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#shameless meta
octoberscigarettes · 18 days
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soemtimes I wish someone who isnt a romantic partner would have cared for Ian enough. like ofc mickey cares immensely and I don't wanna discredit the good he does for Ian. But there are so many things in Ian's life where he needed care and love and reassurance from someone he is not romantically involved with.
being groomed from a young age, and nobody cared enough to see what's going on with kash, and when lip did, he did nothing. when Fiona and Jimmy Steve found out Ian was sleeping with Ned, nobody cared enough about Ian to help him. Instead it was all about Jimmy Steve and his man baby feelings about his dad being queer.
when Ian was crying about the aftermath of s3ep6 and s3ep9, Frank was heading a gay rights movement purely for his own gain, while Ian's siblings feasted on a gift basket sent to their house. Nobody wondered where Ian was, so he was sobbing in his bed, alone.
when Ian ran away to the army, his entire family just accepted it, the fucking Milkoviches were more worried about Ian than his own family.
when in s6 Ian doesnt know what to do with himself, nobody cares enough to show him that his life isnt over bc of his diagnosis. nobody cares enough to tell Ian that he still has options, that he can survive.
when Ian is heartbroken, nobody cares enough about it to tell him anything but "good riddance".
when Ian has a crisis of faith and loses himself in religion and mania, nobody cares about him enough to talk to him until its to late. nobody sees him enough to know if he is taking his meds.
In the Gallagher household Ian doesn't exist. Fiona and Lip are bonding and supporting each other (no matter how angry and misguided sometimes) in their role as the eldest. Debbie and Carl are looking out for each other, and Fiona and Lip always have an eye on them bc they're younger. Liam gets raised by everyone. But Ian just kind of floats around in the void, and while they all may love him, they don't notice him.
Lip and Ian are close, but they aren't caring for each other properly.
As long as Ian contributes to the squirrel fund and doesnt make a fuss, they dont see him.
And once his mental state gets bad they all sit around wondering why they didnt catch it sooner. But they never look.
I just wish that someone would see Ian Gallagher.
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redwiccanrobin · 8 months
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This hug wasn’t in the script. In the script, it was only written for Debbie and Lip to embrace Ian. Not Mickey. But, Noel just pulled Cameron in. Cameron just went with it and hugged him back.
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This kiss wasn’t scripted. It was just meant to be a simple embrace. Cameron just made the decision to pull Noel closer and give a soft kiss to his head. And Noel just let it happen, didn’t react to it.
I love these moments. They’re tender, soft, loving. It also shows this level of trust and how comfortable Noel and Cameron were with each other. Sometimes they understood the characters better than the writers did. I think some of the reason that Gallavich works so much is that it’s Cameron and Noel. They’re great actors and they developed this chemistry that you could feel while watching. They put in care, they loved portraying these two and their love story. And that’s an amazing thing.
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elhopper1sm · 2 months
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TW: Mentions of grooming
Everyone always talks about how Ian contributed to Mickey's character development but never vice versa. Like I truly believe had it not been for Mickey Ian may have accepted grooming or predatory relationships well into his twenties or beyond. Think about the show from Ian's perspective. We learn pretty early on he's the black sheep of the family. Comparisons being made to Monica the most hated member of the family and is closeted. Ian originally tends to hang out with or get with other older closeted men who've probably reinforced his their own internalized homophobia onto him. The Gallaghers are also social outcasts of the neighborhood so finding someone who could put up with his family antics and his own low self esteem. Ian was clinging to people who would show him love or appreciation even if it wasn't quality and he didn't really think he could have more. Then comes Mickey someone who is more destitute than him and of a lower social strata and the brother of his best friend. There are experiences of his life Mickey will understand and won't judge him for. Also Mickey adores Ian. He sees him as basically one of if not the best person ever. Mickey cares deeply about Ian and it's obvious. Even when he's trying to hide it. Maybe that's why in the earlier seasons he feels so quick to sort of mess with Mickey's feelings to see if he loves him it's confirmation that Mickey does love him and he needs that. Notice how after spending time with Mickey he isn't as likely to go to the people who are likely to hurt him. Mickey even keeps him from getting harmed making him feel like he deserves more than that. One of the reasons I believe Ian broke up with Mickey towards the end of season 5 is because he actually feels like he's not good enough for Mickey. Like he'll corrupt him or taint him. Which makes sense why he feels this way. One because when he was in a depressive state while making that decision. And two he was because he's constantly compared to Monica accused of corrupting Frank. Once he breaks up with Mickey he tries to join or listen in on the LGBTQ+ club at Lip's college and see if he'll fit in there. He's trying to find people who make him feel valuable and like he deserves more the way Mickey did. Even up to Season 10 he's still doubting whether or not it will work with Mickey but not because of who Mickey is but because of who he is and what's wrong with him. Which is also why I think Ian pressure Mickey to move to the West Side with him. I think in Ian's brain or own strange logic because Mickey gave him the courage to think he deserved more he thinks but getting him and Mickey into a nice apartment or better upgraded living situation that's his way of letting Mickey know he can and will and deserves to have better. Again a foolish decision to change the area where you and your partner live without asking them but I truly believe. It was because he thought it was his way of letting Mickey know he deserved better.
