Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 9

 

The 14-episode 9th season of Shameless aired from the fall of 2018 to the spring of 2019 (split into two seven-episode parts). As anyone who is a fan of the series knows, the show has had a ton of cast turnover throughout its run, and this year is no exception. Notably, this is the last season with Emmy Rossum, who has been the co-lead of the show since season 1. Also, Cameron Monaghan had a very reduced role after the halfway point of the season as he was contemplating leaving the show as well.

I will not go into much of the season's storylines for those who have not seen it. Still, the basics are, that Frank totally drops the "Saint Francis" act from last season and is back to being horrible, Lip is struggling with trying to raise Xan and dealing with a new, not necessarily healthy, relationship, Carl and Debbie end up in a love triangle with his new girlfriend, Ian faces the consequences of blowing up the van last season, Debbie is starting to take charge of the family, and Liam (again) gets actual storylines, including a pretty hilarious one at the end of the season. Like the past few seasons, Kev and V are around, but their storylines mostly revolve around the bar and their family life. The show does make a lot of jokes revolving around the current political climate, with a pretty hilarious storyline with Frank as the campaign manager for "Mo White," a former congressman on probation (and not allowed near schools), allowing for Frank to say things like "We Need Mo White" and print t-shirts with basically racist slogans. There is also a great episode with Bob Saget, Courtney Cox, and Katey Segal (who has a recurring role in the middle of the season), all guest-starring.

The Blu-ray set is a four-disc MOD release. The only extras are deleted scenes for every episode, ranging from 25 seconds to a few minutes. So, unless you get it to add to an existing DVD/Blu-ray collection, you are not missing a ton of extras if you just stream it. There are no other making-of or behind-the-scenes material, which would have been nice given it was Emmy Rossum's final season. Overall, the series is definitely starting to drag a bit. It was renewed for a 10th season and an 11th final season, both of which have already aired. While I do not think it is as good as in the first few seasons, I think it is still entertaining and worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 8

 

The 12-episode 8th season of Shameless aired from November 2017 to January 2018. It tries to continue character development and take the characters in new directions. Some of it works (Lip has a great arc this season), and some do not (cult leader Ian, for example). Of course, that is all subjective, however. This season also sees Fiona as a landlord and getting into yet another complicated relationship, Frank trying to be an upstanding member of society (which, as you would expect, does not exactly last long), and Carl gets into a Fatal Attraction-like relationship. Liam actually has more than two lines, and Deb is balancing work and being a parent along with (kind of) being a girlfriend. Kev and V continue to have issues with Svetlana, which have mixed results for all but result in a pretty good (and funny) couple of story arcs.

Instead of a two-disc Blu-Ray release as seasons 1-7 received, this season gets a single-disc MOD release. While it is a MOD title, it does have some extras (mostly deleted scenes, but it does have a couple of featurettes) and captions. Plus, you get a true play-all mode that lets you pick up where you left off. Overall, the show is still good but getting a bit long in the tooth. For those who follow the series, you know that there is, and will be, more cast turnover (this season, no major characters are leaving the show as in past seasons). There is a lot of sex, swearing, and some drug use (although that is a bit more toned down than in the past), plus the unapologetic LGBTQ storylines. So, if any of that will turn you off to a show, this one is not for you. But it has a good blend of dark humor (sometimes very dark) and drama. While it is not as good (in my opinion) as in prior seasons, it is still worth watching and better than many shows out there, especially on network TV.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 7

 

The 12-episode 7th season of Shameless aired during the fall and winter of 2018. It again sees more character development, along with more cast turnover. I will not go into the various storylines too much so I do not spoil too much for those who have not seen the season yet. However, all the characters (even Liam) get storylines this season. Ian, Carl, and Fiona are making their way out of their respective rock bottoms, while Lip and, to some extent, Debbie continue to spiral. Lip, because of the fallout with his professor, and Debbie being a teen mother and dealing with in-laws. Frank comes up with another scam after being fished out of the river, trying to come up with a replacement family. There is also a storyline involving Frank's ex-wife and the mother of the kids, Monica (played by Chloe Webb).

