Frank Becomes a Role Model. Review: Shameless – “Order Room Service”

Season 3, Episode 11

Air Date: Sunday, March 31, 2013, 10 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

Lip sits on the cop car, unable to believe what his eyes see and ears hear.

Something happens in “Order Room Service” I never thought I’d see. Frank (William H. Macy) becomes a parent—a real, live, caring parent. But Frank isn’t the only one to undergo a change. All of the Gallagher men face new realities in their lives. Well, not just the men—Fiona (Emmy Rossum) does too.

I’ve noticed lately, TV shows seem to be piling a lot into their penultimate episodes rather than their season finales; as a matter of fact, this isn’t the first time Shameless has done this. Season two’s penultimate episode, “Just Like the Pilgrims Intended,” showcased Monica’s (Chloe Webb) attempted suicide and Karen’s (Laura Slade Wiggins) birth of an “Asian mongoloid” baby, while “Fiona Interrupted,” that season’s finale, merely showed Karen taking off for parts unknown; ditto Monica. With “Order Room Service” wrapping up the Fiona/Jimmy (Justin Chatwin) story line, as well as the Karen story line, among others, I don’t know what’s left to see in the season finale.

Lip (Jeremy Allen White) is having a hard time dealing with Mandy (Emma Greenwell) being responsible for Karen’s condition, and it’s interesting to watch how he handles the situation. Going from having no sex—courtesy of Kev’s (Steve Howey) advice—to practically being raped by an overly wrought Mandy leaves Lip at his wit’s end. It’s sad to watch their relationship devolve the way it does. If nothing else, crazy ass Mandy has been a life saver for Lip—a sort of yin to his yang. But when Lip finally realizes the extent of Karen’s mental condition, he wastes no time in confronting Mandy at Mickey’s (Noel Fisher) wedding in a particularly heart-wrenching scene.

Sheila is in her element, happily making “snacks” for Karen.

Speaking of Karen, I don’t know how Wiggins does it but physically speaking, Karen looks so small, like a little broken bird as she lies on Sheila’s (Joan Cusack) couch. She is completely vulnerable and it’s hard to see Karen that way considering what a loathsome person she used to be. It was so easy to despise her every time she did something spiteful and vicious but with the condition her frontal lobe damage has left her in, it’s hard not to feel sorry for her. I kept waiting for the Karen of old to reappear but it’s obvious that’s not going to happen. And with Jody (Zach McGowan) intent on taking her to his family home in the southwest, I guess that’s the last we’ll see of her. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. That woman was pure toxicity for Lip.

One of the most painful things to watch in “Order Room Service” is the way Ian (Cameron Monaghan) handles Mickey’s wedding. And what a wedding it is! I never would have thought he would have such an elaborate affair, complete with bridesmaids dressed in fancy pink dresses and Mickey in a tux. What sets Mandy’s head spinning, however—as if her breakup with Lip isn’t enough—is Ian’s drunk confession. I wonder whether Mickey’s father Terry (Dennis Cockrum) heard Ian, and what he’ll do if he did. I can’t fathom where Ian goes from here, although we get a pretty good idea from the promo following the episode.

With Fiona doing an admirable job of getting on board with the whole Michigan med school idea, it’s a shame Jimmy never actually considered she’d uproot the whole family to be with him. Or, perhaps it’s more that he doesn’t want the whole Gallagher clan to come with him. To be honest, I didn’t think Fiona would do that, either. She’s always been more about the kids than herself and her relationship. But Fiona is anxious to lead a ‘normal’ life and having a doctor-in-training for a boyfriend seems like the way to go for her. The fight between the two outside the coffee shop is painful and honest in a way I never thought Jimmy could be. Chatwin was obviously into that scene—did you see the veins in his forehead throbbing when he finally confesses his feelings to Fiona? I haven’t liked Jimmy much this season and I don’t think he deserves someone as loyal as Fiona. But I also don’t think he deserves the ending the writers lead us to believe. Do you suppose Estefania’s (Stephanie Fantauzzi) father Nando (Pêpê Rapazote) actually sends Jimmy to sleep with the fishes?

I can’t remember the last time I saw Fiona so happy. Yeah, a good man, read Mike, will do that.

The most fun part of “Order Room Service” is the Worldwide Cup Family Picnic Fiona goes to with Debbie (Emma Kenney) and Liam (Brandon and Brenden Johnson). I love Kenney’s scenes and how happy she portrays Debbie. She’s been through a lot this season so to see Debbie so joyful is refreshing, at the very least. But while all the kids are having good old fashioned fun, the adults are busy drinking themselves into oblivion. It’s no wonder Fiona ends up in Mike’s (Jake McDorman) tent with the two having a hot and heavy make-out session. I’m all for a bit of good old fashioned romance for these two so it’s nice to see cooler heads prevail. You know they would have hated themselves in the morning.

Carl sets up the van as Frank’s new home away from home.

Every good father teaches his son how to commit a burglary, right? As Frank lovingly reminisces about his early days with his father, he tells Carl (Ethan Cutkowsky) his father taught him to enjoy the fruits of your labor by shacking up in a hotel and ordering room service. Way to be a role model, Frank. But since this is Frank we’re speaking about, why should I expect anything different? I enjoyed Frank and Carl’s scenes in the van, especially when it becomes clear that Frank loves his son and vice versa. Normally, I would have said ‘Frank loves his son—as much as Frank is capable of loving anyone,’ but he actually steps up to the plate and becomes the kind of father his kids have always wanted him to be. Is it possible Frank actually has some redeeming qualities?

Additional thoughts:

Frank and Carl trying to get their secret handshake down pat is a hoot!

Cusack turns in another memorable performance with the loving way she plays Sheila. But no matter how many “snacks” she brings Karen, or number of flowers she tucks behind her ears, it’s sad to realize it took an almost fatal car accident to give Sheila the kind of daughter she always dreamed of having.

After the kind of sexual relationship Sheila and Jody had, did anyone else find him calling Sheila “mom” strange? I did; it seems so incestuous to me.

Memorable lines:

Fiona, discussing changing Mike’s tattoo: “Be glad her name wasn’t Ocksucker.”

Lip: “Mandy! Come here! You ruined Karen’s life. You’re a jealous, demented cunt. Mandy, seriously! Alright, we’re done.”

Mandy: “I did it for you, you prick. I did everything for you but you’re so fucking blind! You know, don’t sweat it ‘cause we were done before you even got here.

Ian, about Frank: “What happened?”

Lip: “Hell froze over.”

As penultimate episodes go, “Order Room Service” does a beautiful job of setting up next week’s season finale. But as I said above, I don’t know what is left to cover. Although the writers have us thinking Jimmy is dead, Fiona thinks he’s merely taken off; Lip and Mandy are finally finished; Mickey is married and Ian is devastated; and Frank is headed to jail. All that aside, however, the promo at the end of the episode looks like the finale, “Survival of the Fittest,” is going to be an extremely emotional episode. I can’t wait, can you?

Tune in to the season finale of Shameless Sunday, April 7 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!