Shameless (season 9)

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Shameless
Season 9
Shameless season 9 poster.jpg
Promotional poster
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes14
Release
Original networkShowtime
Original releaseSeptember 9, 2018 (2018-09-09) –
March 10, 2019 (2019-03-10)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 8
Next →
Season 10
List of episodes

The ninth season of Shameless, an American comedy-drama television series based on the British series of the same name by Paul Abbott, was announced on November 8, 2017, following the season 8 premiere.[1] The season premiered on September 9, 2018,[2] and consisted of 14 episodes, split into two seven-episode parts.[3] The second half of the season premiered on January 20, 2019.[3] The season also includes the 100th episode of the series.

On August 30, 2018, Emmy Rossum announced that she would leave the series following the ninth season.[4] On October 7, 2018, Cameron Monaghan announced that the sixth episode of the season would be his last one.[5] However, Monaghan appeared in "Found", the season finale, and returned to the series in season ten.[6] Christian Isaiah and Richard Flood, who portray Liam Gallagher and Ford Kellogg respectively, were promoted to the main cast.

Plot[]

The ninth season of Shameless picks up with the aftermath of Ian's arrest: Fiona attempts to pay for Ian's bail by getting the apartment building appraised, while Ian becomes a leader for the gay inmates in prison. His court date impending, Ian is encouraged by his followers to take the case to trial to further publicize the Gay Jesus movement. Facing ten to thirteen years if he takes the case to trial, Ian—under Fiona's advice—decides to plead not guilty by reason of insanity; he is ultimately sentenced to two years in prison. Ian discovers that Mickey is his prison cellmate, and the reunited lovers rekindle their relationship.

Lip works towards becoming Xan's legal guardian, and bribes Xan's biological mother Mercy into granting him custody. However, when Xan has a heartfelt reunion with Mercy, Lip realizes that Xan would rather live with her mother. Later in the season, Lip begins dating Cami's sister Tami (Kate Miner), whom he initially met at Brad's wedding. Meanwhile, Debbie develops a crush on Carl's new girlfriend Kelly, though Kelly rejects Debbie's advances. At the ER, Frank meets Dr. Ingrid Jones (Katey Sagal), a mentally unstable therapist. Frank impregnates Ingrid with septuplets, but Ingrid leaves Frank for her ex-husband. Kevin and Veronica consider having another child.

Fiona and Ford's relationship strains when she makes a deal with investor Max Whitford (Neal Bledsoe) and invests $100,000 into a senior living home being built in the neighborhood. After meeting with Max, Fiona discovers she owes a $25,000 expansion for the senior living home, and is unable to take back her initial investment. In addition to her financial troubles, Fiona’s problems are compounded when she, after tracking Ford’s cell phone, discovers that Ford has a secret wife and kid. Drunk and furious, Fiona angrily ends her relationship with Ford and crashes her car into a nearby vehicle.

Ford's revelation spurs Fiona into a downwards spiral. She goes on a drinking binge, and her constant drunkenness causes her to get fired from Patsy's. In order to maintain her credit, Max offers to buy Fiona's apartment building, which is subsequently demolished. Meanwhile, Xan returns to the Gallagher home after being abandoned by her mother. Lip plans to adopt Xan, but his chances are ruined when a drunken Fiona answers the door during an unannounced DCFS visit. The DCFS worker concludes the Gallagher home unsuitable for Xan, and she is transferred to a foster home. Attempting to apologize to Lip, Fiona visits Brad's motorcycle shop and meets Lip's sponsee, Jason, who has recently celebrated 100 days of sobriety. Unaware about Jason's sobriety, Fiona drinks vodka in front of Jason, causing him to relapse. Lip blames Fiona for the incident and angrily kicks her out of the house.

Following the fallout between her and Lip, Fiona begins attending AA meetings and is able to make amends with Lip and her former co-workers. Meanwhile, Lip discovers that Tami is pregnant, and contemplates whether he will be a good father. Fiona briefly reunites with Max, who offers to buy her out of her $100,000 investment. Now with a chance to get her life back on track, Fiona decides she needs a fresh start and announces her plans to leave Chicago. She visits Ian in prison, who is supportive of her decision. Fiona also shares a brief moment with Frank, who thanks her for taking care of the kids following Monica's departure.

