The worst episodes of Shameless
Ranked by viewer rating, lows first. Vote on a placement to back it or contest it.
- 01
A Little Gallagher Goes a Long Way
Frank and Mikey set off on a day of adventure around the city in pursuit of Mikey's dreams. Debbie discovers a new way to make money in the midst of a strike as Lip leans on his new friend for parenting advice. Carl gets more than he bargained for when he offers to help Anne. Liam grows suspicious of his seemingly perfect mentor.
- 02
In the second-season premiere, following her breakup with Steve, Fiona lands a job tending bar at a popular local joint and makes a new acquaintance in an enterprising young businessman. Meanwhile, Frank uses Liam as collateral for a gambling debt; Lip takes bets on Little League games; and Kash leaves town, so Ian decides to take over the Kash and Grab.
- 03
Season 4 begins with a drug-addled and deathly ill Frank reappearing. Meanwhile, Fiona cares for the household and works at Worldwide Cup with her boyfriend boss Mike Pratt, and attempts to connect with Debbie and Carl, who are dealing with the upheaval of their adolescent hormones.
- 04
The (Mis)Education of Liam Fergus Beircheart Gallagher
As Fiona tries to raise the profile of the neighborhood, Ian helps Trevor to raise money for a new youth shelter. Meanwhile, Carl loses his scholarship and gets creative with securing the tuition, Lip stands up to a friend and gets hurt and Frank teaches the parents at Liam's school all about the working class.
- 05
Fiona's homeless tenants barricade themselves inside her apartment. Lip takes in a terrified Sierra and Lucas when her father is released from prison. Meanwhile Ian, despite warnings, provides sanctuary to a runaway teen, Frank considers his retirement and Debbie must choose between paying for school and paying for surgery to keep her toes.
- 06
The Gallaghers find themselves with money to burn as Carl sells their inheritance from Monica. Meanwhile, Fiona swears off random hookups to focus on her new apartment building; Lip deals with the sacrifice that comes with sobriety; and Frank emerges out of a meth-induced haze to make amends for decades of depravity.
- 07
A violent meth dealer threatens the Gallaghers, forcing Ian, Carl, Lip and Debbie to find a way to pay him off without involving Fiona. In the meantime, Fiona battles it out with a vindictive tenant; Lip cares for a down-and-out Professor Youens; and Frank - miraculously - attains something resembling sainthood.
- 08
A blast from the past shakes up Fiona's view of her life. Meanwhile, Frank gets involved with Liam's school and becomes the most popular dad in the PTA; Lip learns getting laid is harder than anticipated when sober; Ian crosses a boundary with a kid from the youth center; and Kev and V take a trip to meet his birth family.
- 09
We Few, We Lucky Few, We Band of Gallaghers!
Frank milks his injury for all its worth as Debbie, now the self-elected leader of the Gallagher family, cooks up a scam of her own. Lip and Tami get a surprise. Carl returns home from military school and Liam faces an identity crisis.
- 10
Frank hatches the idea for a new scheme when an unexpected visitor shows up at the Gallagher house. With Tami back in the house, Lip struggles to give up control of Fred. Debbie's fight for child support escalates and Carl tries to juggle multiple romantic prospects. Ian returns home and is immediately thrown in with a corrupt parole officer.
- 11
Fiona is involved in a road rage incident that damages a company car and leads her to tell a lie about how it happened. Meanwhile, Lip struggles in school and with the ladies.
- 12
Fiona sees opportunity in a laundromat for sale and decides to invest. Frank revels in the good fortune of his scam, but the troops catch a whiff of foul play. Meanwhile, Kev and V discover a shocking secret about Svetlana's father.
- 13
You'll Never Ever Get a Chicken in Your Whole Entire Life
Fiona learns that owning a laundromat is costlier than expected. Frank helps Liam get into a plush new school after his old one is permanently shut down. Meanwhile, Debbie cleans up her act and grows closer to Neil.
- 14
Fiona is forced to reflect on her own life after a lonely tenant dies and the duty of cleaning out the apartment falls upon her. Meanwhile, Debbie has a pregnancy scare and winds up in a compromising position, Lip enlists Carl's help to search for his sponsor and Frank enjoys having his first-ever credit card.
- 15
Frank's business takes a turn for the worse, sending him on the run through the Great White North. Ian's run-in with a minister brings about some unexpected allies. Meanwhile, Fiona tries (and fails) to fit in with Ford's group of friends, Carl's new girlfriend suffers separation anxiety and Lip must decide whether to tell Sierra about Charlie's past.
- 16
Ian's fame in the LGBTQIA community explodes but the sudden surge of 'followers' may be more than he can handle; Frank, however, finds a way to cash in. Meanwhile, Fiona struggles with her conscience when she learns about a worker who fell off her roof and Lip realizes his relationship with Professor Youens may not have been as special as he thought.
- 17
Fiona taps deep into her Gallagher roots to get the homeless family out of her apartment and dismiss their lawsuit. An explosive incident sends Ian and some of his followers into hiding from the authorities. Meanwhile, Lip makes a difficult decision in order to have the life he really wants, Carl looks for a way to go back to school without upsetting Kassidi, Debbie considers letting Derek back into Franny's life and Frank makes plans to take advantage of Liam's rich friend. Season finale.
- 18
Frank goes back in time to uncover his connection to Faye, as Debbie's day with Claudia's daughter goes awry. Carl takes extreme measures to toughen up his new group of cadets. Ian struggles to connect with Mickey after their blowup.
- 19
Frank spots a potential sugar momma in a bar patron named Dottie, whose health is failing fast but is living well on a city pension. Meanwhile, Fiona has her hands full with a new job tending bar, the kids and the new man in her life; and at home, Debbie wants a room of her own while Carl beds down in a van.
- 20
Frank stalks his previously unseen daughter Sammi and is surprised to learn that she has a son. Meanwhile, Fiona and Mike get serious; and Carl steals dogs and holds them for ransom, so he can earn some drug money for Frank. Also: Sheila has her first successful online date with a Native American cowboy named Roger Running Tree.
- 21
The aftermath of Liam's accident lands Fiona in county jail, unsure of Liam's condition or her future. The family, minus Frank, wait nervously for any update on Liam's status at the hospital. Meanwhile, after almost being killed by the sweat lodge, Frank wakes up in the emergency room and gets some sobering news about his declining health.
- 22
A Jailbird, Invalid, Martyr, Cutter, Retard, and Parasitic Twin
Lip is faced with being the Gallagher's guardian when Fiona is released from jail and ordered by the court to remain inside the house, and Frank continues to be out of commission due to his illness. Fortunately, he gets some unexpected assistance from Amanda, his roommate's girlfriend.
- 23
Ian gets upset when he learns he is under a mandatory 72-hour hold at the psych ward; Frank returns home from the hospital and refuses to apologize to Sammi; Jimmy and Gus have a face-to-face meeting about their futures with Fiona; Lip discovers he never filled out his financial aid forms and now owes thousands in tuition; Debbie tries to get out of the "friend zone" with Derek.
- 24
Frank starts to enjoy the company of his new sick friend and formerly uptight doctor, but she dumps him when she suspects he is developing feelings for her.
- 25
Sean moves into the Gallagher house; Fiona plans a traditional wedding; Kev is unhappy about the green card marriage.
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