“Am I the male Butterface?” – Frank
I’ve said time and time again that I love the kids — every one of them — on Shameless. Fiona (Emmy Rossum) and Lip (Jeremy Allen White) are simply fantastic, and both deserve Emmy consideration. My problem with the cast — and the show in general — has always been Frank (William H. Macy).
I could totally see myself enjoying Shameless as much, if not even more so, if it were about a group of siblings trying to survive (while also having a kick-ass time) without the burden of any parents. It’s virtually impossible to make the argument that these kids wouldn’t be better off without Frank in their lives. The same can be said regarding the show itself. I have a strong inkling that I would much rather watch a Frank-less version of Shameless.
Frank’s unrepentant terribleness drags the whole show down. I love watching Fiona race barefoot along Lake Michigan. I Love watching Lip and Kev (Steve Howey) sell beer and cigarettes to middle-schoolers. Hell, I even like watching Veronica (Shanola Hampton) shuttle senior citizens around in a van. What I DON”T love watching is Frank making life even more difficult for the people who “care” about him — people who already have it hard enough.
If you thought Frank’s use of Liam (Blake Alexander Johnson) as collateral for a gambling bet was bad in last week’s premiere, he ups the ante considerably in Summer Loving. When Sheila (Joan Cusack) shows considerable progress toward conquering her agoraphobia, Frank realizes it’s only a matter of time until she discovers what a complete scum-bag he is.
Luckily for Frank, he hears some gossip at the Alibi Room about a former bar regular named Dottie A.K.A Butterface (Molly Price). Butterface has a heart condition and without a transplant she will surely die. Like a buzzard circling a wounded buffalo, Frank senses a morbid opportunity. If he’s able to weasel his way into her heart, he might be able to score a piece of her pension when she croaks.
Enough about Frank, just thinking about the sleazy shit he pulls is making me upset.
While “Summer Love” was (unfortunately) pretty Frank-heavy, the other Gallaghers were up to some stuff as well.
Ian (Cameron Monaghan) welcomed Mickey (Noel Fisher) home from jail with some Fast Times at Ridgemont High-style dug-out sex.
Fiona decided — against Jasmine’s (Amy Smart) cajoling — to decline to sleep with a rich friend of Jasmine’s sugar-daddy. Instead, her romantic compass seems to be pointing in the direction of a guy she had a crush on in high school.
Lip’s love life is at a crossroads when he spies Karen (Laura Wiggins) making out with Jody the biker (Zach McGowan), despite claiming to have never slept with him.
To sum things up: I’m actually cool with all of the story lines that seem to developing in Shameless’ second season. I continue to hope that the show will marginalize Frank — or even better, have him get hit by the L. Either way, I’m still digging the show and the direction it seems to be heading.
Some stats and info about Shameless, “Summer Love”
TV SHOW – Shameless
NETWORK/STREAMING SERVICE – Showtime
GENRE – Drama, Relationship Shows
CREATED BY – Paul Abbott, John Wells
CAST – William H. Macy, Ethan Cutosky, Jeremy Allen White, Shanola Hampton, Steve Howey, Emma Kenney, Cameron Monaghan, Emmy Rossum, Michael Patrick McGill
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.