The Gallaghers plan a goodbye party for Fiona, but she departs before the party begins. Debbie finds an envelope of $50,000 that Fiona left on the kitchen fridge. Fiona hops on a plane going to an unknown destination, finally ready to start her life anew.

Cast and characters[]

See also: List of Shameless (American TV series) characters

Main[]

Special guest[]

Recurring[]

Guests[]

Episodes[]

Main article: List of Shameless (American TV series) episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
971"Are You There Shim? It's Me, Ian"Iain B. MacDonaldNancy M. PimentalSeptember 9, 2018 (2018-09-09)1.31[14]
Most of the parents of The Hopkins Academy PTA test positive for STDs and is revealed that Frank had extramarital affairs with all infected females. Ian makes friends in jail, and continues his Gay Jesus antics inside. Debbie fights for equal pay at work after finding out she was being paid less. Lip juggles taking care of Xan. Carl has to prove himself at military school, while Kassidi is waiting for him outside the school.
982"Mo White!"Erin FeeleyMolly Smith MetzlerSeptember 16, 2018 (2018-09-16)1.12[15]
Fiona and Ford fight over a risky investment opportunity. Frank makes money by field working in local political campaigns. Carl thinks of going to West Point, but learns he has to do a lot more to have any chance of admission. Kev and V try to find the perfect preschool for the twins, at the lowest possible cost. Debbie protests for women rights because of unequal pay. Lip is asked to sponsor a new member of AA while also struggling to take care of Xan. Because of the PTA incident with Frank and the mothers, Liam gets kicked out of Hopkins Academy.
993"Weirdo Gallagher Vortex"Kat CoiroJoe LawsonSeptember 23, 2018 (2018-09-23)1.05[16]
Ian searches for religious inspiration. Liam makes a deal with another student at his new public school. Carl takes on helping terminal dogs from being put down and convinces V to return to being a dominatrix to get him a recommendation to West Point. Kev works to make the guys at the bar more respectful to women. Frank learns Mo White is hiding something that could ruin his chances. Xan breaks her arm and Lip tries to take responsibility for her. Debbie befriends a welder whom she later learns is female, and Fiona and Ford continue to not meet eye to eye about her life decisions.
1004"Do Right, Vote White!"Mark MylodJohn WellsSeptember 30, 2018 (2018-09-30)1.09[17]
It’s Election Day and everyone has a different view of whom to vote for. Frank and Mo continue to work to gain last minute voters with surprising results. Debbie begins a roller coaster relationship with fellow female welder, Alex. Gay Jesus builds an international following, and some non-believers, and Ian struggles to find his role in it. Carl is challenged to a duel for his West Point recommendation letter and worries he’s gone soft because of his volunteer work. Xan’s mother comes back and Lip has to make a decision about who will care for the girl long term. Kev and V embrace the clientele change at the bar and become consultants for other male dominated bars. Fiona takes a political stance at work and with Ford. Liam learns his school wants to move him up a couple of grades next year.
1015"Black-Haired Ginger"William H. MacyPhilip BuiserOctober 7, 2018 (2018-10-07)1.00[18]
Lip gets an unexpected day off and struggles to maintain his sobriety. Kev is asked to speak at a women’s convention and becomes more aware of the dangers of being female. Frank’s new anti-rejection drug has a negative side effect he can’t cope with. Carl attends a West Point luncheon where he meets Kelly, who mistakenly believes he took advantage of her when she passed out from drinking. Ian struggles to decide how to plead at court. Fiona lets Ford down while searching for Ian. Liam is propositioned by a girl at school who tries to convince him he got her pregnant. Debbie tries to make amends with Alex and explores her sexuality.
1026"Face It, You're Gorgeous"Allison Liddi-BrownNancy M. PimentalOctober 14, 2018 (2018-10-14)0.92[19]
Ian tries to prepare for serving time. Lip becomes a sober coach for a famous actress played by Courteney Cox. Kev and V have to make lifestyle choices after their daughter brings a dildo to show and tell. Fiona struggles to scrap together money to stay in the senior housing deal. Frank searches for a new “Monica”. Ford’s secret finally comes out and leaves Fiona reeling. Ian finds a huge surprise waiting for him in prison.