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m4ndysk4nkovich · 1 month
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i HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE when monica gallagher is written/portrayed as being mean!! i hate it!!! her relationship with any of her children wasn’t a “if you need to be mean, be mean to me” type of situation (because i keep seeing that on tiktok), that’s how frank’s relationship was with his kids. frank used his kids, took his anger out on them, and treated them like they were less than human- that isn’t how monica was.
one of the things that made monica’s existence as a whole hurt her kids is her kindness. monica was always so sweet, she never had a bad thing to say about anyone- that’s what hurt. she would leave her kids and make them feel like they mean nothing, then come back and treat them with such kindness, something they don’t see often, only to leave them again. she would give them everything, and then leave them with nothing. i think that’s why ian and debbie both often fell victim to her, because they were both such victims of frank. i don’t mean that the other kids weren’t also victims, but ian and debbie were in different ways. frank physically and emotionally abused ian, and he used and manipulated debbie constantly. frank would take everything out on the both of them, and being middle children they were lonely and ignored, so when monica comes back and shows them both kindness, love, and actually pays attention to them, they’re drawn to her. they are both so deprived of attention, and for monica to actually see them for once means a lot more to them than it would to the others.
so NO, monica gallagher is not mean. and that’s why she is such a well written character!! i don’t even hate monica, i just hate the circumstances. i hate frank. monica is so sad and one of frank’s biggest victims because i feel like she always had hope that she could fix everything, but she failed. she never wanted kids but frank forced her to, and she couldn’t handle it. we’re meant to be against monica, but at the same time, there’s also this pity that comes with seeing her. she isn’t frank- her intentions were never meant to harm anybody, yet she still did. she’s such a “what if?” type character, too, because you see her being so kind and wanting to fix everything, but she’s also unmedicated- and not necessarily by choice. i don’t know, i don’t like monica for the obvious reasons, but i also love her character. she’s one of the most tragic characters on shameless and as much as i fucking despised for what she did to her kids, i think she deserved a lot better.
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mickeym4ndy · 15 days
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Sometimes I think about how Mickey & the Milkovich’s very first storyline is centered around them getting revenge on someone who they think hurt their little sister.
Mickey was just scouring the south side with a bat prepared to do ANYTHING for her without any question or need for proof, clearly so protective of her & his family. And the way no one’s even surprised by it shows that this isn’t the first time the Milkovich boys have gone after someone they think has fucked with Mandy.
They grew up in a house of horrors where all they had was each other, it almost seems like if they couldn’t protect each other from Terry, then at least they could do whatever they could to protect each other from everyone else.
And then that side of their dynamic which was set up as such a core element of their family was just forgotten about and never really explored again after, but I WISH we could’ve seen more of it.
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abetterdaaye · 3 months
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Rewatching S4E12 (again) and I realize that Mickey is trying out pet names for Ian. It’s like he’s trying on terms of endearment, seeing what feels right, both emotionally and in his mouth. Like he’s trying to see which one will make Ian do that giggle or look at him that way.
They’re finally publicly together after years of furtive glances, clandestine link ups, and feigned disinterest (🙄), Mickey is launching into this new experience in what is, to me, a distinctive Mickey way. He “re-names” folks: From the girls at the rub-and-tug (Nanook of the North) to Kev (Steven Seagal [I’ll come back to this at some point]) to Debbie (Peppermint Patty) to his favorite ginger, Ian.
