#anti monica gallagher

[theonethatwatchesalotofshows]

"She said sorry just move on" honestly fuck you Trevor! What do you know about anything? Oh so she abandoned him multiple times, stole his money, neglected him to the point he was taken away by child protective services and placed into host families multiple times over the course of his turbulent and very unstable childhood, but she says sorry so I guess that makes it okay. What kind of logic is that?

[m4ndysk4nkovich]

i wonder what the response would’ve been from the fandom if mickey had been the one to not sign the marriage license in 10x08🤷‍♀️ i feel like people often give mickey the benefit of the doubt, but never ian. ian was open about the fact that he did it because of his parents, so i wonder if mickey had said that people would’ve sided with him. i feel like people don’t acknowledge what frank and monica did to ian as abuse that often, because it’s always compared to what terry did to mickey. it’s really not a competition even if terry’s actions were more horrific and extreme

[calliecopper]

Ian Gallagher Being His Own Person, and Why That's Controversial

A meta about Ian's story during his time away from Mickey, and the hate his character receives for it. Inspired by @dazzle02 :)

How many times have you heard somebody say that they skipped season 8 of Shameless because Mickey wasn't in it? How many times have you heard somebody say that season 7 is only good during Mickey's episodes, or that the story is boring without Mickey in it, or that Ian's S6-8 arc was boring without Mickey? How many times have you heard somebody proclaim that Ian wasn't a good partner to Mickey?

Mickey is undeniably THE fan favorite character of the show, and with that comes a tendency for fans to defend him tooth and nail, even when he is in the wrong, and refuse to see any other points of view. Characters who go against Mickey in any way receive a harsh amount of criticism that sometimes is not fully justified. This applies even to Mickey's main connection to the story: Ian.

During season 5 and onward, some fans hold Ian's actions against him very harshly when I feel he deserves a bit more empathy. Of these, there are three main things people criticize his character for during seasons 5, 6, and 7 that I feel are not given proper analysis and thought by fandom.

Disclaimer before we get in because people feel very passionately about these two: Every interpretation of a character is entirely unique to each individual viewer, and these are just my opinions. This is in no way an anti-Mickey post, so as you read, keep in mind that any criticism toward him is not meant to make him out to be a bad character. Don't bite me.

Season Five: The Breakup of All Time

I think a large part of why people get so upset with Ian for the breakup is because of the growth Mickey experienced in seasons 4-5 leading up to it.

Mickey in seasons 1-3 is in extreme denial of being gay, and when he grows feelings for Ian, he lashes out and treats Ian like shit. Seeing Mickey's slow growth starting in season 3 brought interest to his character, and in season 4 with his major growth during his coming out, he becomes very compelling to a viewer. After all the angst that it took to get Mickey to finally open up, there's a natural desire to see that positive growth and relationship development continue. When Ian throws a wrench in that by breaking up with Mickey in season 5, people get upset, and they're going to direct that toward Ian because he is the easiest to blame.

There's the sentiment of, "Mickey came out for Ian, took care of Ian, and supported Ian when he needed him most despite his faults. Why is Ian leaving Mickey in the dust when he now needs him most?"

This is honestly not an unreasonable thing to feel when looking at things from Mickey's perspective.

But, when you take a look at Ian's character, and you really think of his motivations in that moment, his decision to break up is actually very understandable. Ian didn't break up with Mickey because he thinks Mickey is a bad partner or because he doesn't love Mickey enough. He broke up with Mickey because he thought that's what was best FOR Mickey.

I think comparing the breakup to their fight over marriage in season 10 to be an effective way to understand Ian better.

In season 10:

"How do you know you love me? Huh? How do you really know? I'm bipolar, right? I don't know who I am from one day to the next, and I can't guarantee shit. So why do you wanna spend the rest of your life with me?"

- Ian to Mickey, S10E9

Compare this to this conversation during the breakup:

"You used to love me. Now you don't even know who I am. Shit, I don't know who I am half the time... You don't owe me anything."

"I love you."

"The Hell does that even mean?"

- Ian and Mickey, S5E12

I feel that Ian's mindset is pretty similar in these two moments. In season 5, he is still grappling with his diagnosis, and he has no frame of reference of how a healthy life with bipolar can look. Everybody has been comparing him to Monica, and he himself seems to oscillate between thinking he is like her and not like her, so in his mind, he has nothing to offer anymore.

Then, in season 10, in his mind he proved himself right. He tried to get his shit in order, lived happily and found peace with his diagnosis, and then he fucked it up. He had an episode, and he lost everything he fought so hard to have. He has practically ruined his life because he DID what he FEARED he would:

"I hate the meds. You gonna make me take 'em?"

"You get fucking nuts when you don't."

"Are you gonna want to be with me even if I don't?"

- Ian and Mickey, S5E12

That conversation isn't Ian saying he isn't going to take his meds, given how in season six, he IS taking his meds. I interpret his above statement to be a warning to Mickey. Because Monica has tried to get on her meds before, has tried to get better, and has failed many times. IAN has gone off his meds willingly twice now. This is him telling Mickey, straightforward, "I do not like the meds, and there will always be a risk of me deciding not to take them."

And in seasons 8-9, he does exactly that. He goes off his meds, and he destroys everything he built for himself. That's part of the reason why he hesitates to marry Mickey in season 10, and part of the reason he breaks up with Mickey in season 5.

Ian views himself and his disorder to be a burden on the people he loves. He believes that Mickey will be better off without him.

"I don't want you sitting around, worrying, watching me, waiting for me to do my next crazy shit."

- Ian to Mickey, S5E12

Because Mickey HAS been doing that. Ever since he was diagnosed, Mickey has been watching Ian like a hawk, acting like a nurse, which frustrates Ian.

"Fuckin' nurse now?"

[...]

"I'm sick of your whiny, pussy crap. I don't need a fucking caretaker, alright? I need the shit-talking, bitch-slapping piece of Southside trash I fell for. Where is he? The fuck is he, Mickey?"

- Ian to Mickey, S5E10

But, of course, Mickey doesn't see it that way. To Mickey, Ian is anything but a burden he wants to unload.

"It means we take care of each other. [...] It means thick and thin, good times, bad, sickness, health, all that shit."

- Mickey to Ian, S5E12.

Mickey would do anything for Ian. He confronted his worst fear by coming out, stayed with Ian even after the infidelity, defended Ian after he kidnapped his son, and tried his best to understand a mental illness he had no prior knowledge about. Yet, Ian still won't commit to him. After everything, he still isn't good enough.

"I'm not saying never!"

"No, you're just saying you don't love me enough now."

- Ian and Mickey, S10E9

And Ian, meanwhile, thinks that HE isn't good enough for MICKEY. He has been diagnosed with a lifelong condition, one that he has seen ruin lives firsthand, something that will be a part of him for the rest of his life, and he doesn't wanna tie Mickey down to that life.

It's all one massive miscommunication.

Finally, I think the part that is the most confusing to fans regarding Ian's mindset during the breakup stems from his moments with Monica in S5E11 and S5E12.

Specifically, the parallels between these two conversations.

"Ian, there's always gonna be people that are gonna try and fix us. And you can never make those people happy. Like it breaks their heart just to look at you."

"Yeah, um, even Mickey now."

"He's your boyfriend, right? [...] I'm sure he means well, but you need to be with people who accept you for who you are. And they're out there. You should never apologize for being you."

- Monica and Ian, S5E11.

Vs.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Too much! Too much is wrong with me. That's the problem, isn't it? Too much is wrong with me, and you can't do anything about that. You can't change it. You can't fix me, 'cause I'm not broken. I don't need to be fixed, okay? I'm me!"

- Ian and Mickey, S5E12.

Monica's interpretation of the relationship seems to paint Mickey in a negative light. "He means well, but he doesn't get it," or something along those lines. Based on her previous experiences with the diagnosis, she has come to the conclusion that people like Mickey or Fiona, who try to get them to take medication and are saddened by the diagnosis, are being controlling, and do not love them for who they really are. That's why she always went back to Frank; he actively tried to get her to NOT take her meds or get better, and did not encourage her when she DID try to get better. So, to her, being off her meds IS the TRUE version of herself, and the people who can not accept that do not accept her.

But I think, while Ian's lines parallel Monica's, that he does not think the same way that she does.

Toward the end of season 5, Ian seems to do a complete 180 from his previous statements on his similarities with Monica.

"You flushed your pills? You get thats a full-on Monica move, right?"

"I'm not Monica."

- Ian and Fiona, S5E8

Vs.

" [...] Cause they all say how alike we are."

"That's probably not a compliment."

"Uh... No, I think it is."

- Ian and Monica, S5E11

This happens in the wake of his arrest, after Ian's siblings talk about him to the military police. Many of their comments seem to hit Ian in a way that makes him feel misunderstood or like a burden.

Debbie: But he's been acting crazier for longer than that.

Lip: Yeah, at least this past year.

Officer: How would you characterize his behavior?

Debbie: Compared to how he used to be... He's different.

Lip: He'll go back and forth from, you know, being depressed, to, you know, incredibly wound up. I mean, he ran off with a baby for no reason.

Debbie: He almost hit me in the head with a baseball bat.

Fiona: Our mother was bipolar, so we know what it looks like. She put us through Hell, and- I'm not saying you put us through Hell, but when they're manic they can be destructive.

Officer: In your opinion, does he require medication?

Fiona: Yes.

Officer: Is he unable to care for himself?

Fiona: Sometimes, yes.

So, when Ian talks to Monica when they reconnect, Ian expresses loneliness and a feeling of isolation.

"I'm really glad you came, yknow? I just... I needed someone to talk to who... gets it."

- Ian to Monica, S5E11

When Monica tells Ian to not be ashamed and that she loves him for him, she is kind of acting like his Frank. The meds have been taking a toll, and recovery is so difficult that running with her and getting validation from the only other person who could "get it" is an easy choice to make. I think the combined factors of Mickey treating him so delicately, his siblings laying out his flaws so plainly, and his mother's open acceptance creates a feeling of bitterness or shame, and Ian is hoping to find comfort in his mother.

But it doesn't go the way he expects it to.

At the diner, he thinks that Monica is going to prostitute herself for money, and is relieved when she doesn't. It's likely he was thinking of his own stint at the Fairytale in this moment.

Then, he recalls a moment from his childhood that he does not look upon fondly, only for Monica to refer to it as "good times."

He meets Monica's partner and discovers he is an aggressive teenage meth dealer that she is helping to sell the meth.

I think Ian has a true moment of clarity during this. He had thought that he was vindicated, that everybody else was wrong, that they didn't understand, that Monica was right, and that he was perfectly fine just the way he was. But then he sees what Monica considers to be "a happy life."

"Ian, I'm finally happy. People like us, we can be happy. I love him, and that's the most important thing, to find somebody to love, right? Who loves you back for who you are. I want that for you. I love you. We're gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay."

- Monica to Ian, S5E12.

Monica's perception of life is warped. What she considers a good life is living in a trailer selling meth. Good memories are traumatic memories for those around her. True love and support is an aggressive teenage dealer, or Frank Gallagher.

A simple drive to Ian was a horrifying kidnapping to Svetlana. Doing a porn that was no big deal to Ian was a betrayal of trust to Mickey. Joining Monica and ignoring the calls of his well-meaning but ignorant family to Ian was a painful and worrisome disappearance to them. Ian's perception HAS been warped, and he's crashing back to reality, realizing that he has run off with MONICA, realizing that he can't continue down the same path as her, and needs to go home.

He's come to accept that he is bipolar. He's internalized what his family has kept repeating, that he is just like Monica, and looking at her living like this, believing that she is living well, is terrifying to him.

So he goes home, believing that he is just like his mother, and he's doomed to be a piece of shit. He goes back, and he breaks up with Mickey. Because he doesn't think that people like him can be happy, and he doesn't think he'll be okay. And that isn't something that Mickey can change. Too much is wrong with him, and Mickey can't do anything about it.

