Shameless Season 9 Episode 10 Review: Los Diablos!
Paul Dailly
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Fiona's life as she knows it is over.
Shameless Season 9 Episode 10 started with my favorite Gallagher realizing the error of her ways, striving for change, but in a much worse position by the final scene.
Let's start with that dark opening scene. It was dumb of Fiona to leave the money out while the cafe was still open. There's no getting away from that.
I thought the money would be gone when she returned, but that would have been too predictable. The three men were menacing, and there's no telling what they would have done if the other staff member did not show up to save the day.
The truth is, Fiona's been getting so drunk that she no longer knows fact from fiction. That scenario at Patsy's gave her the nudge in the right direction she needed.
Welcome to the South Side, bitch.
Fiona
She was finally taking accountability for her actions. It gave me hope that Fiona was getting a happy ending what with Emmy Rossum's departure looming.
Margo was right to fire her. She's gotten erratic. She's gotten drunk on the job; she's been ridiculing customers, yelling at staff members, and even accusing people of sexual misconduct.
It's surprising that it took Margo a month of complaints to make a decision. Then again, the business guru knows Fiona has helped the diner turn in a profit like never before.
Margo may not have picked up the phone, but that's probably because she was giving Fiona time to get it together. It's just a shame that Fiona took too long to sort herself out.
Fiona: I've had a rough few months, but I've turned a corner.
Margo: People who say they've turned a corner, they haven't turned a corner.
Throwing the vodka out was a great start. I thought for sure Frank would have been able to sniff that all the way from the Hobo Loco Hunger Games.
Fiona rallying up the entire South Side to go to the new neighbor's door was the moment I realized there's no hope for Fiona, and she's going to find herself back in prison.
If Fiona felt so strongly that the woman called the cops on Liam because of his skin color, then she should have had a chat with the woman to find out what the real issue was.
Bringing an army to the woman's door, jumping over her fence and punching the woman so hard that she fell to the ground was not the right way to go about things.
Waitress: Yo, wakey wakey.
Fiona: Get the fuck away from me.
There's no rooting for Fiona anymore. It hurts me to write that because she's my favorite character, but she's several zip codes away from the line she crossed back on Shameless Season 4 which almost resulted in Liam's death.
I don't doubt for one minute that Fiona would rough someone up if they mess with her family, but that punch was built on the rage she was holding inside after being fired.
Knowing that Fiona is reverting to her old ways, if the woman presses charges and this goes to trial, Fiona could be headed to jail. That would be a terrible goodbye for such a great character.
Shameless has an issue saying goodbye to its characters, so prison seems to be the place they're sent to in case the actors change course and decide to come back (I'm looking at you, Cameron Monaghan).
Hopefully, the powers that be craft a more meaningful conclusion for Fiona than being locked up. This journey we've traveled with her would be a waste if it ended with prison.
Related: Showtime at TCA: Shameless Renewed, The L Word Revived & More!
As for the Hobo Loco Hunger Games, I didn't find them funny. The series loves to poke fun at poverty-stricken families, but there has got to be laws against exploiting them in such a manner.
Hobo Loco put profit over ethics, and I couldn't shake that during all of the scenes with Frank fighting to the death to keep himself in the competition.
Frank: That's the way we're going to play this thing?
Mickey: All's fair in love and hobo wars.
The only semi-enjoyable part of it all was Mickey wanting to join forces with Frank to share the winnings. In hindsight, Frank should have accepted that offer.
Ingrid was at home while all this was playing out, and I couldn't help but laugh as she tried to dole out therapy over the phone while Fiona was poking fun at her.
Fiona was right. It was bizarre to have someone who was not of sound mind doling out therapy over the phone -- in the Gallagher house no less.
With Katey Sagal signed to appear on an ABC pilot, it sounds like her character is not sticking around, so it wouldn't surprise me if she decides to move back in with her ex-husband and have the children with him.
They're looking for someone with no purpose in life. I've finally found my calling.
Frank
Ingrid desperately wanted to believe that Frank was the man for her, but she's slowly starting to realize that he's only a short-term lover who will fleece her for every dollar she has.
I'm just waiting for the scene in which it all comes out that Carl is the father to the children. That will likely be something Frank screams when Ingrid inevitably packs up shop to leave him behind.
Then there's Tami. I wanted to hate her because of the way she ridiculed Lip. She was so self-absorbed initially that it seemed there was no personality there.
Related: Shameless Shocker: Emmy Rossum Leaving After Nine Seasons!
These past few episodes have shed light on her in a big way, and I'm now at the point that I want the character to have a more significant presence on the show.
The way she acted with Xan took Lip by surprise. It would have been perfectly natural for her to run off and leave Lip to deal with the kid.
Instead, Tami couldn't have been more motherly. I thought Xan was gone, but it seems like her mother has run off once and for all, and I'm so here for Lip and Tami looking out for this kid.
"Los Diablos!" felt like the Shameless we know and love. It's slowly getting back to the creative footing it was on a few years ago.
Other tidbits from the episode:
- Debbie is poised to pull a robbery on Carl after Kelly complimented her ass. That's going to cause a lot of drama, but it's also going to be a fun storyline.
- Santiago is gone already! While I'm happy he's reuniting with his family, the storyline would have worked better as an arc that lasted more than a handful of episodes.
- Carl's new job was brutal. He needs to find something that won't end with him getting assaulted.
What did you think of the episode? Is Fiona gearing up for a stint behind bars?
Hit the comments.
Remember you can watch Shameless online right here via TV Fanatic.
Shameless continues Sundays at 9/8c on Showtime.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
