Season of television series
| Shameless | |
|---|---|
| Season 6 | |
 DVD Cover | |
| Showrunners | Paul Abbott John Wells William H. Macy |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Showtime |
| Original release | January 10 (2016-01-10) – April 3, 2016 (2016-04-03) |
| Season chronology | |
| ← Previous Season 5Next → Season 7 | |
| List of episodes | |
The sixth season of Shameless, an American comedy-drama television series based on the British series of the same name by Paul Abbott, premiered on January 10, 2016, concluded April 3, 2016. Executive producers are John Wells, Andrew Stearn, Nancy M. Pimental, Davey Holmes, Christopher Chulack, Krista Vernoff and producers Terri Murphy and Princess Nash.
Plot
Fiona struggles with work at Patsy's Pies after being promoted to assistant manager. Though she is still married to Gus, Fiona has begun a sexual relationship with Sean. When Fiona unexpectedly finds out she is pregnant (and does not know who the father is), she ultimately decides to get an abortion.
Carl gets an early release from juvie and begins acting on a tough persona, selling weapons in school and continuing to work in the drug business. In the process, Carl begins dating a classmate, Dominique, whom he loses his virginity to. When Carl witnesses his friend, Nick, killing a neighborhood boy over a stolen bike, Carl decides he no longer wants to pursue a criminal lifestyle and confides in Fiona. Meanwhile, Debbie has decided to keep her baby, but Derek, not ready to become a father, abandons her. When Fiona refuses to support Debbie through her pregnancy, Debbie gets assistance from Frank, who has been mourning the loss of Bianca. When Sammi's mother, Queenie, comes into town following Chuckie's release from juvie, Debbie and Frank briefly travel with Queenie to her family's rural commune, where they grow opium poppies.
Lip continues his relationship with his professor, Helene, but Amanda exacts revenge by exposing a naked picture of Helene in Lip's dorm that goes viral. Lip simultaneously loses his dorm and job, and Helene promises to break off all contact with Lip at a disciplinary hearing. With Lip's drinking habits worsening, he befriends Professor Youens, who acts as Lip's mentor. Lip's descent into alcoholism gets him expelled from college for assaulting a campus guard; Youens convinces Lip to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Ian puts his relationship with Mickey behind him and begins dating a firefighter, Caleb. With Caleb's encouragement, Ian begins working towards become a firefighter and he lands an EMT job at the end of the season. With Mickey in prison, Svetlana, who has begun working at the Alibi, faces deportation. In order to stay in the United States, Svetlana divorces Mickey and marries Veronica. In the process, Kevin, Veronica, and Svetlana begin a polyamorous relationship.
Fiona faces even more problems when the Gallaghers are given an eviction notice on their house. The house is bid for auction, but the family loses the bid and are forced to move out. Fiona briefly moves in with Sean and attempts to connect with his young son, Will. When the people who initially bought the house rescind the bid, Fiona attempts to get Gus to sign a sheet that recognizes his lack of property claim. But Gus refuses, resentful of Fiona for her past infidelity, and requests for an amicable divorce. At the divorce suit, Sean shows up in front of Gus and his lawyers and proposes to Fiona, who happily accepts. With Carl's help, the Gallaghers are able to reclaim their house, and Sean moves in with Fiona.
As Fiona begins preparing for her wedding, Debbie and Frank return from Queenie's rural commune just in time for Debbie to give birth to a baby girl. To the family's surprise, Debbie names her daughter Frances "Franny" Gallagher, after her father. Days before the wedding, Sean clashes with Frank over his behavior towards his own kids, and he challenges Frank's authority as head of the household. After the two men get into an argument, Frank vows for revenge against Sean; he sneaks into Sean's office and discovers that Sean is still shooting heroin, something that is unknown to Fiona.
During Fiona's wedding ceremony, Frank shows up—uninvited—and reveals to the entire congregation about Sean's heroin, devastating Fiona. Will angrily leaves the ceremony. Sean confronts a heartbroken Fiona, admitting that he had been using for months, and tells Fiona to "take care of herself." While Sean leaves to fight for custody of Will, the rest of the family—including Caleb, Svetlana, Kevin, and Veronica—kidnap Frank and angrily throw him into the freezing river. They flee the area, hoping for Frank's death, to guarantee he is out of their lives forever.