Really, it's just a matter of Ian operating under the "if you love them, let them go" mindset, and Mickey interpreting it as a rejection. It's the two of them both believing they are not good enough for the other and internalizing it instead of properly communicating.

TL;DR: Ian's breakup with Mickey in S5E12 is not done in a healthy OR selfish mindset. To him, he will do nothing but drag Mickey down, and in his unmedicated and clearly altered state of mind, he thinks the best thing is to let him go.

Season Six: Dating Caleb and Other Blasphemy

The first time we see Mickey in season six, it's behind a pane of glass in an orange jumpsuit.

Mickey had tried to murder Sammi, Ian's half-sister, and had been sentenced to prison for 15 years. It's established that Ian has not been to visit Mickey much and is trying to move on past that time in his life. But, upon being bribed by Svetlana, Ian visits, and during this visit Mickey asks Ian a question:

"You gonna wait for me?" - Mickey to Ian, S6E1.

And when Ian shows hesitation:

"Fuckin' lie if you have to, man, eight years is a long time." - Mickey to Ian, S6E1.

So, Ian replies:

"Yeah. Yeah, Mick, I'll wait." - Ian to Mickey, S6E1.

Before even meeting Caleb, fans absolutely tear into Ian for his decision to not commit to Mickey in this moment. They call it selfish, or out of character, or unfair to ice Mickey out when he is going through this difficult time.

But, let's look at it from Ian's position.

Ian has dealt with abandonment issues his entire life, with both Monica and Frank being unstable and infrequent providers during his adolescence. Throughout his relationship with Mickey, they had been separated on three separate occasions, one of which was entirely voluntary on Mickey's part. Now, due to committing a major crime, Mickey has been sent away for up to fifteen years. They would both be in their thirties by the time Mickey would be released, or close to it if he got out early, and that's not even considering that he was actively taking part in jobs / activities that could extend his sentence, like stabbing people.

Ian has dealt with recurring disappointment and abandonment his entire life, and throughout their time together, Mickey hasn't really established himself as stable.

Now, before you bring out the pitchforks;

"But Mickey was there for Ian and supported him through seasons 4-5. He grew as a person and proved he IS reliable."

Yes, that's true. He did undergo massive development that allowed him to be a better partner and more reliable person to Ian. But, canonically that period of time only takes place over a few months.

Mickey, for the better part of 2-3 years, was NOT a good partner to Ian. Multiple years of an unsteady situationship is not so easily forgotten. Yes, Mickey 1000% had valid reasons for acting the way he did. It's made very clear in S3E6 and S4E11 why Mickey hides his sexuality and lashes out when forced to confront it. But that isn't an excuse. His reasons for acting in a negative way towards Ian the first three seasons is understandable, but he went about it in a bad way.

Not to mention that, despite his growth, Mickey has just been sent to PRISON. No matter how you spin it, his decision to go after Sammi was NOT justified and does not necessarily bring forth confidence in his reliability and stability.

It's not unreasonable for Ian to not want to wait for over a decade for a man who has not always been the best for him. It sucks as a viewer who is invested in them, but Ian was not in the wrong.

Beyond (justifiably) selfish reasons, Ian also already thought that he was bad for Mickey, was worried that he would ruin his life, and with Mickey's justification for his torture attempt being that he did it FOR Ian, that Sammi had it coming because of what she did TO Ian, Ian probably felt responsible for that as well. There was probably a level of guilt in Ian from the whole situation, both for Mickey being in prison and for leaving him there.

But from his point of view, it's better for everybody to try and move on.

What really bothers me about this criticism toward Ian is the sense that he OWED Mickey his time and loyalty. Because Mickey had given and sacrificed so much for Ian during seasons 4-5, it's like people think Ian is then obligated to return that for Mickey, no matter what Mickey did. It's a very transactional way to view the situation, and it just leaves me with an icky taste in my mouth. Nobody owes anybody anything in that situation. Ian does not owe Mickey companionship, and Mickey did not owe Ian support when he got put in prison in season 9. Returning to Ian was Mickey's decision to make, and not a decision Ian was obligated to make in season 6.

Now, onto the actual "dating other people" part of the conversation.

For months, Ian has done nothing but get his meds on track while working at Patsy's, then at the janitors job on Lip's campus. During this time, Ian expresses having a very low sense of self-worth.

"He as smart as you?"

"No."

"Yeah, he's smart."

"Lip is the genuis of the family."

"So that gives you an excuse for not finishing [high school]? You seem plenty smart, and Dav's uniform doesn't really suit you."

- Ian, Lip, and Professor Youens, S6E3

And:

"This is it for me, Lip. This job. This is where I land."

- Ian to Lip, S6E3

Which Lip comments on in a very concise way:

"Yknow, he thinks... Being bipolar means he's doomed to be a piece of shit like our mother."

- Lip about Ian, S6E3

Ian feels no sense of purpose during these months. He feels he has no worth and that he is doomed to work a dead-end job and have no happiness. He thinks he is just like Monica.

That only changes when he witnesses an accident on the highway, and he saves a woman's life by pulling her out of a burning car.

This leads us to Caleb.

Now I'll admit, this is where I take issue with the storytelling, because this would've been a PERFECT way to segue into Ian's EMT arc, but regardless of what I personally think would've been better, the way it plays out in canon does actually still make sense for Ian's character.

After saving the woman from the burning car, Ian collapses due to smoke inhalation and exhaustion. A firefighter on the scene provides Ian with oxygen, thus saving his life. Ian immediately fixates on this particular firefighter.

Now, Ian has a very complicated relationship with feeling his emotions post his diagnosis. In season five, when he is numbed by his meds, the only way for him to feel again is through pain, via self-harm or starting physical fights, and sex. In fact, sex plays a major part in many aspects of Ian's life.

From the age of fifteen, Ian had been consistently subject to sexual abuse. He's been used for his body by countless men throughout his teenage years and has been oftentimes reduced merely to his sexuality and what he can provide to his partner. Even Mickey, in season 2, tells Ian as such in a panicked rage.

"You think we're boyfriend and girlfriend here? You're nothing but a warm mouth to me."

- Mickey to Ian, S2E8.

(No, I'm not saying Mickey sexually abused Ian. But he did contribute to the way we see Ian default so heavily to objectifying and sexualizing himself.)

So, due to this recurring trauma, Ian has a tendency to default to sex as the primary way of getting satisfaction, be it emotional or physical.

So, when Ian gets a rush of adrenaline from the crash, after months of that numbness, he chases the emotions in the most effective way he knows how.

Ian goes to the firehouse with cookies to give as thanks to the firefighter who saved him, but with a clear ulterior motive of getting laid. When he finds out that the particular firefighter (who happens to be part of the "gay shift" which is an odd writing choice) he saw on the highway is married, Ian meets Caleb. In this scene, they speak all of one line to each other when Caleb invites Ian to a firehouse softball game. The next time we see them on screen together, Ian acts very flirtatious toward Caleb, which sets forth their relationship.

"You ever pitch?"

"... Usually, but I'm open depending on what you're into. Where we doing this?"

"Follow me."

[...]

"Wait, we're actually playing softball?"

- Ian and Caleb, S6E5

I think Ian receives hate for this simply because he's expressing interest in a guy that isn't Mickey. Fans get the impression that Ian is moving on too fast or that his interest in Caleb is sudden or rushed. However, I think the rushed nature actually works to show Ian's intentions. In this moment, Ian is not really looking for a full-on relationship. Given how little they interacted thus far, the fact that Caleb wasn't even who Ian was originally interested in, and how Ian's comments consistently err on the side of sexual, its safe to say Ian was just looking for a hookup. In fact, it's Caleb who pushes so hard FOR the relationship.

Mickey, in a deleted scene, hooks up with an inmate right after talking with Ian. If Ian's relationship with Caleb had only been a fling or hookup, I don't think Ian would've been as heavily criticized. As it is, fans get upset at this relationship because it IS a relationship. They go on dates, Ian starts staying with Caleb, and really they seem to be very domestic.

But I don't think Ian was as dedicated to the relationship with Caleb as fans make him out to be.

From the jump, Ian seems uncomfortable with the quick-moving pace of it. At first he only seems interested in sex with Caleb, but upon the negative reaction that provokes, Ian conceded to going on a date with Caleb (which is a bit of a slap in the face to Mickey fans after Gallavich's ruined date.)

"[...] I was hoping to get my hands on your hose."

"Is that what this is to you? A fuck?"

"You say it like it's a bad thing. Come on, let's get out of here."

"No. I knew you were younger than me, but I thought you were a grown-up."

"Fuck. Okay. Okay. Hey, I'm into you, alright? I thought you were into me."

"I am."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I don't stick my dick in just any guy."

"What do you want, then?"

"Seriously? Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Yeah."

"A date."

"With, like, flowers and chocolate and shit?"

"No, we could skip the flowers."

"Okay. You're on."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E5

(Side note, pulling a "is that all this is to you" after two non-romantic interactions is not just quick in terms of hookup culture, which Ian is more attuned to, but is quick in any terms. More on that later.)

During this date, Ian is visibly very uncomfortable. Some would chalk this up to him having never been on a date before, and the writing even seems to imply that,

"Okay, look, I have no idea what I'm doing. My last boyfriend wasn't much of a talker, his idea of a conversation was to insult me a bunch and then punch me right before we banged."

- Ian to Caleb, S6E6

but that's actually not true, DESPITE the writers forgetting that.

"You know, Mickey and I never went out on dates. Ned never took me out, Kash and I fucked in the back of a convenience store, and I don't think jerking off strangers in a nightclub counts, so..."

- Ian to Lip, S6E6.

He actually HAD gone out on a "date" with Ned in season three, where he was visibly less uncomfortable than on his date with Caleb. He also went to many loft parties during his time dancing at the club, wherein he blended in very well and was able to sorta chameleon himself with the northside crowd. I think the show wants us to believe his discomfort is from him "never having been on a date before" or being unfamiliar with a "slower" pace, but I think his discomfort actually would stem from him just genuinely not being interested in Caleb in a romantic way, and thus feeling awkward on a date that's in a more romantic setting (compared to his one with Ned, which was undoubtedly more sexual.)

I also think his discomfort stems from being completely out of his element. Ian has taken a massive hit to his confidence since his diagnosis, so his Southside roots bring about a bit more hesitancy in him than it might have before, and he may be less confident in his ability to chameleon. That's why, during the date, Ian shows discomfort with Caleb when he shows more "class" than Ian.

"Usually, I get a bunch of apps to share. You good with that?"

"[Uncertain hum] ... Appetizers! Sure, yeah, big- big fan of apps."

[...]

"You seem like a very pensive kinda guy. You an only child?"

"Uh, no."

"Brothers and sisters?"

"A bunch, yeah."

"Older or younger?"

"Both."

"What about your parents? Both still alive?"

"... Yeah."

"... Fantastic. I'm learning so much."

[...]

"Where I'm from, people communicate with their fists."

"Where's that?"

"Southside."

"Mmm. Hands of steel. Okay, so you're a street rat. A brawler."

"Is that a problem?"

"Only if you make it one."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E6.

Then, beyond their first date, we have the actual relationship to dive into.

Throughout his scenes with Caleb, Ian seems to oscillate between neutrality, discomfort, or mild enjoyment in the situations he finds himself in.

There's this interaction, for example, where Ian lets Caleb take charge in defining their relationship:

"So what are we doing?"

"Whatever you want, I guess."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E7.

Or this moment:

"What are you smiling at?"

"I like having you over here. What are you smiling at?"

"I like having a purpose."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E8.

Or when Caleb invites Ian out with his friends, and we see Ian slip into his chameleon persona, mirroring the petty mannerisms of the most vocal participant of the conversation, as well as avoiding diving too much into his personal history.

"You haven't told me which one is your ex."

"Guess."

"Old guy, pink sweater."

