#we all know s8-9 would NOT have happened if mickey was there

[swiftfootedachilles]

One of the things I both love and feel so sad about with Shameless is that the reactions to mental health struggles are realistic. Both times Ian was having a bad go of things, his family didn't step in until things got catastrophic. He didn't make it to a doctor until he had a psychotic break and ran off with Yevgeny. No one could talk to him about him possibly being manic until he was on trial for arson. Fiona tried to talk to him but doing so during an argument was terrible timing. To Ian, it felt condescending even if it was a genuine moment of, "I know we're not cool right now but I'm worried for real." Thankfully by S10, everyone has found a way to ask about meds without Ian feeling judged.

fiona was actually so wild for fighting ian over property when she knew he was having a mental health crisis 😭

shamey writers have this astounding ability to make things so well-written and viscerally emotional, or absolutely piss-poor the most inconsistent writing youve ever seen in your life, and it seems to be entirely random when they decide to do one or the other

[heymacy]

hi! i haven’t seen mickeyless seasons so i wanted to ask if ian ever has issues about being bipolar like he did with mickey? like him breaking up in s5 for not wanting to see mickey hurt and s10 when he asks if he’s crazy for wanting to be with him! i think i read somewhere that caleb? maybe had a talk about self love or whatever to ian but that dude was horrendous ( not that trevor was best for what ive seen ) so im not sure that counts ahah

hi anon!

yes, ian grappling with his disorder is a very very big theme throughout seasons 6, 7, 8, and 9. in fact i would argue that aside from him becoming an EMT, the bipolar storyline is his most significant one (i typed out my response and it got very long so i'm going to put it below the cut 💛)

in s6 he is fresh off of the diagnosis, the breakup, and coping with mickey going to prison (and he was definitely trying to cope, he still loved him and seeing someone you love locked up is immeasurably hard. i feel like we don't talk about this enough). he feels very aimless and it isn't until an incident (he's a bystander to a car crash and rescues a woman from a burning vehicle) that he finds his new path (becoming an EMT, which he does by the end of s6). caleb was absolutely awful in so many ways but the one good thing he did do was encourage and support ian in finding a new life path, which is the only credit i will give him. there's also a deleted scene in s6 that is so, so important re: understanding how mentally ill people are viewed and treated in society and of course ian's monologue about how he's good at his job because of his illness, which is one of my favorite scenes in the entire show.

in s7, he's getting healthy again and taking his meds, but it isn't without struggle. there's a very poignant and important scene (part one, part two) with lip where he expresses his struggles with his disorder and how hard it is for him to cope with taking his meds and listening to the warning signs for episodes (he was behaving in ways akin to a hypomanic episode/showing signs of slipping into an episode just before the conversation happens). by the end of the season, after he leaves mickey at the border, he's still relatively stable, but the emotional triggers of leaving mickey behind + monica's death start to take a toll on him, which we see in s8. there's also the trevor of it all in s7, but that's a whole other issue. trevor did not have a positive impact on ian's self-esteem whatsoever and even went so far as to demand ian forgive monica and "move on" after knowing 0.1% of the history between the two of them. that scene in particular makes me unfathomably angry and i just know it was deeply, deeply triggering for ian to hear that from someone he cared about.

in s8, we have the gay jesus storyline, which i absolutely detest and hate to discuss, but it's part of his story and it needs to be acknowledged. he's taken advantage of a lot this season, propelled towards some sort of fucked up end goal with very little control over his circumstances, and it quickly spirals out of control. while the writers never explicitly state that ian is hypo/manic during this season, you can watch the progression happen if you pay close enough attention. despite not being given a lot to work with, cameron did a great job at playing the nuances of bipolar disorder this season, showing ian's descent into hypo/mania as the gay jesus movement grows and warps.

