Frank has so many possible comorbidities Covid is just the thing that finally pushed him over the edge. In the finale episode he fumbled through delivering food while chewing on his own problems, namely that he may be a father again. Kids would come to our Chicago set, and tell us about how they were thrown out of their homes for being gay, lesbian or trans. The series ends without answering if Lip (Jeremy Allen White) sold the family home or if bar owners Kevin (Steve Howey) and Veronica (Shanola Hampton) sold it and moved to Louisville. In an interview with TVLine, Wells added that there isnt any hope of aShamelessspinoff for Frank or the rest of the Gallaghers. He has had multiple diseases and injuries over the seasons to the point where he has been incapacitated more than once. This is all most people will experience. If we never tell another story with them, I think we did a lot that Im proud of and that were all proud of. Sadly, the rest of the Gallagher clan never learn he is dying thanks to his ridiculously large hospital file, although Lip crosses paths with the ambulance without knowing it. All rights reserved. David Chase's game-changing HBO mob drama ushered in modern day's golden age of television. Kev and V seek buyers for the Alibi. We had written in various mentions of Fiona over the last two years, but Showtime asked us not to remind people of her absence. Shameless fans were wondering about Jimmy / Steve since he left the show for good back in Season 5 and had been hoping he would return to whisk Fiona away. Body aches, sore throat and . Copyright 2023 Distractify. I was also interested in Arthur (guest star Josh Malina) and Carl running the Alibi, it could have been funny as a cop bar story. Guess that's it. Knowing you didnt want to end Shameless, do you have any desire to do a spinoff? Debbie plunges into a dangerous world when she meets someone. The biological patriarch got the biggest sendoff of them all as the show followed him through a daze that could have been due to brain damage from the recent OD, his recently-diagnosed dementia or his surprise new diagnosis of COVID-19 or some combination of all of the above. In its final season, Shameless sought to reflect the losses many families have experienced during the pandemic. Its the same reason that at the end of ER we walked away from the hospital in the middle of a shift, and at the end of The West Wing Santos (Jimmy Smits) had just gone into the White House and Bartlet (Martin Sheen) was headed home. And fans were PISSED. Don't f*cking waste it. Though the shows are superficially dissimilar, Wells sees all of them as examinations of function or dysfunction. And did Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) ever finish parallel parking? Before he created Shameless, the long-running family drama that ended Sunday night on Showtime, John Wells was the showrunner of ER and later seasons of The West Wing, both on NBC. Aside fromhis final accession, the finale also lefteven moreup in the air: Lip (Jeremy Allen White) gets an offer tosell the family's home and hopes to start a new life with Tami (Kate Miner), their son Freddie and his brother Liam (Christian Isaiah). This was a series finale and Frank had come close to meeting his maker many times before, after all, and there were other stories to follow. Theres a great deal of wish fulfillment, even if its the Gallaghers and the way they handle it and their economic difficulties. Covid-19 is a mild infection for eight out of 10 people who get it and the core symptoms are a fever and a cough. And even Frank feels that. Wells has hinted towards the writers ideas about what the characters would get up to after the finale, but no spin-offs have been confirmed. And Shameless? I sure as hell did." There was some backlash. Thats an experience many people have had with relatives who have died of COVID. Why is Gina Carano not in The Mandalorian season 3 as Cara Dune? By the time the iconic HBO series reached its denouement in May 2019, a lot of fans were left wondering how this could've possibly been the best ending after eight epic seasons. As many expected, Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy) died in the final episode, and he ascended to the sky to deliver a monologue over his surviving family. I think shes down in Florida. Originally, we were thinking he would take his own life in an overdose. The penultimate episode gave us some pretty strong clues as to how the Showtime series would wrap up, but one major cliffhanger had us wondering: does Frank die? Meanwhile, the Gallaghers save for Emmy Rossums Fiona reunite at the Alibi, unaware of their fathers passing, to celebrate Ian and Mickeys wedding anniversary. After waking from his overdose, the Gallagher patriarch eventually ended up in the hospital, where he died of COVID. Best laid plans. In the sixth episode of this