Mickey obviously loves nicknaming Ian, which may or may not have always been a sign of his interest/affection. We first hear him nickname Ian before we see them share the any dialogue, calling him Firecrotch while threatening to beat him up for what he did(n’t do) to Mandy. Later he tosses around a few nicknames that can totally seem innocent if anyone hears him use them (like tough guy). But this morning (afternoon) after he comes out, he’s just tossing out random nicknames which are contextual but also unreasonably adorable and off-the-cuff. (Please also note that him trying to wake Ian up so they can go get a dog after arranging for his sister the babysit Yev is very little-domestic-bitches coded 😍🥲)
Cinderella. Sleepy-face. Mumbles. He’s got an adorable look of contentment and amusement on his face while gauging how Ian responds, eventually realizing he’s getting no responses which then leads him into concern. Y’all have seen the scene. Mickey asks Ian if he’s feeling sick, tries to get a peek at his face (that he’d caressed tenderly when he first got up that morning), and is confused and frustrated when he can’t coax Ian to even agree to let him bring him back food. (Canonically, I feel like we see Ian enthusiastically eating pretty frequently and Mickey’s desire to care for Ian ALWAYS manages to shines through so this being the point Mickey got annoyed made sense to me). He leaves in a bit of a huff and the scene ends.
As a rewatch, this scene has a lot going on because we know that there’s so much to come in their story. Even knowing that this particular moment of happiness is a flash in the proverbial pan, I appreciate seeing this first peek of Mickey entering his devoted boyfriend era.
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lyricailove · 18 days
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You know how each married couple has that one person who's always yelling and shouting from across the home? I swear it's Mickey and his poor volume control. It gets to the point where Ian straight up asks him:
"What are you squawking about now?!"
Needless to say, they get a call from the building manager who tells them about the regular noise complaints. Half are from Mickey shouting from across the apartment and the other are from the loud sex.
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darlingian · 2 months
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So in s10e8 when the cops show up at the gallagher house as Ian and Mickey are heading out for breakfast, Mickey freezes and then runs. It's a pretty silly moment of Mickey goofily running away. But honestly I find it a little sad.
Cops showing up at the gallagher house has a history of going really poorly for Mickey. Ian getting arrested by the military police, Mickey getting arrested after Sammi shows back up. Both times when Mickey and Ian were forced to be separated and immediately led to them breaking up. I don't think Mickey is letting that happen ever again. He's gotta run and let Ian do the talking.
There's also the added parallel of them talking about going out to eat just like they planned on going out to eat before Ian was arrested. I think Mickey is still a man who has a lot of fear, and who makes decisions based on fear. His flight response as opposed to fight is such an indicator of this. (Used to be a fight response.) And I think Mickey's traumas impact a lot of his decisions. (But that's for a different post. ;)
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lupeloto · 10 months
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mickey obviously has several of moments of huge, grand-gesture-type character development moments, but some of my favorite are the smaller ones that go a little more unnoticed.
for example, yes, obviously mickey being out and whole-ass marrying Ian is huge progress for his character, but this little moment right here is one of my favorite more subtle developments for him
the way ian grabs his hands and mickey just looks down lovingly and smiles when ian puts their hands in the air, slightly bashful about it. he is publicly letting ian take the lead in front of all those people and appears to not even think twice about it. that is so so special for him and minor things like that represent his growth in such a unique way.
anways, i adore little moments like these that are less of a like a grand display of how much he’s grown, but rather a small little nod to his development :)
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Today I have done a lot of thinking about fictional charachters because...well my day has beeen horrible and its been better than thinking about that.
I saw a clip of shameless S1 where Mickey is dirty and unclean and I remember how a lot of people have said maybe he didn't really care until Ian came along or started to try for Ian. And sure, that may be part of it, but in my experience, there are so many other reasons people are unclean for, and I think a few would apply to Mickey.
1. I think part of the reasons he is reguarly covered in dirt is that being dirty tends to hide or blend in bruises. It is not going to work completely but enough to make people wonder if that is dirt or a bruise, or if they are seeing it properly. I imagine Terry wasn't light handed in beatings, and the kids were expected to cover for it. While teenage Mickey could say he was in a fight younger Mickey would have easily used that just some days old dirt excuse.
2. Lack of hot water or just water in his house. I don't think paying the bills on time was high on Terry's list either, and we know the house was basically a dump. It wouldnt surprise me if they reguarly had no hot water or if they did it run out quickly with the old water heater and you did not want to be the one causing Terry to have a cold shower. Or he saved the hot water for Mandy because he knows she actually really cares about her appearance and being clean
3. As a reason not to have to be with girls. In his first episode, Karen mentions that maybe Mickey is coming to find her to ask her out again and then says basically says along the lines of "I wouldn't because he smells like shit.' Being unclean and dirty means girls are less likely to want to go out with him, so he can ask the girls who he knows will say no then have it be that they are a b***ch who said no, or she don't know what she missing. He comes out of looking like her really doesn't care he got turned down but still leaves the impression his into girls. It is like a protective layer
4. I think caring about your appearance and the way you're dressed is something Mickey's dad would find pansy. Which Ugh, Terry is the worst.