"How'd you know?"

"Ooh, a redhead, Caleb? Does his carpet match his drapes?"

"You're a good sport."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E8.

[...]

"If we had known you were bringing a middle school student, Caleb, we wouldn't have come to a place that cards."

"Oh, no, it's cool, I don't drink. I hear it makes your skin old and leathery."

"That's-that's how we're playing this?"

"Hey, you threw down first."

"Where you from, kid?"

"Back of the Yards."

"Local boy. What's your story?"

"Story?"

"Who you are, what you do, how did you meet this chocolate bundt cake?"

"Met him at the firehouse."

- Ian and Gregory, S6E8

[...]

"We like this one, Caleb. Don't we, Gregory?"

"I mean, If young, beautiful, and kind of a smartass is something to like, sure, fine, I guess we do."

- Caleb's friends about Ian, S6E8.

OR, in a deleted scene where Caleb expresses frustration at Ian keeping the distance between him and Ian's family, as well as Ian's lack of communication, while Ian seems unbothered or even perplexed by Caleb's frustration.

"So, where'd you sleep last night?"

"Home. Got done at three, told you I'd be late."

"Yeah, like nighttime late, not next day late."

"Well, I didn't wanna wake you, and I had to go back there to grab some stuff: clothes, towels..."

"Where's there?"

"Home, you mean?"

"Yeah."

"Back of the Yards."

"Right. You did mention that once. I still don't know where it is or who I'd call if there was an emergency?"

"Uh... my brother, I guess? Or my sister."

"Brother or sister. Okay. I'll just track down Ian Gallagher's brother or sister on the internet."

"I'll... put their numbers in your phone."

"Great."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E11 deleted scene.

OR any of the follwing:

When they go to get Ian tested for STDs, he is visibly uncomfortable having Caleb in the room with him.

He is only comfortable revealing his bipolar disorder if it is done in exchange for another secret from Caleb.

He isn't very comfortable sharing his past, only references his previous relationship in a lighthearted manner, and he only reveals his sexual history upon feeling pressured to do so, which he purposefully presents in a callous way.

To me, the entirety of Ian and Caleb's relationship reads as Ian's desperation for validation through sex, which leads to him putting up with a relationship he isn't entirely comfortable in or commited to or ready for. To me, it seems like he's truly just looking for companionship in any way he can get it.

Out of everything, though, I think what really gets to fans most about this storyline is the constant comparison of Caleb to Mickey as a means of demonizing Mickey.

Throughout the entirety of Ian and Caleb's relationship, there is a constant comparison between the two relationships, seemingly with the intent of painting Mickey as a horrible partner.

When Ian tells Lip about his upcoming date with Caleb, he remarks that he never went on dates with Mickey, which comes off as an unnecessary jab.

During his date with Caleb, Ian talks about his lack of effective communication skills, which reflects negatively on Mickey, to the point Caleb brings forward the idea of domestic abuse.

During the wedding that Ian attends with Caleb, Ian mentions Mickey's marriage to Svetlana, and he uses a tone that comes off as belittling the situation and how difficult it was for Mickey.

There's this line, when Caleb asks Ian to kiss for the first time:

"Can I kiss you?"

"I thought kissing comes after you've had sex a bunch of times."

"Ian, kissing comes whenever you want it to. Even now."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E6.

Then, there's Mandy stating that Caleb was better than Mickey.

"A hot black fireman. Also an artist."

"Upgrade from my brother."

"I miss Mickey, but uh... This new guy's nice."

- Ian and Mandy, S6E9

These near constant comparisons to Mickey are frustrating to fans, because it can often feel like Ian, or even just the writers and the narrative, are trying to belittle Mickey's character and reduce him to a one-note toxic ex, which completely spits in the face of the development that he went through. THAT is what is most frustrating to fans.

Because it's true that Mickey was not always the best partner. In real life, Mickey would be a walking red flag, and Gallavich would be undeniably toxic. But that applies to EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER in Shameless. That is the entire point of the show. None of them are particularly good people. They all do shitty things, but they all have compelling reasons for doing it. That's why we can look at these characters and feel connected to them instead of just absolutely hating them.

It's a really odd writing choice for a show that focuses on morally gray characters, or the idea that nobody in the show is really a good person, to decide to play moral high ground in this particular instance, and have Ian suddenly turn his nose up at Mickey's behaviors.

But is this really how Ian feels?

Because, as established, Ian is VERY good at playing chameleon. He is good at shaping himself into whatever a partner wants him to be. He mirrors his partners mannerisms, beliefs, and attitudes.

And Caleb, for all that the story wants to make us believe he's better than Mickey, is actually not the best partner either. Not just for cheating on Ian in season seven and then gaslighting Ian about it; he shows some toxic behaviors in season six as well, including being lowkey judgmental about Ian's Southside roots.

Take, for example, Caleb implying that the Southside is trash, but that he can see the beauty in Ian despite being from the Southside:

"That's my latest. I love to find the treasure inside the trash. Trying to find the secret life in things. What it wants to be instead of what it is."

"Is that what you're doing with me?"

"Good question. Can I kiss you?"

- Ian and Caleb, S6E6

(Which, funnily enough, this line from Caleb goes pretty against the sentiment that Monica had in season five, of Ian finding somebody who loves Ian for who he already is, as Mickey did.)

Or, for another example, Caleb judging Ian pretty heavily during the softball game for being "not grown-up." Simply because Ian expresses sexual interest in him above romantic.

"Cmon, let's get out of here."

"No. I knew you were younger than me, but I thought you were a grown-up."

- Ian and Caleb, S6E5.

Which, as I pointed out before, is really strange behavior. Participating in hookup culture isn't something that Ian needs to be shamed over. There's a sentiment of "Hooking up is beneath me, it's immature," to Caleb's tone, which is unfair. Now, he has reasons for this, that being his experience with getting HIV from a hookup who lied to him, which draws a pretty interesting parallel to Ian.

"Don't worry, guy I did the scene with said he was clean."

"He didn't use a rubber? Are you out of your fucking mind?"

- Ian and Mickey, S5E5.

Vs.

"Guy in college. He lied to me."

- Caleb to Ian, S6E8.

(Which I actually find to be a very interesting plot point and is actually a pretty good scene.)

So, while Caleb was not wrong to put forth a boundary by not hooking up, he was wrong for acting as if IAN was the problem in the situation. Not to mention, his behavior at the game is very strange when taken into account how little they've interacted thus far. He had understandable reasons for his negative reaction, but he went about it the wrong way. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Anyways, I could talk about the relationship between Ian and Caleb more, but that's not what the point of this is.

The point I'm trying to make is that Caleb, however covertly, expresses a negative or biased view toward the Southside lifestyle. And Ian, being the type to mimic his partners, follows along in that.

Ian already fears that he is going to be left. He is afraid that showing Caleb who he really is and not being the idealized version of himself will lead to Caleb breaking up with him.

"I'm enjoying it while it lasts."

"You think he'll dump you?"

"Well, I've told him I'm bipolar, and my family's screwed up, and he took it pretty well. But it's one thing to hear it and another to live it, so... We shall see."

- Ian and Mandy, S6E9

So, he chameleons. He makes himself the treasure in the trash. He distances himself from the image of a brooding, Southside street rat.

Because, after so long of constant pain and numbness during and post his diagnosis, Caleb is the first good thing he's found.

"I haven't been this happy in a long time."

- Ian to Caleb, S6E8.

And really, everything that I just talked about doesn't matter when you think about it that way.

No matter how dedicated or invested Ian was in his relationship with Caleb, it still provided him with companionship and validation, which as we know, is something that Ian has an unhealthy dependence on to find self-worth.

And I don't think Ian was wrong in searching for that connection simply because that connection wasn't with Mickey. He could've been well and truly in love with Caleb, and he wouldn't deserve some of the hate he receives for his canon actions.

It's easy to look at Ian's relationship with Caleb and get frustrated because of all the time that was put into Ian and Mickey's relationship. But beyond the instinctual negative feeling that comes with seeing Ian with anybody other than Mickey, his relationships outside of Mickey deserve to be analyzed and observed for what they actually do for HIS character, and not just immediately cast aside as unnecessary or ooc.

So, to summarize:

Firstly, Ian wasn't selfish for not waiting 15 years for somebody in prison. Whether he was serious about Caleb or not, Ian was under no obligation to dedicate himself to Mickey. Ian did not owe Mickey anything simply because Mickey was there for Ian when shit got tough. If they had been together, sure, Ian would've been a lot shittier for leaving Mickey alone. But as it was, they were broken up, and even if they hadn't been, Ian would've had every right to not want to continue seeing Mickey after his decision to harm Sammi, just as Lip was justified in not wanting to be with Mandy anymore after she ran over Karen.

Secondly, Ian dating Caleb wasn't bad for his character. In fact, I think their relationship in season six was actually a very interesting way to progress Ian's character and get more insight into his mind and how he operates.

Thirdly, Ian and Caleb's relationship deserves to be analyzed for what it is, rather than what it isn't. Just because Ian is not with Mickey doesn't mean that he doesn't undergo some huge development in this season, both in and outside his relationship with Caleb. Furthermore, Ian entering a new relationship gives us the opportunity to see more sides of his character, and as such the relationship should be analyzed as it's own separate entity, and not just as a hurdle in the way of Gallavich.

Fourth, Ian was not just waiting to cast Mickey aside to jump on the next dick possible. I've seen this criticism before, and when looking at his actual arc at the beginning of S6 and analyzing his general character, that's just simply not true. Entering a new relationship is not equal to immediately disregarding Mickey.

TL;DR: The hate Ian gets from this season mainly stems from "Ian date somebody aside from Mickey, bad Ian" without any further thought behind why he enters the relationship and what the relationship actually means to him. There is no separation in the minds of fans between Ian and Mickey, and therefore, Ian having experiences and an identity outside of Mickey is negatively perceived.

Season Seven: Putting His Own Wellbeing First

This one will be less long winded than the previous one, because I have less to say on it, honestly.

During the entirety of Ian's bipolar arc, it is pretty clearly shown that to maintain mental wellness, Ian needs stability.

When Mickey shows up and asks Ian to run away with him to Mexico, that's threatening to uproot every amount of stability Ian has managed to secure the past two seasons of the show.

I honestly don't see as much hate directed toward Ian for his decision to leave Mickey at the border as I see for his previous decisions. I'd say the main thing I actually see directed toward this season is just that Ian's story is boring without Mickey in it. Mostly because he enters another new relationship with Trevor after his relationship with Caleb, which really just follows the cyclical Shameless cycle of, "Don't know what to do with a character? Give them a new love interest!" But because I talked about the judgement for non-Gallavich Ian relationships above, I don't particularly feel like doing a deep dive into the Ian and Trevor relationship in this meta.

What I want to talk about relates to the Mickey Mexico storyline, though, and that's the hate other characters recieve for trying to dissuade Ian from going.

After finding out that Mickey escaped from prison, Fiona and Ian have the following conversation:

"What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep. You ever, uh, think about about what would've happened if you'd run off with Jimmy-Steve?"

"Lying sociopath Jimmy-Steve? My life would be a nonstop psycho-thriller. I definitely dodged a bullet with that one."

"What if nothing ever gives you that same thrill again? Still feel like you dodged a bullet?"

"I don't know. Probably. Where's this coming from?"

"Things have been weird between me and Trevor since Mickey got out."

"You mean since Mickey busted out of prison and has got half the Chicago Police Department circling the Southside looking for him."

"Can't get him out of my head. Just trying to stop myself from doing something I shouldn't."

"You turned your life around. Mickey would set a match to it. You've done really great without him, and I'm really fucking proud of you."

- Ian and Fiona, S7E10.

I've seen this conversation criticized many times because of how "unfairly" Mickey is treated in this scene. But I truly think that nothing said in this scene was wrong, and Fiona was 100% right.

