Summary
- Karen's tragic exit from Shameless marked the end of her character arc, leaving a lasting impact on Lip's development.
- Jody's departure was a relief to fans as his character had overstayed his welcome, but his heartfelt final interaction with Sheila was touching.
- Eddie's irritating presence made his darkly funny demise one of the best exits on Shameless, showcasing the show's groundbreaking nature.
Throughout 11 seasons, Shameless said goodbye to countless characters, and despite the finale airing several years ago, the debate on which helped and which hurt the show rages on. As the show introduced several new characters through Shameless' decade on the air, it was inevitable that some had to leave. Even with many Gallagher family members, friends, and enemies coming and going, it's still rough for the audience to part ways with them. Because of this, many notable characters leaving Shameless were difficult for fans to get behind, as these moves changed the series.
Of course, not all the characters who left Shameless before the season 11 finale were beloved. In some cases, the writers wanted viewers to forget that a character existed, resulting in some genuinely memorable Shameless character exits. That doesn't necessarily mean the end of their character arc was poorly written. Although some characters received exits that left much to be desired, others left the show in an entertaining or even poetic way. During the final season of Shameless, many character exits left impressions on viewers, both negatively and positively, and the most relevant became clear once the series ended.
Seasons | Rotten Tomatoes Score |
---|---|
1 | 71% |
2 | 100% |
3 | 92% |
4 | 100% |
5 | 92% |
6 | 100% |
7 | 88% |
8 | 100% |
9 | 73% |
10 | 20% |
11 | 70% |
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Character Exits That Saved Shameless
Karen
What happened to Karen on Shameless is a topic many viewers still discuss online. Karen (Laura Slade Wiggins) is a very polarizing character in the Shameless universe, but she was also an important part of Lip's character development early on in the series. Due to her complicated home life, Karen lashed out at everyone, rebelling against her parents and manipulating Lip. However, Karen's story ended in tragedy.
Mandy hit her with a car, trying to win Lip back over, and it caused Karen to end up with brain damage after the attack. Karen moved to Arizona with Jody and her baby to recover, resulting in one of the saddest Shameless character departures. Though her exit from the show was tragic, the Karen Shameless story arc had run its course. After leaving the series, Wiggins had some roles in indie movies and the TV show The Tomorrow People but seems to have left acting behind since 2020.
Jody
Jody's character brought a goofy personality to Shameless. Jody (Zach McGowan) began dating Karen but soon became too clingy for her liking and moved along to the next closest option — Sheila. Jody's BDSM relationship with Sheila seemed to be the perfect match, but he soon realized that he couldn't handle Sheila's intensity and began attending recovery meetings for sex addiction. While Jody was funny at first, he quickly outstayed his welcome on the show.
While Jody's disappearance from the Shameless universe was good, his awkward yet heartfelt final interaction with Sheila was touching. His departure was the same as Karen's, as they needed to leave to start over somewhere else after she suffered brain damage after Mandy's attack. While McGowan left Shameless, he kept picking up lots of TV roles, appearing on shows like The Walking Dead, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The 100, and most notably, as Charles Vane on Black Sails.
Eddie
Eddie Jackson lived his life as a martyr, ignoring the efforts of his wife while constantly complaining about the hardships he faced. Eddie (Joel Murray) frequently berates Sheila and Karen. He even forced Karen to attend a purity ball. Eddie disowns Karen after discovering her sex life, causing his daughter to go entirely off the rails in one of Shameless' most controversial moments. While Eddie's return to the Jackson household with Frank was humorous, Eddie became an irritant.
His departure ended up being one of the best Shameless exits. Eddie's darkly funny demise was shocking but summed up why Shameless is so groundbreaking. Eddie felt he had failed his family as a "man" and decided he didn't deserve to live. He tired a cement block to himself and jumped into freezing water, where he sank and drowned. Ironically, his insurance money went to Karen, who he had disowned before his death.