5. I don't think some people really understand how vulnerable being naked in a place you dont feel safe in is. I feel like if Terry is mad, drunk, or just desires it, he would be more than happy to come for you. Being naked and unprepared is not a fun thought. So Mickey saves his showers for when he is sure his alone becauze like hell he is trusting that flimsy lock on the door (if there even is one cause Svetlana just walks in with a hammer on Ian)
Sure maybe once Ian comes along that is more incentive to be clean and presentable but I think he really starts to be clean is season 4 onwards where he knows and admits how much Ian means to him and that he loves him, no longer has go pretend to be into girls (his out or he has the excuse of his married) but also when his dad is in jail and maybe the bills are getting paid, maybe he feels safer in the house.
I just hate the common thinking of, that person is unclean because they don't care. That is rarely the real reason in my experience.
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thoughts on the gallagher siblings’ relationships with fiona
and what specific and nuanced role she takes on in their lives—mother, sister, or something in between.
special thanks to @aceyanaheim for not only listening to me ramble on and on about my silly little gallagher siblings thoughts, but also for sharing so many insightful and poignant ideas themselves on the matter. thanks so much for the brain worms! <3
lip
lip’s relationship with his sister is complicated. they’re only four years apart in age, so he’s a little more conscious of fiona’s situation than the other kids.
he doesn’t see it all—fi keeps her struggles a little too under wraps for that—but he knows what she’s had to sacrifice to take care of them all (“i stole so fiona didn’t have to work a third job to cover the bills” s11). he knows how alone she feels (“you’re not supermom; you don’t have to do it all yourself” s3). he knows she struggles (seeing her cry over the sticks and skates job in s1). he knows what she’s lost in the process (“you called her mom” s1). he knows that the kids aren't fair to her a lot of the time ("we've taken you for granted. i know i have" s4).
but as much as lip sees what fiona goes through, as much as he picks up jobs to help out with the bills, as much as he takes care of the little ones, he’s still a kid in need of a mother figure. he still leans on fiona, hard.
all of s2, lip struggles with seeing fiona as a sister vs. a mother. he wants independence, he wants to follow his own plans in life, and he doesn’t want anyone to stop him—in his mind, who’s fiona to tell him what to do? he can drop out if he wants to. he’s done one more year than her! she can’t make him go. she can’t. she’s not his mom.
but, well, isn’t she? he’s still a kid who messed up and needs help. he’s still a boy who can’t go it all alone. he’s still a sixteen year old child who finally comes home and gives his big sister a hug because, despite all his big talk, he needs her. he does. and fiona loves him more than anything. she just wants what’s best for him, even if she struggles to express it in a manner that doesn’t push him away.
lip doesn’t want to call fiona “mom” (s3) but he’s okay with her taking guardianship. and why wouldn’t he be? she’s done the job his whole life. and he sees that.
the problem is that lip, as much as he wants to be independent of fiona, as much as he wants to see her as a sister and not a mom, he can’t help but to idealize her. he still craves for the perfect mom in his head that never messes up and always takes care of them, and since monica for sure was never going to be that mom, he’s superimposed that desire over fiona. but that version of her doesn’t exist. that version of any mother doesn’t exist. mothers are human. they mess up. they make mistakes. even if no one wants them to.
so when fiona messes up (s3 with the club money, s4 with liam, s8 with the apartment, s9 with the drinking) it’s unthinkable to him. he’s furious with her—rightfully so, she did mess up—but he’s disproportionately angry because she was supposed to be their mom! she was supposed to be good and never fuck up and always take care of them! so when she breaks that image of perfection in his head, it shatters his trust in her, somewhat unfairly so.
fiona’s not allowed to mess up. she can’t. she’s not supposed to. she’s supposed to be the one taking care of everyone, not in need of care herself. lip is understanding and gentle and supportive when it’s ian or debbie or carl, and fiona’s the same with him, but when fiona’s spiraling into addiction and her life is falling apart, he’s all tough love. maybe it terrifies him.
when she leaves, it’s obviously sad. but he’s grown by then to know that she’s her own person, not just a mother figure to them all. it’s hard. but he’s at that point that everyone comes to in life when they realize their parents are individuals with their own lives and hopes and dreams. and he lets her go.
at the end of the day, a huge part of lip’s relationships with fiona is his eternal struggle between wanting independence and wanting a mom—and not just any mom, but a mom he can trust and love and depend on. that mom is fiona, even when she fucks up.
ian
ian was fiona’s first baby. he was the first child she really, truly raised—lip was always her boy, but he was also her second-in-command, blurring the lines between brother and son, working together with her to take care of the others—while ian was the first baby she was all on her own for. the “we were living in a car once…” speech in s3 makes that clear.
