Many of the following ones, especially the next 5 are like super close
But what are you gonna do, you have to choose.
#27- Shameless
'Shameless' fourth season has undoubtedly been its strongest one so far thanks to a newfound stability and an increasing maturity lying underneath the show's fun and comedic approaches it had never had before. Actions finally had real consequences and along with that came definite change.
This show used to have a tendency to never really move anywhere and hardly develop its characters. It was the wildest and raunchiest show on air exploring family dynamics and complicated relationships such as friendships in a layered manner while maintaining its rowdy atmosphere that makes it so much fun to watch. Be that as it may, when things stay the same for years and none of the main characters really undergo change or consequence despite drastic (often criminal) actions and growing up something feels wrong and a show gets tedious. Thus, the fourth season was not only a very warm welcome but an important and necessary one that bolstered most of the show's strongest scenes.
This year, sadly, 'Shameless' started running around in circles again. Not so much in the sense that characters didn't grow up and have to struggle with the changes they've just gone through but moreso in the show's general tendency to ditch its interesting dramatic aspects for a mostly comedic focus which is sad because only occasionally is this series actually good at that. Some of the comedic scenes have actually felt even recycled and reminded of past episodes when 'Shameless' was still fresh and new and could pull them off.
However, whenever this season did decide to put its spotlight on the drama instead of the comedy there were still several strong and memorable moments; even episodes all built around strong, individual storylines:
Fiona who was once the definite Gallagher's den mother struggled rebuilding trust and responsibility after last year's missteps and therefore had to stand by and watch her siblings make immature, naive decisions simply because they didn't know better and wouldn't listen to her anymore. As a result she escaped in a rushed relationship (and marriage) because the validation and attention she had needed so much had to come from somewhere.
Ian, now diagnosed with a bi-polar disorder, was forced to make tough life changes and reassess his previously flamboyant, too disorganized lifestyle. Finally truly embracing the love of his boyfriend and family were great moments that fleshed his character out more than the four years before had done together. Receiving love is one thing, but being able to accept it, feel the love is harder for a lot of people than some may assume which made this a very interesting and relatable ark (although I still have problems with Ian being tendentially more characterized by stereotypes -- gay; sick - rather than actual human traits).
Debbie hit puberty and underwent a complete personality change triggered by social norms and expectations that was both believable yet painted by a tragic tone. Lip seeing the two sides of his life clash -- his tumultuous past in the shacks of Chicago's poor parts that have shaped him and made him the person he is stood in direct confrontation with his promising future, so full of prospects and stability that could help him reach his great potential and save him from becoming a cliché himself.
You see how there's so much good stuff in it? So why does the show keep putting its strongest focus back to Frank's adventurous but tedious hunts for alcohol, or Carl's silly criminal stunts that may be fun to watch yet ultimately don't add anything new or captivating.
'Shameless' fifth year was both simultaneously one of its most ambitious and thematically interesting while also one of its most formulaic, calculated and predictable. It has a tendency to get stuck in a more than unfortunate loop because it wants to live up to its image of that rowdy, crazy show that it has built its success upon. I say it would be wiser and better for the show to ditch this action once and for all and embrace its so very interesting characteristics instead.
Best Episodes: "Uncle Carl"; "South Side Rules"; "Drugs Actually”
2014: #26