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Shameless Season 2

post #1 of 63
12/15/11 at 3:31pm
Thread Starter 

Ah, starts in a month, but they've already sent out the Christmas Cards

 

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post #2 of 63
12/15/11 at 4:32pm
The return of this one makes Sunday's "Homeland" finale a little easier to bear.
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post #3 of 63
12/21/11 at 3:04pm
Thread Starter 

Yep.  Actually, I think they've got a good line up.   Californication is apparently going to jump a few years into the characters future (which should help) and everything I've seen of "House of Lies" (about management consultants) I like.    But I enjoy the UK Shameless.. but Season 2 of the US has a chance to really go in a very different direction; in the UK, the character that Emmy plays left after two series.. so all from this point on is entirely new ground, basically.  

 

The first season did a good job of having some of the storylines but changing them up to make them American - and distinctly different then their UK counterparts.

 

BTW, if someone can find the preview that Showtime shows that has Frank (Macy) wandering the streets panhandling with Liam strapped to his back to beg for money - HILARIOUS
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt View Post

The return of this one makes Sunday's "Homeland" finale a little easier to bear.


 

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post #4 of 63
12/21/11 at 8:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mattCR View Post

Yep.  Actually, I think they've got a good line up.   Californication is apparently going to jump a few years into the characters future (which should help) and everything I've seen of "House of Lies" (about management consultants) I like.    But I enjoy the UK Shameless.. but Season 2 of the US has a chance to really go in a very different direction; in the UK, the character that Emmy plays left after two series.. so all from this point on is entirely new ground, basically.
John Wells talked about that, how roughly half the first season was pulled directly from the first two seasons of the UK show, but the decision to keep Fiona meant they were blazing a totally new trail this year. Instead of adapting UK scripts, they invited Paul Abbott out to tell stories about his dad (the inspiration for the original Manc Frank) and integrated some of them into the storylines.
Quote:
The first season did a good job of having some of the storylines but changing them up to make them American - and distinctly different then their UK counterparts.
A major difference is the intrinsic contrast between the British social safety net and the American social safety net for the most poverty stricken. The UK Gallaghers lived on a council estate; if they adapted that directly, the US Gallaghers would be living in the projects some where -- and that would have a very different vibe than the show goes for.
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post #5 of 63
1/8/12 at 8:47pm
Good return, though some of the kids really grew up in a year.
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post #6 of 63
1/8/12 at 10:15pm
I was pissed they recast Mandy. She wasn't at all similar to Jane Levy's portrayal, and suffered from the comparison. I know with Levy on "Suburgatory" that they couldn't get her this season, but I would have preferred they had written Mandy out and created a new character to fill the gap.

Otherwise, I loved it. The first season filmed in Fall 2010 and the second season filmed in Summer 2011, so there was actually only five months or so between the end of filming for season 1 and start of filming for season 2. If they decide to set season 3 in winter again, they'll be a year and a half between filming and the kids will have REALLY grown up. I enjoyed the decision to set this season during the summer, both because it meant less time passed between seasons in show time than usually happens on cable series, and because we get to see a whole different aspect to how the family functions.

I love they they use the money from the flush times to keep them scraping by through the lean times. That rang true to me. I also love how they all have different ways of chipping into the family coffers. And as colossal of a fuck up as having your youngest kidnapped for collateral on a colossally stupid bet is, it was nice to see Frank hustling for something other than just booze money for a change.

The old racist bastard that owns the building that the Alibi Room is in and lives up stairs was terrific, too. As was the reveal that the outrageous electric bill was fueled by Kev's massive pot growing operation in the basement.

The show has a real ecosystem that all of the characters weave in and out of. Their neighborhood feels like a living, breathing vibrant place. And considering it's stitched together between location shooting in Chicago and sets on the Warner Bros. backlot. (I wonder if John Wells had them keep the L train set from his "E.R." knowing he had this coming down the pike?) This show and "Always Sunny" both arrange their shooting schedule to film exteriors in the cities they're set in even though production's based out of LA. It's amazing how much a few weeks of location shooting sprinkled over the course of a season add to the authenticity of a show. The comparison with shows like "Castle" that are filmed exclusively in L.A. but set elsewhere is huge.

