Shameless Season 9: The decline and fall of Fiona Gallagher is a necessary tragedy for a show getting too happy for its own good
The beauty of 'Shameless' is that no matter how optimistic you are about any given outcome, the writers will always find a way to take a sledgehammer to your pathetic little bubble. For a moment there was a sinking feeling that Fiona Gallagher was going to achieve what no Gallagher ever had: Peace of mind, money in the bank, and respect. Fat chance!
Fiona has been the rock of the Gallagher family, albeit one with more cracks than china in a shop that has just had a bull run through it, but a sturdy anchor nevertheless. Her run-ins with the law and other humans have mostly been born from an inherent frustration of a young, reluctant parent forced to devote the best years of their lives to ungrateful snot-noses, all the while being trampled upon by a parent whose skills are straight out of the 'Alcoholic's Guide to Screwing Up Your Child' playbook.