in the early seasons, it’s clear that ian defers to fiona quite a bit. he listens to her, seeks her out for comfort, respects her word like that of a mother. fiona calls him sweetface, expresses maternal affection with him, and he is receptive of it all in that long-suffering way older teens tend to be with their moms. their relationship is more mother-son than anything else.
but at the same time, he's still marginally aware of her struggles, too, just like lip; the conversation he has with his brother in s3 when fi tries to get guardianship ("she's only twenty-two!") makes it clear that he worries for her, doesn't want her to take on a terrible burden for them. so it's clear that, though he does see fiona in a maternal light, he isn't blind to her reality.
this all changes, however, when ian starts to grow up and want independence and freedom. fiona tries to give him this in s4 when he joins the army, even though it doesn't work out. and in s5, when he is finally forced to confront his own struggles with mental illness and deal with his bipolar disorder, he starts to bond more with monica.
now, this is understandable, seeing as they share the same mood disorder and he feels connected to her through their similar struggles. at first, he actually resents being compared to her ("i'm not fucking monica" s5), but the more they communicate and bond (s7), the more he comes to care for her.
s8 shows ian genuinely mourning his mother (getting sentimental over her meth, getting a tattoo for her), and the other gallaghers don't really understand it, which upsets him; in his mind, that's their mom! why aren't they upset too? i think it's lost on ian that no one else in the family ever had the same connection with monica that he did. she bonded with him; she didn't do the same for the others before her repeated abandonment.
so ian starts to see monica as "mom." where does that leave fiona?
i think this truly marks the final shift of their relationship from parent-child to siblings. especially when looking at s8, where they're fighting over the church. in 'occupy fiona,' ian is furious with her perceived selfishness, and screams at her when she attempts her typical motherly nagging in the form of asking him if he's taking his meds. which, fair; that must be frustrating to hear. but this makes it clear that they're on two separate pages: fiona still sees him as a son. ian sees him as a sister.
but fiona's seeking independence, too. she's seeking an identity that is distinct from her role as caretaker. it isn't just ian growing apart from his sister that's shifted their relationship so dramatically; both characters seek an escape from their family and a life where they can be independent and all grown-up. and in a typical parent-child relationship, only one side of the equation feels those growing pains. in this situation, it's both.
of course, no matter how much they grow apart and hurt each other, they still adore one another. ian's the one fiona goes to for advice about leaving in s9, after all. he's the one who urges her to go and save herself from another lifetime of gallagher chaos. so really, the change in their relationship doesn't destroy their bond; it just alters it a little.
debbie
debbie had, i think, one of the most tumultuous relationships with her sister. as a little girl, she definitely saw fiona as a mother figure, and was very attached to her, almost subconsciously so. the "i wanna stay with fiona" from s1, the way she sought her out for comfort after monica's suicide attempt in s2, the terror she felt at being separated from her after dcfs got involved in s3—it all makes it very clear that little debbie very much saw fiona as her mom.
she still had some understanding of her sister's struggles—"fiona takes care of everyone, but who takes care of fiona?" (s1)—but she was still a little girl and fiona was still her mom.
and then monica came crashing back into their lives. debbie very reluctantly accepted her in, hugging her at sheila's and allowing her to buy her dolls (even though she didn't play with them anymore!) just to humor her mother's attempts to build a relationship. so, as much as debbie unconsciously saw fiona as a mother figure, she still always had this craving for monica—her real mom.
it makes me think of debbie's assertion to sheila in s1 that if monica ever came back and apologized, she'd "forgive her in a heartbeat. because she's [debbie's] mom." she was still a little girl hanging onto the dream that her mom will come home and love her and take care of her. and she barely realized that she'd found someone else to fill in the gap monica left behind, but it's just not the same. she still wants her real mom.
season 4 marks the shift of debbie's character from seeing fiona as a mom to seeing her as a sister—or, at least, wanting to see her as a sister. like ian, she was desperate for independence. she was being peer pressured by girls at school, she was interested in boys, she didn't want to be seen or treated like a baby anymore. she was fed up with fiona still treating her like she's her daughter because she's not. she doesn't want to be.
and anyway, fiona was busy with her new job at the cup company and her new boyfriend mike. she wasn't around all the time anymore. sheila'd been babysitting more and more. debbie was the one taking liam to and from head start. she felt abandoned, alone, with fiona not around as much as before.
