Shameless: Season 2 Finale

Shameless is slowly becoming one of the best shows on TV. It’s silly, smart, hilarious, and at moments incredibly and wonderfully poignant. It delivers, and the season finale is no exception.

There are loose ends to be tied and tragedies to confront. Going into the last episode of the season, the Gallagher rollercoaster could fly off the tracks into any direction, and that’s the best place for a show to be: unpredictable. Yes! How refreshing.

Lip (Jeremy Allen White) isn’t the father. We left off beside Karen’s (Laura Slade Wiggins) hospital bed with the birth of not only a baby with Down Syndrome, but also an Asian baby. Oops. The moment was both humorous and heart breaking. What now? Instead of fleeing in a rage, Lip returns to Karen’s side. Meanwhile, Sheila (Joan Cusack) and Jody (Zach McGowan) decide what to do with their stolen baby. “We could put it in the dryer,” says Sheila; it’s the unabashed comedy that the show does so well. But, as always, the script is one step ahead and just as you find yourself laughing…shit gets real. Ultimately Sheila will have to decide: Karen or the baby?

Then, there’s the mess that is mother Monica Gallagher (Chloe Webb). Just when you thought she couldn’t corrupt her kids anymore, she tries to kill herself. She leaves Fiona (Emmy Rossum) and the family to clean up more than just her splattered blood. But with great tragedy always come great…sex! Steve (Justin Chatwin) and Fiona, it’s about time. The series, smartly, spent the entire season torturing us. Will they ever get back together?! I don’t want to ruin anything for you by getting too specific, but it happens…and it involves more than just a three-letter word, but a four.

A great season finale must always contain a “gasp” moment. Oh, and in this episode, it comes from the most unexpected place. Gasp! Scream! No way! Steve, aka Jimmy, finally invites Fiona and the kids to meet his family. Turns out this bunch is more messed up than we expected…awesome.

Oh, and Frank (William H. Macy)? Same-old-same old. Drunk, devious, and lacking any sort of direction. That’s a problem to confront next season.

So what separates Shameless from the rest of the shock-punching, sin-packing shows on premium, or these days regular cable? The cast. For the most part, they’re all brilliant. And the fact that the majority of them are under 30 makes it even more impressive.

The writers are confident in their actors, and it shows. The material is incredibly difficult. Stakes are high for every single character and the script demands dedicated, fearless performances, and that’s exactly what it gets. Emmy Rossum is a powerhouse, balancing vulnerability and strength like a tight-rope walker. Joan Cusack, who seems to be utterly wonderful in every role, is absolutely, positively insane. Any other actress would make a caricature out of Sheila, but she grounds her in her desperate, very much relatable need for safety. Chloe Webb couldn’t have been better cast, the kids on the show couldn’t be more charming, and Jeremy Allen White is slowly taking the show into his own hands: he’s one to watch.

But all in all, the show promises many more successful future seasons because its characters have depth. Unlike other Showtime shows that keep getting sluttier and sillier, Shameless takes itself seriously. That’s where the comedy comes from, and that’s the best place.