This year yet another widely popular show came to an end. While the ending was pretty open-ended for a few characters, I guess this chaotic ride of comedy, drama, and a whole lot of profound darkness has come to an end for us.
The open-ended bittersweet ending can still be forgiven because that would beat the point of the show’s entire trope; what we all really missed was Emmy Rossum’s return as Fiona Gallagher. How her arc ended would perhaps always leave me haunted for the simple fact she was probably the one character that not only tied everyone together but, in a sense, embodied the show’s spirit.
So what exactly happened to her and her addictions? Is she in someplace better, or is she going on yet another self-destructive bender?
Fiona Gallagher, the self-destructive character addicted to drugs but mainly alcohol, decides to join the Alcoholics Anonymous group to become better and get out of the vicious cycle. She also received $100,000 for selling her stake in the Gentrification project and left for someplace else.
Season 9 was quite unsteady for all characters (as always is with the Gallagher family), but it was filled with ups and downs for Emmy Rossum’s Fiona Gallagher. She spiraled down this time to depths that we had never seen before. Every time Fiona messed something up, we would think that this was rock bottom for her.
However, season 9 showed us what rock bottom for Fiona would really look like, and boy does that scare me. Despite the flaws which may or may not be forgivable, I, like everyone else, have always rooted for her. It’s not easy shouldering an entire family when your father’s an alcoholic himself.
But this time, when she truly showed the shades of her own father, I started to lose and gain sympathy for her at the same time.
When I look at it in hindsight, for some odd reason, I also kind of see how her self-destructive and self-pitying habits are similar to that of Bojack’s.
The similarities don’t end there. In fact, like Bojack, a true rock bottom is what took for her to join the Alcoholics Anonymous group along with Lip, to get her life sorted. This time for real, or at least I hope so.
The show never really showed where Fiona Gallagher left and what was in store for her. I guess in season 11, this is what I was truly looking for like all other fans. What happened to her? Where is she? I mean, Frank’s passed away, and an appearance from her would’ve been nice, not because of the relationship but for us who, subtly, can know that she’s escaped that pattern, that life, that cycle and is doing fine for herself.
However, no such thing happened in the show’s finale, and I guess we have to live with its ambiguity.
Executive Producer John Wells spoke to TVLine and mentioned how they and Emmy Rossum wanted to be there for the ending, but somehow it never really happened due to the pandemic and the bad timing. Emmy Rossum had multiple other commitments to add to the pandemic situation and that just led to the show finale feeling a tad bit incomplete with her absence.
Well, when all is said and done, I guess we can hope Fiona is probably in a better place (not with Frank!) I mean a truly better place. Maybe she’s found a little world for herself in which there might be not an abundance of joy, but a sense of peaceful happiness.
About Shameless
Shameless is an American comedy-drama television series developed by John Wells that aired on Showtime from January 9, 2011, to April 11, 2021. It is an adaptation of Paul Abbott’s British series of the same name and features an ensemble cast led by William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum. The show is set on the South Side of Chicago.
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