she sought comfort in sammi. she found purpose in her friends, in boys. it's a very knee-jerk teenage-girl reaction: to find connection in others when you're mad at your mom. but for debbie, she wasn't just shifting away from fiona as a daughter growing distant from her mom, she was shifting away from the idea of fiona as her mom in the first place.
and then, of course, franny happened and drove a terrible wedge between them both. debbie grappled with her identity as a mother. she rejected fiona's help and advice in favor of her quest for independence. monica returned, made her feel like debbie's a good mom. frank supported her. and debbie was in a position where she had both her parents on her side—her real parents—while fiona opposed her. this, i think, solidified fiona in her mind as her sister. not her mother figure anymore.
don't get me wrong; fiona was in the right opposing her at this time. debbie's pregnancy was a stupid idea. it really did ruin her life and her character overall, and it was unfair of debbie to expect fiona's support in that situation. fiona was being a good mother by telling her she was making a mistake. she still saw debbie as her little girl. debbie's the one who didn't accept that anymore.
after debbie and fiona made up later in the show, they settled into a true sister-sister relationship. debbie came to see fiona at her worst ("she broke her wrist, she's nonstop ugly crying" s9) and tried to take care of her, while fiona still tried to resist the flipping of their roles ("i'm fine. i'm fine." s9). debbie fucked up ford for her that season. got angry and protective on her behalf.
and when fiona left at the end of the season, she left as debbie's sister. no longer her mom. at least, not from debbie's perspective anymore.
carl
carl's relationship with fiona, i believe, was one of the least complicated and most wholesome ones on the show. carl absolutely saw fiona as a mom in the early seasons, without a doubt. he listened to her even when he didn't want to, like a little boy to his mother ("did you brush your teeth? carl?" "yes, ugh!!!!" s1), reluctantly learned lessons from her ("privacy's important" s2), looked to her for permission for things (glancing at her when monica asked him to pass the salad in s1 and only doing it when fiona nodded yes), and sought her out for comfort after monica's suicide attempt (s3).
carl's the only one i can vividly remember saying he loves his sister ("'night, fiona, love you" s1) or thanking her for what she's done for them all ("thanks for being a great sister" s3). at least when he was little, fiona was without a doubt his mom.
it certainly helps that he never really bonded with monica. she left when he was too little to start seeing her as a mom, and every time she returned, she never really took the time to get to know him or connect with him. but carl did briefly bond with frank (the fake cancer arc in s3, "i'm shaving your head to let the sun rays in"), and was the only one who cared about him potentially dying in season four, tending to him in the hospital when no one else did.
season four is when he, like debbie, starts to rebel against fiona's parenting. he's angry and sad and mean and it all comes out in the form of sharp words and beating up kids at school and getting into all kinds of trouble. he's mad at fiona for not caring about frank, but he's also just mad at the world—understandly so. he's fourteen.
the trouble continues well into season 6. carl gets mixed up with g-doggg, starts selling drugs. frank helps him get into the drug world, but he gets caught. he goes to juvie, comes back a little harder, a little meaner. sells harder stuff, sells guns. the whole time, he's established a sort of distance from fiona, because he's too cool for deep, vulnerable relationships, or so he thinks. and the whole time, fiona continues to love him, tries to connect with him, attempts to open his eyes and make him realize how dangerous what he's doing is, but he's determined to be his own man, to earn the respect of his buddies. he feels like frank's the only one who understands.
but then he gets hurt and scared. he sees someone die. he wants out. and frank—who he hasn't like, loved, per-say, but has at least trusted and established some sort of camaraderie with through their shared misdeeds—betrays him, scares the shit out of him with his anger and disappointment. and who does carl have to fall back on but fiona?
fiona tells him she's proud of him. she and sean help him get out of the drug world. their relationship is finally rekindled. and it's around his time when carl overhears fiona cry to sean about being exhausted and scared about losing the house (s6). and it terrifies him, because here's his strong big sister, the woman who raised him, young and vulnerable and afraid. and he steps up and gives her the money to buy back the house. he's there for her. he's being a good man.
from then on, carl shapes up and his character is on track to make something better of himself. he takes on some form of responsibility, denounces his father, and goes to military school. and fiona's so fucking proud of her boy. because he is her boy—always will be, no matter how much he tries to be a strong, independent, grown-up.
when he comes home in s7, he's grown to be a kind, goodhearted, respectful young man. he doesn't refuse her hugs and kisses. he admits—though with some hesitation—that "you were right, fiona! and we were so fucking wrong!" in s8. and when monica dies, he's... conflicted. but he's okay. because fiona was always his mom, anyway. and that never changed.
liam
liam has never known any parent other than fiona.
