Shameless - "Carl's First Sentencing" Retrospective. Suffering the Consequences.

Season 5, Episode 9

Air Date: Sunday, March 15, 2015 at 9:00 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

“I don’t care how much they meditate. When the time comes, those Hindus are going to be shitting their pants like the rest of us. You know what they’ll be thinking? Fuck, I wish I had tried steak.” – Frank

In this week’s episode, “Carl’s First Sentencing,” Frank (William H. Macy) takes his 32-year-old doctor Bianca (guest star Bojana Novakovic) for a walk on the wild side, while Lip (Jeremy Allen White) forms a new relationship with Helene (guest star Sasha Alexander), a new professor at school. Ian (Cameron Monaghan) finally accepts his diagnosis, and Kev (Steve Howey) gets a wakeup call. Last, but certainly not least, Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) and Chuckie (Kellen Michael) get their day in court, receiving sentences for their actions in last week’s episode, “Uncle Carl.” Let’s discuss, shall we?

A Shoulder to Lean On

Frank is surprisingly compassionate.

Once we learn the truth about Bianca, it’s easy to understand why she has a problem treating Frank’s disgusting looking arm. She is such a straight-laced young woman but Frank’s description of his life pre-transplant entices her to take a walk on the wild side with him. After all, what does she have to lose? While Bianca’s truth is devastating, the trip Frank takes her on is the funniest story line in “Carl’s First Sentencing.” When Bianca jokingly yells “Hands in the air, I’m a cop!” when Frank purchases weed for the two of them, I almost spit my drink out. I am so enjoying this new relationship Frank is cultivating with Bianca but what I want to know is who is this Frank and what has writer Etan Frankel done with him? This is a side of Frank we’ve never seen before—kind, compassionate—it’s almost like Frank is falling in love! Watching Bianca smoke pot for the first time brings back a lot of memories from my young, wild and crazy days, especially when she can’t stop coughing. Ever hear the expression, “The pot that makes you cough really gets you off?” Yeah. The best part of this trip is Novakovic‘s laugh; it is so damned infectious! Once the effects of the pot wear off, reality hits Bianca in the face. It’s hard not to empathize with her when she rails against the world. “Fuck you! I’m 32; I was just getting started. Fuck you, pancreas. Fuck you, cells. Fuck you, med school. Fuck youuuuuu!”

Lip—Simply Lip

Lip slips into class late – “a week and ten days late,” according to his new professor Helene. I got a real kick out of the banter between these two. Lip is a smart guy who knows how to read people, and what he figures out about Helene sets his seductive juices flowing. He gets quite a jolt, though, when he learns something important about Helene’s private life; I love the shocked look on his face in that moment. I am a huge fan of Alexander’s, especially her portrayal of Dr. Isles in TNT’s Rizzoli & Isles. In “Carl’s First Sentencing,” the way Alexander depicts Helene—smart, sexy, seductive—is definitely irresistible.

Acceptance

Ian’s hallucination is real to him, and it breaks my heart to see him like this.

It is so sad to see Ian in the midst of a hallucination, crouched low, running through the house with a baseball bat, almost hurting Debbie (Emma Kenney) in the process. That’s the thing about bipolar disease—one minute Ian seems so sane and the other, he acts like he’s off his rocker. I can’t say enough how fantastic Monaghan is in this story line. It’s not easy to change who your character is at the drop of a hat. The reality of what almost happened makes Ian realize something has to be done. While it’s not his first choice, Ian knows it’s inevitable.

His Day in Court

“I’m not a rat.” Carl has no idea what he’s in for if he doesn’t give up the name of his drug dealer. Or maybe he does. He talks a good game in lockup but he’s just a 13-year-old trying to act all grown up—or so I thought. From the smirk on Carl’s face, it looks like his lawyer (guest star Lawrence Mandley) is going to have a hard time keeping Carl out of jail. Fiona would be wise to advise Carl to make a deal instead of saying, “Gallaghers don’t snitch.”

Even though Chuckie is “functionally retarded,” with the drugs that were strapped to his stomach in “Uncle Carl,” it’s a good bet he’s going to do some time in juvenile detention, which infuriates Sammi (Emily Bergl). Her attitude with Chuckie’s lawyer (guest star Tessa Auberjonois) leaves a lot to be desired. I hate when Sammi acts like she’s so entitled. While she needs to prepare Chuckie for the reality of life in juvie, she takes a route I never expected. Even the lawyer is shocked beyond belief, mouthing “Oh my God” as Sammi explains what Carl has to do to stay safe. A perfect role model/mother Sammi is not.

Carl needs more than an attitude adjustment…just sayin.

Carl proves himself to be every bit the psychopath I’ve always thought he was. As if what he tells Judge Rita Gaither (guest star Roxana Brusso) isn’t bad enough, he also puts Chuckie in harm’s way. Sammi is having none of that and lets her evil side shine through. Although she considers herself a Gallagher, she doesn’t act like one; the Gallaghers are all about family. But the only person Sammi truly cares about is Chuckie. She couldn’t care less about the rest of the Gallaghers, especially Carl.

Other Observations

Even though Lip is on the verge of losing his financial aid, he’s still the R.A. in his dorm and must deal with a problem one of the students is having with another student, Joaquin (guest star José Julián). Joaquin reminds me a lot of Lip, especially when he first started college. As much as Lip has done wrong, I’m glad he gets some good news from Lorenzo (guest star Michael B. Silver), his financial aid officer. With the life Lip has endured, it’s easy to understand why he has a problem accepting the news.

Kev is way out of control partying the night away and being the sorority sisters “rape walker.” He’s acting like a real jerk wad. I hope the talk he has with the male students sets him back on the right track—back into Vee’s (Shanola Hampton) arms where he belongs.

Overall

“Carl’s First Sentencing” is another solid episode of Shameless. It is filled with good times Gallagher-style, and sad moments when Ian realizes he is his mother after all. I don’t know what to make of Fiona’s relationship with Sean (Dermot Mulroney). It seems to me like writer Frankel is moving Fiona and Sean closer to a romantic relationship when she comforts him over the state of his personal life. Macy and Monaghan provide the best acting in this episode, both of them touching the hearts of the viewers. I also loved Carl in his scene with Sammi where he says, “Bring it, bitch!” I’m also enjoying the juxtaposition of the two new relationships in “Carl’s First Sentencing,” given Bianca is young enough to be Frank’s daughter, and Helene is old enough to be Lip’s mother. I can’t wait to see where these story lines go.

What did you think of “Carl’s First Sentencing?” Were you surprised by Carl’s attitude? And poor Chuckie, what do think is going to happen to him? Hit me up on Twitter @SeasideTV, or leave me a comment below.

Tune in to Shameless Sundays at 9:00 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!