After nearly a decade, this month Shameless begins its 11th and final season on Showtime, officially making it the network’s longest-running series. The Gallaghers promise to be up to their usual tricks as the series returns. When the show left off last season, Lip (Jeremy Allen White) was a new father, Debbie (Emma Kenney) ruled the roost in the absence of eldest sister Fiona (Emmy Rossum, who had left the show), Frank (William H. Macy) was still being Frank, and — in maybe the biggest news — Ian (Cameron Monaghan) tied the knot with longtime love Mickey Milkovich (Noel Fisher) after their stay in prison together.
What could the final season bring? It’s impossible to predict what the crazy Gallagher family will do next, but there is one thing viewers can expect when the series returns — the coronavirus. Just because the show is a comedy doesn’t mean it will ignore the pandemic, and audiences can expect multiple Gallaghers to come down with COVID-19. Executive producer John Wells said of the decision, “It’s impossible to do a satirical comedy about the working poor without addressing what happened and what is going to happen to that community.” He elaborated, “The challenge, of course, is making it feel funny because there’s not much that’s funny about it.”
As this last batch of episodes kicks off, we hope that after 11 seasons the show comes to a worthwhile end. Will any of the Gallaghers leave the South Side for good? Could we see Fiona one last time? Will the seemingly invincible Frank finally kick the bucket? We raise a toast from the Alibi to this chaotic show and the family that has kept us enthralled for years.
Shameless > Season Premiere > Dec. 6