'Shameless' Season 10 Episode 4 takes a subtle dig at Friends' lack of diversity and it's beyond perfect
This article contains spoilers for season 10, episode 4.
Tonight's episode of 'Shameless' - the showtime dramedy known for its diverse, and all-inclusive cast, takes a jab at one of the most shaded sitcoms in today's woke era - 'Friends'.
This fourth episode of the ongoing season shows Veronica Ball and her new best friend, Mimi, bonding on a whole other level, as Mimi is able to convince V to try a stint at being a prescription drug representative. V is a natural, and the doctors being predominantly African-American in their part of town, she also has the insight on how Mimi, an Asian woman, could coax the buyers into caving in. The key is a comparison with a jar of pickles, it seems. But before all of that can happen, earlier in the day, Mimi arrives at The Alibi to request a Bloody Mary and rant about the impossibly difficult to get through to 'Black doctors'. And as V hears her out, and the two have a back and forth interaction about the issue, Kevin pretty much keeps staring at the two with blissful glee.
According to Kevin, V and Mimi discussing their life issues is pretty much like the 'two women, from that old show - Friends'. Kev makes a reference to the evergreen NBC sitcom 'Friends' which was a comedy that generations have grown up with. But while the show was hilarious in its times, in recent years, the woke culture has been able to critically shame the show for its racist, transphobic, homophobic, sexist, body-shaming jokes, and of course, for its all-white main cast. Noting this lack of inclusivity on the show, V points out "There were no black friends!" Mimi chimes in, adding: "Nor Asian ones."
The obvious diss from a show that's all about the minorities amidst the desolate, was long coming. While 'Friends' made a point to mock and ridicule one of its lead character's father for being a crossdresser, on 'Shameless' we had an openly gay guy date a trans-man, and now, V - a black woman, is helping out Liam - a biological black child born to white parents - reconnect with his roots. Even though a lot of people might point out that 'Shameless' never had an Asian character either, Mimi's entrance has solved that too, especially considering she looks like she will play quite a significant role this season.
'Shameless' season 10 airs on Sundays at 9 pm only on Showtime.
