The WORST episodes of Shameless (US)
Every episode of Shameless (US) ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Shameless (US)!
Chicagoan Frank Gallagher is the proud single dad of six smart, industrious, independent kids, who without him would be... frankly, perhaps better off. When Frank's not at the bar spending what little money they have, he's passed out on the floor. But the kids have found ways to grow up in spite of him. They may not be like any family you know, but they make no apologies for being exactly who they are.
#1 - O Captain, My Captain
Season 10 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/5/2020
Frank goes back in time to uncover his connection to Faye, as Debbie’s day with Claudia’s daughter goes awry. Carl takes extreme measures to toughen up his new group of cadets. Ian struggles to connect with Mickey after their blowup.
#2 - Survivors
Season 11 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/21/2021
Frank wants to pull one last heist with the old gang. Debbie struggles with the idea of change and blames Lip, while Lip and Brad find out the new owners of BornFree are in the mob. Mickey and Ian learn a surprising truth about Terry's past, and Liam tries to find a new place to live. Veronica reluctantly helps her mom to Louisville, while Kevin is forced to watch Gemma and Amy while running the Alibi all on his own. Carl is put on the eviction unit and reunited with an old partner.
#3 - The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Alibi
Season 9 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/20/2019
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.
#4 - Sleep Well My Prince for Tomorrow You Shall Be King
Season 10 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/17/2019
Feeling the pressure from Debbie, Frank sets out to make money to keep his place in the house, but Mikey has bigger plans for him. Lip is overwhelmed by the demands of a newborn, and Carl learns more about his mysterious new coworker at Captain Bob’s. Ian and Mickey struggle to keep the romance alive in prison.
#5 - Debbie Might Be a Prostitute
Season 10 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/29/2019
Debbie weighs the pros and cons of a new career path. Frank uncovers the truth about Faye’s living situation. A miscommunication between Ian and Mickey has disastrous consequences and Lip and Tami disagree over who should be taking care of Fred.
#6 - Adios Gringos
Season 10 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/15/2019
Frank and Liam get wined and dined by potential baby buyers. Carl comes up with a strategy to protect Anne’s family business, and Ian gets on Paula’s bad side. Backed into a corner, Debbie fights to protect Franny from Pepa. A figure from Kev’s past makes him reconsider his childhood.
#7 - Slaughter
Season 11 - Episode 5 - Aired 1/31/2021
Ian and Mickey get creative when the safety of their security gig comes into question. Dynamic duo Frank and Kev make a last-ditch effort to take down the Milkovich's. V canvasses to get black people to the polls but realizes there's barely any black people left on the Southside. Lip and Tami get surprising news about their house that forces them to look elsewhere. Debbie takes Franny to a comic book signing for her favorite wrestler. Carl and Leesie's differing approaches to policing come to a head.
#8 - This Is Chicago!
Season 11 - Episode 1 - Aired 12/6/2020
The Gallaghers adjust to life during the pandemic: Frank fears the loss of the South Side to gentrification, while bar closures force Kev and V to get creative at the Alibi. Sleep-deprived Lip and Tami work to make their new house a home as Carl finishes his time at the police academy. Debbie becomes her own boss and deals with the repercussions of her statutory rape conviction of 17-year-old Julia. Ian and Mickey’s honeymoon phase is over as they have very different ideas about what married life would be.
#9 - Citizen Carl
Season 10 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/22/2019
Carl embraces his civic duty while Debbie searches for her next payday. Frank meets the woman of his dreams, and Ian and Mickey get roped into a dangerous scam for Paula. When tragedy strikes at the Alibi, Kev and V go undercover to find new customers.
#10 - Which America?
Season 10 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/24/2019
Liam gets to know his newfound family members as Frank revels in his new position in the Gallagher house. Lip looks for support as the pressures of fatherhood take their toll. Ian and Mickey make a decision about their future, and Carl tries to woo Anne despite Lori’s efforts to get in his way.
#11 - We Few, We Lucky Few, We Band of Gallaghers!
Season 10 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/10/2019
Frank milks his injury for all its worth as Debbie, now the self-elected leader of the Gallagher family, cooks up a scam of her own. Lip and Tami get a surprise. Carl returns home from military school and Liam faces an identity crisis.
#12 - A Little Gallagher Goes a Long Way
Season 10 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/1/2019
Frank and Mikey set off on a day of adventure around the city in pursuit of Mikey’s dreams. Debbie discovers a new way to make money in the midst of a strike as Lip leans on his new friend for parenting advice. Carl gets more than he bargained for when he offers to help Anne. Liam grows suspicious of his seemingly perfect mentor.
#13 - Go Home, Gentrifier!