In the past, Fiona has definitely shown a prejudice against the Milkovich family before. Specifically with Mandy, Fiona seems to look down upon her and disapproves of the relationship between her and Lip. This on its own is unfair treatment and is annoying to witness.

But in this particular case, absolutely nothing she is saying is wrong or biased simply because Mickey is a Milkovich.

People take the line, "Mickey would set a match to it," and compare it to his behavior in late Season 4 through season 5, where Mickey is taking care of Ian, and say that Fiona is being untruthful or hypocritical. If Mickey had never been sent to prison, or even if he had just been released legally, and Ian was simply thinking about cheating on Trevor and getting back with Mickey instead of running away with him, then the criticism toward Fiona would be more justified. But as it is, Mickey is a wanted fugitive, and Ian running away with him would make Ian a fugitive as well, and WOULD effectively set a match to the life Ian had spent the past two seasons working toward. He would be giving up a career he worked hard for and fought to have, he'd be living in stressful conditions on the run, he'd have no support system, and he would have less ease of access to his medication. Running with Mickey would have been the wrong decision for Ian's wellbeing, and honestly, Mickey should never have asked Ian to go with him.

I think that many people have rose colored glasses on when it comes to Gallavich, specifically with Mickey, and that makes it harder to view these moments unbiased. But, looking at it objectively, Mickey was so wrong for asking Ian to come with him to Mexico. He KNOWS that Ian needs stability with his bipolar diagnosis, and he KNOWS that this would be a stressful life he'd be forcing Ian into.

Simply put, he's acting selfishly in that moment. Having your own interests in mind is not always a bad thing, but in this specific case, Mickey would have thrown a huge wrench into Ian's life is Ian hadn't made decisions in HIS best interest.

Again, I have less to say on this as I did other subjects, because to me it feels much more cut and dry. Mickey was in the wrong here 100%, Fiona was not being wrongfully judgmental toward Mickey, and Ian was not in the wrong for not going with Mickey.

After so long of seeing them apart, it makes sense to want to see them together again. So when Ian, again, is the one making the decision to end their relationship, fans are going to lash out at him and those around him.

But it's important to put aside biases and allow your favorite character to be in the wrong occasionally. Mickey is not perfect, and criticism against him, both from characters in the show and fans, is not unfounded nor unjustified.

TL;DR: Mickey was wrong for asking Ian to uproot his life and run to Mexico, and calling that out isn't defamation of his character.

To End This Yap Session:

Ian is by no means a faultless character, and he is not exempt from criticism both inside and outside of his relationship with Mickey. However, I often feel that the criticism he faces is for the wrong reasons, and not much contemplation or exploration is done on him as much as it is for Mickey.

I love Mickey. He's an amazingly complex character, and his relationship with Ian is one of my favorite parts of the show. But in being a complex character, he is also an imperfect character.

I feel that many fans get very protective over their favorite characters, to the point that anything that goes against that character's interests is labeled as bad, and any criticism toward his character is disregarded immediately.

In this particular case of Gallavich, I feel that post season three, fans often see things from Mickey's point of view without looking at Ian's as much. This meta was simply to give my own thoughts on Ian's most "controversial" moments among fans. Obviously this is mostly condensed to season six and his relationship with Caleb, which I feel is the biggest example of jumping to conclusions and only seeing the surface level of his character.

However, I would like to acknowledge that Ian is also an insanely popular character in the Shameless fandom. While he is misunderstood in many instances, he is given much more sympathy and understanding than many other characters in the show, especially many of the female characters. This long-winded meta is only focused on the concerning tendency for fans to link Ian's identity to Mickey entirely without allowing him to be an individual, but a majority of the time he is still a beloved character who is treated favorably by fans. Compared to a character like Debbie, Ian sees much more support, and I feel that the energy I put toward this meta and trying to understand Ian should also be applied to (almost) EVERY character in the show.

Anyways feel free to leave thoughts.

[acethetically-bway]

hi again i’m back with a part 2 of gallaghers in the sims 4:

mickey and mandy are here!! gallavich took literally 5 seconds to set up, that's the least chaotic thing on this list surprisingly. lip/mandy is more of a slow burn though

i took frank fiona and lip out for a night of drinking and it honest to god felt like a rejected plotline from the show

fiona spent half the night unconscious on the bar floor, frank pissed himself on the sidewalk and then immediately passed out in his own piss, and lip went to school completely wasted because i didn’t realize it was a sunday night when i took them out (whoops)

separately, the fireplace caused a house fire that burnt the TV to a crisp and the insurance assholes only gave us $1000 to replace a $2600 TV, so we have not had TV for at least a week by now

a few days later, while i was having gallavich aggressively flirt with each other, THERE WAS A SECOND GODDAMN FIRE FROM THE SAME FIREPLACE??

fiona hooked up with a girl at a karaoke club and the girl invited fiona to a cafe date the next day. but she spent the entire time talking to other people and then had the fucking AUDACITY to tell fiona not to call her ever again, what a bitch 🙄

ian went to the ancient ruins with a club of teens, and his friend that invited him ended up abandoning him and falling asleep in a bush

monica is actually being a Good Parent to liam now?? like better than fiona or lip it's freaky

i found joints in lip and ian's inventories and i have no idea where they came from, we have no rolling papers and frank’s private stash of pot is a whole different strain so ig they're both just stoners now

carl almost died in fire #2, but at least he somehow has A’s in school even though he has not done his homework once

lip on the other hand is on the verge of dropping a letter grade (anti-canon fr)

debbie also almost died in fire #2, and she's been making friends with frank's clients (which means i've really gotta find her some friends her own age)

on the bright side, frank is making sales!! he’s getting super flirty with his clients though (even kissed a man to seal the deal) and it’s pissing monica tf off. honestly idc though we’re making bank now between this and fiona’s latest promotion/bonus

side note i am SO TEMPTED to make fiona buy either a restaurant or a strip club bc i need her to make more money than she’s making as a fast food worker. but historically i have not been a good business owner and money’s already super tight so i’m nervous

i should also put out there that in addition to basemental and wicked whims, i also have get to work, get together, city living, and dine out installed so if y’all have any ideas for things to do with these or other mod suggestions or anything like that please lmk :)

[the-flora-family]

Hello everyone! Welcome to our Tumblr page. We are an OSDD-1B system that is made almost entirely out of fictives, aside from Venus who is the host, and Pain, one of our persecutors. There are way too many of us to write down and describe in one entire post, so we will simply list the sources we have. Sources marked red have alters that are either always up front or otherwise very active in our system. Only sources marked red will have the alters listed out, but as always you’re free to ask for an individual list of alters if we happen to share sources. We’re always open to making new friends.

Brain-Made

Venus - 26 || Shey/shem || Host || engaged to Mickey & Ian || 🪴

Pain - Age Unknown || it/its || Main Persecutor || 🩸

Shameless

Mickey Milkovich - 26 || he/him || Main protector/traumaholder/cohost || Married to Ian, engaged to Venus || 🚬

Ian Gallagher - 26 || he/him || Caretaker || Married to Mickey, engaged to Venus || 🍅

Fiona Gallagher - 32 || she/her || Caretaker || 💚

Lip Gallagher - 27 || he/him || persecutor to Ian only || 🧠

Debbie Gallagher - 21 || she/her || Caretaker || 💛

Carl Gallagher - 20 || he/him || we honestly don’t know what he does apart from cause chaos regularly || 🌿

Liam Gallagher - 12 || he/him || Middle/protector to Franny || ⚽️

Franny Gallagher - 5 || she/her || Little || 🧸

Frank Gallagher - 63 || he/him || persecutor to all the Gallaghers || 🍺

Monica Gallagher - 67 || she/her || Unknown. We don’t know where she lives in here, only that she’s ‘around.’ || 💊

Mandy Milkovich - 25 || she/her || Protector || 💄

Harry Potter

Harry Potter - 17 || he/him || Unknown || Dating Draco || ⚡️

Draco Malfoy - 17 || he/him || Unknown || Dating Harry || 🐍

Sirius Black - 35 || he/him || Unknown || Dating Remus || 🐕

Remus Lupin - 35 || he/him || Unknown || Dating Sirius || 🐺

James Potter - 21 || he/him || Unknown || Married to Lily || 🦌

Lily Potter - 21 || she/her || Unknown || Married to James || 🌸

Severus Snape - 37 || he/him || Unknown || 🦇

Aberforth Dumbledore - 48 || he/him || Unknown || 🐐

Aurelius Dumbledore - 20 || he/him || Traumaholder || 🌪️

Newt Scamander - 35 || he/him || Unknown || 🦎

Shadowhunters

Alec Lightwood - 33 || he/him || Gatekeeper || Married to Magnus || 🏹

Magnus Bane - Unknown because he keeps saying a different one every time || he/him || Caretaker || Married to Alec || ✨

Jace Herondale - 31 || he/him || Protector || 🗡️

Isabelle Lightwood - 31 || she/her || Protector || 👠

Max Lightwood-Bane - 14 || he/him || Middle || 🫐

Rafael Lightwood-Bane - 16 || he/him || Middle || 💧

Chairman Meow - Age Unknown || he/him || Does he even have a role? He’s literally just a cat, so who knows? || 🐈‍⬛

Sense8

The Fosters

Love Victor

Wednesday

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Carmilla

Death Note

Teen Titans

Dear Evan Hansen

Hamilton

Be More Chill

Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends

Powerpuff Girls

Ed Edd N Eddy

Encanto

DNI

People who subscribe to any of the following ideas should not interact with us under any circumstances.

Racist

Sexist

Ableist

Xenophobic

Fascist

Republican

Anti-MOGAI/Anti LGBTQIA+

Truscum/Transmed

TERF/SWERF

Pro-J.K. Rowling

Anti-Ace/Anti-Aro

Anti-Pan/Bi/Omni/Polysex

Anti-Polyam

Anti-Kink

Anti-Agere

Anti-Mspec Lesbian/Gay

Anti-Men/Enbies using Femme or Butch

Anti-Neo Pronouns

Anyone Under 18

MAP/NOMAP

Anti-Pro Ship/Anyone who can’t separate Fiction from Reality

Gendercrit

Nonbinary Skeptic

Anti-Queer

Anti-Endogenic Systems/Sysmeds

Anti-Self Dx

Autism Speaks Supporter

Anti-BLM/All or Blue Lives Matter Supporter

Pro-Trump

Fatphobic

Anti-HAES

Pro-Sui/Pro-SH

Pro-Ana/Pro Mia

Using us for ‘Thinspo’

[dear-indies]

I'm the advice about Emmy Rossum potentially supporting Isr@el anon; nvm I've found actual proof (she shared Obama's instagram post about Isr@el having a right to defend itself etc.) SO can I please ask for some alternatives of Emmy Rossum?? Specifically her as Fiona Gallagher so looking rough, curly hair, big eyes, looks like they'll fight at the drop of a hat, and preferably same ethnicity (Ashkenazi Jewish) and appearing as being in her 30s please??

Abbi Jacobson (1984) Ashkenazi Jewish - artists for ceasefire.

Monica Raymund (1986) Ashkenazi Jewish / English, Dominican - is bisexual.

Maghan Rath (1986) Ashkenazi Jewish / Goan Indian.

Ilana Glazer (1987) Ashkenazi Jewish - is queer and uses they/she - is anti-apartheid.

Sofia Black-D'Elia (1991) Ashkenazi Jewish / Italian.

Hari Nef (1992) Ashkenazi Jewish - is trans and pro Palestine.

Josette Maskin (1994) Jewish - is queer and uses she/they, artists for ceasefire.

Emma Seligman (1995) Jewish - is queer and pro Palestine.

also:

Asia Kate Dillon (1984) Ashkenazi Jewish / Unspecified - is non-binary and pansexual (they/them) and pro Palestine.

and:

Lola Kirke (1990) Jewish [including Iraqi Jewish] / English, Jewish - artists for ceasefire.