My favorite moment was probably Frank sliding in next to his kids at the pot bonfire and them playfully teasing him mere hours after they had to rescue the sibling of theirs he'd gambled away. That says so much about the family dynamic, and the constructive role he plays in the family even amongst all of the destructive influence he has. His ongoing presence matters.
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post #7 of 63
1/16/12 at 6:06am
Thread Starter 

The running of the mobile Mr. Goodies van kills me every time.   Making that kid lift his arms before they'd sell him beer?   :)

 

What I really appreciate though is that the sub stories give their characters something to actually do.   I have to say this seems much more fleshed out then the UK version - which is a surprise.    I liked everything about the relationships and Frank's need to find the next meal ticket now that he fears his is going away.    William H Macy puts in an incredibly gutty performance in this role, "Wait, I'm the male butterface?"  :)

 

 

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post #8 of 63
1/16/12 at 9:01am

Loved his reaction when he saw the eggplant.

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post #9 of 63
1/16/12 at 11:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mattCR View Post

The running of the mobile Mr. Goodies van kills me every time.   Making that kid lift his arms before they'd sell him beer?   :)

That's one thing that makes it easier to accept the goings-on on this show. It's not that there's no moral code, it's just a very skewed (but consistent) moral code that gets them all through the day.
Quote:

What I really appreciate though is that the sub stories give their characters something to actually do.   I have to say this seems much more fleshed out then the UK version - which is a surprise.

Commenters on another board I visit from time to time were complaining that all of the Gallaghers were off on the own plots instead of coming together as a family, but I love it. The biggest change from the first season winter run is that we really get a feel for the fabric of the neighborhood in these two summer episodes. Yes, everybody's off doing their own thing, but they all weave in and out of each other, like Frank picking up the groceries for But-her-face at the Kash and Grab while Ian's working, and then later that's where the Mr. Goodie's truck loads up with product. It just feels like a cohesive universe in a way that other shows do not.

This show does less than a month of location shooting in Chicago every season, but they get way more bang for their buck than any other show I can think of. The exteriors feel like Chicago, not generic-vaguely-Los Angeles-Vancouver city. "Switched at Birth" much as I love that show, has no connection to the city it's set in, and it shows. This one gets it right.
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I liked everything about the relationships and Frank's need to find the next meal ticket now that he fears his is going away.    William H Macy puts in an incredibly gutty performance in this role, "Wait, I'm the male butterface?"  :)
I loved the relationship with But-her-face, because it's 180 degrees from his situation with Sheila. I like Frank has as much affection for Sheila as he does for anybody, but their whole relationship is based on a certain fiction. There's no illusions between Frank and But-her-face. She might not know exactly what scam Frank's pulling, she she knows he has an angle. His realization that he's the male But-her-face was indeed great.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JonZ View Post

Loved his reaction when he saw the eggplant.

Hee! Me too. "I don't care how much Vaseline is involved, it. won't. FIT!"
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post #10 of 63
1/16/12 at 8:56pm

I have to say, I think this show does a better job of mixing comedy with drama than any show I can remember.

 

Adam, you do know it's butterface, right?  tongue.gif

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post #11 of 63
1/16/12 at 9:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottH View Post

Adam, you do know it's butterface, right?  tongue.gif
Whoops!blush.gif One of those terms I've heard often enough, but never read. I spelled it like I heard it.
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post #12 of 63
1/17/12 at 12:19am

^ Yeah, but but-her-face is the meaning of the slang. "Smokin' body, but her face... ew."

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post #13 of 63
1/22/12 at 9:10pm
Thread Starter 

How can a scene be that funny.. and that sad at the same time?   Both the big sex scenes tonight were both hilariously off-balance and at the same time, desperately sad for the characters.    Just a great way to change the entire script for that - what Fiona imagined vs. how it played out; vs. how Frank's end game played out..