Bianca
Season 5 contained a memorable character exit in a storyline that saw Frank helping a terminally ill doctor named Bianca embrace life. His methods involve bad activities that most people would avoid doing but since Bianca was dying, she was game. Eventually, instead of passing away due to her illness, Bianca went out on her own terms. Instead of letting cancer kill her slowly, she went to the ocean and then walked into it. Her body was never found.
This was a very poetic ending for the character and should have held a mirror up to Frank, as he'd been living on borrowed time for years. While he did grieve her departure, it was only shortly. For a brief moment, Frank showed he cared about someone other than himself or Monica. After leaving Shameless, Bojana Novakovic appeared in movies like I, Tonya and Birds of Prey and TV shows Instinct, Operation Buffalo, and Love Me.
Sammi
Sammi (Emily Bergl) was easily among the most annoying characters to join Shameless, constantly criticizing the Gallagher siblings and hovering over Frank. After discovering Ian was wanted by the police, Sammi turned him in, causing fans to dislike her even more. Instead of unceremoniously killing her, the show gave Sammi an end that suited her character but negatively affected fan favorite, Mickey Milkovich.
Sammi's departure was great for the show because it removed her in a way that didn't denigrate the character
Mickey's plan to get revenge on Ian's behalf backfired and resulted in his arrest for torturing her. Sammi's departure was great for the show because it removed her in a way that didn't denigrate the character but freed viewers from her. Sammi ended up going to jail, too, imprisoned when she tried to shoot Mickey. She never appeared on the show again. Since leaving Shameless, Bergl appeared on American Crime, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Dirty John.
Monica
Monica leaving Shameless inadvertently saved Frank. The show consistently found ways of making Frank engaging and sympathetic and killing Monica (Chloe Webb) was an effective choice and one of the most authentic. Her death was also fitting for the multidimensional character and often terrible parental figure to leave Shameless. On her final visit, she and Frank reconciled and renewed their vows before a total binge that ended her life.
Monica came and went from the series and it was only a matter of time before Monica's bad habits caught up with her. The reality of her demise was a wake-up call for Frank, albeit a brief one. Actress Annabelle Apsion has spent much of the last decade taking on guest roles in shows like Father Brown. She has also had recurring roles in Holby City and Doc Martin and was a cast regular in The Village, Holby City, and Call the Midwife.
Jimmy
Shameless decided to end a story about a criminal struggling to break free from his world to be with the woman he loves with him facing the consequences of his past — and was all the better for shunning the "happily ever after" trope. Shameless didn't go for a fairy tale ending when it came to writing Justin Chatwin's Jimmy off the show. They didn't let him escape his connections to the underworld. Jimmy may have wanted to clean up his act to be with Fiona, but it was far too late for that.
Having Jimmy walk onto Estefania's father's boat to face his apparent demise was the right decision. Not only was it mysteriously heartbreaking, but it made complete thematic sense. Sadly, the show didn't hold true, and it turned out Jimmy lived after that fateful night. However, when he came back, Fiona ended things with him for good and sent him on his way. Chatwin went on to star in American Gothic and Another Life.
Terry
Terry Milkovich (Dennis Cockrum) terrorized his children and the South Side, consistently spreading hate and bigotry wherever he went. Terry's assault on Mickey significantly impacted Mickey's growth as a character. After moving next door to the Gallaghers, Terry turned his racist abuse toward Liam, who accidentally paralyzed Terry when a bullet shot into the sky came back down on his head. Mickey takes responsibility for his incapacitated father, proving he is nothing like Terry.
In one of the series' most ironic deaths, Terry is "put out of his misery" by his nun caretaker and given a send-off suitable for his monstrous character. Mickey and Ian struggled to find someone to care for Terry as he chased most caretakers away with his racist and hateful ways. However, they finally found Mary Luke to care for him and when he started in on her, she suffocated him with a plastic bag. Cockrum went on to star in Pretty Freeking Scary in 2023.