in s9, he's in prison for the first time and is noticeably manic. after being released, he starts seeking out meaning and purpose in religion. eventually he's forced to face the consequences of his actions and pleads not guilty to arson by reason of insanity, not only defying the wishes of the gay jesus followers (they feared him going public with his diagnosis and pleading insanity would delegitimize the movement) but also finally choosing to really acknowledge his disorder, reckon with it, and make peace with it, in a strange sort of way. it's a very important and pivotal moment for his character and cameron absolutely delivers during his plea monologue.

if you've see s10 you know how his self-worth takes a hit regarding the marriage storyline, and how he's so terrified of marrying mickey because 1) he doesn't know if he's capable of being a good partner because he doesn't feel like he had good examples of healthy marriage standards growing up and 2) he isn't sure mickey knows what he's signing up for re: his disorder and everything it entails. which, of course, is not the case, because mickey doesn't love him in spite of his disorder, he loves him completely, and his disorder is just a part of that. he wants all of him, always, and that's a huge plot point in s10 and s11 ("i gotta worry, you're my husband" scene my absolute beloved).

anyway. the short answer is that yes, ian spends a lot of time grappling with his disorder and the realities of life as a bipolar human. he deals with issues regarding his self-worth, his purpose, and his relationships. speaking as a bipolar individual, i can say with absolute certainty that coming to terms with your diagnosis is a long, arduous process that takes many years and a lot of commitment to achieve. it's not easy, and though the writers dropped the ball on a LOT of storylines in the show, they did a pretty damn good job of showing how hard it is to cope and live with the realities of bipolar disorder and everything that entails.

if you ever want to see more of his journey, gallavichscenes on youtube has playlists of all of ian's scenes in season 6, season 7, season 8, and season 9. i highly recommend watching the show in its entirety but if you don't want to do that, i recommend at the very least watching the rest of ian's storyline. it colors so much of his story and mickey's and it's hard to fully comprehend the extent of their relationship without understanding that storyline. i hope this answered your question! sending tons and tons of love 💛

[redleavesinthewind]

hiii elliot <333 shameless for the ask game ?? ive been thinking about picking it up again <3

hiiii ethan <3 yes yes yes of course, give me an excuse to talk about shameless, i don’t know how much you care about spoilers, so i’ll try to be as vague as possible

my favorite female character

fiona! i love her with all my heart, she sacrificed so much for her siblings. she’s so much more of a parent than her actual parents ever were, and her relationship with both frank and monica is so complex and interesting, there are scenes where she confronts monica that just make me cry. and she makes mistakes, of course she does, she’s human, and that doesn’t make me love her any less (she does take a weird, very out of character turn in s8 and 9, but i mostly blame that on the writers messing up the later seasons)

my favorite male character

definitely mickey. you do not understand the level of protectiveness i feel over him. he is extremely intelligent in his own way, and i feel like a lot of the time people don’t appreciate that. he’s funny, he’s loving, he’s an asshole, but the good kind. he goes through so many bad situations and a lot of times i just want to hug him and punch everyone who treats him like shit (including ian in s3). mickey deserves all the happiness

my favorite book/season/etc

welll i mostly don’t remember what happens in which season tbh, so i can’t really answer this. shoutout to season 1 for being fucking awesome though, and honorary mention to season 4 for breaking my heart

my favorite episode (if its a tv show)

you want me to chose?

mickey’s first episode (s1 ep3). we get mandy, we get mickey being all dramatic, we get fiona, debbie and vee being resourceful as fuck

season 4 finale. it’s been built up to, and you know it’s coming, but when it actually happens. damn that was heartbreaking

season 7 finale. i don’t think i have to explain

my favorite cast member

i don’t particularly care for the cast, so i’m just going to say emmy rossum

my favorite ship

i bet you can guess… you’re right, gallavich! ian and mickey are just… yeah. yeahhhh. they love each other so much. they’ve been together (though on and off) for ten years. the things mickey would do—the things mickey does—for ian. and the way ian just lights up whenever mickey’s around. their relationship is complicated and messy and they break apart, but always find a way back to each other. AND THEY’RE HUSBANDS