season, Frank is diagnosed with early stages of Alcoholic Dementia. Steve Has Been MIA From 'Shameless' Since Season 5, but Could He Return? We didnt try and solve anything. We planned on alcoholic dementia when we were only a few days from shooting when everything shut down in March [2020], Wells began. We werent trying to do a Very Special Episode, Wells said. When the iconic NBC comedy signed off in 1998 after nine seasons, original co-creator Larry David returned to really drive home how little the show's core four characters had learnedand how kinda awful they'd been all along. It seemed unrealistic to do something about the South Side of Chicago and people living barely above the poverty line and not have anybody succumb to this horrible pandemic. We will never know. Showtime has just announced that the final season will premiere on Sunday, Dec. 6. Try and walk in other peoples shoes. Not that these issues werent always there, but they became front and center after a number of horrific incidents of police brutality. In my mind, she winds up back with Jimmy-Steve (Justin Chatwin). Despite much hope among fans, Emmy Rossum, who left the show in season nine in 2019, did not return forthe finaleto reprise her role of Frank's eldest daughter Fiona Gallagher. Is the purpose of the police to protect the well-off from the not-well-off? When the iconic NBC comedy signed off in 1998 after nine seasons, original co-creator Larry David returned to really drive home how little the show's core four characters had learnedand how kinda awful they'd been all along. How did you decide he would get Covid? Having all these stories out there reminds people that the things that they might be ashamed of and feel need to be hidden, nah weve got to talk about it. He even gets a tattoo across his chest in the seasons tenth episode, which reads Do Not Resuscitate. However, the upcoming season may see him open his eyes once again, but does that mean he will survive? In the post-credits, his body, saturated with ingested alcohol, is cremated, with explosive results. Its not like we took out the healthiest individual youve ever seen. Instead, his poor sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) met her demise and he escaped Miami to restart asa lumberjack in Oregon?! "So, it was disappointing for everybody, and we would've loved to have her back, and she wanted to come back, but it was one of those things that couldn't get done during the pandemic.". Kevin (Steve Howey) and Veronica (Shanola Hampton). The pandemic also prevented Rossums return to reprise her role as former leading lady Fiona Gallagher when travel bans amid a COVID surge eliminated that possibility. And then went out with a bang. Despite much hope among fans, Emmy Rossum, who left the show in season nine in 2019, did not return forthe finale to reprise her role of Fiona Gallagher. And then went out with a bang. It seemed appropriate for Frank. It's a question we've asked about William H. Macy's character more times than we'd like to admit, as his rambunctious behavior has left him with plenty of hospital stays and even at the bottom of a lake. Shameless: Breaking Down Frank Gallagher's Fate During the Series Finale. Showrunner John Wells spoke to Deadline about the finale, explaining why Frank had to go, and why Fiona didn't return. Those who want to imagine the Alibi wont fall to the fate of Patsys Pies can certainly do so, and doing so may also imagine a better future for Carl, who became an unexpected positive force for the family in the later seasons. Beyond everything else in the show that people love, what I was always most attracted to was no matter how difficult things were, this was a group of people who loved each other and came together even when they were angry with each other. Learn how Gallagher can help with your COVID-19 efforts. "People say you can't drink your troubles away," Frank muses. In the 10th episode of the season, Frank opts to get a "do not resuscitate" tattoo across his chest, seemingly trying to take the burden of making that decision off of his children. Five simple words are all we need to explain why this iconic CW drama's finale missed the mark: Dan Humphrey was Gossip Girl. Over 11 seasons, Shameless conveyed the outrageous and topical stories of the Gallaghers, a sprawling family with largely absent addict parents Frank and Monica (played by William H. Macy and Chloe Webb), leaving the daughter Fiona (Emmy Rossum) to raise her younger siblings Lip (Jeremy Allen White), Ian (Cameron Monaghan), Debbie (Emma Kenney), Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) and Liam (Christian Isaiah). Wed find the humor in these stories but these are life-and-death issues for families who live on the margin. The showrunner and executive producer John Wells weighed in on the plans for Franks ending. In what world?! Not that theres ever a good transition after that, but focusing on the episode Frank rises above the South Side on his bar stool, beer in hand, looking back on his life. This interview includes spoilers for Sundays series finale of Shameless.. There's certainly some schadenfreude in this, Frank always thinking he can skate by. To find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you: Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233. Showrunner, John Wells, confirmed that this was indeed the end of the series we know, but not necessarily goodbye to the characters. Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! For Debbie (Emma Kenney) that meant falling for the woman who, just last week, threatened to shoot her daughter. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner John Wells confirmed Frank is actually dead. We couldn't figure out how to do it in a way that would work with her schedule. It's hard to believe that the Gallagher family has been a part of our lives for the past 10 years we've literally watched the actors and their respective characters grow up right before our eyes every Sunday night. Thats hard for us to accept. However, the penultimate episode of season 11 has caught the fans off-guard as it implies the patriarch's death. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In my mind, Lip gets a motorcycle shop and settles in and loses the neighborhood and becomes the new patriarch for that crazy family. While he has constantly been misusing substances and landing in trouble, his kids raised themselves and learned to look out for each other. I never want to complain about it, because Ive been on the good side of that equation. Why do you think Shameless wasnt part of a larger cultural conversation, particularly during awards seasons? Not only does Frank die, but he does so alone and the series ends without his family knowing about it. So when Heidi suggested blowing Chicago and hitting the open road, Debbie seemed amenable to the idea, despite previously warring with Lip (Jeremy Allen White) over his attempts to sell their family home. Daenerys (Emilia Clark) suddenly a fascist villain? He eventually returned positive for COVID-19 and died in the ER after the nurses and doctors discovered the DNR instruction on his chest. So, the island was purgatory, right? I want to think what I want to think about the characters, where they end up and what happens with them and have the audience have those conversations with others over drinks. As the light fades for us, I think and hope we will remember the things that bring us joy, and a lot of that would be parents remembering their children. What are our responsibilities to each other? The events towards the end of season 11 hint that Frank does not intend to live any longer and might prefer to leave the world on his terms rather than suffering more. You may remember that in season 4, he needs a liver transplant but ends up losing a kidney instead, in an illegal procedure. Debs (Emma Kenney) plans on moving to Texas with her daughter Franny (Paris Newton)and a new girlfriend. What do you hope viewers take away from those scenes? I dont have any explanation for why The Wire was never the most decorated show in television history. The current 7-day average of new deaths (453) decreased 9.7% compared with the previous 7-day average (502). Frank has seemed essentially indestructible on Shameless. If you hated the way Lena Dunham's HBO comedy ended, with a half-hour that focused merely on Hannah Horvath with a bit of Allison Williams' Marnie thrown in, helping to raise Hannah's baby, may we suggest you think of it as merely an ill-advised epilogue and allow the penultimate episodewhich saw Hannah saying goodbye to all of the titular girls in a truly emotionally effective half-hourto act as the show's true finale. In the hospital, Frank's fever spikes as he tests positive for COVID-19. I say youre just not drinking enough. Were so invested as writers and audience members in their lives that you want to fill in some blanks and not run the American Graffiti end crawl. Another factor that seems to be tied to Franks possible death is Fionas return. However, she did tweet last week, "I'm so proud of this cast and am immensely honored to have been a part of a show as unique and impactful as Shameless. And just like that, Frank Gallagherhas shamelessly risen above it all. However, there's no denying that his relationships with his children have grown over the last season, which is why this scene is decidedly painful. On the finale, the Gallagher family patriarch ( William H. Macy) died of COVID-19. He embarked on countless schemes that brought any last ounce of his morals into question, and he has continued to be a thorn in his children's sides. Its not like we took out the healthiest individual youve ever seen. 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