Hannah Marks (1993) Muscogee, Egyptian Jewish, Italian Jewish, Polish Jewish, Irish, and English.

I'm sorry I couldn't suggest more people but I found out some of my (ex)faves are pro Isr*el with this ask so I was struggling for suggestions. 😭😭

[xxlovermanxx]

not to cause drama but like- y’all love to blame Ian’s actions during season 4-5 (honestly 3 and 6 too) fully on himself without any consideration for his situation. Here is this 16(?17?) kid who’s having his first manic break, after experiencing all kinds of trauma with his first love. He’s CONFUSED and SCARED and if we’re talking season 4, he just ruined his LIFE LONG DREAM of being in the army!! He’s desperate to the point where he’s working as a stripper, because he’s BEEN GROOMED MULTIPLE TIMES AND THINKS HIS BODYS ALL HES GOOD FOR!!! and then after diagnosis he is a 17 (again, I think?) kid who just got DIAGNOSED WITH THE SAME DISORDER THAT HIS ABUSIVE NEGLECTFUL MOTHER HAS!!! He has no hOPE he’s afraid he’s gonna be a terrible person he S C A R E D and his family is now all treating him differently. Does that excuse his punching Mickey? NO! But again, they lived in a really fucked up neighborhood where that’s how they knew how to communicate. They were WRONG but that’s what they thought. I’m going to make a part 2 cause this getting long

[zutaralesbian]

Truly I think what Monica did to Fiona doesn't get talked about enough. Monica abandoned her kids and left Fiona to become a mother figure at the age of NINE. She basically robbed Fiona of her childhood :/

[lip-gallagher-is-bisexual]

Season 11 episode 6

(Spoilers under the cut)

So I really really liked this epsiode. We got Gallavich content, some decent Carl Gallagher, debbie and sandy moments, Terry, and Frank content as well.

It was nice to see Ian and Mickey has husbands. We barely get to see them be soft and in love and it was a change in scenery that I really enjoyed.

Mickey honestly deserves so much better he’s so strong. He is better than his father and he needs to know that.

Ian was very good at giving Mickey space and not pushing as well as just being there for him.

I’ve noticed a lot of people getting annoyed at debbie for being the one to say it’s rape but I think a lot of people forget how long ago she did that. She’s grown up, she knows men can be raped. She’s now an educated 19 year old, she’s no longer that dumb, uneducated 13-15 year old a lot of you see her as. Now she was annoying. She was so rude to Liam for no reason but at the end when she worked things out with Sandy she was a bit better.

Something I noticed was it’s all Terry. The milkoviches don’t even like Terry (the adults at least) and none of them care about Mick being gay. It’s all Terry.

Selling the house. I think selling the house is the only way they can all move on with their lives. It’s the only way they can actually get out. Now do I think lip shouldn’t be allowed to make that decision? Yes. It’s their house, he doesn’t even live there anymore.

Frank and Dementia. We knew it was coming but it still hurts. And he won’t ever admit it either so I doubt he will tell his family. It’s sad how you can see it. You can see his confusion and he really thought that women was Monica.

So, overall I really liked the epsiode if you have any questions please feel free to ask them ❤️❤️

[theonethatwatchesalotofshows]

What we know about the Gallaghers' childhood:

Frank was drunk a lot and has never held a job for more than couple days and more often than not tried to scam money than earn them

Monica was bipolar but instead of taking meds, she was on illegal drugs a lot of the time

Frank in fact kept Monica from taking her meds because "she is not as fun when she is on them"

Fiona was taken away by the child protective services for the first time as a baby. Monica was on LSD while they were taking her

Frank forgot Fiona somewhere when she was 4

They were homeless and crashing at relatives until they kicked them out and they ended up living out of a car. Fiona was 6, Lip was 2-3, Ian was a baby

While they were living out of a car, Frank left the kids on the side of the road in winter. Ian's head started burning up and Fiona had to find a way to get him to the free clinic. Frank didn't show up until a week later. The first thing he asked Fiona was how much money she had on her

Also Fiona took care of her baby brother when he had chicken pox. Not his parents, Fiona

On her first day of school, Fiona was wearing a t-shirt that Monica helped her shoplift

Monica and Frank got divorced and remarried multiple times. Their second wedding was a nudist one and Lip and Fiona were also there and old enough to remember it

During their breakups/divorces, Frank and Monica would bring their new partners into the house

Overall Frank and Monica seem to have no boundaries about their relationship and sex life so who knows what these kids had to see

Frank tied Monica to the bed when she was pregnant and wanted an abortion and kept her there until it was too late to get one

When the baby was born, Fiona was the one taking care of it and washing his diapers. Not his parents, his 9 year old sister

Monica tried to stab Frank in the chest with an ice pick during an argument at one point

At 9 years old, Fiona was making sure that her drunk father doesn't freeze to death in the yard and dragged him into the house

Lip started drinking in fourth grade and Monica and Frank encouraged it

The kids were taken away and placed into foster homes multiple times in their childhoods

Monica put Fiona on the pill when she was 14. She took her to planned parenthood high on ectasy and offered her female doctor a blowjob

Also Frank says that Monica first ditched them when Fiona was 14, Lip was 11, Ian was 10, Debbie 4 and Carl 3. He went on a two week bender.

However we know that Liam was conceived so she must have come back a few years after to have Liam and then abandon them again, when Liam was a newborn

Fiona dropped out during her junior year of high school to work full time to support her siblings, but they also had to work. Lip had his tutoring/taking SATs for other people, Ian worked at a store that kept getting robbed repeatedly where he was statutory raped and Debbie had to run a daycare at just 10 years old

Frank headbutted 15 year old Ian and broke his nose

Frank nor Monica never attended any of their kids' parent-teacher meeting or met any of their teachers

Frank gave the kids false hope by getting sober multiple times but each time it was short lived

Monica slit her wrists in front of the kids at Thanksgiving. The youngest of them were just 2,5, 9 and 10

Frank convinced Carl that he had cancer and was going to die, just so he could fabricate a sob story

Frank went on a bender and disappeared for longer periods of time multiple times throughout the show. Who knows how many times he did it when the kids were younger

Carl was taking care of his dying father at just 10-11 years old

Frank tried to pimp out his 15 year old pregnant daughter to get a place to stay

Frank and Monica punched each other in the face on their third wedding. Who knows how many times they got violent with each other before

Frank offered 6 year old Liam a glass of champagne on their third wedding. What's more later we find out he spiked everyone's drinks with Molly. He was willing to give his 6 year old son hard drugs

Frank gets physically violent with the kids multiple times in the show. Who knows what it was like when they were even younger

Frank tried to get his 6 year old son to sell meth on the street

And I am sure there is more that I forgot. So no, don't tell me "Frank was actually a good father deep down, he actually cares about his kids" because he didn't

[m4ndysk4nkovich]

maybe a hot take but you’re only allowed to criticize trevor for his “she apologized, move on” line if you’re also criticizing ian for what he was saying earlier in that scene

[shivvy-roy]

what are your thoughts on the paralells/anti-parallels between the gallagher’s and the roy’s like two families growing up under an abusive father and absentee mother but at the opposite ends of the class spectrum i’ve never seen anyone compare the two families but I’ve always kinda thought about the succession and shameless comparison idk why it’s always fascinated me

i am SO GLAD you asked me this question!!

both succession and shameless are, at their core, shows about how abusive parenting impacts children, but at wildly different income brackets, so in that way it's really interesting to draw parallels between similar characters from the shows and see how class further influences what happens as a result of a person's emotional trauma.

a really good example is kendall vs lip

both are second-oldest children who, along with the eldest sibling, act as pseudo-parents to the younger kids. kendall starts off the show established as an addict, whereas lip develops an alcohol addiction in later seasons. kendall, however, continues to fail upward despite his addiction, losing at an attempt to destroy his father but then bouncing back an episode later. there are bottomless pits of money dedicated to his recovery and he half-manages to parlay his status as an addict into a party boy persona. he literally kills a waiter as an effect of his desire to do drugs and faces zero consequence. lip, on the other hand, hits rock bottom as a result of his addiction, being expelled from college and ending up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning, where he is mainly concerned about being able to afford the bill, which is a concern kendall would never have had.

then there's also connor vs fiona

since we come into succession with all the roy kids as adults, we don't get to see connor as pseudo parent in the same way fiona was in shameless, where she acts as a mother to her siblings to the extent of feeding and clothing them. we do however see glimpses of the relationship between connor and his siblings as well as references to past events (like taking them on a camping trip or roman and connor fishing in montana) that imply that connor stepped in as a dad for much of his siblings' childhoods. then again, all connor ever had to do was provide emotional support, since the support system wasn't going anywhere. fiona, as her siblings' mom, has to drop out of high school (i believe the show says at age 14) to start working full time, and takes on sexually degrading jobs to earn enough money to survive.

both connor and fiona also lash out at their siblings when their hard work as pseudo-parent is not acknowledged or is mocked (like connor at kendall's birthday party or fiona like 39258x times through the series (shes right tho)) because they feel like they are being taken for granted.

the ways in which logan and frank abuse their children have some similarities and differences!

both of them use the withholding of affection as a means to get their children to do their bidding. both also use them as a means to an end to getting money- frank literally robbing his children, and logan using his children as props to close multi-billion dollar business deals.

frank also relies on his children to keep him alive to a certain extent, whereas logan makes it a point to demonstrate to his children how little he needs them.

then there is also a similarity between caroline & roman and monica & ian- absentee mothers who have a favorite child whom they lavish affection on and so are faithfully defended by that child even when other siblings voice their very legitimate complaints. it also just so happens that both roman and ian struggle with their sexuality in various ways.

to a lesser degree i also see similarity between shiv and debbie in that they are both young(er) women desperately trying to prove themselves to their brothers- though, of course, debbie does this by going through with a teenage pregnancy that everyone tells her to abort to prove she can function as a mother, and shiv does this by trying to outwit them into becoming ceo of a media conglomerate

[gingit-cake]

Shameless done ya dirty: a Top 5

5. Debbie: an iconic line for me is in 4x10 when the Gallaghers can’t find Fiona and Debbie says to Lip, exasperatedly, “All I do is look for my family. I’m getting all of you ankle monitors.” This is evocative of why she ends up having Franny so young, this desire for control and someone who will love her unconditionally and put her first. This is a reasonable canon development but then the show turns her into such a shallow, self-absorbed jerk that it’s impossible to sympathize with her. She’s not even an anti-hero. And Frank compares her to Monica in the finale but Monica was at least kind. Debbie has no such grace.

4. Fiona: mostly because of her roller coaster in her later seasons. She’s up, she’s down. She’s a small business owner, she works nights at a gas station behind bullet proof glass, maybe she’s a drunk. Who knows. I almost want to link her and Vee together here, because their friendship was completely trashed in the show as well. She’s higher up in the rankings than Debbie because she’s more beloved, but honestly she’s a forgettable character a few years out from her run.

3. Mickey: This one requires the least explanation for the Gallavich crowd - dumped, trashed by Ian in S6, written like a dumb, impulsive child with low “emotional IQ” in the final seasons. He’d be higher in the rankings if he weren’t redeemed by a stable partnership and business, loyalty and generosity, and ripped jeans. 😍

2. Mandy: What was on the writers’ minds between S1 and S2 that the Mandy who once explained English sentence structure rules to Ian in S1 became the poster child for “stay-in-school kidz!” PSAs in S2? Her unceremonious departure mid-S5, to never return and basically cease to exist was the icing on the cake. She deserved better.

1. Lip: I will never get over this one’s fall from grace. So bright, overcame a handful of obstacles to get through school, and never given a second chance by the writers once he emerged as an alcoholic. Worse, they treated him as someone whose most creative solution to crisis in the back half of the series was thinking of The Polish Doll and Debbie pretending to be the bride. I find his story line an insult to all the community, commuter and other 4-year colleges that give non-traditional students a path to success. It’s an insult to working-class and low-income young adults who are told by this show that there is only a single path to educational success - the elite college. The writing of his story is so classist. So narrow minded. Ugh. I’m getting worked up just thinking about it.