1037"Down Like the Titanic"Silver TreeMolly Smith MetzlerOctober 21, 2018 (2018-10-21)1.00[20]
Ian leaves a gift to remember him by. Frank works to make himself home with Ingrid. Carl studies for West Point with Kelly and Liam. Kev and V argue about having another baby. Lip attends Brad and Cami’s christening and gets to know Cami’s sister better. Fiona struggles with the money problems she’s having and ends up having to cut her losses and return home, much to her dismay. Debbie and some of her fellow welders teach Ford a lesson.
1048"The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Alibi"Zetna FuentesJoe LawsonJanuary 20, 2019 (2019-01-20)0.80[21]
Fiona's downward spiral continues and Debbie steps in to pick up the slack at the Gallagher house. Ingrid ropes Frank into fulfilling her lifelong dream. Tami shows Lip a different version of adulthood.
1059"BOOOOOOOOOOOONE!"Loren YaconelliPhilip BuiserJanuary 27, 2019 (2019-01-27)0.84[22]
Frank searches for ways to finance Ingrid's vision for their future together. Fiona's anger issues cause problems at Patsy's. Lip is forced to confront his real feelings for Tami. Debbie has truly taken her new role as head of the Gallagher house by the reins, demanding each resident of the house pay their equal share, rationing each of the utilities, and changing the locks when each sibling doesn’t meet their requirements. V and Kev, determined to reunite their foster son Santiago with his family, travel to Indiana with the best intentions at heart, but evidently put Santiago’s poor uncle in more danger than he was in to begin with. Carl decides he can’t keep seeing Kelly in good faith, so as not to keep her from achieving her dreams.
10610"Los Diablos!"Roberto SneiderNancy M. PimentalFebruary 10, 2019 (2019-02-10)1.14[23]
Frank meets his match in a fellow participant in the Hobo Loco competition. Fiona has a dark encounter at Patsy's that scares her into cleaning up her act. Debbie throws herself into home improvements as she gets closer with Kelly. Carl gets a job that is more dangerous than it looks. Lip sees another side of Tami when they spend the day together.
10711"The Hobo Games"Iain B. MacDonaldMolly Smith MetzlerFebruary 17, 2019 (2019-02-17)0.97[24]
The finals of the Hobo Games have arrived, and Frank faces off against his friend and greatest opponent. Lip prepares to officially adopt Xan, but his plans collide with Fiona's partying. Debbie develops feelings for someone surprising.
10812"You'll Know the Bottom When You Hit It"Shari Springer Berman & Robert PulciniJoe LawsonFebruary 24, 2019 (2019-02-24)0.81[25]
When a blackout hits the South Side, Kevin and Veronica come up with a plan to bring the neighborhood together. Carl grows suspicious of Debbie's attempts to get closer with Kelly. Fiona receives guidance from an unexpected person and Lip has to deal with the fallout from Xan's DCFS visit.
10913"Lost"Iain B. MacDonaldJohn WellsMarch 3, 2019 (2019-03-03)1.13[26]
Frank's injury gets in the way of everyone's plans; Fiona attempts to get her life back on track and Lip grows frustrated with his relationship with Tami. Carl gets some bad news about his future, and Debbie finally makes a move on Kelly. Kevin and Veronica get in trouble at the twins' preschool.
11014"Found"John WellsJohn WellsMarch 10, 2019 (2019-03-10)1.35[27]
Having gotten the money from Max, Fiona quits her job at the gas station and having been motivated by her court hearing and a visit with Ian, resolves to truly start her own life. Frank is recovering from his leg injury and will be on bed rest for months as his children get annoyed with him and get him a nurse to handle him. Kelly shanghaied Carl into quitting his job and going back to school and better his future. Lip and Tami come to blows on her decision for their baby and soon reach an understanding. Debbie finds Liam has to meet a list of demands for him to come back home. Kev gets his charisma back and decides to make a business out of his religious persona. At the end, the family throw a goodbye party for Fiona but she has already set out and they continue anyway. Ian spots his sister's plane and silently wishes her luck on her journey.