Cast and characters
See also: List of Shameless (American TV series) characters
Main
Special guest stars
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Recurring
Guests
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Episodes
Main article: List of Shameless (American TV series) episodes| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | US viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | 1 | "I Only Miss Her When I'm Breathing" | Christopher Chulack | John Wells | January 1, 2016 (2016-01-01) (online) January 10, 2016 (2016-01-10) (Showtime) | 1.44 | |
| Sammi and Mickey have been arrested for the shootout, the latter for eight years. In prison, Mickey does Russian mafia hits for cash from Svetlana. Ian and Svetlana visit Mickey in prison; Ian tells Mickey that he'll wait for him. Frank grieves for Bianca's death and searches for answers from every religion he can think of, as to why Bianca was taken from him. Sean and Fiona flirt at Patsy's. Carl is released from juvie with a new street refined persona and a sidekick, Nick. Lip continues his complicated relationship with Helene and works as a teaching assistant for Professor Youens. Kevin and Veronica deal with a loud and homophobic neighbor, Yanis. Debbie goes to Planned Parenthood to confirm her pregnancy. Returning from the appointment, Debbie lies to Fiona about not being pregnant, only for it to come back and bite her when Derek takes off. | |||||||
| 62 | 2 | "#AbortionRules" | Iain B. MacDonald | Nancy M. Pimental | January 17, 2016 (2016-01-17) | 1.64 | |
| In an attempt to prove Fiona wrong, Debbie carries a bag of flour around all day to show she can handle being a teen mother. However, Debbie learns that people aren't as accommodating to teen mothers as she had hoped. After being voted the "Best Shittiest Bar on the South Side", the Alibi gets infiltrated with hipsters, which Svetlana takes advantage of. Carl fully embraces the life of a criminal, selling guns to his classmates at school. Ian gets fired from his job at Patsy's. Frank continues his search for closure on Bianca's death. Professor Youens offers Lip an internship. Annoyed by Yanis's loud motorcycle, Kevin attempts to cut the motorcycle's throttle cable. He accidentally cuts the brake line instead, resulting in Yanis getting hit by a car. Fiona learns she's pregnant after a drug test—she does not know who the father is. | |||||||
| 63 | 3 | "The F Word" | Nisha Ganatra | Krista Vernoff | January 24, 2016 (2016-01-24) | 1.70 | |
| Fiona reveals her pregnancy to Debbie and wants both of them to get an abortion; Debbie furiously refuses. Debbie gains unexpected support from Frank, who encourages her to keep the baby. Carl chases after a girl, Dominique, and has begun selling guns to his teachers. Lip lands Ian a janitor job at the university; Ian is not thrilled to see that Lip is thriving at college. Later, Ian witnesses a hit-and-run, and after passing out from smoke inhalation, he is saved by a group of firefighters. Kevin and Veronica visit Yanis and discover he is paralyzed from the waist down. Fiona decides to reach out to Gus at his band's concert. The reunion initially appears to go well, until Gus sings an original song where he publicly bashes Fiona. The Gallaghers are given an eviction notice on the house. | |||||||
| 64 | 4 | "Going Once, Going Twice" | Christopher Chulack | Davey Holmes | January 31, 2016 (2016-01-31) | 1.70 | |
| Patrick refuses to lend a helping hand to his extended family, sending the Gallagher home up for public auction. Kevin admits to cutting the brake cable to Yanis who, in an attempt to get revenge, accidentally lights himself on fire. The Alibi experiences financial woes; Veronica discovers that their hipster patrons have moved on. Ian visits the local firehouse to find the person responsible for his rescue. Debbie becomes a nanny for the Wexler family, who has a dying mother, Erika; Debbie hopes to find financial support in Mr. Wexler once Erika dies. Lip spends the weekend with Helene at an academic conference. Chuckie is released from juvie, and is ordered to stay with the Gallaghers due to Sammi's incarceration. Fiona works to secure the needed funds for the public auction, refusing Carl's drug money in the process. After the family musters what they believe to be enough money, the Gallagher house ends up getting sold to the highest bidder—it is not a Gallagher. | |||||||
| 65 | 5 | "Refugees" | Wendey Stanzler | Etan Frankel | February 7, 2016 (2016-02-07) | 1.16 | |
| The Gallaghers are displaced from their home, with each landing in different places: Carl and Nick stay with Kevin and Veronica; Debbie is able to convince Mr. Wexler to let her stay in the guest bedroom; Fiona and Liam move into Sean's apartment; Chuckie is forgotten about by the Gallaghers and has no place to live. At the Wexler house, Erika makes a move on Debbie. Feeling guilty for Yanis' violent passing, Kevin hastily agrees to foster Asian child soldiers; Veronica is initially chagrined, but eventually bonds with one of the female soldiers. Sean makes plans for Will's visit. Amanda exacts revenge against Lip by sharing a photo of a naked Helene in Lip's dorm. The photo goes viral, and Helene is faced with disciplinary action. Ian attends a fireman/policeman fundraiser and tries to score with Caleb, the firefighter who rescued him; they agree to go on a date. | |||||||
| 66 | 6 | "NSFW" | Jake Schreier | Sheila Callaghan | February 14, 2016 (2016-02-14) | 1.60 | |