sure, lip helped a great deal with taking care of him and raising him, and, much later, he bonded quite a bit with frank. and his relationship with most of his siblings is very parental at its core—he’s the baby, after all, and all of his siblings had a hand in raising him.
but fiona was the one who fed and changed and cared for him his whole life. took him to work with her as a baby (s1). dealt with his hair when he had lice (s6). stood up for him against anyone who dared to hurt him (s9). it was always her, really, in the end. it was only her.
liam was just a baby when monica left. and he was—what, 6?—when she died. there are a few times when she randomly returns when they spent time together, but he doesn’t even really remember her because he was too little. he’s never known a mother other than fi. she’s the only one that matters, really.
i’m still upset that she didn’t take liam with her when she left in s9, and that we didn’t see them stay in contact throughout the remainder of the show. obviously, this was just because emmy rossum left, so it’s just a reflection of the writers working around their situations, but it just felt heartbreakingly unrealistic to me.
they loved each other so much. that was her son, her little boy, her baby bear. she was his mom. no two ways about it.
it wasn't until after fiona distanced herself from the family and then left that liam and frank grew close. frank got him into private school (s8), recruited liam to steal from his rich friends (s8/9), and liam, in turn, made it his mission to take care of frank when his health started declining and his mind started deteriorating to his alcholic dementia (s10/11). part of that connection was absolutely due to liam's bigheartedness; he's such a good, loving kid, with so much forgiveness and love to give to people.
i also wonder if a part of that connection resulted from the desire for parental love and affection. liam's smart enough to know that frank will never care for him the way fiona did, but he seems at peace with his father's shortcomings. he wants a relationship with him anyway.
regardless of the reasoning, liam was so loved by his family and his parental figures—both fiona and frank.
in conclusion
i think, from fiona's perspective, she was always the kids' mom ("my siblings are my kids" s9), even though at times her relationship with them blurred the lines between maternal and sisterly. but from the kids' points of view, she was always a very complicated figure in their lives.
the gallagher siblings' complex relationships with their sister are really at the heart of the show; she is the matriarch, the thing holding everyone together, after all. not all the kids had easy connections to her. many of them grappled with their vision of her as a mother vs. a sister. but that doesn't erase what she did for them.
she still raised them. she still cared for them, mothered them. as messy as their relationships were a great deal of the time, she was the best parent those kids ever fucking had. she was their mother through and through, and that is what made shameless truly, unabashedly, shameless.
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Do you know what I think about this moment?
I think it was the first time Mickey realized that someone knew about him and Ian and was cool with it. The first time he realized Ian told someone. I can't help but wonder what he felt in that moment, to know that someone he doesn't trust (but Ian does) knew about him, about them, and didn't use it against him. "You gonna make me spell it out?" Lip knew he had to give him something to get his cooperation, but he was sensitive about it. They are in front of the Milkovich house, he can't say anything too blunt but he's not there to play games either.
I bet Mickey has been worried about Ian for a while, but figured Ian kept his family in the loop. They have done the silent treatment before (Mickey after 3x666, Ian during juvie 2.0). So I'm guessing he figured Ian just didn't talk to him. He knows what it means that Lip came to him - Lip was desperate. Mickey tries to play it cool but you can see this visit filled him with worry.
I also think it was the first time Lip realized what Ian means to Mickey. Before Ian left, Lip kept teasing about how much Ian could do better. But to be honest Lip only got to see only the front that Mickey was putting in public. A front Mickey curated exactly so people would stay away from him, so it makes sense.
But for the first time he noticed that Ian meant a lot to Mickey. When Lip was ready to move on, Mickey asked him more questions. He wanted to know more, he was worried. The "I'll tell you when I find out" means that Lip got it. He saw what Mickey wanted to say and met him half way.
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redwiccanrobin · 7 months
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In the episode that features Monica’s funeral, Frank gives a speech. He goes up and says with as much love as he can about how Monica changed his life. How she taught him to live. It’s weirdly sweet for Frank. But the moment I wanted to talk about is that the cameras centers Ian as Frank says this.
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He looks contemplative. Like there’s a vision in his mind that he can’t ignore. That vision is Mickey. There’s probably regret and guilt racking through him as well. Regret that he left that man he loves at the border. Probably wondering what would have happened if he had just gone with him. Because he wants to be with Mickey. Guilt that the man sitting next to him is nowhere near that level. Even though he wants to try with him.
