the elementary son Carl loves to wreak havoc wherever he goes. The grounded and wise-beyond-her-years youngest sister Debbie oftentimes keeps her older siblings in check with her coy words of wisdom. The drastically different personalities all band together to survive as a family. Money for bills is not guaranteed as their father spends all his government provided funds on his next drink. Staying together in their home isn’t promised with Social Services knocking on the door because the family has no real parents running the show. But the Gallagers love one another, will fight for one another, and even party together.

As the show began I liked some characters more than others, and even disliked a few. But as the final episode of Season 1 finished, I found that I loved all the characters even while still having my favorites (Fiona is definitely at the top of that pyramid). Even the drunk Frank, played fantastically by William H. Macy, has some redeemable qualities. He doesn’t do a lot that’s commendable, and hurts his kin more than helps, but you can’t help but feel sorry for this drunken fool. I am even more sympathetic for his family who has to constantly put up with him. It’s not often you find a cast of characters developed this deeply — it’s not often you find a television show where you care about so many of those well written characters. While Shameless is based of the same titled series in the United Kingdom, this “Americanized” version is better in almost every way — especially the written script.

I always find it funny to talk about television with people. No matter the amount of media one consumes, almost everyone watches TV, and there is always someone out there watching two shows you’ve never spent time with. I hear it all the time, “You seriously have got to watch The Wire — Mad Men — Fringe — insert other show here.” Of course, few of us actually have time to watch so much television, so we have to pick and choose what we are going to dive into. While there are few shows I consider “must-see” — Dexter, Community, LOST, Breaking Bad, and Californication all are in that category — Shameless is one that definitely fits that description.

With the premiere of Season 2 hitting the airwaves this coming Sunday, you still have time to catch up and see what this show is all about. I have a hard time imagining a person who wouldn’t like this show after spending an hour with the Gallagers. The family has such a contrast of characters within, and they are all troubled souls seeking answers. Some look for peace it in relationships, some in pleasing others, some in the bottom of a beer glass. One thing is for sure, the Gallagers will keep you guessing what will happen next as they scrounge to survive on the streets of Chicago.

Season 2 of Shameless premieres Sunday at 8 p.m. CST.

Have You Seen Shameless? What Do You Think?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery