'Shameless' season 9: Who was the more shameless character this episode, Frank or Ian?

'Shameless' season 9: Who was the more shameless character this episode, Frank or Ian?

This past week's 'Shameless' episode gave us a lot in terms of action-packed-drama if nothing else. While the Gallaghers and their favorites cohorts, the balls were busy being their usual shameless selves, two of them, in particular, took things to a whole new level when it comes to how far the Gallaghers are ready to go to achieve their own agenda. Topping the list, of course, and yet again, is the Gallagher patriarch, Frank (William H. Macy) and next in line, is the usually not so shameless, but the most erratic Gallagher son, Ian. (Cameron Monaghan)

 

For starters, Frank was campaigning for a pedophile to be elected into office, and once he was able to accomplish that mission, guess what he did with the craftily earned campaign money? That's right, he did what Frank would do in any given circumstance, and decided to drink all that campaign money away. But getting ridiculously drunk is not where he stopped, there was also an instance of a forced encounter with a hooker where he tried to get her to clock back in to get him aroused, which was followed by him electroshocking his penis with a little bit of help from - get this - his youngest son, Liam! 

You'd think he would rest after getting shocked, but no. He also attempted to unstrap a psych ward patient just for some free access to Vicodin, which of course ended poorly for him, leading us to beg just one thing from this pure gem of a character - Please never, ever change, Frank Gallagher. What would Shameless be without your sorry excuse for a moral compass, or the lack, thereof?



 

 

Next, Ian Gallagher. The Messiah,  or Gay Jesus, as he has been referred to in the recent past has had a lot of soul searching to do, but none of that could have possibly culminated to this. Because, even if not entirely shameless about the end outcome, Ian does do some pretty questionable things to reach his end goal. While his elder sister, Fiona (Emmy Rossum) believes he should plead not guilty by reason of insanity, instead of taking her advice, he decides to follow the suggestions of the equally unstable and sinister Mr. Milovich, and dyes his hair black before trying to escape and heads for the train station.

Luckily, Ian's better judgment comes into play and he forfeits the plan, deciding to eventually return home and engage in a heart-to-heart conversation with older brother Lip over a lot of ice cream. Eventually, he goes to court with his supportive family - including Fiona - and delivers one of the most passionate and emotional speeches on the show ever. A speech that could probably be highlighted as one of the most poignant examples of Monaghan's own acting skills, as he portrays Ian eventually entering the insanity plea.

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 Shameless season 9 Who was the more shameless character this episode Frank or Ian