Sex Offenders and Crazy Wives. Retrospective: Shameless - May I Trim Your Hedges?

Season 3, Episode 3

Air Date: Sunday, January 27, 2013, 10 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

Almost everyone in and around the Gallagher household is faced with problems this week, ranging from sexual predators (two!) to crazy wives (two!). Not only must solutions be found, but Frank (William H. Macy) stoops to yet another all-time low. Each week, I am astounded at what the writers have in store for him, and each week, I love it. We finally learn how Kev (Steve Howey) broke his leg, and his estranged wife Cheryl (Cameron Richardson) wreaks havoc at his house.

Observations:

Lip, Debbie, Kev, Fiona, and Carl watch as Veronica deals with Cheryl Veronica-style.

I have to say I am very surprised at Veronica’s (Shanola Hampton) reaction to Cheryl showing up on their doorstep. It’s almost as if she’s given up. Spending time on the Gallaghers’ sofa, having a pity party isn’t what I expect of her. Veronica has always been a strong woman, who knows how to get what she wants so I don’t understand her behavior. To make matters worse, Cheryl tells Kev her son, Kyle (C.J. Berdahl), may be his! At first, I thought Veronica was really pissed by this news but then I came to realize she’s frightened. Who can blame her? Cheryl and Kev share a background that goes clear back to their high school days and now they may share a kid? I’d be scared of losing him too. Hampton does such a wonderful job with this storyline, it’s a pleasure to watch her. I could picture myself acting and feeling the same as she does.

Frank enlists Carl’s help in his newest scheme to make money, and has to shave his head.

Frank offers to take Baby Hymie to the doctor for his shots but the minute Sheila (Joan Cusack) hands him money for the co-pay, I knew Frank wasn’t going anywhere near the pediatrician’s office. I just wish Kate (Kerry O’Malley), the waitress at the Alibi, would follow through on her threat to report Frank to the police for child abuse. Sticking a whiskey soaked thumbtack into the baby’s thigh is disgusting. And the scam he cooks up after seeing a cancer-ridden child on TV getting a ball signed by his favorite basketball team and courtside seats to the game is just despicable. Poor Carl (Ethan Cutkosky)! He looks so weird with that shaven head!

After failing at promoting the night club last week, Fiona (Emmy Rossum) grabs an employment opportunity that falls into her lap while at the grocery store with Deb (Emma Kenney). After filling out the job application, she then has to deal with the creepy store manager (Eric Edelstein) whose private parts get a rise (literally) during his conversation with Fiona about the job: “If you’re gonna be working here, I gotta see if you can handle the meat.” Eww!

Bridezilla Estefania (Stephanie Fantauzzi) tries on dresses for fake wedding pictures.

Fiona isn’t the only one who deals with a pervert in “May I Trim Your Hedges?” Poor Deb is traumatized by a creep (Kevin Dorian) jerking off on the bus. Although she and Fiona report it to the police, Lip (Jeremy Allen White) and Ian (Cameron Monaghan) decide to take matters into their own hands, which ends up having serious consequences for Lip. In an effort to track down the creep, Lip discovers a sex offender has just moved in down the street. But when he, Ian and the Milkovich clan go hunting for him, they find out he is a she (Justine Lupe)—a teacher who went to jail for an inappropriate relationship with her student. Everyone, except Lip, believes her story that it was a one-time thing, but Lip decides to get closer to her to prove she’s a serial sex offender, and gets more than he bargained for in the process. Lip may be smart but sometimes he’s just plain dumb when he lets his small head do the thinking, especially when it comes to his live-in love, Mandy (Emma Greenwell). You know she’s not going to be happy when she finds out what Lip has done. (Hint: that’s putting it mildly. Second hint: it explains the title of the episode.)

I must take a moment to comment on Lupe’s acting in this episode. She initially plays a quiet, reserved woman who unintentionally fell in love with her student, and does it so well, I believed her. But how her character seduces Lip is just brilliant, to say nothing of the chemistry between Lupe and White! I loved their scenes together.

Additional thoughts:

Debbie and Kyle share some private time that leads to a very sweet, chaste kiss. What an adorable look on Debbie’s face afterwards! I hope Kyle turns out to be Debbie’s real first love. He’s so adorable and seems so vulnerable. Let’s hope he doesn’t turn out to be as crazy as his mother.

Ian and Lloyd were enjoying themselves until Mickey interferes.

Mickey Milkovich (Noel Fisher) doesn’t like the fact that Ian is screwing around with Lloyd (Harry Hamlin) and gives Lloyd a beat down worthy of Mike Tyson. I can’t believe how turned on Ian becomes!

Wasn’t Estefania (Stephanie Fantauzzi) a real bitch when trying on wedding dresses for her and Jimmy’s (Justin Chatwin) fake wedding pictures? And how hysterical when they push their way into some poor unsuspecting bride and groom’s real wedding pictures!

Memorable lines:

Fiona: “Are you saying if I blow you, I can have a job?”

Store Manager: “No, I’d never say that. That would be inappropriate and illegal. If you wanted to blow me, you’d have to be a consenting adult.”

Frank to Kate: “Now close your mouth before someone thinks it’s an invitation and pour me a God damned drink.”

Fiona to Jimmy (Justin Chatwin) about the store manager: “Dude wanted a blow in exchange for a job. Gives a whole new meaning to the word blowjob.”

Veronica speaks her mind to Cheryl as Steve, Fiona, Debbie, Kev, Lip, and Carl listen.

Have I said recently how much I love Kev? What he says and does at the end of “May I Trim Your Hedges?” brings on a good crying jag for Veronica and Fiona, which, in turn, brought a decent amount of tears to my eyes too. What that leads to is an awesome ending, totally befitting an episode of Shameless.

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!