a character I'd die defending

ian actually. yeah he messes up quite a lot, but so does everyone else. and i do realise that some of the shit he pulls is worth criticising. give me any situation and i have an argument ready to defend him. yes, even for his actions in season 3b. even though i’m pissed off at him. i’m allowed, no one else is

a character I just can't sympathize with

terry milkovich. i hate him i hate him i hate him i hate him i hate him i hate him i hate him

a character I grew to love

lip. i didn’t particularly like him in the beginning, but he grew on me. also he is the only character whose storyline i have been consistently invested in in all the seasons

my anti otp

there are actually a lot of ships i dislike, but i think i gotta say ian and that literal adult from season 1, that was all manners of messed up, i don’t think i even have to explain that

[somestansomewhere]

ian? for the character break down 🥰

Hello!! 🥰 how ru?!

Ian Gallagher

How I feel about this character

Alrighty so with Ian my feelings get complicated. From s1-3 he is absolutely one of my favorite characters on the show, but then in like s8-9 he really annoys me. I LOVE Ian so getting pissed off at him upsets me too, like I will ironically make fun of Ian all the time and say that he drives me up the wall… but god forbid anyone else says something bad about him. You know? He’s a little shit but I still love him (Ian is also such a unique character because of his placement within the family, like he was a literal child when the show started and watching him grow up omfg… also it is important to note his bipolar plot is great and it was so sad to see him so sick 💔).

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Mickey, and that is all. None of his other relationships really worked for me like him with his literal soulmate & hubby so--

My non-romantic OTP for this character

His brotherhood with Lip and his best friendship with Mandy! Gosh I am a literal sucker for both of these, I also love Ian’s relationships with his family. But once again, his dynamic with Lip is my OTP here.

My unpopular opinion about this character

Ooo idk, this is a dangerous question. 😂 Maybe just that he isn’t one of my top 4 favorites. Most people have him listed as one of their favorite characters and I do not.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I really wish we would have gotten to see Ian be a dad likeeee he would be SUCH A GOOD PARENT! And he loves taking care of people gahhh! I would have enjoyed seeing Ian’s relationship with Frank explored more and maybe like a darker side of his bipolar. I also wish gay jesus never happened pls and tyyyy.

[rooftopprendezvous]

(1) Hey, hey! Oh April your anger was my initial reaction too (and honestly if I think about it too much its still my overriding emotion), so I apologise in advance for what I'm sure is gonna be a long, rambly mess (am I really sorry though? cos you are pretty much responsible for me falling down the "Gallavich" rabbit hole hehe!!) but it's the last on this topic, promise. Anyway I experienced my 1st & last 'live' Shameless moment when that 50 second end scene was plastered over social media