Ratings[]

Viewership and ratings per episode of Shameless
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 DVR
(18–49)		 DVR viewers
(millions)		 Total
(18–49)		 Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Are You There Shim? It’s Me, Ian" September 9, 2018 0.5 1.31[14] 0.4 1.06 0.9 2.37[28]
2 "Mo White!" September 16, 2018 0.4 1.12[15] 0.5 1.22 0.9 2.34[29]
3 "Weirdo Gallagher Vortex" September 23, 2018 0.4 1.05[16] N/A N/A N/A N/A
4 "Do Right, Vote White!" September 30, 2018 0.4 1.09[17] N/A N/A N/A N/A
5 "Black-Haired Ginger" October 7, 2018 0.3 1.00[18] 0.5 1.03 0.8 2.03[30]
6 "Face It, You're Gorgeous" October 14, 2018 0.3 0.92[19] 0.5 1.10 0.8 2.02[31]
7 "Down Like the Titanic" October 21, 2018 0.3 1.00[20] N/A N/A N/A N/A
8 "The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Alibi" January 20, 2019 0.3 0.80[21] 0.4 0.95 0.7 1.75[32]
9 "BOOOOOOOOOOOONE!" January 27, 2019 0.3 0.84[22] 0.4 1.05 0.7 1.89[33]
10 "Los Diablos!" February 10, 2019 0.4 1.14[23] N/A N/A N/A N/A
11 "The Hobo Games" February 17, 2019 0.3 0.97[24] 0.5 1.06 0.8 2.04[34]
12 "You'll Know the Bottom When You Hit It" February 24, 2019 0.2 0.81[25] 0.5 1.22 0.7 2.04[35]
13 "Lost" March 3, 2019 0.4 1.13[26] 0.5 1.10 0.9 2.23[36]
14 "Found" March 10, 2019 0.5 1.35[27] 0.4 1.12 0.9 2.46[37]

Critical reception[]

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the ninth season 73%, based on 11 reviews. The critics consensus reads, "Shameless enters its ninth season on a tight budget of fresh stories left to tell, but still finds some rich new notes of characterization—all while gracefully bidding adieu to Emmy Rossum."[38]

References[]

  1. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 8, 2017). "'Shameless' Renewed For Season 9 By Showtime". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Gelman, Vlada (July 26, 2018). "Shameless Season 9 Trailer: Lip Plays Dad, Ian Is 'the Gay Che' and More". TV Line. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Hibberd, James (August 6, 2018). "Shameless season 9 will be super-sized, and split in half". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  4. ^ Holloway, Daniel (August 30, 2018). "'Shameless' Star Emmy Rossum Says She's Leaving Showtime Series". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  5. ^ Lawrence, Derek (October 8, 2018). "Cameron Monaghan is also leaving Shameless". Variety. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  6. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (January 31, 2019). "'Shameless' Renewed for Season 10 at Showtime". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  7. ^ Petski, Denise (June 14, 2018). "'Shameless': Richard Flood Upped To Series Regular For Season 9". Deadline. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Petski, Denise (June 22, 2018). "'Shameless': Dan Lauria & Ashley Romans Set To Recur In Season 9". Deadline. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Holloway, Daniel (August 24, 2018). "Katey Sagal, Courteney Cox Join 'Shameless' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  10. ^ Lesley, Goldberg (October 14, 2018). "'Shameless' Bids Cameron Monaghan a Fitting Farewell". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  11. ^ a b c Petski, Denise (September 11, 2018). "'Shameless': Jess Gabor & Luis Guzmán To Recur In Season 9". Deadline. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  12. ^ Osmanski, Joy (August 15, 2018). "TV: Shameless". Joyosmanski.com. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  13. ^ Sharon Lawrence [@sharonlawrence] (August 31, 2018). "Bittersweet news, especially since today might week be my last onset with the talented @emmyrossum .