What an exciting season finale that Showtime's Shameless gave us Sunday night! So much development, and some nice endings to a few plots. Unlike other shows, Shameless doesn't so much have little stories or mysteries that must be summed up in an episode, or even a couple of weeks. It's more a series of events in the lives of the Gallagher family. As such, the finale doesn't feel too much different than a regular episode, not feeling obligated to do the big stunts that most shows do. But Shameless has been enjoyable since the pilot, and continued that run with the talent viewers have grown accustomed to.
Last week, Lip (Jeremy Allen White) and Ian (Cameron Monaghan) are arrested while driving a stolen car for Steve (Justin Chatwin). Rather than this being an extended legal battle, for which the family could never realistically pay, family friend (and cop) Tony (Tyler Jacob Moore) convinces the investigating officer to drop the charges. After all, Tony is after Steve, not the brothers. No needless drama or strung-out hype forced upon us. But the sequence of events does go in Tony's favor, as it scares Steve enough to leave town, after signing over his house to Tony in exchange for getting the charges dropped. Steve doesn't know Tony has already had this done, and Tony doesn't correct him, taking the house.
The house happens to be next door to Fiona (Emmy Rossum), who is the whole reason for the feud between Tony and Steve. Even with Steve's secrets, and his "profession" as a car thief, I like him better for Fiona than Tony. Steve will have to go straight in the long-run to be good enough for Fiona, she certainly doesn't need the headaches and threats of illicit activities, but he understands her more. Tony is too straight-laced. Fiona and Steve have passion. Sure, passion may burn out, and Tony is the more stable guy. But for Fiona, being with Tony would be settling, and not love.
Steve asks Fiona to leave town with him, and she considers it. She even packs a bag and heads to the train station, but just can't bring herself to go to the airport. I never expected her to. I'm surprised she even toyed with the idea. I guess it can be excused because Lip and Veronica (Shanola Hampton) were assuring her that everything at home would be just fine without her, and encouraging her to go. But I found this the one weak part of the episode. If there's anything Fiona would never leave, it's her family. And she's right when she says that the children do not need abandoned again. It would be fine for her to go in a few years, but not now.
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