For nine seasons now, the cast of Showtime's "Shameless" have made us cry, laugh, and even feel bad about ourselves during the first five-minute recap of each episode. From the each separate-but-unique member of the Gallagher family to the misadventures of parenting with Kevin and Veronica (Steve Howey and Shanola Hampton), "Shameless" is a series that is able to make an ordinary working-class lifestyle into something irresistible to watch.
But with this cult classic feeling that comes with this show comes with a bit of sad news in recent weeks: that front-runner Emmy Rossum would be leaving the show. Since this news broke, social media has been abuzz over the future of "Shameless". With neither Showtime or Warner Brothers giving any sign of the exact fate of the series, "Shameless"'s destiny is a virtual toss-up.
In spite of this uncertainty, the series' season 9 premiere, which aired on September 9, 2018, delivered yet another example of why the Gallagher universe is so fun to watch. Fiona (Emmy Rossum) is able to secure a surmountable loan that would bail brother Ian (Cameron Monaghan) out of jail, following a car explosion as a part of his "Gay Jesus" routine. Patriarch Frank (William H. Macy) soon finds himself in trouble when his numerous sexual innuendos lead him to quarantine the PTA of Liam's (Christian Isaiah) school. Lip (Jeremy Allen White) soon finds himself into more girl trouble. Debbie (Emma Kenney) resorts to unsanitary measures in order to make as much as her male co-workers in the yard.
Watching this episode, I couldn't help but think how the show's plot would transform once Fiona/Rossum leaves the picture. How the producers write her off the script (she runs away, dies, etc.) is one thing, but given how many times Fiona has saved her family from a deeper hell they're already in, it will be interesting how her siblings and father cope. All of the Gallaghers have had their troubles and all of them have their jobs/enrollment in school, but with Fiona being the only glue keeping this all together it seems, it will be interesting how up or downhill their lives will go.
And perhaps maybe that's why this season premiere didn't feel as revved up and fast-paced as previous premieres have shown. For this show's standards, most of the character's stories have been nonchalantly slower than usual, and maybe this is for producers to get more time how they're going to deal with Fiona's imminent departure.
Overall, I think "Shameless" season 9 has more mystery than the Gallagher antics we all know and love. I'm not too sure whether or not this is a good or bad thing. But one thing I will say is that the only way to find out where this leads up to a post-Emmy Rossum "Shameless" is just to watch and see.
New episodes of "Shameless" premiere Sundays at 9/8c on Showtime.
