Shameless Season 9 Episode 7 Review: Down Like the Titanic
Paul Dailly
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All roads lead back to the Gallagher house.
That's what Fiona realized on Shameless Season 9 Episode 7 as her hopes and dreams combusted in front of her eyes.
Fiona has been trying for years to leave her humble beginnings behind, and that's why it was so heartbreaking to watch this character lose everything.
It's incredible how one shady business deal and one dud of a boyfriend can screw up everything. Fiona's biggest concern was her credit being destroyed by defaulting on the two mortgages.
That's why Max appeared to reel in Fiona and agree to sell her building for a cut price. His offer would allow her to break even as far as the building is concerned, taking her all the way back to square one.
Despite my issues with Ford, he was right to tell Fiona to steer well clear of Max. He can talk the back legs off of a donkey and has charisma for days.
Neighbor: Shut the hell up.
Fiona: You shut the hell up. I’m a fucking mermaid.
It was difficult not to be frustrated that Fiona was buying into all of it because he's not a friend. He's business-minded and only cares about adding another zero on to his bank balance.
Finding out your boyfriend has a wife, and that you're going to lose everything is not something to be celebrated, and I was initially confused why Fiona was buying all of the party supplies.
Living with her siblings again is a huge step back, but it only makes me intrigued about the prospect of her bouncing back, and becoming the financially stable person she always aspired to be.
The insurance fraud was a dumb move. If Emmy Rossum's final installment ends with her being sent down for a stint on the inside, I would probably not watch any more of the series.
Fiona: I don’t have the 25k.
Max: You don’t have 25k? Who doesn’t have 25k?
Fiona: Me.
The most likely scenario here is that she skips town with the aim of making a fresh start elsewhere, and who can blame her? She's spent much of her life doing things for the benefit of others.
I do hope she doesn't get back with Ford because if he lied about having a wife, there's no telling what other stuff he can lie about down the line.
The best part of "Down Like the Titanic" was that the family rallied around Fiona after realizing there was something seriously wrong with her.
If you watch Shameless online, you know Fiona's had her differences with all of her siblings, but the way Debbie set out to publicly shame Ford was satisfying.
Related: Shameless Shocker: Emmy Rossum Leaving!
For now, Fiona's back with her family, and it will be fun to discover her next move. Will she turn to her old ways, or will she try to find what she considers success?
While Fiona was returning to the Gallagher home, Frank was planting roots in Ingrid's house.
Frank has always been someone who takes advantage of situations to get what he wants:
A roof over his head and enough money for all the beer in the world.
Frank wanted Ingrid ever since he realized that she could fulfill his sexual needs, and probably thought he won the lottery when he realized she was a therapist.
I was shocked to the core that Frank was under the desk pleasuring Ingrid while she was doling out advice to a patient.
That was downright crazy, and it's the last thing you expect your therapist to be doing while you're paying for them.
Related: Shameless: Cameron Monaghan Quits!
Randy was rather funny because he didn't notice straight away that Frank was manipulating the situation.
Instead, he wanted Frank to know his wife was genuinely unwell, and he was fooling himself if he thought otherwise.
Now that Frank's managed to talk Randy into taking a break after years of looking after Ingrid, Frank is going to witness the true extent of her condition.
Will he want to stay with her for the food and board, or will he decide to cut her loose?
Did anyone else love everything from Kev and V? I wholeheartedly agree that it would be difficult to part ways with your child's belongings.
Even if they grow out of the clothes or the toys, there's a sentimental value to them. But I could also see why V wanted to get rid of some stuff.
It's tough living in a small environment, and when there's so much clutter, it makes things a whole lot worse.
The fascinating part about this debate between them was that we learned where they both stood regarding having another child.
V was so dismissive that it shocked me. At the very least, I expected her to take Kev's word on board, and I'm glad she realized the way she was acting by the end of the episode.
V is not willing to give birth to another baby, but she's happy to go through the adoption process when the time comes.
That's all Kev wanted. He needed reassurance that there was a possibility. Just like that, all was right for them again.
Other tidbits from the episode:
- Tammy is not a great character, and I hated that Lip felt like he had to prove a point by having sex with her again.
- Debbie having Ford strung up was hilarious. He deserved everything he got. He lied to Fiona a little too much.
- Even though Ian is gone, he's still messing with the family. The alarm clock trick was smart.
Okay, Shameless Fanatics. What's your take on the midseason finale?
Hit the comments below.
Shameless returns in January!
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