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Sheila
Although Sheila (Joan Cusack) was only a supporting role in Shameless, she had a huge influence on the Gallaghers and required a send-off suitable for such a complex character. Sheila's struggle with agoraphobia had reached its apex. In the later years of Sheila's time on Shameless, she didn't have much to do, but her storyline in season 5 gave her a great swan song. It followed her debating whether to sell her house for double its market value.
Although she wanted to use the money to see the world, she put it off to take care of Frank. Of course, Frank completely took advantage of this and accidentally blew up her house. This forced Sheila to leave and reclaim her life. The fact that Sheila chose herself over Frank's manipulative ways was a perfect moment, and her life was better for it. Since Shameless, Cusack had small roles in Homecoming and A Series of Unfortunate ts.
Frank
Often described by his family as a "cockroach" who would outlive them all, Frank was one of Shameless's most truly shameless characters and required an exit befitting that. Showrunner John Wells said early on that he believed Frank would have to die to properly end his story and the occurrence of COVID-19 gave him the perfect death. Frank seemed impervious to harm despite the constant abuse and trauma he inflicted upon himself.
In the final Shameless season, Frank develops alcoholic dementia and begins declining in health. While his children celebrate in the streets of Chicago, Frank dies alone in a hospital bed — a suitable end for the neglectful father. The fact that Frank died alone while his children were happily together elsewhere shows what happens to someone who lived a selfish life. He did get a small happy ending when he thought the nurse was Fiona and tried to apologize before his death.
Charlie
One of the most bizarre Shameless character exits was that of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Charlie. Charlie was introduced in the Shameless season 4 finale as the owner of the Golden House Restaurant, where Fiona's parole officer takes her to get a job. Charlie gave Fiona the job, and it seemed as though Charlie would become a mainstay character.
However, Charlie became one of the characters written out of Shameless because Jeffrey Dean Morgan had scheduling conflicts. Dermot Mulroney took over the character but was given a different name. It was a strange change, but needed to happen when Morgan left the show. After he left Shameless following one episode, Morgan got one of the biggest roles of his career when he signed on to play Negan in The Walking Dead. He continued his role in The Walking Dead: Dead City and joined The Boys cast.
Character Exits That Hurt Shameless
Anne
Anne was a potential love interest for Carl when he returned to work at the Shrimp Shack. After discovering Anne was selling vapes to kids during work, the pair work out a business deal. Carl soon became involved with Anne's family, attempting to learn the ropes of their tamale business. Anne's storyline brought up interesting concerns involving immigration as INS police began harassing her.
The last appearance of Anne was in season 10 when she and Carl bonded and shared a kiss
Carl felt compelled to protect Anne by allowing her and her family to hide at the Gallagher house until they found a safe place to move. However, Anne was written out of Shameless with very little explanation as to where she ended up. The last appearance of Anne was in season 10 when she and Carl bonded and shared a kiss. After Shameless, Chelsea Rendon went on to have a recurring role on Vida and also appeared in guest spots on Lucifer and Lopez vs. Lopez.
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Sierra
Sierra (Ruby Modine) was working with Fiona at Patsy's Pies when Lip joined as a dishwasher. The pair instantly connected and had chemistry that many fans believed would make the couple the end game. Lip also developed a great relationship with Sierra's son despite the toxic behavior of her ex-boyfriend, who often reappeared. Lip's drinking quickly began affecting their relationship, however, as he refused to address his alcohol dependency.
Lip later left her, claiming Sierra should try to make it work with her ex for the sake of their son, and she left the show for good. Had she stayed longer, her storyline could have been explored further and enriched in the final seasons. Instead, she just disappeared after Lip made this decision. Actress Ruby Modine has a limited filmography, and when she left Shameless, she appeared in the Happy Death Day movies as Lori Spengler and in the TV series The Exodite.
