Shameless Season 5 Episode 8 Review: Uncle Carl
Whitney Evans
at
.
Updated at
.
Is Ian the new Monica?
Monica must have been mentioned a dozen times on Shameless Season 5 Episode 8 and it's hard not to put the two of them into the same category. When Ian came home, he still wasn't accepting his diagnosis and he was very resistant to his medication, which as everyone pointed out to him, was a very Monica approach.
Ian wasn't the only one struggling this week, as Fiona tried to figure out just what was happening between her and Gus, Lip continued looking for ways to pay for school and Carl, with an assist from Frank, put Chuckie in an awful situation.
This was really Ian's week in the Gallagher world, as his release and diagnosis were weighing heavily on everyone's mind. I was disappointed in Mickey when he didn't show up to pick Ian up, but Ian's cold demeanor in Shameless Season 5 Episode 7 really threw him for a loop.
Everyone was excited to have Ian home, but Ian was less than thrilled about his medication. And with Debbie preoccupied texting boy toy Derek, Ian took the opportunity to flush all his medication down the drain.
Watching Ian float in the dirty, leaf filled pool was a striking image. No one knows what he's going through and it must be a jarring feeling to one day just be living your life and the next day be told you have a disease that will require you to take pills for the rest of your life.
Aside from just that, Mickey's absence was clearly adding to Ian's distress.
Ian: I think this might be the end with Mickey. The diagnosis, you know, even if I don't believe it, I'm pretty sure he does.
Fiona: Well, if it makes you feel any better, I already blew it with my husband and I don't have any kind of diagnosis to pin it on.
Ian: Gallagher's.
Fiona: Gallagher's.
Leave it to Debbie to be the kick in the butt Mickey needed to stop feeling sorry for himself and support his partner. I kept waiting and waiting for him to come around and the wait was worth it, as their closing scene in bed was perfect. Ian looked at peace for the first time since he left the hospital and Mickey looked ready to fully be there for the person he loves.
Hey, I'm sorry I'm late.
Mickey [to Ian]
You're just in time, Mick.
Fiona spent a lot of her day trying to figure out if her marriage was still intact. Gus wasn't speaking much and gearing up to go on tour and she was getting advice from everyone on what to do next.
I can't believe for a second that Fiona wouldn't be worried that her very handsome, musician husband might step out on her while he was out on tour. That has to be a thought that goes through your head at least once! But then again, I guess she was more concerned with just figuring out if he still wanted to be married to her.
Fiona got some advice from Sean and while it was the best advice she'd gotten from anyone, the scene was written to suggest that the flirtatious Fiona/Sean relationship from earlier in the season isn't over yet. And I'm not quite sure how I feel about that. Thoughts on this?
So either fight for this marriage or cut him loose. Let him lick his wounds and move on, ya know? This halfway thing you're doing, giving him space, it's kind of fucked. Right? If this is a relationship you wanna save, then you gotta fucking save it.
Sean [to Fiona]
Fiona took Sean's advice and she fought for Gus, even offering to come join him on the road once things settled down at home. Gus really wasn't having this though and it's hard not to interpret that sidewalk kiss on the side of the head as a goodbye. Just like Jimmy/Steve/Jack last week, Fiona is left on a sidewalk wondering how the hell things got to this point.
The fight between Frank and Sammi hit an all time high this week, with Frank sneakily coming up with a way to truly punish his daughter. It's very obvious that through all her faults, Chuckie is the one thing in her life that she actually does seem to care about. Sure she's a pretty awful role model/mother, but she does love her son in her own way.
When Carl got a slight drug dealing promotion (ugh) and was tasked with running a large batch of heroin to Michigan, Frank convinced him to place the drugs on Chuckie. I didn't think anything of it, until the police showed up at the bus station and then I knew Frank had to be behind it.
Can you really blame Sammi for wanting Carl to come forward and confess? Was she supposed to be okay with her son going to jail for Carl's mistakes?
I get why the family was pissed at her but if the roles were reversed, they would have turned on Chuckie in a heartbeat.
Hey uncle Carl! I didn't know we were going to be neighbors. Will you tell me a story?
Chuckie
That may be punishment enough for Carl.
Elsewhere, Lip is still short on the tuition money and he got Kev to come up to his school and sell pot on the side to raise money. He got a couple hundred dollars, which wasn't nearly enough, but he was able to buy himself another week.
I loved his conversation with the financial aid guy, when he finally put into words what being in school means to him. He could take a semester off, but would he really come back? We all know he wouldn't. His family will always need him, but with a degree he'll be able to help them in so many different ways.
While at college, Kev was living it up and even shacking up with a co-ed! And of course this happened when V finally came around and realized what a wonderful thing she had with Kev. After a disastrous date with Eddie Murphy and a weird pillow walk session with Svetlana, V seemed ready to change her tune. But now we've got another obstacle standing in their way!
Alright people, another solid episode this week! What did you guys think of "Uncle Carl"? How will Sammi react when she finds out Frank was behind Chuckie's arrest? Are Fiona and Gus officially over? Will Ian start taking his medication? Will Carl go to jail?
Hit up the comments and let's talk about it all!
Whitney Evans is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lover of all things TV. Follow her on X.
