MICKEY IS BACK!

After what seems like an eternity, Mickey Milkovich made his triumphant return on Shameless Season 7 Episode 10, but it was pretty darn obvious things were not going to easily return to the way they were for him and Ian. 

When you think about it, Ian's life has been very different without Mickey. As Fiona pointed out, it's been better. Ian has a career and a purpose in life, but going on the lam with Mickey will not do much for his long-term aspirations. 

"Ride or Die" was an apt title for this episode of the Showtime hit. If you've watched the show over the past seven years, you probably already knew that Mickey was Ian's ride or die. 

Ian genuinely went back and forth before making his decision about whether to leave for Mexico with Mickey. I mean, we all like when characters get to where we want them, but somehow, I don't think we've seen the last of them yet. 

Mickey being on the run paved the way for us to find out the specifics of how he managed to make it on the outside. With the increased police activity on the South Side, he made sure to have some minions to help him get to Ian. 

I'm conflicted about whether Mickey should have reached out to Ian. I get that he loves him, but did he really think it would be a good idea to go on the run with the love of his life?

He could have sucked it up and let Ian resume his life with at least a little bit of normalcy. Mickey knows very well that he can never return to the South Side. Unless of course, he wants to wind up back in prison.

I would love to say I'm thrilled about the return of Mickey, but I just wish it was under better circumstances. 

With that in mind, I cheered when Mickey got rid of the hat and the long hair. Noel Fisher did not suit that look in the slightest. I refused to believe that was Mickey until that point. 

Ian was not the only Gallagher who faced a tough decision. Fiona literally put her all into the laundromat, so it's perfectly understandable that she would be apprehensive about selling it. 

The South Side is slowly, but surely, being overrun by the richer folk who live there, and that's going to mean bad things for the people who struggle to make ends meet. 

Margo's offer was one that Fiona could not refuse. Fiona paid $80,000 for the laundromat so earning double that would be an amazing amount of money. 

What seemed like pocket change to Margo, would be life altering for Fiona. I completely understand Fiona wanting to stick by Etta, but she isn't really Fiona's responsibility. 

It would be great if there was a situation in which both of them came out of the other end, but unless Fiona lets Etta move in with her, it's going to be a tough decision. 

Fiona definitely feels like she owes it to Etta to make sure her wishes are granted, but not everyone gets a happy ending in life. Etta is struggling to support herself. 

Assisted living would not be a bad move for her, but it will all come down to Fiona's loyalty, and her decision will definitely have some severe ramifications for her character going forward. 

"Ride or Die" was another solid episode of this Showtime drama. All of the characters are moving in interesting directions, and it's exciting to think about what the future hold for them. 

Stray thoughts:

• Svetlana needs to go. I've been super vocal about how much I love her as a character, but she went too far by fooling her partners and stealing. A solid relationship is most certainly not built on lies. 
• Fiona showing up at V's with the coffee was a long time coming. Svetlana being in V's ear contributed to the friendship coming to an end in the first place. Now, things will start returning to normal for the pair. 
• Frank and Monica are TV gold. Every scene they are in together is just hilarious. It's scary to imagine what Frank will be like when Monica dies. Might this be the thing that brings the family closer together than ever before?
• Poor Trevor. No one comes between Gallavich. 
• Lip showing up at Helene's house was horrid. He is turning into his father and I hope he finds a way to help himself soon, or we could be losing him. As much as he comes across as an entitled ass, the Gallagher family needs to stick together now more than ever. 
• Debbie should NOT have let Monica and Frank in the house at all. It's not going to help in her quest to keep the DCFS at bay. 

Remember you can watch Shameless online right here on TV Fanatic. Get caught up now!

What did you think of the episode? Hit the comments below!

Note: Shameless Season 7 Episode 11 airs December 11 on Showtime. 

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Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.