'Shameless' Season 9 Finale: Fiona's long goodbye and the silence of Frank's eyes

This season was supposed to exude Pathos, and end with a moment of Southside glam...all flashbacks and memories.

So, it's goodbye then Fiona Gallagher, long may the wreck you left behind churn out splinters. We've known this was Fiona's last season on 'Shameless' ever since Emmy Rossum announced her departure, and we've braced for what was expected to be a heart-wrenching montage to love, heartbreak, tragedy and emotional catastrophe.

The season finale had none of that, except for one fleeting moment when we found it hard to breathe, choking on a nugget of emotion that the series often slams into your chest. And it was all down to Frank Gallagher.

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