Kelly
Carl's Army brat girlfriend, Kelly (Jess Gabor), played an important part in his character development from delinquent into a respectable cadet. Kelly's initial interest in Carl stemmed from her desire to anger her father, whose strict rules had suffocated Kelly her entire life. After a while, Kelly truly began to like Carl and even helped him with his military school applications.
the show's introduction of Anne appeared to drive the final wedge between Kelly and Carl
Carl quickly becomes threatened by Kelly's friendship with Debbie, and he tries to hold onto her too tightly, resulting in Kelly asking for space. Although the pair seemed to be a great match, the show's introduction of Anne appeared to drive the final wedge between Kelly and Carl. She disappears in season 10 and never returns, missing out on some potential further development. Since leaving Shameless, Gabor has appeared on FBI: Most Wanted, Law & Order: SVU, All Souls, and three episodes of Three Women.
Mandy
Mandy was a controversial character but also acted as the catalyst for many important milestones for the main characters. Played by both Jane Levy and Emma Greenwell, Mandy's upbringing as a Milkovich gave her a warped idea of what love should look like. However, Mandy was responsible for positive changes in the lives of her beloved Gallaghers. Without Mandy's assistance, Mickey would never have pursued Ian after he returned from the army.
Similarly, Mandy's dedication to Lip's success landed him his MIT interview. Sadly, Mandy was written off the show, leaving town with her abuser and finding herself forced to become a sex worker to survive. She had a surprise return in season 6, but she reveals one of her clients died, and she runs again, this time for good. Mandy never again appeared on Shameless. While she hasn't appeared in anything in five years, she did star in The Path and The Rook from 2016 until 2019.
Svetlana
Svetlana (Isidora Goreshter) embodied the spirit of Shameless, scrapping and conning her way from her life of forced sex work to become a successful businessperson who could provide for her son. Although Svetlana had a hand in manipulating Mickey in season four, she did so out of fear of being back on the streets with her baby. After becoming part of the throuple between Kev and V, Svetlana began working at The Alibi.
She helped turn it into a profitable business while providing childcare for the Ball kids, but she also proved manipulative. However, when V felt Svetlana was becoming too involved in The Alibi, she had Svetlana deported with little to no concern for what might happen to her or her son. It was a moment that not only let go of one of the best Shameless characters but also made it hard for viewers to keep supporting V. Isidora Goreshter later appeared in the 2021 Max series Condor.
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Trevor
The inclusion of Ian's love interest, Trevor, was a major source of news, and not just for Shameless viewers. It was seen as a big step forward for television, especially since the trans character was portrayed by trans actor, Elliot Fletcher. When news broke of Noel Fisher's return to the role of Mickey Milkovich, the writers seemingly realized that they didn't have anything of substance for him to do.
While Trevor could have become a friend to Ian after realizing they weren't compatible as a couple, the character was scrapped entirely. Instead of a proper exit, Trevor's character disappeared and was never mentioned again. The last scene he appeared in was when he watched Ian's arrest in season 8. Since his Shameless exit, Fletcher's only major roles were as Sam Jordan in the FX/Hulu comic book adaptation of Y: The Last Man in 2021 and Jake Barlow in Tell Me Your Secrets.
Sandy
Sandy Milkovich (Elise Eberle) joined Shameless as Mickey's cousin and Debbie's lover, seemingly taking the place of Mandy, whose sibling antics with Mickey were sorely missed. Despite never being mentioned before season ten, the peripheral characters all appear to have known her for years. Sandy's character begins to shine in the final season through her relationship with Debbie, becoming a pseudo-caregiver for Franny and calling Debbie out when her behavior warrants it.
This relationship had to end since Sandy was lying about almost everything to Debbie
After accurately categorizing Debbie's anger as fear of abandonment, Debbie breaks up with Sandy, and the character is replaced with a new love interest. This relationship had to end since Sandy was lying about almost everything to Debbie but it felt like just tossing aside a storyline for something new. Actress Elise Eberle has done very little since she left Shameless in 2021. She went on to appear in the movie Portal Runner in 2021 and an episode of NCIS in 2022. She will also appear in the upcoming TV series Remember.
