‘Shameless’: Mickey the Groomzilla, Frank Is Haunted and More (RECAP)
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 10, Episode 11 of Shameless, “Location, Location, Location.”]
There’s just one episode remaining in Shameless Season 10, which we now know is the series’ penultimate season as it was announced this week that the show would end with Season 11 later this year.
And despite the looming finale on Sunday, January 26, Shameless isn’t winding down but actually speeding up. Below, we’re breaking down all of the news and notes from the latest episode “Location, Location, Location.”
Mickey’s Wedding Dreams and Groomzilla Nightmare
(Credit: Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME)
When the episode opens, we see Mickey (Noel Fisher) and Ian (Cameron Monaghan) being yelled at from the street as Mickey’s father (Dennis Cockrum) threatens to kill them if they end up married. Unafraid, Mickey leaves the Gallagher house in order to confront the man, and it ends with guns pointed. Ultimately, they cool off and Micky maintains he won’t be shaken.
The next thing we know, Mickey’s sitting down with Ian, wedding magazines in hand and asking about guest lists. Ian is surprised, he didn’t know Mickey wanted a “real” wedding. That’s when Mickey reveals he wants one so he can stick it in his father’s face. While the motivation isn’t perfect, Ian complies and tries to appease his fiancé who requests they get a soloist to perform “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
As they go from shop to shop, Mickey’s checking things off his list until they’re turned away from a flower shop for being a gay couple. Then, at the caterers, the chairs Mickey wanted are missing, causing him to have a full-on groomzilla meltdown.
A frustrated Ian gets his cousin Sandy (Elise Eberle) to help with the task list. Later at the Alibi, Ian calls Mickey’s attention to a man with a guitar who starts playing “Livin’ on a Prayer,” causing tensions to dissolve.
Debbie’s Balancing Act
(Credit: Tony Rivetti Jr./SHOWTIME)
As Debbie (Emma Kenney) faces the reality of having to attend the homecoming dance with Julia (Alison Jaye) when the girl drops off a suit for her to wear. Julia also advises her to not go birthday shopping with Claudia (Constance Zimmer), explaining that her mother always picks something out for herself. Later on, we see Debbie did go shopping and Claudia pulled the same moves that Julia had warned about.
Before they head out of the store, Claudia invites Debbie to her birthday dinner so she can show her off to her friends. The only problem? It’s the same night as the dance. While Debbie tries to get out of it, she decides she can try and manage both, accepting Claudia’s invite only if she can choose the restaurant. She ends up picking something right across the street from the dance venue, and so ensues a back-and-forth all-night charade.
When Debbie makes one final mad dash and Claudia’s not there, she finds her in the lobby of the hotel where Julia’s dance is taking place. Caught in the act, Debbie finds herself in the middle of a mom-daughter fight as Julia reveals she messed with Debbie just to mess with her mom. Essentially, these well-off women were so bored with their lives they had to build drama. And Debbie wasn’t having any part of it, leaving them to work out their problems. Debbie then finds solace with Sandy, whom she’d revealed her feelings for earlier in the season.
Frank’s Haunted Fun
(Credit: Tony Rivetti Jr./SHOWTIME)
When Frank (William H. Macy) is released from his program, he encounters Faye (Elizabeth Rodriguez) who apologizes in her own way before detailing her plans to head to Puerto Rico for the winter. This news leads Frank to backtrack and find that sprawling mansion in which he was trapped. Thinking he’s found paradise, Frank tries to live it up until he hears unidentified noises.
Spooked, he’s especially skittish when he hears a knock at the door. Thankfully, it’s just Liam (Christian Isaiah) who continues to hunt for Frank’s signature. Finally, he agrees to go with his boy to approve his attendance. But Frank won’t let Ian come back with him until he remembers he recalls the mansion is haunted.
Later on when he calls his son, he wonders aloud if Liam might want to come back so he doesn’t have to be alone in the house, but the boy declines. Finally, Frank decides to face the demons and goes in search of the source. It ends up being the landscaper (Mike Starr) who is also there unbeknownst to the owner. They strike up a deal — Frank gets the top floor, the landscaper takes the basement and ground level is neutral territory for the two. Then, the landscaper pulls out a meth pipe, and the men share a smoke.
Lip Backs Out
(Credit: Chuck Hodes/SHOWTIME)
After deciding to move to Tami’s (Kate Miner) grandmother’s house in Milwaukee, Lip’s (Jeremy Allen White) true feelings about leaving Chicago come to light. He learns a house down the street from the Gallaghers is for sale. Although it’s a fixer-upper, it would keep him close to family and get him and Tami out of the trailer.
First, he asks Brad (Scott Michael Campbell) what he thinks, and that’s when Tami shows up at the garage to reveal she quit her job and is in the process of setting up a gig in a salon in Wisconsin. That’s when Lip talks to her about the Chicago home, explaining the benefits of buying the decrepit property.
Tami is upset, causing Lip to express his feelings about not wanting to accept charity by taking her grandmother’s house, which makes her even angrier. When Lip arrives home later, he finds Liam alone and the boy tells his older brother he’s sad because everyone is leaving.
This exchange leads Lip to put a bid on the nearby house, and the reveal leaves him and Tami on uncertain terms. Can they patch things up before the season ends?
Carl’s Trashy Job
(Credit: Showtime)
Still with sanitation, Carl’s (Ethan Cutkosky) also still snooping on the team for his cop friend — and the trash guys are onto him. They dare him to go into one of the homes for sale and take a dump in the living room. Hands tied, he follows through with their request to seem non-suspicious, but he’s nervous. Later on, when he reports back to the cop, the man commends Carl.
During their conversation, Carl learns he’s more of an informant than undercover, and the cop he’s aligned himself with is dirty. But the authority figure does exchange with Carl that he’d be willing to make the kid a fake ID so he could become a cop, as long as he keeps doing his dirty work.
Kev and V’s Fitness
(Credit: Tony Rivetti Jr./SHOWTIME)
On Kevin’s (Steve Howey) way into work one morning, he observes the space next to the Alibi is available to rent. Throughout the episode, he looks for inspiration for a business to fill the space until the rich man from the school raffle comes looking for his personal training session. Kev gets the man to carry out his tasks of carrying kegs and other heavy objects at the bar, pushing him to the extreme and leading the man to vomit. Still, the man leaves rave reviews, calling it the best training session he’s ever had. Could Kev and and V (Shanola Hampton) be on the way to their next scheme? We think so, but only time will tell. Tune in next week for the Season 10 finale.
Shameless, Sundays, 9/8c, Showtime