Season 11 - Episode 2 - Aired 12/13/2020
It's Franny's birthday, and with Tami and Sandy's help, Debbie prepares to throw her the best princess party Franny never wanted. Ian is on the straight and narrow which forces Mickey to get a real job. Frank the weed connoisseur helps Kev and V with their struggling pot business. Lip's home renovations run him into some trouble with his new neighbors. Carl's first day on the force is not the vigilante fantasy he thought it would be. Liam profits from kids who find themselves in lunch debt due to a tyrannical lunch lady.
#14 - Now Leaving Illinois
Season 10 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/12/2020
An incident in the Tamietti family presents Lip and Tami with a new opportunity. Faye’s betrayal lands Frank in front of a judge. Mickey’s antics drive Ian to online dating. Carl makes an unexpected discovery at his new job.
#15 - Location, Location, Location
Season 10 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/19/2020
Frank finds a cushy place to make his new home. Lip gets cold feet when Tami moves forward with a plan for their future. Ian sees a new side of Mickey, and Debbie’s love triangle reaches a breaking point.
#16 - NIMBY
Season 11 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/10/2021
The Milkoviches move in next door and wreak havoc, leading Frank, Kev and Liam to plot how to get rid of them. Mickey embarks on a new security gig for Kev and V and drags Ian along against his will. V and Debbie turn into stage moms when Gemma and Franny compete in the Little Miss South Side beauty pageant. Lip gets a big surprise when he reluctantly agrees to go to brunch with Tami and her old high school music teacher. When Carl’s training officer is overly aggressive, Carl is forced to choose between his job and his neighborhood.
#17 - Cancelled
Season 11 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/14/2021
Frank and Liam compete in a renaming contest of the Dennis Hastert Middle School. Debbie has a day of zero responsibilities, while Ian and Mickey take on all the responsibility for Terry. Veronica is depressed about her mom moving so Kevin tries to cheer her up, all while planning a special surprise. Carl is put on vice squad, which is all fun and games, until it's not. Lip has a close encounter with the law, which forces Lip and Tami to team up and sends Brad into a spiral.
#18 - DNR
Season 11 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/28/2021
Lip has a million projects going on, and Frank is one of them. Liam is forced to watch Frank, so the two of them embark on a journey to take down Liam's classmate in an effort to get Liam into STEM school. Carl's disillusionment with the police forces comes to a head. Debbie embraces the next chapter of her life and hunts for a new place. Mickey and Ian toy with the idea of the West Side. Kev meets Veronica in Louisville in a last-ditch effort to convince Carol not to move.
#19 - Two at a Biker Bar, One in the Lake
Season 11 - Episode 7 - Aired 3/7/2021
The Gallaghers disagree on the fate of their childhood home so a stranded Frank tries to get back to weigh in on the matter. Realizing that they have none, Ian and Mickey embark on a journey to find gay friends. Carl is upset after his night with Tish, and Debbie and Sandy have another visitor from Sandy's past. Lip and Brad get ready to sell stolen bikes while Kevin has to think fast when he's spotted riding a stolen chopper. Veronica hopes to pass the rent control bill with Liam's help, but receives some unexpected news.
#20 - Do Not Go Gentle into That Good... Eh, Screw It
Season 11 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/14/2021
A surprising twist of fate has left the Milkovich's vulnerable, forcing Ian and Mickey to step in to help. Frank's day takes some unexpected turns and Liam deals with inner turmoil after doing a bad thing. Debbie confronts Sandy on their relationship, while Carl enjoys the spoils of his day off. Lip and Brad seek revenge on the new BornFree owners, all the while Lip is forced to figure out a plan for the future. While Kev runs the bar, V is class parent at school - but elementary school looks a little different these days.
#21 - Simple Pleasures
Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/12/2014
Frank returns, disrupting life; Lip attends college; Ian is missing; Fiona tries to connect with Debbie and Carl.
#22 - Abortion Rules
Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/17/2016
Debbie carries a bag of flour around - determined to prove Fiona wrong.
#23 - Pimp's Paradise
Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/21/2016
Carl struggles with Nick's absence, continuing to put up false hood bravado. He takes over the Gallagher home, remaking it as his "crib" and inviting his friends over to party and make music. Frank and Queenie rule the house - and Debbie returns when she's let go by Erica and Tyler.
#24 - Occupy Fiona
Season 8 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/17/2017
Ian tests Fiona's patience and resolve by bringing a messy “Occupy Fiona” movement right to her front door. Lip struggles to get Professor Youens to court for his DUI trial. Meanwhile, a now unemployed Frank goes on a job hunt and Carl gets a feisty new rehab client with a plan to help him get the rest of his tuition.
#25 - Summer Loving
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/15/2012
Frank seeks new financial footing in fellow bar patron Dottie, whose declining health and city pension makes her attractive; Fiona juggles her job, kids and a burgeoning love life; Jasmine tries to help by setting her up with a sugar daddy.