Sean
Sean's original exit in season 6 was beautifully tragic. Both he and Fiona had a tumultuous past full of mistakes, but they seemed to better one another. Their wedding should have been the pinnacle of this. Instead, Frank reveals Sean (Dermot Mulroney) is still doing drugs, and everything falls apart which was a great way of wrapping up the story. However, Sean returns in season 8 to make amends with her, revealing that he has gotten married and is clean and happy.
Sean's return served no purpose other than adding turmoil to Fiona's downward spiral, and his exit from the show was effectively ruined. Sean was one of the characters who should have stayed gone. One of the biggest names in the cast, Dermot Mulroney had a huge career before Shameless and kept going after leaving the show. He starred in Hanna on Prime Video and The Righteous Gemstones on Max. He also had a role in the 2023 horror sequel Scream VI.
Fiona
While the writers tried their best to keep the same spark that Emmy Rossum brought to the show, Fiona's exit hurt Shameless. It would always be difficult to recover from losing a main character like Fiona, but the show's attempt to fill Fiona's shoes with Debbie fell flat. Fiona's exit could have benefited from Debbie's realization that running a household of seven was more challenging than she had imagined. Fiona Gallagher's dedication to her siblings was one of the main reasons Shameless is so beloved.
Debbie took away that magical factor of the show. Instead of giving Fiona the exit she deserved, Shameless attempted to erase her from the show's memory. The series didn't even bring her back for the finale and settled on Frank hallucinating that a nurse was his beloved daughter. Emmy Rossum left Shameless to pursue other projects. However, this included only one movie (Cold Pursuit) and two miniseries appearances (Angelyne and The Crowded Room).
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Mickey
Losing one of the best characters hurt Shameless immensely. After the warrant for Mickey's arrest catches up to him, he plans to flee to Mexico with Ian by his side. When Ian realizes he can't leave his life behind, the resulting goodbye scene between the popular couple is beautifully shot. Without Mickey Milkovich (Noel Fisher), the show began to suffer, struggling to find the magnetic wit that the character added.
While Ian's EMT plotline had potential, the revolving door of potential love interests used to try to replace Mickey made it clear he needed to return. The cinematic reveal of Mickey sharing Ian's cell was rewarding and a beautiful new beginning for both characters. When Mickey and Ian got married in season 10, it was a beautiful moment. Actor Noel Fisher has also appeared in The Calling, The Connors, The Red Line, and Castle Rock when not on Shameless.
Charlie (Again)
Charlie Peters should've been given more of a chance on Shameless. It seemed like they gave his arc to Sean, but it doesn't change the fact that Jeffrey Dean Morgan had one of the most unexplained exits. Morgan is a unique talent, and having him appear in only one episode of Shameless feels like a tease. Had Jeffrey Dean Morgan gotten to play Charlie, his arc may have been different from Sean's and could've possibly sent the series in a more positive direction.
Instead, Golden House Restaurant became Patsy's Pies, Charlie became Sean, and Dermot Mulroney was on Shameless instead of Jeffrey Dean Morgan. On top of all the TV work that Morgan has enjoyed over his career, he also starred in several movies after his time on the Showtime series came to an end, including Heist, Rampage, The Postcard Killings, and Walkaway Joe. He also had a chance to revisit a previous role in 2019 on Supernatural.
Shameless
Comedy
Drama
- Release Date
- January 9, 2011
- Cast
- William H. Macy , Jeremy Allen White , Justin Chatwin , Ethan Cutkosky , Joan Cusack , Emmy Rossum , Emma Kenney , Cameron Monaghan , Noel Fisher , Steve Howey , Shanola Hampton
- Seasons
- 11
- Writers
- Paul Abbott
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix