‘Shameless’: Debbie’s Dilemma and Trouble in Paradise for Ian & Mickey (RECAP)
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 10, Episode 9 of Shameless, “O Captain! My Captain!”]
Trouble seems to follow the Gallaghers wherever they go and this week’s episode is no exception. From relationship woes to literally being tied up, we’re breaking down all of the major moments from the latest installment of Showtime’s Shameless.
Find out what was happening on the South Side in “O Captain! My Captain!” with the recap below, but beware of major spoilers ahead.
Broken Ties for Ian and Mickey
(Credit: Chuck Hodes/SHOWTIME)
When the episode picks up, we see Ian (Cameron Monaghan) laying in bed with a black eye and wearing a leg cast — results of Mickey’s (Noel Fisher) courthouse punch after he hesitated about marriage. Meanwhile, Mickey rides up to the Gallagher house on the back of a vespa with another redhead — a boy named Byron (Adam Farabee) — whom he proceeds to kiss.
Needless to say, things aren’t great between the pair, and when Ian asks his family about it, they say Mickey will probably come around in the end. Still, Ian is dumbfounded when Mickey informs him he’s moving out and into the vespa rider’s place.
As Mickey heads out, Ian recruits Liam (Christian Isaiah) to accompany him on an errand. Over at the new apartment, Mickey makes a mess and his new boy toy isn’t pleased about the intrusion. Ian looks over rings at the Alibi, and Liam gives his approval. They then end up paying for them with Aunt Oopie’s (Mary Kay Place) stolen credit card. Ian asks Lip (Jeremy Allen White) for his opinion, and he tells him he should marry.. Mickey before adding the word “someday.”
Ian seeks out Mickey at the new apartment, and the pair end up talking about their situation. While Ian doesn’t propose, he offers the ring he bought as a promise to Mickey, but it isn’t good enough. Things don’t end on a happy note as they part ways. Will it work out for these on-again-off-again lovers? Only time will tell.
Debbie’s Daughter Dilemma
(Credit: Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME)
We first see Debbie (Emma Kenney) heading out of Claudia’s (Constance Zimmer) as her new love interest asks if she can pick up her daughter at school. At first, Debbie is surprised to learn Claudia has a daughter, but then she opens up about having her own daughter Franny. She agrees to the pickup and Claudia warns that her daughter will try and convince Debbie to allow her to break rules.
As she pulls up to the school, Debbie is greeted by Julia (Alison Jaye) who is older than Debbie expected. As she gets into the car, Julia makes it clear she’s used to being chauffeured by strangers. She even goes so far as to call Debbie a prostitute. At first Debbie is annoyed, especially as Julia goes on about her stance on the environment.
When Debbie finally arrives at Julia’s after-school course, she learns that it’s actually a spin class. Julia reveals that her mother constantly demeans her and makes unwarranted remarks about her weight. Feeling bad, Debbie agrees to let Julia skip and the pair go grab some burgers. But during their meal, things take a turn when Julia kisses Debbie, leaving the Gallagher confused.
Kev & V’s Medical Services
(Credit: Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME)
Inspired by her recent return to the medical field, Veronica (Shanola Hampton) decides to provide her services to the underserved people of the South Side. Along with Kevin (Steve Howey), they draw in a crowd of patrons who aren’t able get the care they need without insurance.
During their treatments, Kev and V meet a woman and her daughter who drove all the way from Missouri for a procedure they can’t get there anymore. It’s not long before they reveal that the girl needs an abortion. A dumbstruck V calls her friend Dr. Williams’ (Nadine Ellis), who offers an alternative to the usual procedure — the abortion pill.
At first they agree to write the prescription under V’s name since she has insurance but when other girls start looking for the same treatment, they’re forced to find another solution. Though she’s clearly uncomfortable with writing multiple prescriptions, Dr. Williams gives V and Kev an out when she “accidentally” drops her script pad.
In the end, they write prescriptions for V’s old senior center patients who fill the meds at the pharmacy, despite their advanced age. The plan is a small victory for the young women, who aren’t ready to be moms, and V, who wants to help the community around her. By the episode’s end, however, it appears word has gotten out and more women are interested in using their services.
Lip & Tami Butt Heads
(Credit: Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME)
When we find Lip and Tami (Kate Miner), they’re dealing with her hospital bills. He likes the idea of ignoring them, but Tami says that would be stealing and gets a little upset when she learns he’s stolen other things in the past.
Meanwhile, her Aunt Oopie is still sticking around the Gallagher house, continuing to spout her unsolicited beliefs about gay marriage and race. Meanwhile, Tami continues to rebuke Lip for stealing, but later on, at the ATM machine, he tries to return a woman’s money, setting a positive example for his son.
The action backfires though because as soon as he’s holding the money, a thief snatches it from his hand. After letting the fight go, he heads to the garage and speaks with Brad (Scott Michael Campbell). There, he discusses the difficulty of handling bills, but Brad helps Lip out when a big job involving a motorcycle comes in, giving the struggling father a chance to make some serious cash.
When Lip gets home, Aunt Oopie is gone, and Tami reveals her grandmother is missing. Her aunt and father have gone to find her, rendering them without a childcare option. Lip tells her not to worry, showing the chunk of the change he received upfront for the bike project. But when Tami suggests they aim for higher things in life, Lip gets upset. That’s when he runs into Ian on his way to speak with Mickey, leaving the Tami plotline open until next week.
Carl’s Training
(Credit: Beth Dubber/SHOWTIME.)
Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) continues to train his volunteers for the police force, bringing them to the Gallagher household for some lessons in interrogation and more. Eventually they end up at the Alibi, where he has them staging a hostage situation using loyal patrons Tommy (Michael Patrick McGill) and Kermit (Jim Hoffmaster).
When Carl returns to police headquarters, he’s told he’s been a little too hard on the kids after a few of them were sent to the hospital. Ultimately, Carl sees this as a positive thing as his supervisor moves him from training duty to sanitation. We can’t wait to see where that goes!
Frank’s Tied Up
(Credit: Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME)
Frank’s (William H. Macy) interrogation continues. He’s tied up to the bed but now laying on top of plastic and wearing a makeshift diaper. Faye (Elizabeth Rodriguez) continues to try to get Frank to remember his wrongdoings against her jailed fiancé, bribing him with pills. For everything he remembers, he’s rewarded, if he can’t remember, she smashes the pills.
Essentially, she wants him to understand he’s the reason her love went to jail, and when he does, she puts him into an opioid coma. Eventually, when Frank is sound asleep, Faye removes him from her home and brings him out to a car. She spills bottles of pills on him and the seat next to him. Is she framing him for a crime or is she leaving him for dead?
Don’t miss the next episode when Shameless returns next Sunday on Showtime!
Shameless, Sundays, 9/8c, Showtime
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