Shameless Season 8 Interrupted
They say that all good things must come to an end. Sometimes they are right. I really tried to make it through this moribund season, but I am stopping after episode 6. I am declaring Shameless bankruptcy. It was a fun and entertaining ride.
Season 7 was shaky but ended strong. Putting Monica 6 feet under seems to be the shark-jumping event for this otherwise great show.
Grit turns to farce
Shameless at its best brought intense real-life crisis and the struggle for survival to the fore. Broken relationships, emotional scars, internal turmoil produced the magical elixir to captivate the audience. When things got too real, the writers would mercifully provide comic relief to lighten the burden. At times the show would veer towards sitcom shtick but would invariably revert back to its intense dramatic themes. Season 8 is sorely lacking in any central conflict and is stuck with the ridiculous. There is no urgency for the viewer to tune in anymore.
Growing up and moving on
The two most interesting characters in the show, Lip and Fiona, have outgrown their youthful impulsiveness. They are now searching for purpose in a normal and responsible lifestyle. Good for them, but not much fun for the viewer.
We’ve seen this show before
Frank’s routine is tired. When we first got to know the patriarch of the family, his hair-brained scams and sociopathic behavior were delightfully shocking. He has lost his ability to surprise and his new schemes are more of the same.
The diaspora of the stories
When the show first began, Carl, Debbie and Liam were too young to drive their own stories. Now we are eight season deep, the writers have decided to give all the kids more active roles. This means a whole lot of semi-interesting stories, but no concentration and focus. It is the nice coach making the star players sit so that all the kids get some playing time. A good idea for youth league soccer, no so much for this show.
Sorry, but Carl and Liam can’t act
I was a huge Carl fan initially, but this year has been rough. Now that Carl is older, the actor Ethan Cutkosky is trying too hard. What was natural and funny with the younger Carl is now contrived and forced. Perhaps Ethan will eventually find his groove, but for now, I find his acting very distracting and hard to enjoy.
The stars of the show who have delivered year in and year out are Lip, Fiona, and Ian. Frank has had some ups and downs, but that is the brilliance of Macy taking chances and sometimes missing the mark. Now that these anchors are splitting time with the younger kids, their stories are going nowhere fast.
Kevin, V and Svetlana are no longer interesting
As the entire season has gone to comedy, Kevin’s character has pushed even further towards that end. Kevin has always served as a comic relief from the intensity of the Gallaghers. Now that there is little drama happening with the Gallaghers, the writers have forced Kevin to become even more clownish to his detriment. The threesome is designed to add sex, nudity and salaciousness to the screen, but we have seen this many times already. Time to move on from that story line already.
A tribute and reflection
I love this show and I am sad to see it age. Had the show ended after season 6 or even 7, the legacy of this show would have sidestepped the ravages of familiarity and repetition. The shows producers and actors deserve a victory lap. For me, I prefer to stop now before my fondness for the show deteriorates further.
Goodbye Shameless. It has been good to know ya.
