Shameless season 9 episode 8 reaction: Lip & Tani’s future; family separation

Tonight, Shameless season 9 episode 8 finally returned with new episodes, and one thing feels very clear: This family is still a mess. Yet, they do love one another and on some level, they care for each other. We saw that orchestrated perfectly in the closing minutes with Fiona, who is clearly falling apart after everything that she has been through.

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What we saw from the character tonight is pretty simple: She’s a terrible waitress, her alcoholism is spiraling out of control, and she’s at a point now where Kevin and V are having to bring her back to the Gallagher house after crazy nights at the bar. It’s a tough life right now for this character, but we still are doing our best to hope for some better things coming around the bend for her.

Beyond just this, we’re also doing our best to hope that some of these characters work through their other issues. When it comes to Lip, for example, you have the character of Tami. He’s trying to establish a better relationship with her, and in turn, she’s trying to turn the Gallagher home into something other than a disaster. That means them all using different bars of soap, and then also of course them wearing separate underwear. He’s also doing what he can to turn the basement into a different living arrangement for them, which is probably still going to take some work.

For Carl, he’s finding a way to make some more money for himself! Unfortunately, the way in which he’s doing that is a little bit less than ideal. He and Kelly are wading into the business of racketeering, which is every bit as illegal as you would imagine it to be on the surface. They’re also trying to siphon the neighbors’ power in order to recharge some scooters, which they’re hoping to use in order to get some added coin to their coffers. Debbie is going into penny-pinching mode, after all, largely due to the fact that she and Lip are the only two people in the house with real jobs and Fiona hasn’t been paying the bills.

Then, there’s Frank

Tonight, he made the decision that he would help Ingrid make her dream of being a mother into a reality. With that, he attempted to donate some of his sperm … but then eventually ended up tricking Carl into giving him his. Ingrid’s got a chance to make her dream come true, while Carl unknowingly could end up being a father.

Yep, it’s true: Frank is still Frank, otherwise known as the worst parent of the year.

Meet Santiago

Here is where Shameless waded into some controversial waters. Kevin wanted nothing more than to have a son, but what he didn’t realize until later was that this National Anthem-singing kid from Mexico was separated from his family at the border. He has a family, but the government is keeping them apart. This was Shameless getting topical in a way that was ultimately heartfelt, but without separating itself from some of its signature tone.

CarterMatt Verdict

Shameless season 9 episode 8 did remind us (subconsciously) that we still miss Ian, but in the process it does remain one of the most consistently entertaining shows out there. Even if we only have six more episodes without Emmy Rossum, we still think that these will be worthwhile.

Related News – Be sure to get some other news on Shameless, including more on what lies ahead

What did you think about Shameless season 9 episode 8 overall? Be sure to share some of your thoughts in the attached comments. (Photo: Showtime.)