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post #14 of 63
1/22/12 at 11:49pm
This episode was so messed up.
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post #15 of 63
1/23/12 at 7:07am
Thread Starter 

Pretty much, it was.  And yet, there was a lot of heart in all of the scenes; I had said all the sex scenes were so conflicted, and I had originally thought of Frank & Butterface, and Fiona and her HS Crush.. but it really didn't stop there.

 

The thought about them just having a strange moral code.. when they had ripped off hte bag, and there was money inside - they were OK with ripping off a rich person who left it; but when she found out it wasn't that it ate at her and she had to "do the right thing.."   It didn't work out, and for her, the meeting with the HS Crush turned into karma all over.. staring at the car window with the stenciled pictures of the family.. woof.. such complete chaos.   Totally not what she had expected.

 

 

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post #16 of 63
1/23/12 at 6:16pm
Most of the time I can justify Gallagher behavior within its own skewed moral compass, but sometimes the show just goes too far. Frank playing Dottie for her pension in the hopes she doesn't get a heart? I can get behind that. Him blowing off the organ donor lady when Dottie's beeper goes off? Over the line into just outright despicable. I think the show knows when it's crossing it, too, because those are the only times we see Frank display any remorse. Killing Dottie really threw him for a loop, at least momentarily. Jody was lucky he caught Frank in a reflective mood, or he would have never gotten that ring back.

As an only child, being left alone after my parents die was a childhood fixation, so I could relate to Debbie. On the other hand, if I had a handful of siblings I'm close to and had terribly promiscuous parents that probably meant more siblings are on the way sooner or later, I don't think it would have entered my mind.

Kudos to the show for having one of the least sexy sex scenes in TV history between Fiona and her married high school crush. Simultaneously hilarious and depressing.

Totally agree about Fiona and the bag. The money that she was going to give back became a bitch tax. If the purse owner had a bit of class, she'd be one month's rent richer.

Still loving Jack Carter as Stan the racist bar owner.

EDIT: "threw" not "through"
Edited by Adam Lenhardt - 1/24/12 at 8:19am
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post #17 of 63
1/24/12 at 5:32am

This was my least favorite episode since the show started.  Frank is a horrible person, but that was out of character even for him.  I really hope it doesn't ruin the character for me from this point on.

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post #18 of 63
1/29/12 at 8:09pm
Thread Starter 

Hit.png

 

Bwahahahh   More thoughts later, but Showtime had it going tonight; both Shameless and House of Lies were laugh fests tonight.

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post #19 of 63
1/30/12 at 4:28pm
So where did Frank's miracle come from?
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post #20 of 63
1/30/12 at 6:01pm
The thing I really enjoyed about last night's episode was the way it showcased how the cycle repeats itself: Fiona hiding under the table with Frank after doing something ill-advised and morally reprehensible, Lip hopelessly in love with Karen (a hot mess just like his mother), Carl pulling Frank-style scams, Debbie crushing on a boy who's fated to become a Frank, etc. etc. The only one who didn't fall into the trap is the only one who isn't Frank's kid: Ian.

The baby reveal at the end was good. Lip takes after Frank in another way, and keeps Karen in the picture without necessarily writing out Jody.

LOVED the end tag with the landing gear from a jet landing mere feet in front of Sheila, just as she's about to set out to the Alibi.

Looks like the shit's going to really hit the fan next week.
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post #21 of 63
1/31/12 at 12:24pm
Thread Starter 

Showtime is just on a roll ratings wise:

 

http://www.deadline.com/2012/01/showtimes-sunday-series-rise-shameless-tops-hbos-luck-real-housewives-hot

 

The baby reveal was fantastic, but the fact that it was done SO quickly before the show went black (before coming back for the plane bit).. some real tongue in cheek stuff.

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post #22 of 63
2/1/12 at 10:20am
Thread Starter 

Renewed!