Honorable mentions: Sheila, Vee

[casually-slips-into-coma]

An Essay (sort of) Explaining the Many Grievances I Have With Debbie Gallagher

Once again, Debbie is the fucking worst.

I’ve been wanting to write out my feelings towards her character for a fucking minute now just so that I have a full concise list. Now, I can talk about how Debbie has a constant need for attention, or how her character has become someone unrecognizable in the past few seasons, or how she’s a terrible mother, but what I really want to focus on is the center of my issues with her: her sexuality. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t about to be a homophobic rant or anything. I just think her queer development has been written terribly and that should be addressed.

Too often I see people praising queer characters or relationships based solely on the fact that they are queer, and as a member of the community, I get it. I am also starved for representation. This, however, does not mean I’m going to settle for annoying, poorly written characters.

Why Make Debbie Queer?

The first thing I want to address is why suddenly develop a WLW storyline for her. Given that Debbie started as a little girl on the show, this gives the writers a lot of opportunity to give a character like that interesting storylines because she does not yet have a solid personality. It gives writers the liberty to take her story anywhere they want to without the constraints of established character because she, as a person, is still developing into adulthood. The show runners unfortunately dropped the ball with this.

From season 4 and onwards was when Debbie began showing interest in dating, sex, and romance having just turned the corner to puberty. From then up until season 9, she has shown exclusive interest in men. It isn’t until Alex the welder that Debbie deviates from this path. Alex is portrayed as a stud who confuses Debbie. I am inclined to believe that Debbie was originally attracted to her because she was masculine and therefore close enough to the people Debbie had previous experience with.

This arc was treated very much as Debbie experimenting with her sexuality, something that Alex also ends up realizing after Debbie tells her that having sex with a girl is “not that bad” and “like having sex with yourself” (S9E4). Once this storyline wrapped up (with Debbie shouting “you make me want cock again”) the writers powered through, adamant about Debbie now being a lesbian.

I have two theories as to why they’ve been fighting so hard for her queerness.

1) This was around the time that Cam was leaving Shameless. This obviously didn’t end up happening, but I was under the impression that the writers were freaking out at losing their token gay character and needed to fill that position. When Cam ended up staying, they were stuck with a queer Debbie storyline and decided to just go with it.

2) Shameless was planning on doing a WLW storyline regardless of Cam’s choice to leave and were originally going to give it to Fiona and her lesbian tenant that she had a close relationship and a lot of chemistry with, but Emmy Rossum wanted to move on from Shameless, and so they pivoted and gave the arc to Debbie, a character that was not supposed to be moved in that direction and so her new sexuality seemingly came out of nowhere. Fiona as a bisexual character would have made sense. Debbie still does not.

Shameless’s Awkward Relationship With Bisexuality

One of the biggest issues I have with Debbie is her insistence on being a lesbian. Lesbianism doesn’t come out of nowhere. Bisexuality, however, can. When you grow up being told that you are supposed to feel attraction to men, and you genuinely do feel attraction to men (which Debbie has expressed in past seasons/episodes) it’s easy to ignore your attraction to women and write it off as something that either isn’t a big deal, or something that isn’t there. It’s a lot more confusing than being strictly at one end of the spectrum. It would have been so much more believable if they had simply made Debbie bisexual. Unsurprisingly, they didn’t because the show has a history with bi erasure.

Bisexuality has been treated badly all throughout Shameless, used as a vengeful plot device back in the earlier seasons where Monica was only ever with women when unmedicated. Then in Season 7 when Ian’s boyfriend Caleb cheated on him with a woman (enforcing the stereotype of bisexuals being unfaithful) Ian, possibly acting out of anger or ignorance, said things like “only women are bisexual. When a man says he’s bisexual he’s really just gay”. The only semi positive bisexual representation on the show was Svetlana and Vee when they were in a poly relationship with Kev (though I also think that storyline wasn’t handled as well as it could’ve been).

This fight against the bisexual label in media is not a new one but it is also a harmful stance to take when writing a sexually fluid character. Debbie declaring that she is, in fact, a lesbian after waxing poetic about how Matty had a big dick and Derek had a great body and knew what he was doing is not the way to go. 

You could argue that Debbie, like many other queer women, is an unfortunate victim of compulsory heterosexuality, but frankly I don’t think the writers are well versed enough in queer theory for that to be a possibility.

Debbie as The White Feminist

Debbie is the pinnacle of white feminism. It’s an unfortunate thought that has occurred to me a few times throughout the show. She talks a big game as a man hater and someone after the equal treatment of women but she herself participates in a lot of problematic and anti feminist behavior.

For one, she r*ped Matty back in season 5 when he was blacked out and unconscious. This was a point in the story that was glossed over and one where she suffered no repercussions other than Matty no longer wanting to be around her. It was explained in the show that Debbie didn’t realize what she did was wrong until after she was explicitly told so because she was maybe 14 when it happened (not 100% on the age Shameless is very inconsistent about timelines). It was treated as somewhat of a punchline, something that Shameless has unfortunately done more than once when referring to male sexual assault (Mickey’s r*pe, Liam in season 10 ((i think??)) and in this latest season, Carl) but that is a different topic. 

There was also the time in which she lied to her boyfriend about being on birth control so she could trap him into a relationship with pregnancy (which also counts as r*pe!!) Good on Derek for getting out of that.

Debbie has also been pro-life in the past. Now I understand this was when Fiona was pressuring her into aborting her pregnancy, and as a pro choicer myself, I believe that Debbie was fully in her right to have bodily autonomy and go through with the pregnancy. This isn’t where the issue lies. It’s when Fiona finds out that she too is pregnant and tells Debbie that she wants an abortion that Debbie accuses her of “killing her baby”. Again, her behavior could be explained by her age given that Debbie was still a young teen during this time.

When her actions as a White Feminist become less excusable is mostly in the latest season. Her relationship with Sandy is one that I’m not really happy with because Debbie doesn’t deserve her.

Recently, it has been revealed that Sandy is actually married to a man and has a son. It’s explained that she was basically married off against her will at the age of 15 to a man twice her age. This implies that the product of the marriage, her son, was most likely conceived through dubious consent (or worse) at the hands of an adult when she was just a kid. Just because Debbie thinks that Sandy’s husband “seems nice” does not give her the right to try and make a victim of grooming feel bad about not wanting to be with her abuser. While I understand that Sandy’s son has no fault in how he came into the world, I’m still gonna side with Sandy when it comes to having to take care of a child she didn’t want and who is most likely a source of trauma for her. It’s not difficult to sympathize with Sandy and see that she’s clearly gone through something fucked up and Debbie, despite claiming to love and support her, AND despite her dumb white feminist arc about wanting equal pay and all that jazz, turns her back on the girls supporting girls aspect of feminism.

This isn’t even mentioning how shitty it was to just leave Franny by herself and assume that one of her siblings would take her to school and pick her up and stuff as if they don’t all have separate lives. She talks a lot about being a good mother but decided to “let off some steam” by fucking off to a gay bar to get loaded on coke and fuck a gay man (which wtf thats not a thing that really happens with casual coke but whatever I guess). Once she realized she fucked up, instead of taking responsibility she decided to paint herself as the victim as well as spew offensive bullshit about how she “probably has AIDS now” because of her sexual encounter with a gay man. No lesbian in their right fucking mind would ever say that because as members of the LGBTQ+ community, you are at least a tiny bit informed as to how devastating and tragic the AIDS crisis was for queer people.

(I also have an issue with how Debbie capitalized on her felony as a sex offender and her sexuality to start her Hot Lesbian Convict business but I think that’s enough said.)

Blame the writers

The show got almost an entirely new cast of writers after season 7 which is why the show feels more like a sitcom with low stakes and no consequences rather than a drama, but if there is a queer writer on the team it’s not very evident. Even the better half of the queer relationship story, Ian and Mickey, I don’t feel has really been done justice since the change in writers. It’s just become painfully obvious that the actress is a straight girl playing a gay character (not to mention I have never seen any chemistry between her and all of her female love interests). I don’t fault Emma Kenney (the actress) for this. I actually really like her as a person and I like the videos she makes about the cast and such, and I think she does her best with the script she’s given. My complaints with Debbie are targeted entirely towards the writers.

This brings me to my final point. I need them to let Debbie be alone. Her whole thing for the second half of the season has been that she clearly has abandonment issues and is afraid of being alone. It’s why she’s so adamant about keeping the house and fighting with Lip about it (I’m actually on Debbie’s side for that one but that’s besides the point). They had her and Sandy break up which leaves Debbie to spiral further into her loneliness. From a writing point of view, it makes sense to take this opportunity to give her an arc in which she can overcome that and feel comfortable with herself so that she can move on as an adult instead of jumping into a new relationship. This is especially true since this is quite literally the last season ever of the show and any character development needs to be wrapped up. Introducing a new character out of nowhere does not give the viewers enough time to actually get invested in the new relationship. It’s also unfair to Debbie’s character because her arc is going to feel incomplete.

Anyway,,,,,,uuuhhhhh,,,,,feel free to add on if u want lmao

[maccreadysimp]

breaking down this anti-ian article bc it bothers me ( from the child of a bipolar mother and a male teen with same sex attraction ) while also providing valid reasons ian sucks ( from someone who likes ian )

ive had this drafted for a while so i dont think i cover anything from season 11

tw for i^cest and r^pe

he was with a married man

in this point it points out that he was with kash and he continued his relationship with kash even after linda put cameras in the store

“Ian didn't seem to care about how wrong his affair with Kash was or how much it could hurt Kash's wife Linda, whom he saw at the store regularly. “

that is a quote from that part.

ian gallagher was fifteen in season one, kash was an older man who bought him gifts and payed attention to ian ,, that was not on ian , none of that was ian fault because he was a child

ian wasnt open with lip

“ Ian didn't tell Lip about his preferences and forced Lip to figure it out on his own. Lip was instantly accepting of his brother's truth and even offered to help him figure out any confusion he might be harboring, so it's really strange that Ian wasn't just upfront with his closest confidant from the start.”

no , lip wasnt forced to figure it out on his own and he also wasn’t instantly accepting.

in this point it mentions that ‘they’re extremely close ( bestfriends and brothers ) so its strange ian didnt tell him’

like point 1 , ian is a fifteen year old boy, growing up on the southside , and thoughout the show it has mentioned multiple times that the southside isnt that accepting

back to lip -- lip wasnt accepting, sure he was fine but ‘helping your younger brother figure it out’ by having a (female) classmate give him a blowjob isnt helping

he secretly dated his best friends brother

“Most friends have an unspoken rule about not dating each other's siblings, but Ian broke this rule by secretly entering into a relationship with Mandy's closeted brother Mickey.”

the only thing i have to say about this is , he was still with kash and mickey was a boy in his age group who was gay , growing up in the southside ian probably thought he was the token gay so of course hes going to chase after mickey

he stood by as kash attacked mickey

“Ian didn't do anything to stop Kash from shooting his new lover, and didn't even tell the police about his boss' over-the-top display of jealous action so proper justice could be served.”

okay. because two men he had fallen for had gotten into a fight, there was a gun involved and he panicked, in the end after mickey got shot he went to him

now to address the quote, he didnt say anything to the police because he probably knew that that would bring shame onto kash and his family, along with mickey and his family who are very homophobic

oh yeah and it was like 2011 and cops suck and THEY LIVE ON THE SOUTHSIDE

he and lip tried framing terry milkovich

oh the homophobic and racist dad of his boyfriend and bestfriend who tried to kill him and r*ped his daughter ?

yeah , shit man , that was real bad they shouldn’t have done that /s

he dated jimmy-steves married father

“Ian didn't bother telling Jimmy the truth about his father and didn't end his relationship with Lloyd upon finding out that he had a secret wife and family, either.”

