‘Shameless’: Frank’s Hard-Partying Lifestyle Catches Up to Him in Episode 6 (RECAP)
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 11, Episode 6 of Shameless, “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good… Eh, Screw It”]
Shameless is taking some serious turns in its final season as the Gallaghers gear up for the next chapters of their lives.
In “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good… Eh, Screw It,” Frank’s (William H. Macy) hard-partying ways lead to a major wake-up call, Lip (Jeremy Allen White) begins pondering his family’s future, and more. Below, we break down the latest South Side drama.
Frank’s Foggy Memory
Paul Sarkis/Showtime)
When we first see Frank, he’s caught up in a moment with a woman named Letty (Tara Buck), who he keeps calling Monica. They agree to meet later at the Alibi, and Letty asks if he can call her by her name in public. Frank seems confused by the exchange, which continues when he pays a visit to the cleaners, expecting to pick up some pot. His confusion lands him a punch in the face and he wakes up in the hospital.
When a nurse asks how he was injured, he can’t give a decent answer, and when he can’t pass her simple cognition test, he’s sent off for more. Later, he shows up at the Alibi where Letty greets him, but he’s forgotten he was meeting her at all.
Later that night, Frank crosses paths with the newly paralyzed Terry (Dennis Cockrum), who begs to die. Frank says he didn’t take Terry for a coward and that he doesn’t like him enough to do a mercy killing.
After a brief family meeting in the Gallagher house, Frank, taking a moment for himself, sits on the steps outside and pulls a paper from his jacket pocket. We see Frank’s name, address, and a diagnosis: Early Stage Alcoholic Dementia.
Lip’s Next Move
Paul Sarkis/Showtime
After being fired from his garage job, Lip convinces Brad (Scott Michael Campbell) and Mickey (Noel Fisher) to help him steal car parts both to get even and give him money towards his next home. It isn’t lost on Mickey that both Lip and Brad fell off the wagon while deciding this is a good plan, but Lip says they’re fine.
The next morning, after Lip cooks a massive breakfast, Tami (Kate Miner) becomes suspicious. He doesn’t tell her about the garage. Tami mentions that her dad is having a tough time paying for his home and suggests that they move in with him while they look for their next place. Lip is not on board with this, and promises to come up with an alternative.
In the meantime, Brad and Lip discuss where they’ll move the pieces they boosted; eventually Mickey helps them settle on Kev’s (Steve Howey) Keg Zone workout center since business is quiet anyway. Later though, Tami catches Lip hiding boxes and unhappily realizes what happened. He tells her he’s upset that he works hard and doesn’t get anything in return, and this gives him some control back. Tami understands, but stresses that getting arrested and put in jail wouldn’t help their son.
Lip suggests selling the Gallagher house, if his family agrees, allowing him and Tami to pay for their own place and settle down. When they discuss it during a family meeting, they’re met with an unequivocal no.
V’s School Day Blues
Paul Sarkis/Showtime
V (Shanola Hampton) has quite a time of it when she joins her daughters at school as the class parent of the day. When the teacher announces their active shooter drill game, V is horrified as one student is selected to play the shooter and given a nerf gun while the other kids run and hide in fear. V’s girls guide her to their hiding spot and she’s traumatized by the experience. According to the school, the shooter drill game is used as a fitness exercise since phys-ed classes were diminished during COVID-related budget cuts.
Thankfully, V has her new connections with the alderman in their district, who can help steer the class away from such drills, and Kev’s spare exercise gear could solve another problem as their daughter’s school needs equipment. If we know V by now, she’ll get those tasks done with time to spare.
Carl’s Concerning Tryst
Paul Sarkis/Showtime
Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) has the day off and uses it to look for new furniture for his basement room. At the furniture store, he steps in to stop a rude customer from verbally abusing an employee at the register, who he learns is named Tish (Chelsea Alden). She thanks him for his help and then offers her phone number and a store discount on a recliner.
Later in the day, Carl hears from Tish, who asks what he’s up to, they agree to meet up and go out for fries and shakes before she visits the Gallagher home. After a conversation that includes her asking about the money he makes at his job, and the benefits, she pushes him into sex — and without a condom. He later tells his family and Debbie (Emma Kenney) tells Carl he was raped. He’s not convinced at first, but we later see him attempt to file a sexual assault complaint at the police department.
So, what was Tish up to? Could she be looking for a baby daddy or is she already pregnant? We have so many questions.
Debbie’s Dilemma
Paul Sarkis/Showtime
Debbie is upset that Sandy (Elise Eberle) has essentially ghosted her following last episode’s husband reveal. It turns out that Sandy has been taking care of her uncle Terry following his accident and, on a tear, Debbie looks for answers, even using her daughter Franny (Paris Rose Newton) as a way of getting Sandy’s attention. Meanwhile, she takes a job at a local gay bar, hanging a neon sign for the owner and gets a little pep talk. Later Debbie returns home and has a chat with Sandy who is sitting fireside in the lot next to the Gallagher house. She reveals that she married her husband when she was fifteen and it was a means for a better life, but ultimately she’s not committed to him. In a sweet moment, the pair say they love each other.
Liam’s Penance
Paul Sarkis/Showtime
Liam (Christian Isaiah) is feeling pretty guilty after he realizes the bullet he shot is the one that accidentally paralyzed Terry. He asks his family for guidance. Carl tells Liam to hide the weapon and not tell anyone, congratulating his little brother for taking care of an issue that affected so many.
Mickey’s Turing Point
Paul Sarkis/Showtime
Mickey is ambivalent towards his dad Terry following his accident, and while Ian (Cameron Monaghan) tries to guide him through those feelings, Mickey needs to work it out on his own. Determined to not help him, Mickey says his dad is better off dead considering his condition, and when they meet Terry on the sidewalk, he holds a gun to his father’s chest, but backs away.
This concerns Ian, who questions Mickey if he’d help him if he was in a similar situation as Terry. Mickey says yes, but before they can dig too much into the conversation, Terry continues to yell from outside, asking for help from anyone to get into his house. Mickey and Ian both go to the man’s aid and after assisting him, Ian tells Mickey that he’s a bigger person than his dad. This obvious statement seems to please Mickey who accepts his good deed for what it was, even if he doesn’t like Terry.
Shameless, Season 11, Sundays, 9/8c, Showtime