| Lip deals with the fallout of the leaked photo. At a disciplinary hearing, Helene formally apologizes and agrees to end the relationship, to Lip's dismay, while Amanda decides to leave campus until the situation boils over. The Alibi undergoes another unforeseen hipster influx. Ian and Caleb go on a date. Erika discovers she is in remission; Frank encourages Debbie to pursue Erika, so she can continue to stay with the Wexlers. Fiona has her abortion. Frank bonds with Chuckie, who has set up camp outside the Gallagher home. Frank reunites with Sammi's mother, Queenie, who has arrived to claim Chuckie. Carl is disturbed when he witnesses Nick killing a young boy over a stolen bike. The couple who had bought the Gallagher home rescind their bid; Fiona asks Gus to provide his signature to relinquish his right to the house, but he refuses to do so. Carl ultimately hands Fiona a large amount of money he had buried, and Fiona uses the money to buy back the house. | |||||||
| 67 | 7 | "Pimp's Paradise" | Peter Segal | Dominique Morisseau | February 21, 2016 (2016-02-21) | 1.66 | |
| Carl transitions the recently reclaimed Gallagher home into his "crib", and Fiona loses her own room in the process. Having no place to sleep, Fiona retreats to Sean's abode. Still shaken by Nick's crimes, Carl offers his condolences to the family of the boy who Nick murdered. After being terminated by the Wexlers, Debbie moves back in with the Gallaghers. Queenie wants to move back to her home village with Chuckie; Frank begins a deceitful mission to keep Queenie from leaving. When Queenie learns of Debbie's pregnancy, she agrees to stay and begins nurturing Debbie through her pregnancy. Following his break-up with Helene, Lip is evicted from his dorm for vandalism; he gets hired as a "house boy" for a sorority house, in which he is provided with a bedroom. Caleb invites Ian to a family wedding. Kevin and Veronica say goodbye to the refugees as they leave for a new home. | |||||||
| 68 | 8 | "Be a Good Boy. Come For Grandma." | Iain B. MacDonald | Nancy M. Pimental | March 6, 2016 (2016-03-06) | 1.50 | |
| Distraught over Nick's murder of the young boy, Carl begins to turn away from the criminal lifestyle. When Carl is threatened by his boss, G-Doggg, for refusing to do a drug shipment, Frank agrees to do the shipment for Carl; Frank and other partakers end up snorting the drugs instead. Carl confides in Fiona, and Sean helps Carl negotiate with G-Doggg. Ian and Caleb undergo further relationship bonding; Ian reveals his bipolarity. Debbie briefly bonds with a man named Larry, but she quickly ends the relationship when she discovers Larry has a pregnancy fetish. Following his break-up with Helene, Lip experiences a sexual downturn, and is unexpectedly assisted by Queenie. Fiona sets out to grow closer to Will. At the apartment, Will discovers one of Carl's guns; Sean is enraged over the incident, as he could potentially lose his visitation rights. | |||||||
| 69 | 9 | "A Yurt of One's Own" | Ruben Garcia | Davey Holmes | March 13, 2016 (2016-03-13) | 1.68 | |
| Fiona tries to make amends with Sean, while Lip begins to show signs of alcohol addiction. Debbie decides to travel with Queenie and Chuckie to her family's rural commune; Frank decides to join them, as G-Doggg is after him for stealing the drugs. Queenie reveals to Frank that the commune is used to grow opium poppies. Carl loses his virginity to Dominique. Ian reunites with Mandy, who has left Kenyatta and now works as an escort. Ian helps Mandy get rid of the corpse of an abusive client she had strangled. Svetlana faces deportation due to Mickey's incarceration; Veronica decides to marry Svetlana to keep her in the United States. Gus requests a divorce and asks Fiona to return his wedding ring; however, Fiona had already pawned the ring at a pawn shop. Unable to get the ring back, Fiona confides to Sean. Later at the divorce meeting, Sean unexpectedly arrives, gives Gus his ring, and then proposes to Fiona, who happily accepts. | |||||||
| 70 | 10 | "Paradise Lost" | Lynn Shelton | Etan Frankel | March 20, 2016 (2016-03-20) | 1.60 | |
| Professor Youens hires Lip to grade midterm papers, while Lip disputes about his credit in a paper published by Youens. Lip gets fired from his sorority job because of his excessive drinking; Lip is ordered to attend counselling or face expulsion. Sean officially moves into the Gallagher home while Fiona makes plans for a traditional wedding. Kevin is unhappy about Veronica and Svetlana's plan to marry, and tries to find a way around it. The girls end up getting married at a courthouse behind Kevin's back. Carl spends an entire day with Dominique's stern cop father. Ian takes an EMT test, but lies about his mental health status. Debbie goes into labor at Queenie's commune. She and Frank decide to leave the commune; they arrive at the Gallagher house just in time to deliver Debbie's baby girl. Much to everyone's surprise, Debbie names the baby Frances, in honor of Frank. | |||||||
| 71 | 11 | "Sleep No More" | Anthony Hemingway | Sheila Callaghan | March 27, 2016 (2016-03-27) | 1.45 | |