at this point ian is probably sixteen but that doesnt matter bc i wont even address that

he met him at a club and then used his relationship with ned to make mickey jealous which was one of the reasons he kept seeing him, he didnt tell jimmy-steve about the relationship or his father bc he shouldnt find out from him he should find out from his father , again like kash, ned was an older man who payed attention to ian and ned later did develop feelings feelings for ian

he stole lips identity to enlist in the army

he enlisted because he didnt know what to do with himself, its implied/stated that the army timeline was the start of his bipolar

“While impersonating Lip, Ian had tried to steal a helicopter and then proceeded to go AWOL.”

this is because of the bipolar he suffers from, it is referenced later in the series after he gets back and hes manic

ian refused to accept being bipolar

of course he didnt accept it, it is made very clear that his family thinks lowly of monica so of course if hes the lucky duck to get what his siblings demonize her for, of course he’ll not want to be it

“He refused to take medications that could alter his personality or mood.”

okay. this is why im making this whole post, this goes along with part 15 ( or so idk ) ,,

my mother , my dear mother, who is bipolar and doesnt take her meds because they are mood altering , my mom doesnt take med because she told me once that they make her feel like shit, she told me that a little after i was born she started taking them but realized she felt nothing, she felt nothing for my dad or for i ( making her numb )

she told me anti deppresents dont help either because when shes on them and manic it pushes her past productive and into angry

my dad told me that when my mom was on bi polar medication she would seem angry most of the time

he wasnt faitful to mickey

“Ian's bipolar disorder made him very reckless and impulsive and led him to be unfaithful.”

lets break that down.

ians. bipolar. disorder.

this plot point i actually didnt like, mainly bc ian never addresses it so ill give the article a point. but then i take away 2 because they have more of a problem with his bipolar messing with him rather than the fact he never apologized and they never worked it out

ian stole yevgeny

before i start quoting i should mention because his boyfriend, who has supported and helped him is suddenly telling him he needs help, he was helping raise yev so he’ll see yev as his own

“Ian failed to recognize just how crazy he was acting...”

cuting you off right there , he was in a bipolar state, he wasnt ‘crazy’ and isnt ‘crazy’

he cant even keep count of his number of partners

just slutshaming i see

he helped throw frank off a bridge

“His relationship with Frank was understandably never the same after that, as Frank struggled to get over this act of betrayal and cruelty.”

‘was never the same after that’ frank never liked ian, ian was probably his least favorite and that point is very apparent

also , it wasnt just ian , his siblings and his boyfriend caleb

he left a healthy relationship to be with mickey

he fell in love with mickey at 15 , mickey was a comfort and always someone to fall back on, when mickey was taken away and no longer in the picture his heart still obviously was with mickey and when mickey came back he didnt know what to do

he told mickey he had a boyfriend but because mickey has been such a constant in his life he finally has back of course he couldnt resist

he liked trevor, i could tell he did but trevor wasnt the one he watched get r^ped by a russian prostitute, he wasnt the one ian was secretly dating bc it would be a death wish other wise, he wasnt the one there when ian was manic or depressive ( at the start )

he tried blackmailing an old client for money

“Instead of raising the money in an honest manner, Ian chose to visit an old client from his time working at the Fairy Tail and blackmail him into funding the shelter.”

because he felt indebted to trevor and wanted to make it up to him, it would have taken longer to do it in ‘an honest manner’ when his sister would have gotten it instead, he knew how much gay youths like he once was needed a safe place

“He grew up wanting to be nothing like his father, but this whole money-making scheme was straight out of the Frank playbook”

because thats all he knows, he grew up with that ‘playbook’ so of course hes going to take a page out of it, he is nothing like frank , franks money making schemes are selfish and for his own greed while ian wanted the money to help build a safe space for lgbt youth

he let fame inflate his ego

of course he did, hes a southside kid who was destined to fail

also it is very apparent that during the gay jesus era he went off his medication which didnt help

“Before long, he just completely forgot about his ex and focused solely on being a deity”

as much as yes, he did let it mess with his head, he was trying to still help lgbt youth and was going against anti gay churchs , in the end it didnt work out for him because he was off his meds and went over board

he stopped taking his meds

see previous point and ‘ian refused to accept being bipolar’

he actually wanted to stay in prison

because he was doing good in there

ian was helping others and was spreading awareness about lgbt with in the prison , and as him and jail scenes go , we can see people were listening to him and he was trying to make it safe sane and consensual

he let down his army of followers

“Ian admitted that most of his actions were completely irrational and the mere results of his bipolar disorder.”

he didnt want to, we can see this, because he knew he would let down everyone, his family were the only ones to ever ground him and they knew it would be the best option for his own mental health

during the gallavich wedding we can see that a lot of his supporters still have his back because they must know how hard it was for him to put all of that success on something he can’t control

he constantly wasted his potential

this is actually the only point in this article i actually agree with , so only 1/20 i agree with

his relationship with mickey wasn’t actually great

“Mickey spent the first several years of their relationship denying his feelings for Ian.”

he was raised by a homophobic and racist father who he knew would react the way he did when terry had caught the two that one day

“Even after he finally embraced his true self, Ian's bipolar disorder kept them from becoming truly happy together.”

yes but mickey was there for him the entire time and helped him through it, he told him he loved him which was really big for him and did his best to care for him

“They couldn't seem to remain faithful to each other for more than a few weeks.”

back to the point about ians bipolar but for mickey he wanted monogamy , now that scene in s11 may say otherwise but it is very clear that he wants a monogamous relationship with ian and ian ( after getting help ) wants one too, and in the later seasons they are monogamous

“When Mickey asked Ian to run away to Mexico with him, Ian refused.”

he wanted to, it’s obvious, but ian has his family and didnt want to abandon them again, i think part of him knew he would see mickey again because they always find eachother, he gave mickey all of his money and wanted mickey to have a good life

“Their relationship was simply never healthy.”

no it wasnt, but thats why the ship is great in its own way, the gay closet kid raised by a homophobic man is obviously going to have a lot of baggage , and ian who is bipolar and struggling with himself will also have a lot of baggage , but in the end they love eachother and that really shows in season five and season seven specifically

that is all lol ,,, this is long sorry

now, i am not a ian apologist , i love ian but hes a dumbass sometimes

actual valid reasons ian sucks

genuinely believes frank is worse than terry

yes frank was definitely abusive but terry is definitely worse ,,

mentally/physically/sexually abusive , the whole nine yards

terry hired a prostitute to r^pe his son , threatened to kill him and ian on multiple occasions , r^ped his daughter who ended up pregnant and is actively racist

frank on the other hand will make gay jokes but in the end doesnt give enough of a shit , he has attacked his children on multiple occasions but not to the brutality that terry has ( this isnt me excusing it )

sorry ian , terry is worse

never apologized

he never apologized for all the shit he put mickey and his family through, never apologized to mickey for cheating on him , never apologized for all the manic and depressive episodes mickey endured with him

never apologized for walking away when he couldn’t handle it, in hall of shame mickey actually acknowledges this saying ‘its youre whole MO’

debbies sexuality

he has constantly made statements saying debbie isnt gay and that bothers me because , why does it care ? as a gay man and as a gay man who soent time with a lot of lgbt youth wouldnt he support his sister even if shes just ‘experimenting’?

in the recent season he doesnt seem to care and doesn’t say anything but it still bothers me

mickey only getting like 80% of his heart

okay look , i get what ian means when he says this , everyones hes been with has made him who he is but fucking hell dude ,, shut up , thats your husband , thats the love of your life you shouldnt be saying shit like that , especially to him

and then this man had the audacity to say mickey probably feels the same about past flings when he knows that ian is the only one hes probably ever been with/serious about

obviously there is probably more but those are the main ones that come to mind

—

before anyone brings up the trans or bi thing im going to explain my thought process for him

like ive probably mentioned multiple times he grew up southside and obviously only ever grew up with lgb and not t ,, trevor did inform him a lot and ian became supre accepting of everyone,, sexual preference isnt transphobic but i do think he approached the matter badly

now the bi thing , legit all i think is that he doesnt hate bisexual people its just that the man he really liked slept with a woman and never expressed any heterosexual attraction so it probably just suprised him and pissed him off because caleb did cheat on ian

—

if you read this far HOLY SHIT THANKS LOL ,, im not adding things that i think are pro about ian this was just me breaking down that article and giving my two cents :)

feel free to message me and talk to me or send me articles like this about any other character/relationship and i will totally break that one down too lol

thanks for letting me rant

[airoasis]

The Unexplained Murder Of Mobster Bugsy Siegel

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/the-unexplained-murder-of-mobster-bugsy-siegel/