For those who get the Blu-ray set, it is much like the prior seasons. It consists of two discs, with deleted scenes making up the bulk of the extras. There are also two behind-the-scenes features: one on how Emma and Ethan have grown up on the show and one on Frank's politics (basically how the writers and William H. Macy see Frank's belief system).

Overall, the show continues to be well-written and acted. If you have liked the prior seasons, then you will probably like this one. Macy does a great job of playing Frank as an awful guy with almost no redeeming qualities, and Rossum is wonderful in portraying Fiona's character development. If you have not liked the prior seasons, then this is probably not going to convert you. There is still a lot of swearing, drug and alcohol use, and sex. That has not really changed at all. So, if that would turn you off to a show, then this one is definitely not for you.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 6

 

The 12-episode sixth season of Shameless aired during the winter and spring of 2016. It saw much of the same and, in some ways, different dysfunction from the Gallagher clan. The season sees more adult storylines for Deb and Carl, with both hitting bottom in their own ways. Carl, after coming out of juvie, is steeped in the gang culture, and Deb, on the heels of her positive pregnancy test after lying to her boyfriend about being on the pill. Lip's life at college goes haywire as his affair with his professor is ongoing, and he is trying to balance that with his time as a TA in physics working for a professor who has a drinking problem that rivals that of Frank. Frank continues to be generally horrible throughout the season, which leads to a reckoning with the family by the end of the season. We also meet another of Frank's old flames, Sammi's mother, played by Twin Peaks alum Sherrilyn Fenn. Fiona and Ian see more stability in their lives, with Fiona working at the diner and dating Sean and Ian working toward becoming a firefighter. Thankfully, the show has given storylines for Kevin and V separate from just being the Gallagher's neighbors, and they continue to have probably the best and most complicated relationship on the show.

Overall, the show continues to be well-written and acted. As always, there are many adult themes, including sex, drug use, and violence. All of the actors, including the younger ones, do a great job with their characters, and the show continues to develop the characters well as it progresses. The show also does a great job of mixing drama and dark comedy, and there are many points where you bust out laughing but feel kind of bad about doing so.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The episodes and bonus material are spread across the two discs. The extras include deleted scenes (about 35 minutes worth), a featurette that follows Shinola Hampton around for a day, and a round of pool with William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, and two of the show's writers as they discuss the characters and the show in general. A decent amount, but not as much as in the releases for the first couple of seasons. By now, anyone reading this review will know what the show is and is not. There is more cast turnover this year, with Noel Fisher being essentially written out of the show after Mickey was arrested at the end of the prior season. But, unless you were only watching the show for one of the characters that left the show, if you liked the prior seasons, you will probably like this one. Conversely, if you have not enjoyed the prior seasons, there is probably nothing about this one that will convert you.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 5

 

The 12-episode fifth season of Shameless aired during the winter and spring of 2015. The season saw another change in character arcs, most notably for Fiona and Frank (although not exclusively for those two). Fiona is still self-destructive but makes more effort to get her life sorted out. Frank is still horrible, yet becomes a little less so throughout the season (especially at the end). Lip finds himself still acclimating to college, being torn between his "south side" life and the life he wants after he graduates. The combination of puberty and teen peer pressure is hitting Debbie hard, and Carl is fully embracing his inner delinquent. V and Kevin are having problems as new parents, and Sammie is a pain for everyone. There is also a storyline about the gentrification of the neighborhood and even more cast turnover as Joan Cusack's character arc comes to a close. Ian and Mickey's relationship is more complicated, with Ian's mental problems getting worse. And, of course, the big reveal from the season 4 finale that Jimmy is still alive plays out. I will not spoil any of the season's major events, but it ties up some of the old story arcs and sets up new ones.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. This release is similar to those for the prior seasons but with fewer extras. The bonus material includes a handful of deleted scenes, some behind-the-scenes material, and a commentary track on the episode William Hm Macy directed. The show continues to be well-written and acted. As has been the case since the show started, there is a lot of sex, swearing, and dark humor in the show. By now, you know what you get with the series in that respect, however.