| Debbie is exhausted from parenting, but continues to refuse Fiona's help in raising Franny. After accidentally dropping Franny while sleeping, a distraught Debbie realizes she needs to accept Fiona's help. Ian lands a trainee EMT job, but he is fired after his first day for lying about being bipolar. Kevin and Veronica begin a polyamorous relationship with Svetlana. Lip's college education continues to go downhill as he resorts back to alcohol. When Youens fires Lip from his TA position, Lip angrily smashes Youens' car with a crowbar and is arrested. Upon learning of Fiona's engagement, Frank offers to pay for Fiona's wedding reception and goes scamming around town to raise the money. Sean fears that Frank will end up hurting Fiona and clashes with Frank; their difference of opinion quickly descends into a brawl. At the end of the episode, Frank hires a hit man to kill Sean. | |||||||
| 72 | 12 | "Familia Supra Gallegorious Omnia!" | Christopher Chulack | John Wells | April 3, 2016 (2016-04-03) | 1.63 | |
| The Gallaghers prepare for Fiona and Sean's wedding; Debbie contemplates showing up to the wedding, but ultimately decides on attending. Lip is bailed out of prison by Youens, who urges him to seek AA treatment. Lip initially resists, but after talking with Debbie and Kevin, Lip realizes he is turning into Frank and he agrees to attend AA meetings. Ian makes a successful case for getting his EMT job back. Carl fails to befriend Dominique's father. Frank's plan to kill Sean fails, so instead, Frank breaks into Sean's office and discovers that Sean is still shooting heroin. The next day, Frank crashes Fiona's wedding and reveals to the family that Sean is still using heroin, a fact that is unknown to Fiona. Feeling betrayed by his father, Will angrily leaves the ceremony. Sean admits that he had been using for months, and he leaves Fiona to fight for custody of Will. Enraged from Frank's behavior, the whole Gallagher clan kidnap Frank and throw him in the freezing river. | |||||||
Development and production
Shameless was renewed for a sixth season on January 12, 2015; which premiered on January 10, 2016. The writers began working on the season on April 6, 2015. Principal photography for the season began on August 5, 2015.
Reception
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the sixth season 100%, based on 10 reviews. The critics consensus reads, "Shameless' sixth season charts a tragic trajectory for the Gallaghers, leaving viewers in suspense as they hope against hope that this family from the wrong side of the tracks can find long-lasting stability."
References
- Roots, Kimberly (October 22, 2015). "Shameless Season 6 Teaser: The Gallaghers' Exploits Reach a New Low, Plus: See the '70s-Inspired Poster". TVLine. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
- ^ "Showtime(R) Announces Winter Premiere Date for "Billions" and "Shameless"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- Porter, Rick (January 13, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Austin & Ally' series finale, 'Shameless' premiere and more". tvbythenumbers. TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 14, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (January 20, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Shameless' rises in week 2, 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' stays on top". tvbythenumbers. Archived from the original on January 22, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (January 26, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' down but still leads". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (February 2, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: Pro Bowl gives ESPN an easy win". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (February 9, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: Puppy Bowl down a little, 'Shameless' takes a Super Bowl hit". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (February 17, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' returns a little lower, NBA All-Star Game up slightly". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 18, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (February 23, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Walking Dead' steady, 'RHOA' and 'Shameless' improve". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (March 8, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' stays at season low". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (March 15, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' off slightly, 'Shameless' ticks up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (March 22, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Walking Dead' steady, 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' rises with reunion". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (March 29, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Walking Dead' hits season low on Easter, NCAA strong for TBS". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- Porter, Rick (April 5, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Walking Dead' finale scores its best rating of 2016". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- Andreeva, Nellie (January 12, 2015). "'Happyish' Picked Up To Series, 'Shameless' Renewed For Season 6". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
- Callaghan, Sheila (April 6, 2015). "starting the room for season 6 of Shameless today...cannot WAIT to dive in and start breaking new stories for our gallagher clan. #shameless". Twitter. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
- Rossum, Emmy (August 4, 2015). "I have that gotta-go-to-bed-cant-sleep-day-before-school-starts-energy thing going on. @SHO_Shameless tomorrow". Twitter. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
- "Shameless S06". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved November 30, 2019.