Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: the Gallaghers are back for another season of crazy on the hit Showtime comedy-drama Shameless. In the Season 8 premiere last night, we were reunited with the South Side family as they attempt to cope with the death of Monica, the family matriarch (ish). Of course, each Gallagher is working through their feelings in their own way, some self-destructive, some productive, but for the first time, it seems as if the family members are finally maturing.
The action-packed premiere contained some classic Shameless drama–Frank (William H. Macy) is back on his bullshit, Debbie (Emma Kenney) is struggling to juggle life as a working mom, Fiona (Emmy Rossum) is trying to get her shit together–but, as always, there were a few OMG moments that we have to talk about. We’re about to answer all your questions about Shameless Season 8, plus a few you didn’t even know you had.
Liam Looks… Different?
If you thought something funky was up with Liam, you’d be right. The youngest Gallagher, played by twins Brenden and Brandon Sims, was recast before Season 8 after spending 7 years (and basically growing up) on the show. Last night, viewers were introduced to a new Liam, played by Christian Isaiah, and fans were shocked at the sudden change.
@SHO_Shameless WHO IS THIS NEW LIAM?? DID YOU THINK WE WOULDNT NOTICE???
— emily (@eagate23) November 6, 2017
The change comes at a time when Liam is starting to become a more visible character on the show. In the Season 8 premiere, he had his own plot line in which he’s repeatedly pulled out of class to showcase the “diversity” of his private school. Liam put up with this throughout the episode, but he is a Gallagher, so it can’t be long before he calls the school out on their BS.
Gossip Girl Alum Jessica Szohr Heats Things Up With Fiona
While we were introduced to a few new faces last night (more on that in a sec), perhaps the most notable new addition is Gossip Girl alum Jessica Szohr. Szohr plays Nessa–yup, she also played someone named Vanessa on GG–a tenant in Fiona’s new building who spends much of the episode flirting with her new landlord. When they first meet, Nessa incorrectly assumes that Fiona is a lesbian, and after getting over their initial awkwardness, the two become friends. If we really think about it, though, Nessa is totally Fiona’s type: strong, unafraid to say what she’s thinking, and cute in that grungy-yet-appealing way. My bet is that it’s not long before things move beyond friendship for these two.
Levy Tran and Chet Hanks Make A Splash In Lip’s World
Christian Isaiah and Jessica Szohr aren’t the only new cast members joining the Shameless crew in Season 8. Levy Tran plays Eddie, an intimidating female employee at the body shop where Lip works. Despite trying to do the Alcoholics Anonymous steps-and despite warnings from his sponsor that Eddie is bad news–Lip is inexplicably drawn to her. Tran didn’t have much of a role in the premiere, but if we know our boy Lip, he won’t give up on her that easy. If Tran looks familiar, you’ve probably seen her in Furious 7 or the TV series Animal Kingdom.
Chet Hanks plays another person in Lip’s circle, Charlie, Sierra’s ex-boyfriend. Last season, Sierra dumped Lip for his constant unreliability (which stems from his alcoholism), and she seems to have gotten back together with Charlie in the time since. Charlie actually appeared in an episode last season–he’s the father of Sierra’s child, so he’s around–but it seems like he’s going to play a more major role this season as a possible adversary to Lip. Lip may be drawn to Eddie at work, but he has history with Sierra, and he’s determined to prove to her that he’s trustworthy. Lip has juggled multiple women before, so could that be what this season has in store for him?
What’s Up With Kevin’s Breast Cancer Scare?
In perhaps the most shocking turn of the episode, it’s revealed that Kevin (Steve Howey) has a large lump on his chest that could potentially be breast cancer. He learns about his diagnosis in a purely Shameless way: one night while working at the club, Kevin lets a man feel him up in exchange for some extra cash. When he’s rubbing up on Kevin, the man, who happens to be a doctor, feels a lump on Kevin’s breast and refers him to an oncologist for testing. In one of the last scenes of the episode, Kevin learns that he needs to get a biopsy on the large mass, news that comes at a time when Kevin and V can’t afford serious medical expenses. Clearly, Kevin’s health scare is going to be of significance this season, but we haven’t yet learned just how bad it is. However, we do have this Instagram to fuel speculation:
Could the pink hands covering Kevin’s chest mean that the former bar owner is raising money for breast cancer awareness? Signs point to yes, but we’ll have to keep watching to find out.
When Will Shameless End?
Last night, we saw that each Gallagher is starting to finally grow up. Ian is done with Mickey once and for all and has stabilized at work, Debbie is succeeding at her new metal welding program (LOL, right?), and Frank is actually making amends for all the harm he’s done over the last 30+ years. If there was any time to end the long-running series, it would be now, when the characters have come out on the right side of serious adversity.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner John Wells notes that technically, the show could go on forever. The show is hugely popular on streaming services, especially Netflix, and Frank will never stop doing dumb shit that’s worth writing about. However, Wells said that the Shameless team will “probably just drop out of it at some point, likely when some of the cast members decide they don’t want to continue anymore. That’ll probably be the end of the show more than anything else.
As of now, the cast is committed to continuing the story. But in the not-so-distant future? Who knows. “I think we’ll do another season, perhaps two more,” said William H. Macy.
Savor it while you can, Shameless fans.