Overall, I would say if you have liked the prior seasons, you will probably like this one, with the proviso that the characters have evolved from their season-one versions, and not everyone is likely to be a fan of how those arcs played out. On the other hand, if you have hated the prior seasons, there is probably nothing about this season that will convert you into a fan.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 4

 

+++Warning, This will contain spoilers from season three, but no major season four giveaways.+++

The 12-episode fourth season of Shameless aired during the winter and spring of 2014. Season four picks up some time after the events of season three, with Jimmy still missing, Frank in end-stage liver failure, Ian off with the military (although the characters on the show just know he is missing), Lip in college, and Fiona having a steady job and relationship with her boss (played by now series regular Jake McDormand, probably best known for the underrated series Limitless). I will not go into too much detail, but needless to say, the lives of nearly all the characters end up in chaos by the end of the season. The big storylines are Frank's need for a liver (and, of course, he immediately tries to figure out how to get someone to give him a liver, which results in another addition to the cast), and what can only be described as a major downfall for Fiona who does everything she can to sabotage a good thing. A couple of big reveals at the end of the season set up storylines going into season 5.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. It is much like the Blu-Ray releases for the other seasons, just with fewer extras. The episodes are spread over two discs. There are deleted scenes for select episodes on each disc and two fairly short behind-the-scenes featurettes (about 10 minutes each, give or take). There are definitely fewer extras than the prior season releases.

Overall, the show remains very good, with a lot of dark drama and comedy. The entire cast does a great job, with the standouts being William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Jeremy Allen White, and Ethan Cutkosky. Carl is hilarious this season in both his problems at school and his efforts to help Frank. Steve Howey and Shanola Hampton are also great in their desire to have a family. Joan Cusak's role was a bit more limited this year, and Cameron Monaghan was missing for part of the season as he was splitting time between Shameless and Gotham. The character of Debbie underwent a pretty significant transformation this year as she hit puberty and was going through the usual teenage awkwardness and angst along with the Gallagher dysfunction. There was still a lot of swearing, and sex, as well as drug use depicted on the show, which is definitely not going to appeal to everyone. With those provisos aside, I think if you liked the first few seasons, you will also probably like this one.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 3

 

The 12-episode third season of Shameless aired in the winter and spring of 2013. It sees the first relatively significant shakeup in the cast, with Laura Slade Wiggins going from a series regular to a recurring character after being kicked out by Shelia at the end of season two. She returns in the second half of the season, and her storyline is pretty much wrapped up (at least for the foreseeable future) by the end of the season. Fiona and Jimmy continue their complicated relationship, with Jimmy pondering a return to medical school, which would require him to return to school in Michigan. Further complicating their relationship is Jimmy's "marriage" to Estefania. Toward the end of the season, karma comes back to bite Frank for his general horribleness (which takes a couple of very dark turns this season), and the season ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger concerning him.

The Blu-ray set is a two-disc set, with the episodes and the extras spread over the two discs. The extras include deleted scenes and several behind-the-scenes featurettes ranging from about 8 minutes to about 15 minutes. All in all, there are about an hour's worth of extras. Overall, the show continues to be well-written and acted. The writers do a good job of balancing the large ensemble cast and continuing to develop the characters. The acting is again top-notch, and even though there are very few truly good characters, none of them are all bad either, and both the writers and actors do a great job giving the audience something to care about, even in the worst characters. While the show is definitely not for everyone, if you liked or loved the first two seasons, you will very likely feel the same about season three.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 2

 

The 12-episode second season of Shameless aired in the winter and spring of 2012. It picks up months after the events ending season 1. The first part of the season focuses on Karen acting out as everyone discovers what happened with Frank and Lip trying to keep some kind of relationship with her. Fiona is working a series of summer jobs, primarily earning money as a server in a club, and is rebounding from Steve as he has gone off to South America. Frank continues to be the neighborhood menace, finding a new mark to scam as Shelia starts to venture out of the house more and more, as he is afraid that she will find out how he really is. I will not say more about the storylines because there are some twists and turns along the way this season, but as was the case in season one, it does the story of the week theme very well, along with having callbacks to prior storylines as well as wrapping up others.