Mickey caused a spark in Ian. A coursing love that consumed him even when they were at odds. He was safety and a thrill all at the same time for Ian. Ian found someone he was sexually, romantically, and platonically compatible with. Mickey held him tight when he walked him out of that jail cell. Mickey held him tight before he walked into that hospital. Mickey crawled into bed, said sorry for disappearing for a while, kissed his head. Mickey forgave him for all the things he did whilst manic. Things that hurt Mickey in ways that Ian never wanted to do. Because he understood that Ian wasn’t in the right frame of mind.
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There’s a parallel between Frank/Monica and Ian/Mickey. Not because they’re similar. But because they’re opposites. Yes, Mickey taught Ian how to live. Yes, Mickey was the light that Ian needed. He was everything that Frank described Monica as for Ian. But the difference is the way Ian and Mickey take care of each other.
Frank and Monica encouraged self-destruction in each other. Frank always had this fear when Monica would be on her meds. Almost like he was afraid that if she was stable she would realize the kind of man he is and leave for good. Of course, she’s still a grown woman with agency. She was in charge of her mental health and chose not to take care of it and let it run amok. But seeing how excited Frank got when she was acting “crazy” emboldened her further to not take her meds. Monica encouraged Frank’s drinking and drug use. In that speech he gave, Frank revealed that it was Monica that introduced him to hard drugs. The rest is history. She liked him getting high or drunk as she saw it as thrilling. Like Monica, Frank is an adult who had the ability to get sober. He never took it though. A lot of that stems from the “fun” he had with Monica.
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The main difference is that Mickey and Ian want to be the best versions of each other. And they encouraged the other to do the same. When Ian was diagnosed with bipolar, Mickey was the most supportive and caring of his situation. Even when they went into married life, we see subtle signs that Mickey still makes sure that Ian is taking care of himself. There’s even a deleted scene where he checks in on Ian; asking if he was okay, noting that his husband was slipping into a depressive episode, made sure he was taking his medication. Unlike Frank, Mickey isn’t afraid of Ian having a stable footing. He wants that because he doesn’t want Ian to suffer. Ian can talk Mickey down like no one else can. With both the situation with Terry and Mickey’s anxiety about moving to the West Side, Ian offered emotional support. He listened to his husband, knew all the ways to calm Mickey. He doesn’t want Mickey to spiral and to instead stay afloat. Unlike Monica, Ian doesn’t encourage the destructive side of Mickey for his own fun. He wants the happy Mickey who feels comfortable with voicing his emotions.
Mickey and Ian have their problems. Every couple does. Sometimes, they don’t handle it the right way. But, when the storm passes, they take a breath and talk to one another. Making it clear they still love each other. They accept each other at their worst. They encourage each other at their best.
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elhopper1sm · 3 months
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Anyone ever think about how Ian literally had to watch Carl live out his dreams of going to military school and becoming a public servant (while Ian never dreamed of becoming a police officer all his dream jobs were civil service related) and still decided to help him achieve those dreams anyway. Practicing running with him everything and celebrating his victories. I wonder if Ian feels sad when he looks at how far Carl has come thinking about what and who he could've been but also if he sometimes vicariously lives through Carl that maybe the reason he's so adamant about making sure Carl succeeds is because he feels like it's too late for him and so he doesn't want someone he lives as much as Carl to experience that same kind of disappointment.
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m4ndysk4nkovich · 2 months
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this little moment in 1x02 manages to sum up ian pretty well. ian is always independent and so nobody has to worry about him, in season 2 he is determined to get into west point by himself and when he sees monica attempt suicide, he acts like he’s fine. in season 3 he literally runs away from home and fiona, who is supposed to be responsible of him, just brushes it off as him being seventeen. he’s beat up, he’s drunk all of the time, he stays in bed for days, and he’s clearly struggling, but it’s just “he’ll tell you when he’s ready”. nobody ever really cared. and then, like in this moment where he breaks his nose, he has quick moments of vulnerability. people can actually see that something is wrong with him and they try to help, but he pushes them away. this happens later on, too, when he can’t get out of bed, when he takes yevgeny, when he flushes his pills, when he could’ve gotten that patient killed, when he becomes gay jesus, people can tell that something’s wrong because it’s obvious and then they try to help. but he’s really always been struggling, but since he loves to help people and is independent and quiet, nobody bothers trying to figure out what’s wrong. he doesn’t know how to accept help because he’s spent so much of his life being ignored and just expected to be “ok”.
and so, as a result of all of this, when people offer him help, this is his reaction:
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anthruser · 8 days
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ill someday write a meta about Lip x Helene x Monica if i have energy cause i rarely see people talk about how Monica affected Lip and was the only kid who never faltered under her. and how Helene's presence was a very fucked perception of what he wanted + carnal desires. Lip, my man, you are one fucked kid with fucked circumstances. ill write about you someday.
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