 

http://www.deadline.com/2012/02/showtime-renews-shameless-house-of-lies-and-californication/

 

Season 3 is on the books

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post #23 of 63
2/1/12 at 3:04pm
Good news! A bit surprised that this is their number two show behind "Dexter." Production will commence "later this year." Does that mean another summer shoot or will they wait until fall? Seasons 1 and 2 basically shot on top of each other.
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post #24 of 63
2/6/12 at 8:19pm
Thread Starter 

I guess I missed the Lip getting his ass handed to him; I just saw him bloodied afterward; I'm wondering what becomes of that.   And now we get to find out where Fiona is headed; her outright railing of a fellow party goer who associated her with a high class escort really blew everything apart on that end, and it was a nice link to the low-rent hooker living in Frank's room.

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post #25 of 63
2/7/12 at 6:04pm
What with the Superbowl, I totally forgot about this and so did my source for Showtime. Caught up tonight, probably my favorite episode so far this season.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mattCR View Post

I guess I missed the Lip getting his ass handed to him; I just saw him bloodied afterward; I'm wondering what becomes of that.
He showed up at the benefit picnic, saw Karen all cozy with Jody, and picked a fight he knew he'd lose with the very ripped son of the incarcerated woman on whose behalf the picnic is being held.
Quote:
And now we get to find out where Fiona is headed; her outright railing of a fellow party goer who associated her with a high class escort really blew everything apart on that end, and it was a nice link to the low-rent hooker living in Frank's room.
Good catch, I totally missed that parallel. Everybody looks down on somebody, unless you're Bev or Frank.

Loved Frank's monologue to Lip: "That's the Gallagher sperm. Ambitious. Relentless. Everything we're not once we're born. Like heat-seeking, baby-making guided missiles. It won't be long before the whole country's nothing but Mexicans and Gallaghers."

My favorite part was the reveal of Sheila finding out about Frank and Karen's whirl around the merry-go-round. Everything's leading up to this massive split when she finds out, and she totally understands how it went down and sympathizes with Frank. Sheila "gets" a lot more than everybody around her gives her credit for, she just doesn't judge like most people would.

Karen's in an interesting place, torn between mourning her father and her continued fury toward him. If it ever comes out that he committed suicide, I wonder how she'll take it?

The scene where Lip tries to step up and Karen shoots him down demonstrated why her marriage to Jody is doomed. These are two smart, very messed up people. They're vicious to each other, especially Karen toward Lip, but they have way more passion than Karen and Jody ever will. I see a lifetime of being George and Martha from "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Vicious, cutting, and pity be anyone who gets between them. And they secretly love it. I do feel bad for the baby, though, who ever the father ultimately ends up being. Karen's not exactly mother material.
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post #26 of 63
2/12/12 at 9:48pm
More thoughts tomorrow, probably, but I wanted to pop on and say I loved the final beat with Frank and Fiona.
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post #27 of 63
2/13/12 at 5:47am
"Find a dry spot" Ewwwww......
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post #28 of 63
2/20/12 at 3:18pm
I kind of like Frank and Fiona working as a team. I'm also glad that it looks like Amy Smart's character is out of the picture.

Hope that isn't the last we've seen of Ethel and Stan.
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post #29 of 63
2/21/12 at 12:11am

I'm wondering if Amy Smart will come back in some sort of psycho/Fatal Attraction thing. Her character seemed to be completely pointless. I kept expecting her to be something else (like courting Fiona into some sort of prostitution ring) but nothing ever happened.

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post #30 of 63
3/4/12 at 9:30pm
This season's following the pattern set last season by continually ramping up and getting more intense with each episode.

Louise Fletcher deserves a guest acting Emmy for this episode. The writing likewise did a good job of fleshing Mama Gallagher out in satisfying ways.

I also liked the Ian-Mickey storyline, and the contrast between the father's. Frank's a piece of shit, but he wouldn't judge him the way the terrifying Milkovich patriarch would. And despite his desperation, at the end of the day, Mickey's no killer. Juvenile Detention's the safe haven from the wrath of his own father.

Poor Lip. Karen is really a nasty, selfish piece of work.

I liked that Steve/Jimmy's South American wife is just as dismissive of all of them as they are of her. We've gotten episodes of Portuguese now, so it was fun with the subtitles to get a glimpse into her side of the conversation.

And then that credit tag scene, damn. Hurricane Monica's blowing back into town.
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