The series continues to be well-written and acted. William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum still hold their own as the series leads and continue doing a great job as the characters of Frank and Fiona. This season, Jeremy Allen Wright as Lip and Laura Slade Wiggins as Karen steal many of the episodes. Even as a show with very few "good" characters, but mostly characters with varying degrees of horribleness, the writers and actors make you feel for, and even root for, the characters.

The Blu-ray set is a two-disc set with about 50 minutes of bonus material. The extras include several behind-the-scenes/making-of featurettes and deleted scenes for many, but not all, episodes. As was the case in season one, there is a lot of drinking, drug use, sex, and swearing that goes on. So, if that turns you off to a show, then this one is not for you. It does have a lot of dark humor, but it does not glorify or make fun of dysfunctional people and families. If you liked or loved season one, you will probably feel the same way about this season. On the other hand, if you hated the first season, this season will probably not make you a fan.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Shameless Season 1

 

Shameless is a dramedy that aired on Showtime for eleven seasons from 2011 to 2021. The 12-episode first season aired during the winter and spring of 2011. The main cast members in the first season were William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Jeremy Allen White, Cameron Monaghan, Steve Howey, Emma Kennedy, Ethan Cutkosky, Shanola Hampton, Laura Slade Wiggins, and Joan Cusack. It also had a large recurring cast, some of whom would eventually become series regulars. Some of those included Noel Fisher, Marguerite Moreau, and Amy Smart. The guest stars in season 1 included Anthony Anderson and Alex Borstein. 

I am someone who was late to the game when it came to this show. I have, of course, heard of it for years but did not get around to running it until very late in its run. For those who have not seen it, it is an American version of a British show, and much like was the case with The Office, in the first few episodes, it mirrored the British version almost as a carbon copy, then started to find its own legs. It was created for US TV by the co-creator of ER, John Wells, and the creators of the original British show.

The series is centered around the Gallaghers, a poor, trashy, and borderline all-out criminal family. It is "headed" by Frank Gallagher, played by ER alum William H. Macy, in a role 180 degrees from his role on ER. Frank is a blackout drunk with 6 kids who manage to still be (somewhat) functional, running scam after scam to keep the drinking money flowing in. The family is led by the eldest of the children, Fiona, played wonderfully by Emmy Rossum, who had to drop out of high school during her junior year to take care of the family when their mother took off, and Frank became totally unable to care for any of them. She is torn between wanting to be a carefree young adult in her early 20s and being a parent to kids ranging from 2 to 17.

I will not go into too much of the storylines for the few who, like me, are coming into the series cold. I will say that it is a very raw show, with all of its themes, drinking, drug use, sex, etc. It will hit home with anyone who has a dysfunctional family or even someone who is a generation removed from a dysfunctional family and still has some tangential contact with the older family members. While the Gallaghers are portrayed as a very over-the-top case of a poor, almost "trailer trash" dysfunctional family (although there are families that certainly act the way the family members do, to greater or lesser degrees), it also shows that dysfunction can occur not only in poor families but rich ones as well.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The show looks and sounds great, especially the high-definition exterior shots of Chicago. The extras include commentary tracks on a couple of episodes, deleted scenes, and about 45 minutes of behind-the-scenes and making-of material.

Overall, the series is well-written and very well-acted. The show is perfectly cast, with everyone knocking their roles out of the park, including the supporting cast. Joan Cusak steals nearly every scene she is in, as a clueless housewife with agoraphobia. It does not sugarcoat any of its themes, and has a lot of drinking, drug use, sex, nudity, etc., by both the adults and teens on the show (who are really in their 20s). The humor is very dark, and he manages to find humor in a lot of situations that would not normally be funny. It is definitely not a show that is for everyone, so if any of the above would turn you off to a show, then you definitely should skip this one. But, if you can accept those things and are looking for a good dramedy, then this is definitely worth checking out.