2) (cos i'm not watching any more Shitshow eps (not seen any S8/9 & barely remember S6/7 anyway despite it not being that long ago I mistakenly watched it - a blessing I guess lol how is it still going! God!) & I have many conflicting feelings about it tbh. The initial overriding feeling was "I'm mad about it" even though I wasn't surprised. Sighs. I still am really cos even though I admit that I did want "end game" for Mickey & Ian (cos i'm weak), I didn't want it like this!! Look what they've3. done to those KIDS! Just dumping them both in prison (ffs) in a patch job, lazily tagged on ending & then playing Frank Ocean (trying to win points & maybe it worked cos I've listened to that song more than once since gdi) over it cos we are meant to view it as so romantic!? I just..?!? I mean you gotta laugh really.. I suppose it is very "Shameless". Honestly I don't think I've known a show to so unapologetically give so little care to its own characters (let alone fans). urgh.4. (aka arrogant, lazy & petty? hmm). Tbf they had written themselves into a corner where this was the only ending they could give, other than have Ian run away to mexico, which yeah why didn't they do that? But, and here's the other side of my thought process about it all, at least this way they'll both be free after they serve their time, genuinely free not fugitives. So my rationalising about it all is basically that they serve relatively short sentences (Mickey negotiated a good deal ok lol!5. also at least he was given some agency back here in a way - yes I know I'm reaching), during which they will have time to hash everything out (aka Ian has a shit tonne of explaining, grovelling & making up to do imo) & then they are free to live out their lives & have a real chance at being together away from all the BS that's been thrown their way. That's my story anyway (they better not do or say anything to contradict this in canon now I stg). That's how I choose to view it as this way6.I can be relatively happy they ended up together & it allows me to look back their journey story without bitterness taking over cos Mickey Milkovich & the journey he and Ian (rip puppy Ian from the early days - he was cute) went on (before tptb fucked it up) deserves to be looked back on fondly. So that's the story of my journey to acceptance I guess lol. Plus there are no longer at the shows mercy to screw over! Also if you ignore everything else it was good to see mickey again, swooping in7. To save the day being his cocky self, for all of 30 secs, for some sort of closure (the article you reblogged was spot on). In that short scene cam & noel's chemistry was undeniable (easily the best thing to come out of that show - tptb know it too. Bet they hate it that's why they ended it like this #petty but fan service still or maybe they thinks it's actually good who tf knows). But it wouldn't have been the same ending Ian's journey without mickey (they really screwed Ian's charachter8. Over after mickey left didn't they - cant blame cam for leaving. Maybe he should have left after s7. We coulda had them driving across the border as their ending then). I defo think all parties involved did it to shut down the relentless demand. Everyone (cam, Noel, the fabs) can be free now. So I'll take this version of endgame but I won't thank tptb for it! Sidenote but Noel really is s talented cute bean isn't he?! 😊 anyway sorry for the self indulgent ramble. It got way long! Thanks for9. Being my cheerleader through this v belated journey. Did you warn me not to? I can't remember? 🤣 just kidding! I'll ignore the in between bits & focus on the good & imagine a better future for them away from shameless' clutches. My mental gymnastics to be happyish with it is impressive huh? (I mean I'm still mad but eh). Lol. You deserve a medal for dealing with it all in real time! Hope you're not too disheartened. Glad you're all good my lovely! ❤ Tina

to be fair i definitely warned you before you started watching but nobody ever listens because you see their early stuff and like i said magic. they draw you in and you just can’t help yourself. i really don’t want to say a whole lot about everything that angered me and i totally understand why people are burying their heads in the sand and saying ‘end game’ and ‘happy ending’ but like life didn’t just stop? they have to actually live their lives in prison and for people with their histories, their backgrounds, and their mental issues to contend with, if we’re being realistic this is probably like the worst ending? because what happens when mickey’s smart mouth and short fuse get him in trouble? or ian doesn’t get his meds and goes manic? nothing good. also tptb couldn’t help themselves form doing mickey dirty again could they? also for me a good parallel isn’t mickey risks everything to break out with almost the exclusive purpose of being with ian again and now he has to risk it all again, this includes his life to get back into prison to be with ian? where is ian’s sacrifice in any of this? a couple seasons ago i would have felt that overwhelming love from ian but after listening to him badmouth mickey for so long and turn him away again and again it didn’t feel like enough. if i’m being honest i feel like cam wanted out a long time ago and he’s been phoning in his performances. his guest appearances and work outside shameless were far superior for quite a while now. his best scenes on shameless in the last idk three or four years have all been with noel. i don’t think he liked where they took his character after mickey left and i don’t think he liked how they treated mickey’s character. he and noel seemed quite close and they cared a lot about the story they were telling. and stepping outside of just what they did with bringing mickey in for the ending i wanted to vomit when they had ian go to fucking terry milkovich of all people to ask for advice about prison. like how gross can they be? so i guess i got carried away as well but yeah i’m angry and i’m never not going to be angry. just waiting for when they bring them both back magically out of prison for the finale. or just cam and say some shit about mickey staying longer because he got more time. i wouldn’t put anything past them at this point.