Who Gets Custody of the Gallagher Kids? Review: Shameless – “A Long Way from Home”

Season 3, Episode 7

Air Date: Sunday, March 3, 2013, 10 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

Mickey (Noel Fisher) can’t even look at Ian after the beating his father gave him last week.

When I watched the series premiere of Shameless oh so many years ago, I was appalled by the depths of depravity on the show all while pretty much laughing my ass off at the Gallaghers’ antics. “A Long Way from Home” does an excellent job of following in the footsteps of the many episodes that have both shocked and entertained me along the way. Fiona (Emmy Rossum) is now ready to step up and assume parental responsibility for Debby (Emma Kenney), Carl (Ethan Cutkosky), Ian (Cameron Monaghan), Lip (Jeremy Allen White), and baby Liam (Brandon and Brenden Johnson). Not without a fight from Frank (William H. Macy), though.

Observations:

Debby’s situation in foster care with Mama Kamala (Juanita Jennings) is, by far, the worst of all the Gallaghers. Poor thing gets only three sheets of toilet paper for the bathroom! I hate to think forcing children to do household chores and make jewelry to sell in order to eat is the norm, but something tells me things like this happen in real life more often than we realize. My heart goes out to Debby as she’s always had her loving family around to protect her but she’s totally on her own here—outside of the one friend she’s made, that is. Debby’s a smart young lady, though, and I knew she’d figure out a way to get enough food to feed all the kids at Mama Kamala’s. But Krazy Glue? I guess Mama Kamala won’t be “seeing everything” for a long while.

Sheila (Joan Cusack) has her hands full with Jody (Zach McGowan), who has relapsed now that he’s not attending Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings anymore. I know he’s trying to spice up their sex life but going the autoerotic asphyxiation route is both frightening and dangerous. Add to that three friends coming over for an orgy and you have a desperate Sheila reaching out to Frank for help. Of course, Frank doesn’t do anything that doesn’t benefit him in some way so forcing Jody to give him his sexaholic meeting chips at the intervention doesn’t surprise me. The culmination of that intervention, however, is just plain disgusting. Eww! I must say, however, I’m impressed with how limber Jody is.

Who knew Karen would return to the fold?

But Sheila has more important things to worry about, like baby Hymie’s father, Timmy Wong (Albert Kuo), and his grandmother (Elizabeth Sung) showing up at the front door wanting custody. I was surprised by Sheila’s decision and hope she doesn’t feel too guilty about it. It’s the right thing to do with Jody acting the way he is, and at least she’ll have visitation. Besides, who knew Karen (Laura Slade Wiggins) would show up at this stage of the game? What the hell could she possibly want? It can’t be Hymie, after running out on him after giving birth. As sure as I know my name, I know she wants something. I guess we’ll just have to wait to find out what it is. Kudos to Cusack for the way she emotes in Sheila and Karen’s reunion scene, and for the beaming look of love on Sheila’s face when she describes Hymie to Karen over breakfast. Both scenes almost brought tears to my eyes.

The joy is evident on Sheila’s face; she’s thrilled to have Karen back.

I wonder how long Jimmy (Justin Chatwin) is going to keep up this charade with Estefania (Stephanie Fantauzzi). Sooner or later, INS is going to catch them because one of these days, Jimmy isn’t going to be able to get to Estefania’s on time no matter how fast Beto (Bernardo de Paula) drives. And what’s with the sex with Estefania? I know he’s not happy with Fiona seeking custody of the younger Gallaghers but is giving in to Estefania really the route to go?

The lengths to which Fiona must go to get the kids home involves all manner of chicanery—from forging dead Aunt Ginger’s will to paying for a dead body from the nursing home Vee (Shanola Hampton) works at. This wouldn’t be an episode of Shameless without that, right? But when Fiona cuts a toe off the dead body? That is a woman with a mission.

Memorable lines:

Vee, in the morgue: “We just booked a first class ticket to eternal damnation.”

Estefania, after throwing a naked guy out of her apartment: “Finish me?”

Jimmy: “You’re kidding. OK, so that’s all I’m good for now is babysitting and a booty call?

Estefania, walking naked up the stairs: “Coming?”

Jimmy: “Hopefully not for at least 10 seconds.”

Fiona, at the courthouse: “Got some bad news. Aunt Ginger passed away. Yeah. On the plus side, turns out she left me the house.”

Frank: “What did you do?”

Fiona: “Only what I had to. How about a thank you? Now there’s no danger they’ll haul you away for Social Security fraud.”

Frank: “No more checks to cash, either, fuck you very much.”

Kev (Steve Howey): “So, where’re the kids at, Frank?”

Frank: “Fuck if I know.”

The courtroom scene, when the judge asks Carl and Debby about their feelings for Frank, is heart wrenching to watch, especially when Debby relates how much she missed Frank when he was gone. Both Macy and Rossum turn in one of their best performances to date when telling the judge why their characters should have custody. Macy’s speech is so convincing that if I didn’t know better, I would have believed Frank in a hot second. On the other hand, Rossum’s soliloquy tugs at the heartstrings when Fiona relates what happened the first time she had to take care of Ian and Lip at the age of six because Frank was drunk. Thankfully, a resolution is reached that makes everyone happy except Jimmy. When is Fiona going to realize something is wrong with him?

There are bigger questions, however. Such as, what’s going to happen when Lip finds out Karen is back? She’s the only one Lip has ever truly loved. And what will this mean for his relationship with Mandy (Emma Greenwell)? I have a feeling we’re going to be dealing with some broken hearts in the next few episodes. More important, what are the Gallaghers going to do after learning Cousin Patrick filed a real will for Aunt Ginger? Will they be able to stay in the house?

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!