The eleventh and final season of Shameless, an American comedy-drama television series based on the British series of the same name by Paul Abbott, premiered on Showtime on December 6, 2020.[1] Showtime announced the series' final season renewal on January 13, 2020.[2]
Plot
After a decade of chaos, the Gallaghers begin to face serious and dire economic struggles brought on by the COVID-19 Pandemic which leads to life-altering changes not only to their personal lives, but their professional lives as well that finds themselves considering leaving the South Side and maybe even Chicago.
Gentrification starts to affect Chicago due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which leads Kevin and Veronica to turn a profit by selling illegal products. Lip and Tami are also dealing with the financial effects of the pandemic, while Debbie faces hardship in landing jobs now she's on the sex offender registry. Carl is training in the police academy to become an officer. Ian and Mickey's honeymoon phase begin to fizzle out as they begin to face marital issues. Frank teams up with a director of documentary to give a look back on the history of the South Side.
Carl's first day of being a cop goes anticlimactic after learning how soft his partner is. Ian tries to make money the legal way, while Mickey reverts back to old ways to make his money. Debbie goes shopping for Franny's princess-themed fifth birthday party, but goes overboard.
Tami and Lip begin to have conflict as a family emergency comes at a very hefty cost. Debbie tries to juggle parenting and work, but it backfires. After a change in sex positions, Ian and Mickey argue about their relationship dynamics. Kevin starts to splurge and show off his money made from the cannabis business. Carl gets a new partner who is more concerned with street justice than his first training officer. Frank and Franny decide to spend the day together without Debbie's knowledge.
Mickey and the Gallaghers get a rude surprise as his father and neo-nazi family move in next door. Veronica and Debbie have a little competition at the annual Little Ms. SouthSide banquet. Mickey tries to get Ian to join him in his new security gig, but Ian is reluctant due to the risk of him and Mickey violating parole. Tami and Lip are invited to go to brunch with her old music teacher, but Lip figures out there was more than education that was shared. Carl begins to see the negative side of Officer Janes, which causes him to evaluate his role as a police officer.
Ian and Mickey rethink their business plan after getting robbed. After finding out their house is for sale, Lip and Tammy begin to house hunt and find one with a terrible history. Debbie begins to grow suspicious about Sandy's whereabouts. An adolescent kid causes trouble for a business, but Carl and Leesie butt heads on whose tactic provides better results. Kevin and Frank come up with a plan to remove the Milkoviches from the neighborhood. Veronica starts canvassing Black constituents to vote for a rent control bill, only to find out for herself how scarce black people are in this new gentrified Chicago.
Debbie's relationship with Sandy is on the rocks when she finds out a bombshell. After getting fired, Lip tries to figure out how to provide for Tami and Freddy. Mickey deals with the years of trauma and abuse at the hands of Terry after he returns from the hospital from his brush with death. Veronica becomes class parent of the day at Amy and Gemma's school, but is horrified on the type of protocols and drills. Frank gets a surprising diagnosis. Carl begins to think he was raped after a quickie with a cashier named Tish.
Lip begins to seek other options for money as he doesn't want to live with Tami's family, but is met with resistance from Debbie. Kevin becomes an accessory to a crime. Frank tries to use his diagnosis to his benefit, but realizes that his situation is beyond his control. Veronica learns surprising news from her mother. Debbie and Sandy's relationship is pushed to think after another set of shocking secrets come to light. Carl is paranoid that Tish tried to "baby trap" him. After a fight with Debbie, Ian and Mickey begin searching for more gay friends.
Lip gets interrogated by the police on his knowledge of the robbery and the whereabouts of the bikes. Veronica and Kev decide to secure their relationship for good. Debbie spirals after her fights with Lip and Sandy, but after her day of partying, she decides to break up with Sandy because of her abandonment of her son, Prince. Ian and Mickey are forced to find a suitable care taker for Terry. Due to the Carl Curse, nobody wants to partner with him on the force, so the Chief puts him with the vice squad, where he races against the clock to keep Veronica and Kev out of prison. An incident at Liam's school caused by Frank leads to his diagnosis reveal.
Tension between Debbie and Lip begin to grow as he wants still sell the house. With Veronica in Kentucky, Kev is left in charge of their girls, which is proven to be a challenge. Frank tries to reconvene his old heist buddies for one more caper, but realizes that all of them are either dead, retired or disabled. Lip and Brad are forced to help out a major crime family. Ian and Mickey find out that Terry had a lost love, and uncover a different side of Terry before the bigotry. After his "accident" with the Vice squad, Carl gets relocated to the Eviction Unit, with his old partner, Officer Tipping. Since no one has reassured him of where he will be living, Liam begins to search elsewhere for a home.
The entire Chicago police department is looking for the Nighthawks painting that Frank stole from the Art Institute of Chicago, which forces the Gallaghers to find a way out his mess. Liam and Frank discuss how Frank's diagnosis will affect the family. Debbie tries to look for a new place to stay after they sell the house. Kevin and Veronica decide to make a big change to help further their lives. Lip makes tough decisions in order to sell the house. Ian and Mickey find a cheap apartment in the West Side. Carl and the police department come to a head when he sees how badly they treat poor people.
Ian and Mickey have different experiences in their new apartment in the West Side. Kevin and Veronica head down memory lane as they begin to sell the bar and leave Chicago. Carl is demoted to a meter maid after refusing to apologize for his assault incident. Debbie gets worried that Frank and Monica's bad parenting have made it impossible for her to find lasting love, until she runs into Heidi, a violent kleptomaniac recently released from prison. Lip begins a yard sale in order to bump the house's value. Liam and Frank spend the day doing "Frank things"; as his dementia continues to worsen. Frank gets sicker and sicker.
It's the end of an era for the Gallaghers and the Ball family as they gather for one unforgettable celebration where they face their fears, uncertainties, and make critical decisions before embarking on the next chapter of their lives as they leave the South Side for good.
Production
In January 2020, the series was renewed for its eleventh and final season to consist of 12 episodes and was scheduled to premiere in summer 2020.[15] However, Filming and the premiere date were pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and filming instead began in September 2020 and wrapped March 2021.[16]
On December 14, 2020, Showtime announced a six-episode limited series retrospective that would air during season 11 called Shameless Hall of Shame; it contains new and original Shameless scenes juxtaposed with a retrospective look at each character's journey during the prior 10 seasons:[17]
Episode 1: Ian & Mickey: Daddy Issues (aired December 27, 2020)
Episode 2: Kev & V: God Doesn't Give with Both Hands (aired January 3, 2021)
Episode 3: Lip: Once Upon a Phillip Gallagher (aired January 17, 2021)
Episode 4: Debbie, Carl & Liam: They Grow Up So Fast (aired January 24, 2021)
Episode 5: Fiona: Go Fiona On Them (aired February 21, 2021)
Episode 6: Frank: Ghosts of Gallagher Past (aired February 28, 2021)
Reception
Critical response
The eleventh season of Shameless has received average reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 70% approval rating with an average score of 5.10 out of 10 based on 10 reviews.[18]
Ratings
Viewership and ratings per episode of Shameless season 11
