The season 3 premiere of Shameless is just a few hours away, so to help refresh your memory from all those Gallagher-free months, we left the Alibi Room and compiled an catch-up guide. We also used our powers of penmanship to create a list of the top five things you need to know about tonight’s episode, “El Gran Canon.” Plus, we’ve got the dirty details on all the upcoming Chicago shenanigans from William H. Macy. Read on for all the dysfunctionally fun scoop below!
Show: Shameless
Where We Left Off: After the world’s most horrible Thanksgiving (Monica tried to commit suicide in from of the entire family AND Lip found out that Karen’s baby wasn’t his!) the Gallaghers ended season two feeling pretty crappy. Jimmy tried to get back in Fiona’s good graces so he invited all the kids to a dinner with his parents and surprise! It turns out that Ian’s older slumber party pal is actually Jimmy’s dad, uh-oh! Frank tried to break Monica out of the psych-ward but was devastated when he discovered that not only did she not want to go, but she had also met a new lady lover. Jody and Sheila decided to babynap Karen’s mentally ill newborn from the hospital and when Karen asked her mother to choose between her and the baby, Sheila chose the baby. Karen left town, Frank once again got incredibly wasted, and Lip moved back home with Fiona and the kids.
Biggest Jaw-Dropper of The Fall: That would definitely be meeting Monica — the Gallaghers’ bi-polar and reckless mother. It was infuriating to see this manic woman try and break her way back into the family, gain their trust and then blow all the money they worked all summer for. Then when the Gallaghers were finally having an amazing family moment, Monica shocked us all when tried to slice her wrists on the kitchen floor. Seriously?! WTF?
Biggest Let-Down of The Fall: Ugh. That title belongs to Karen. She was completely horrible this season! First she started dating this this long-haired hippy weirdo from her sex addicts anonymous group, then she messed with Lip’s heart, and to top it all off she got pregnant! Fast-forward to the season two finale and we see that it wasn’t even Lip’s baby and she’s even more of a heartless bitch then we could’ve ever imagined! She’s a whiny spoiled brat and if we never see her again then that would be just wonderful.
Most Improved Character: Lip. And that’s not just because we find him oddly attractive. Lip has really proven himself to be an invaluable member of the Gallagher clan and fans saw Fiona’s confidence leading the family nearly crumble when Lip moved out. Plus watching him fall for Karen and show his more vulnerable side was a huge step for a teenage from the south side.
Least Improved Character: Liam. True he’s just a baby, but we always seem to forget about him.
What We Ultimately Want to See: We want the Gallaghers to find a way to have a steady and consistent income. It’s stressful to watch Fiona freak out each and every episode because she can’t pay the [insert specific bill here]. We want to see Fiona accomplish her goals — whatever they may be — and have the luxury of a more reliable pay flow. We want to see what the craziness looks like without the money-fueled anxiety.
What Would Make us Turn Our Backs: It would have to be something pretty serious because we love this show too damn much. But if were to see Lip not take advantage of his brilliant mind and waste away in south side Chicago, then we’d definitely start sharing some depressed drinks with Frank in the Alibi.
5 Reasons You Should Keep Watching: The season three premiere, “El Gran Canon” is jam-packed with numerous reasons as to why you need to keep watching this dysfunctional drama, but we’ll go ahead and limit it down to five.
1. There have been 137 days since the Gallagher’s have seen their pathetic patriarch and it turns out that Frank’s love for tequila lead him to head south of the border. Be prepared for a wild (and cringe-worthy) adventure on Frank’s multiple attempted journey back to Chicago.
2. At the end of the second episode, Veronica and Kev received an unexpected knock at their door. She’s a blast from Kev’s past and if you though Monica was crazy, just get ready for this batshit blonde to enter the scene. Oh and did we mention she brought a kid with her? That’s a very important detail to know…
3. Get excited for some truly amazing Gallagher family craziness. William H. Macy revealed the secret to Shameless’s success, “I think at the core the thing that makes the Gallagher family so appealing is that it’s a family and blood is thinker than anything. You can burn down their house, you can steal their car you can take a job away, but of you try to split up the family you will see ferocity like you’ve never seen before.”
4. In the first three episodes Fiona will have three different jobs, and three horrible bosses. The first is inconsiderate and smelly. The second is hormonal and bitchy. And the third is chauvinistic and appalling. Watching Fiona plot against the third is one of the retaliations we’ve ever seen.
5. Although Macy revealed that there are countless comedic moments this season there are many serious storylines that will hit all of our favorite characters. Macy said, “[Frank] finally has to pay the piper for years of self-abuse, that’s really dramatic.” Well it’s about damn time. He’s been drinking like a fish for more than a decade!
Make sure to watch the season three premiere of Shameless Sunday at 8 PM on ABC
What are you most looking forward to seeing from Shameless this year? Take to the comments to spill all your thoughts!
Follow Leanne on Twitter @LeanneAguilera
[Photo Credit: Showtime]
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