Curing Comas. Review: Shameless – “Civil Wrongs”

Season 3, Episode 10

Air Date: Sunday, March 24, 2013, 10 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

If anyone has trouble with William H. Macy playing Frank Gallagher, well, he has proved you wrong in “Civil Wrongs.” Macy absolutely shines this week as the pawn between the gay marriage activists and the conversion therapy group. Jeremy Allen White also proves his acting chops during Lip’s hospital bedside scenes with Karen (Laura Slade Wiggins). And let’s not forget Joan Cusack as Sheila. That woman says more with her tears and facial expressions than some actors connote with real dialogue. Oh hell, everyone was outstanding this week! There are so many story lines, though, I’ve decided to forgo my usual approach and, instead, talk about each character or couple involved.

Jimmy and Fiona

Fiona is in her element on the baseball field with her co-workers.

To be honest, I’m tired of their relationship and where it’s gone this season. Jimmy (Justin Chatwin) has spent the entire season lying to Fiona (Emmy Rossum) about his “marriage” to Estefania (Stephanie Fantauzzi), contributing little to no money to the coffers and, basically, just serving as Liam’s (Brandon and Brenden Johnson) babysitter. Hell, we haven’t even seen any fun sexual romps for the two lovers. Now he’s lying about going back to med school. With Fiona in such a good place with her new job, who needs Jimmy? Let’s face it, Mike Pratt (Jake McDorman) is definitely smitten with Fiona and he can offer her a hell of a lot more than Jimmy can at this point. And how much more shameless (pun intended) would Fiona be by sleeping with the boss? She wouldn’t be the first woman to use her feminine wiles to get ahead. As much as I’ve enjoyed watching Chatwin on Shameless, I say now is the time for him to go.

Lip and Mandy

I never thought I’d feel sorry for Mandy (Emma Greenwell) after running Karen down with her car (who does things like that?), but I do. All she wants is for Lip to love her the way she loves him but he only has eyes for Karen. The man can’t even sustain an erection with Mandy because all of his thoughts are on Karen. Did you see the look on his face and the way his upper lip quivers in Karen’s hospital room? If that doesn’t say ‘love,’ I don’t know what does. But now that Lip knows Mandy is the one responsible for Karen’s condition, you have to wonder what he’s going to do about it.

Veronica and Kev

Kev can’t believe the good news!

I am so glad Vee’s (Shanola Hampton) mom Carol (Vanessa Bell Calloway) is pregnant. I don’t think I could have watched another scene with Carol, Kev (Steve Howey) and Vee in bed. The best part of this whole scenario is how Kev reacts to the positive pregnancy news when Vee, all aglow, bursts into The Alibi shouting, “Attention people! Kevin is going to be a daddy!” I was really touched by the look of love that passes between this awesome couple; the entire world seemed to fade away as they became the only people in a noisy, crowded room full of drunks. I just know they’re going to make the best parents ever.

Jody, Sheila, and Karen

The most heartfelt scene of “Civil Wrongs” belongs to Cusack when Sheila relates to Jody (Zach McGowan) the fairy tales she told Karen as a child, telling him he’s Karen’s “prince.” The honesty and tone in her voice, and the way she screws up her face when crying and hugging Jody as she releases him to Karen’s arms is just one of the many reasons why I think Cusack deserves an Emmy® for this role. Jody may be Sheila’s lover but he’s also the most concerned estranged husband (lucky Karen) I’ve seen in a while. He’ll do anything to make Karen wake up from her coma, even playing some God awful tune on his ukulele. But who knew Jody would take Lip’s advice to “do things she likes” to heart? Karen’s response to the sexual massage Jody gives her, as well as the cunnilingus he performs on her, sickens me. Yeah, sure, Jody thinks he’s “found the cure for comas,” but all it tells me is once a slut, always a slut. I thought Karen might be different when she woke up but now I’m not so sure. I will admit, though, the scene is very humorous with the quickening heartbeat and blood pressure sounds. For a minute, I thought Karen might have a heart attack!

Additional thoughts:

Don’t you just love the interaction between Liam and Beto (Bernardo de Paula)? For a henchman, Beto apparently has a softer side to his personality that we’ve never seen before. I love how he makes Liam laugh—it’s so adorable.

I simply adore Fiona’s co-workers, especially Connie (Maile Flanagan, Last Man Standing, Lab Rats) and Hank (Bill Brochtrup, NYPD Blue). They’re like Fiona’s own little personal cheering section, which is something she needs. I hope she hangs onto this job.

Ian tells Lip about Mickey getting married, and the reason why.

If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a failed relationship, you can’t help but feel empathy for Ian (Cameron Monaghan). He’s really suffering. I wonder whether the writers are going to go through with the marriage between Mickey (Noel Fisher) and his prostitute baby mama or finally let Mickey stand up to his abusive father Terry (Dennis Cockrum).

Memorable lines:

Karen to Lip: “We can give each other head in the shed behind the football field at lunch.”

Ian, referring to Mickey and his intended: “So where did they meet?”

Mandy: “She works at Garden Springs Spa, if you call jerking off random men working.”

Kev to Vee: “Bacon, lettuce and tomato on white, just like your other favorite meat.”

Frank: “You saw what I did here. I’m your new rainmaker. I can get these rump swappers to cough up cash night and day.”

Abraham Paige (Bradley Whitford): “Rump swappers? There’s a slur I’ve never heard before.”

Jody to the doctor (Jake Dogias): “I went down and I went to town. I chowed down on her like I was drinking from a cup of ambrosia. And she came; she came to. You gotta get the word out; I found the cure for comas!”

Frank

Abraham takes Frank out for a drink following Frank’s rousing speech.

I’ve saved the best for last. Who knew there was such an intelligent side to Frank? That impassioned speech he gives to the gay marriage proponents is not only brilliant, but funny as well. The speech to the Mason Preparatory Academy kids, not so much! Frank is only out for himself so it’s no surprise that he accepts Alistair Huddleston’s (Dan Donahoe) offer. What Huddleston represents—the very idea that “homosexuality is an addiction” that a gay person can be cured of—appalls me. But that’s what Shameless does best—giving us disgusting, revolting acts that make us laugh. Once Frank hears Huddleston will give him more money than Paige is giving him, and as many women as Frank needs to “cure” him, to represent the gay conversion theorists, he’s all in. He couldn’t care less that the woman Huddleston sends him is a lesbian. Frank has never met a money-making scam he doesn’t like. The only thing that doesn’t ring true is when Frank has to prove his homosexuality to Paige once Paige discovers he’s not gay. Frank’s obvious aversion to servicing the two studs Paige brings in is phony. After all, this isn’t the first time Frank has had to do things with men in order to make money, and I’d bet good money it won’t be the last.

Tune in to Shameless Sundays at 10 pm ET/PT, only on Showtime.

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Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!