Shameless is a very well-rounded, dynamic dramedy. It’s funny and full of iconic moments, but the show isn’t just all laughs. The poverty, tragedy and poor choices the Gallagher family often has to face are downright heartbreaking in some episodes.
Developed for Showtime by John Wells, Shameless is an adaptation of the British TV series of the same name and ran for 11 seasons from 2011 to 2021. Set in Chicago’s South Side, Shameless wasn’t afraid to address anything. Topics like drug addiction, mental health, racism, homophobia and the trials of living in poverty were often center stage.
Shameless isn’t all dark, though. There are some genuinely funny moments depicting some of the Gallaghers' ridiculous schemes, or even heartwarming scenes of the family joining together, putting all their differences and struggles aside. But for each bright moment in the show, there’s an emotional one waiting just around the corner. These are eight of the most emotional episodes from the show.
8 There's the Rub - S4E5
Fiona (Emmy Rossum) is the true matriarch of the Gallagher family, always taking care of everyone else before she even considers taking care of herself. In "There's the Rub," Fiona faces the repercussions of her affair with her boyfriend's bad boy brother, Robbie (Nick Gehlfuss). Robbie shows up to the Gallagher house with a bag of cocaine, wanting to party with Fiona, but she kicks him out, although Robbie leaves the cocaine at the house.
Fiona, Kevin, and V continue partying and having a good time, when all of a sudden Debbie screams as she finds Liam passed out in the kitchen after he got into the bag of drugs. Because he's so young, the amount of coke sends him into an overdose and when paramedics arrive, Fiona is forced to tell them that Liam got into her drugs. Everyone is panicked and scared, waiting in the hospital to hear if Liam is going to be OK, when the police come and arrest Fiona for child abuse. The stress of not knowing if Liam was going to make it was emotional enough as it is, but the real kicker is seeing Fiona break down in the back of the cop car following such a massive — potentially life-threatening — mistake on her part.
7 NSFW - S6E6
"NSFW", the sixth episode of the sixth season, comes at a time when Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) was in his drug-dealing, street kid phase and getting mixed up with some rough crowds and activity. He becomes close with Nick (Victor Onuigbo), who's actually a nice guy. All he wants is to do a few more jobs to make some extra money, then get out of the business and live on a farm. But then a kid steals his bike and he just can't let it go.
Carl pushes Nick to get over it and get a car instead, but for Nick, his stolen bike isn't just about someone taking his belongings; it's about respect. So Nick takes off to kill the kid who stole his bike, and when Carl realizes this and chases after him, he gets to the kid's house too late. The scene is brutal. Nick is sitting outside covered in blood and all you can hear are the pained screams of the kid's mom coming from inside the house. Carl is shocked and flees the scene, watching his friend get arrested.
6 Just Like the Pilgrims Intended - S2E11
Shameless is really good at sending the audience on a roller coaster of emotions within minutes, with scenes that give you killer whiplash. "Just Like the Pilgrims Intended", from season two, is a prime example of that. In this episode, the full Gallagher clan is seated at the table for Thanksgiving dinner. Even Monica (Chloe Webb), the kids' absent mother, is present. Everyone is laughing and smiling, enjoying a family meal, when Monica gets up from the table and goes into the kitchen.
She'd been struggling with her bipolar disorder for a while up until this point, and when she got up from the table, she attempted suicide in the kitchen, sending everyone at dinner into a full panic. Monica ends up being OK, and the show goes on to continue addressing mental illness is a very raw and powerful way. But what really makes this episode so emotional is the juxtaposition of a fun family dinner seconds away from the scene of Monica in the kitchen. It only gets worse later when Fiona is sobbing in the kitchen after everything is all said and done, cleaning her mother's blood off the floor.
5 Order Room Service - S3E11
Ian (Cameron Monaghan) and Mickey's (Noel Fisher) relationship is messy, but beautiful at the same time. Faced with everything from mental illness to homophobia, the couple has really been through it, but they're a fan-favorite pairing on the show. While there are tons of heart-wrenching moments in their story, Order Room Service is especially painful.
Mickey is being forced to marry Svetlana and while he doesn't want to, he's putting on a strong facade that he's not bothered by the whole ordeal. Ian, on the other hand, begs Mickey not to do it and tries to convince him that it's OK for them to be together; that they love each other, and that he doesn't have to marry someone he doesn't want to. But Mickey won't hear it and goes through with the wedding anyway. While those who watched the entire series know that they eventually end up together, this moment is especially sad.
4 Emily - S4E11
In this episode, we get to see a deeper, more emotional side of Frank (William H. Macy). He wakes up in the hospital, totally delirious, after his liver transplant, and he's sharing the room with a sick little girl named Emily, who's in need of a heart transplant. But, Frank being disoriented, doesn't see Emily. Instead, he imagines it's a young Fiona he's talking to.
Frank apologizes to "Fiona" for abandoning her and essentially being a bad dad. It's one of the first times we ever see Frank show a semblance of remorse for his actions, and it's especially emotional when it's revealed that Emily's own father abandoned her, too. While predictable, Emily dies, and Frank weeps, thinking it's actually his daughter that he's watching die in the hospital bed next to him. Does this instance change Frank's behavior? No, absolutely not. But does this peek into the depths of his soul pull at your heartstrings? 100% yes.
3 Refugees - S6E5
The big emotional piece of "Refugees" comes when the Gallaghers lose their childhood home to foreclosure and can't buy it back at auction, leaving them all homeless. While the house was a mess and had a laundry list of issues, it's like another character in the show. So much of the Gallaghers lives — both good and bad — happened in and around the house and losing it is devastating.
The hardest moment comes when Fiona goes into the house one last time before the cops lock it up. While the house is physically gutted, it's full of memories. Fiona walks around from room to room, with tears in her eyes, reminiscing on all the years in the house, like the markings on the door where all the kids measured their height over the years. It's such a tear-jerker moment and the way Emmy Rossum is able to convey such emotion in such a short scene is incredible.
2
Father Frank, Full of Grace - S11E12
There's a lot going on in the series finale of Shameless. It comes at an odd time when it makes sense that the show is wrapping up, but it could also make sense for it to continue on for another season or two. Nonetheless, it ended. And on a rather bittersweet note at that. After of series of near misses when it comes to death, Frank ends up dying and leaving his family a note that he reads in his voice-over in the last scene.
It's not necessarily Frank dying that's sad, but rather the end of the series that makes this episode so emotional. After such a long run, it's hard to see the characters that you likely grew to love and connect to have their final moments on screen. Frank's letter, while very lax and on brand for his character, is still poignant, and — while he was no saint — leads you to feel a little sad about the way his story ended. That said, the series finale was rather open-ended, and while there's no spin-off or reboot planned at the moment, it'd be great to see some of these characters' stories continue.
1 But At Last Came a Knock - S1E9
"But At Last Came a Knock" from season one tops the list, and it's truly all thanks to Emmy Rossum's unbelievable acting chops. In the episode, Monica returns to town with her new girlfriend Roberta, and they come over to the Gallagher house, insisting on taking Liam with them to start a family of their own, which doesn't sit well with any of the Gallagher kids.
Fiona goes through each Gallagher kid, listing their achievements that she helped them reach without Monica's help. It's a gut-wrenching monologue where Fiona tearfully exclaims that Monica was her mother, too, yet she was never there when she, and the rest of the kids, needed her most. It ends with Fiona walking out, leaving the kids with Monica as she sets out with Jimmy/Steve to look at a house together. It's a major gut punch of an episode, and Rossum's delivery makes it feel so real and raw, it's hard not to shed a tear.