Obviously if you are reading this article, then you probably (hopefully) have seen all 9 seasons of the show and are quite familiar with the notorious Gallagher family. Frank, Fiona, Lip, Debbie, Liam, Ian, Kev, V, and even Monica have delivered such quality comedy, heartbreak, happiness, anger, and any other emotions over the years that the show has run it's course. We've seen new characters come, and old characters go. So, let's get to it. Here are the top 10 episodes of Shameless that I believe are the best. I tried ranking them from 1 to 10, but it was too hard. So they're all at the top in no particular order because I love them all equally.
S5/E11 Drugs Actually
At this point, Frank is well in over his head with his doctor who has decided to not treat her critical cancer. They're off drinking on rooftops and living out their best lives.
All the while, Carl and Chuckie are serving their sentence for drug trafficking and Sammy crosses the line. Roofies, Mickey, and a storage pod. You all know what happened, and it was AWESOME.
S2/E4 A Beautiful Mess
In this episode, we get to see more of the Gallagher's getting on their summertime hustle, as well as Fiona paying the price for a mischievous and scandalous hook up.
While Fiona is getting soda throw at her on the street, Frank is busy trying to scare Shelia back inside the house after she starts to make too much progress with her phobias.
S8/E4 F*ck Paying It Forward
This episode makes the list solely for Kev and V's trip to Kentucky to meet his real family. This is about the time Carl starts up his basement drug rehab where he starts chaining druggies up in the basement to detox them before releasing them to the streets. Whatever works, right?
S2/E11 Just Like the Pilgrims Intended
If you are a true Shameless fan, this episode might have brought out a few tears for you, at least it did for me. Things seem to be going too well for the Gallagher family with Monica back in their life, finally fulfilling the role of a mother.
Things get dark when the family sits down for Thanksgiving dinner. All the while, Jimmy/Steve is still slithering (because he's a snake) around plotting to win Fiona back over, and another episode goes by where my hate grows stronger for that man. He just sucks.
S4/E6 Iron City
Everyone is partying to celebrate Fiona's birthday. She is really letting go after her boyfriend/brother cheating scandal/breakup. Cue the heart wrenching when Liam is discovered knocked out in the kitchen after getting into their drugs.
S8/E11 A Gallagher Pedicure
While Fiona deals with unfavorable tenanats, Debbie is busy chopping her toes off. Casual Gallagher stuff.
S6/E4 Going Once, Going Twice
Fiona is scrambling to buy back the house from an auction, and Ian meets the fireman who helped save his life. This is also the episode that Yanis (the Russian in the wheelchair) gets caught on fire while he asks Kev to help burn down the neighbors house, even though it's Kev who made him made.
S3/E6 Cascading Failures
In this also emotional episode, the kids get hauled away by DFS and separated into different, horrible homes. Ian and Lip are sent to an almost military group home, while Debbie suffers from an abusive foster mom enslaving the kids to labor all day for food and toiletries.
Liam gets off easy by ending up with a wealthy couple. Fiona and Frank try their best to bring everyone back home.
S3/E9 Frank the Plumber
Frank has somehow finagled his way into being the face of the gay rights movement in Chicago, Fiona starts working at the cup office, and Mandy runs Karen over with a car. Give me all or give me nothing.
S9/E7 Down Like the Titanic
Fiona is a sinking, drunken ship but her siblings are there to help bring some sun to her life. Ford gets the revenge he more than deserves for the treacherous lies he told and betrayal.
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