The Unexplained Murder Of Mobster Bugsy Siegel

This week on BuzzFeed and noticed we investigate the homicide of Bugsy Siegel the infamous mobster who helped launch the mega casinos that we companion with Las Vegas at present let’s be rolling oh you rolling the dice faucets table you recognize what which you can Scott talking of rolling the cube we are taking a risk here with the aid of doing a further mob episode getting gutsy yeah that is by and large grant doesn’t really topic how old you are pulling the trigger is just as convenient but you already know what i don’t must sleep in ok geez that convenient okay let’s do it all correct Benjamin Siegel used to be born on February 28 1906 in Brooklyn new york there together with childhood friends Meyer Lansky and Morris Moe stated approach Siegel began a crook profession extorting local street companies in alternate for security from different gangs in the field fellow gang member started calling him Bugsy a slang term for crazy on the time due to his violent temper allegedly Bugsy was not a nickname that Siegel cared for and people who knew him would never call him that to his face now that is anything I to find interesting about most mob nicknames practically all of them that is the guideline that applies you do not call them you do not name them their nickname to their face but when talking about them you utilize the nickname i suppose I could see if someone have been calling you babyface or tiny or tiny who else was i am seeking to suppose of different fashionable that’s embarrassing that those are the one two that come to mind you realize good appear i’m now not i am not embarrassed to not comprehend a lot about the mob put them in the back of bars ultimately Siegel sedway and Lansky transitioned to different crimes like vehicle theft bootlegging and gambling rising by way of the ranks of new York’s organized crime world it is greatly idea that Bugsy was once one of the 4 guys who in 1931 achieved Joe Masseria and an Italian restaurant in the big apple main fortunate Luciano to take the throne as the chairman of the board of the American Mafia in 1937 Lansky sent Bugsy and Moute to l. A. To build up the mobs presence on the west coast at the same time the mob had been closely worried in bootlegging throughout the 20s by the time seagull landed in California the 21st amendment had put a stop to money to be made on importing unlawful hooch it feels like the West Coast is continuously painted as like this identical to do excellent coasts like we had been always always like we acquired to take the crime syndicate over to the west coast some over there he never began it over here an excessive amount of crime right here let’s put some over there and says we might under no circumstances begin whatever on her possess over right here yeah we’re too distracted by way of the sunshine Bugsy made up our minds to center of attention on playing he invested in the SS Rex a playing ship that used to be docked three miles external of Santa Monica to check out and hinder California anti-gambling laws at the same time authorities finally shut it down Bugsy set his points of interest on Las Vegas Nevada had legalized gambling so there would not be as many complications trying to hinder police in 1945 with cash from the syndicate again east Siegel took over a struggling development undertaking outside of Las Vegas metropolis limits the Flamingo lodge and on line casino at the time Vegas used to be nothing like we think of in these days the Flamingo will be the first luxurious inn on the strip Siegel hosted the grand opening of the inn on December 26 1946 while the assignment used to be nonetheless unfinished nevertheless mega superstars like Judy Garland and Clark Gable have been at the opening for shadowing Vegas his glamorous future after this social gathering Siegel closed the hotel to conclude construction and the mob again east grew to be antsy I i’ll say building a significant giant luxurious luxury inn in the middle of the desert yeah you already know what it looks as if a bit of a chance it’s just right it is relatively first-class it can be just right stuff bit of of venture by this time the challenge’s rate had ballooned from siegels at the start budgeted 1 million to up to 6 million greenbacks much of the overruns believed to be as a result of Siegel’s skimming from the top if there may be one factor to recall concerning the mob it is that you don’t steal from it for the duration of a assembly of mob bigwigs in Cuba an agreement was once reached on the ft of Bugsy if the Flamingo proved to be successful he’d be able to make matters proper luckily for Bugsy with the aid of may just of 1947 the Flamingo had already made 250,000 greenbacks in profit alas for Bugsy that it sounds as if wasn’t adequate $250,000 a profit that is like a decent corporation right there i would say not just right sufficient for me now not enough so that you can be stealing yeah i would not be completely satisfied with him yeah on June twentieth 1947 Siegel was once sitting on a chin sofa in the residing room of his mistress Virginia Hills residence in Beverly Hills at 10:45 p.M.From a rose protected pergola simply 14 toes from Bugsy a 30 caliber navy rifle fired at the least 9 photographs on the mobster 4 rounds hit him killing him instantly simply moments later three of Meyer Lansky’s henchmen strolled into the Flamingo lodge and declared the on line casino was once now theirs despite his popularity coroner’s misspelled Siegel’s title on his toe tag and his funeral lasted a mere five minutes with handiest about six folks in attendance i don’t see i do not believe that is a testomony to how widespread he used to be as so much as it was a testament to probably the mobs power get him in the floor well it is like don’t show up good i’ll go to a funeral yeah you know the mob whacked this character yeah maybe don’t show up in help of him yeah you do not want so as to add yourself to an ever-developing record if I get murdered no person come to my funeral do not suppose you are gonna ought to put that disclaimer out it can be gonna occur on its possess now that I’ve put the disclaimer around yeah yeah sure the motive why there it’s they need anybody at my funeral you here but according to Beverly Hills Police Chief Clinton H Anderson quote we spent many man-hours investigating the Siegel case and have been satisfied that he was killed by means of his possess acquaintances however there was once in no way adequate proof to pinpoint the identity of the assassin finish quote with that it’s time to looking at theories at the back of who murdered Bugsy Siegel concept one the mob see you next week our first conception is Eddie Cannizzaro aka the Cat Man Cannizzaro was once a former errand boy for Jack dragna who was as soon as described in a document via the State Crime fee because the Al Capone of California end quote Cannizzaro died in 1987 of heart failure however earlier than he passed on he called a reporter and federal dealers to his dying bed the place he confessed to seven murders including seagulls in keeping with Ken Azura’s confession quote it was a smooth hit I used to be picked given that I knew seagull and would not make a mistake end quote I don’t know if a murder being individual always makes you less likely to make a mistake however i suppose if he is on his deathbed let him have the sentiment uh you may also in the sense that you know them higher you realize might be how they react you already know probably the place they but wouldn’t that additionally like carry into emotion what if you happen to like bear in mind like you’re about to do the hit i’ve the scope proper at your gigantic head and i’m considering we did have some excellent instances on the street maybe I should not do that yeah you already know that form of factor but then you’re but then I obtained a job some wins over rationalist ones over and also you pull that trigger Mike Gallagher your head yeah so casting doubt on Ken Azhar was confession are just a few inconsistencies in his story Cannizzaro claimed he was questioned in connection with the homicide at the time but there isn’t a document of an interview with him in the bugsy case file as well Cannizzaro claimed that after the murder he drove off in the path of Wilshire Boulevard a neighbor query after Bugsy used to be killed nonetheless told police that after the gunshots a car was once heard hurtling within the reverse path in the direction of sunset Boulevard on the time of his demise Cannizzaro used to be dwelling along with his mother and over 30 cats within the Agoura Hills local of Western LA County he was once hoping to create a beginning manipulate serum for cats and had requested a few of his old buddies in Las Vegas for funding very funny that this man has 30 cats and is attempting desperately to discontinue them breeding yeah perhaps like I wish to suppose he had two cats and then a yr later had 30 cats is like I bought a I obtained to shut this down yeah I simply i don’t consider like that is some thing you disclosed to your mob neighbors like you’re tossing again beers i am like you know I received 30 cats working on it everybody’s usually like telling them crazy reports like good you know I received 30 cats and used to be like k I mean i’m trying to introduced the can seeking to discontinue him i’m seeking to stop them bounine controlling my mind I received a serum you need to take a look at it i’m engaged on it also I hate that he calls it a serum it makes me feel like he is doing a little like extra bizarre science lesson slightly juice that I injected that testicles Eddie get out of the storage it can be not working to your rattling Cyril shut up mother the 2d concept is a world struggle two vet Robert McDonald this concept comes from Warren hall an govt assistant in Nevada who said MacDonald’s function in Siegel’s murder had been a loved ones secret for a long time on his deathbed hall’s father entreated his son to study the story and get it out there hole obliged the death man’s request occurring to create a four hundred slide PowerPoint presentation laying out the points of his case yells ah who’s he displaying that to yeah yeah who is he showing that i suppose investigators perhaps you just inviting friends over for margaritas yeah I got a while oh certain it’s loopy Oh believe about 4 and a half of hours due to the fact your trip to Niagara Falls hope you went to the lavatory when you consider that there isn’t any breaks McDonald was once married to holes mom’s cousin and excellent buddy Betty Anne McDonald Betty Ann’s mom Gaynor Rockwell labored at metropolis corridor in l. A. There she met Jack dragna the Al Capone of California from our earlier idea gaynelle told dragna her daughter was once having troubles along with her husband McDonald who would be violent now and then McDonald additionally happened to oh the mob $30,000 dragna went to McDonald explaining his debts can be forgiven if he offed Siegel consistent with entire MacDonald’s time in the navy made out of an proficient marksman together with with the 30 caliber carbine the alleged murder weapon again nonetheless the neighbors record of a speeding automobile forged doubt on this conception whole thinks that McDonald who lived just on the opposite part of a golf course from Virginia Hill would have escaped walking sneaking back to his residence not up to a mile away at the hours of darkness he simply lived on the other part of the hill he’d sneak you recognize by way of the dark covert like conflict mm-hmm so unless he desired to throw them off sure why would I drive when I would simply walk you particularly consider he went that deep into it he’ll double bluff just three months after Bugsy’s murder McDonald would go on to shoot himself and his wife Betty Ann hall says there’s no evidence that Beverly Hills police ever investigated McDonald as a suspect in Siegel’s homicide besides the fact that children that McDonald allegedly used the equal form of weapon to kill himself and his spouse as he did on Siegel less than a mile away and most effective three months after Bugsy’s homicide all believes it is even feasible that Howard Hughes can have pressured police to not investigate McDonald as he had labored closely with the person’s father how he got here in and a majority of these mob ones I consider adore it’s like might be he did it behind the barn and buried him and then you already know doc tossed his physique within the river whereas this one sincerely has things that linked him to the crime I feel like complex factor is the mob is just right at protecting their tracks that’s actual that’s what they’re built on yeah a 3rd idea comes from be mentioned way the wife of Mo said manner Bugsy’s childhood friend developing within the mob in step with be mo had been sending on line casino numbers back to Meyer Lansky on the East Coast together with gambling winnings and crucially building bills Bugsy conducted a assembly in March of 1947 without Mo there he reportedly said he used to be looking to get rid of Moe saying quote i’m going to have Moe shot chop his physique up and feed it to the Flamingo inns kitchen rubbish disposal finish quote I inspiration you were gonna say he was once gonna feed him to the flamingos and that may have been cool as hell one of the most attendees advised Moe who called his wife and asked her to force from LA to Vegas the 2 then drove out into the desert after which walked even further to make certain a private automobile precision going for walks into the desolate tract to have a personal conversation good cuz that’s the only method that you could ensure good day I get it also now not gonna lie in the event you do have a demise risk for your head probably now not nice to walk out where nobody could in finding you or see you good point let’s prepackaged ourselves for this homicide make it real first-class and handy there is me real fine they can’t hear us at all let’s have a private dialog you realize what we have to do dig a gap for ourselves they’ll certainly not to find us down right here six toes down I consider that’ll be beautiful it would be excellent it’ll be first-class when Moe told his wife of the hazard against him be right away referred to as Matthew moose Panza a crane operator and bees lover Moen be who married when he was once forty one and she or he just seventeen had an awfully unconventional marriage for the time they have been very honest with one another and knew about one an extra’s extramarital companions in fact Moe had insisted that upon his dying moose used to be to marry B after their assembly moose arrived in Las Vegas to defend Moe after the mob boss meeting in Cuba were cost overruns on the Flamingo were discussed nevertheless Lansky gave Moe his blessing to take concerns into his own hands moose volunteered to do the job and spent weeks practicing his marksmanship I obtained a question about my boy strikes yeah see somewhat man Oh cuz you believe quite often in the mob it can be form of like yeah yeah yeah like a significant colossal tall lanky man like me could be a brief stack or something they’re fan of boxy they’re a fan of boxing yeah i like i love a i love you be like oh wait until moose gets here big knock on the door they opened the door and although it used to be from it was once in obstacle let me have it the moose ‘cell pressure down in step with B after pulling the trigger moose hurried to the auto and drove straight to Santa Monica where he broke down the rifle leaving the butt of the gun on a rooftop and throwing the barrel into the ocean as his wellness was failing B’s son Robbie reached out to her reporter to tell his mom’s story when that reporter reached out to the Beverly Hills Police department to investigate whether moose had been viewed a suspect they responded quote it’s within the excellent interest of the town of Beverly Hills not to speak to you and quote i really like the truth that that posh workplace could be in all probability beat soiled yeah that is just I think that’s simply how the whole thing in California back then was once just filthy quite though oh yeah i assume Beverly Hills I continuously saw as a situation of like i do know plenty of LA was corrupt all of it Oh each all of it so you go by the principle that the more glamorous the extra soiled maybe but another theory suggests the Chicago mob took down Bugsy with the help of Siegel’s mistress Virginia Hill Hill had been viewed a relied on mob courier and in keeping with author Andy Edmonds the Chicago mob used Hill as a supply of understanding on Bugsy’s dealings at the same time Siegel was building the Flamingo the Chicago mob was financing a competing resort the dunes on the present website online of the Bellagio Siegel’s homicide also took position at Hills residence he would had been competent to inform an assassin about Siegel’s addiction of studying the paper in her residing room at night and Hill had conveniently skipped city for Paris that day he’ll finally move to Europe to prevent expenses of tax evasion the place she died at the age of forty nine her death was once deemed an overdose however some have their suspicions that the mob was concerned Chicago mob heard of what they do i know you’re gonna come to this shocker as someone who was once born underneath the beam let me tell you a cog oh we all know what we’re doing I comprehend it’s exciting a lot of mob movies you look at Goodfellas stuff like that definite all takes place east coast but you rather need something done go to those boys in Chicago man you recognize I received a say in a shocking flip of hobbies Shane talked about Chicago once more in an episode frankly what an upset oh and the pizza as one expects with mob killings there are a lot of alternative theories in the market most of the time unsubstantiated to this day no one has ever been prosecuted within the death of Benjamin Bugsy Siegel and while what occurs in Vegas stays in Vegas what occurred to the person who helped start latest Vegas remains unsolved i know I’ve busted this out earlier than however this is very so much a case of oh boy just gonna ought to let it be mr.There it’s it took us three episodes to get to that and now we have arrived some things will just certainly not uncover and also you just obtained a yeah that is the best way of the world if there is one the place the evidence seems essentially the most robust i would say that it can be the one that entails mo mousse and Lansky and simply love mousse do love me some giant moose and a moose fan but both that or the hill one additionally makes sense too yeah but if I needed to go together with one i’d go along with them free all in on what do you put it in all the new you slide them all in so I might go is that okay to finish on a fine Vegas reference yeah there you go see you next week .