#’Shameless’: Frank’s Hard-Partying Lifestyle Catch Up to Him in Episode 6 (RECAP)

Shameless is taking some serious turns in its final season as the Gallaghers gear up for the next chapters of their lives.

In the show’s latest installment, “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good… Eh, Screw It,” Frank’s (William H. Macy) hard-partying ways lead to a major wake-up call, meanwhile Lip (Jeremy Allen White) begins thinking about the bigger picture for his family’s future. Below, we’re breaking down all of the South Side drama.

Frank’s Foggy Memory

(Credit: Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME)

When fans first see Frank in this episode, he’s caught up in a moment with a woman named Letty (Tara Buck), but he keeps calling her Monica. After they cool things down, they agree to meet later at the Alibi, and Letty asks if he can call her by her name in public. Frank seems confused by the exchange to a degree, and that continues when he pays a visit to the cleaners, expecting to pick up some pot. His confusion lands him a punch in the face and he wakes up in the hospital.

The nurse asks about how he ended up injured and he can’t give a decent answer or pass her simple cognition tests. So Frank is sent to have more tests and we later see him show up at the Alibi where Letty greets him, but he seems to have forgotten he was meeting her at all.

Later that night, Frank crosses paths with the newly-paralyzed Terry (Dennis Cockrum) among their house stoops, he chats with his Milkovich foe, and is surprised to hear Terry beg for death. Frank says he didn’t take Terry for a coward and that he doesn’t like him enough to give him the mercy kill. After a brief family meeting in the Gallagher house, Frank exits the home to sit on the steps outside and pulls a paper from his jacket pocket.

Written in plain letters are Frank’s name, address, and the fact that he has Early Stage Alcoholic Dementia. Will his family be able to rally around him or has Frank burned every bridge that could have led him to help?

Lip’s Next Move

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After being fired from his garage job, Lip convinces Brad (Scott Michael Campbell) and Mickey (Noel Fisher) to help him steal parts to get even and make a profit that can go towards his next home. It isn’t lost on Mickey that both Lip and Brad fell off the wagon in the midst of their decision making process, but Lip says they’re fine.

The next morning, Tami (Kate Miner) is suspicious of Lip’s behavior after he’s cooked a massive breakfast. He tells her that Brad needed a meeting but forgoes telling her about the garage. Instead, Tami mentions that her dad is having a tough time paying for his home and suggests that they move in with him while they look for their next place. Lip isn’t cool with the idea and promises to come up with an alternative that works for the both of them.

In the meantime, Brad and Lip discuss where they’ll move the pieces they boosted, eventually Mickey helps them settle on stashing things at Kev’s (Steve Howey) Keg Zone workout center since business is quiet anyway. Later though, Tami catches Lip hiding boxes and learns he was the one to rob the garage and she’s less than thrilled. He tells her he’s upset that he puts in hard work and doesn’t get anything back, this was a way for him to take some control back. Tami understands but stresses that getting arrested and put in jail for his actions wouldn’t help their son.

Together they work through the situation and Lip suggests selling the Gallagher house, if his family agrees. If they do, that would allow him and Tami to pay for their own place and settle down. When they bring it to the Gallaghers attention during a family meeting, they’re met with an unequivocal no.

V’s School Day Blues

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V (Shanola Hampton) goes through quite a day with her daughters when she joins them at school as the class parent of the day. When the teacher announces their active shooter drill game, V is horrified as one student is selected to play the shooter and given a nerf gun while the other kids run and hide in fear. V’s girls guide her to their hiding spot and she’s traumatized by the experience. According to the school, the shooter drill game is used as a fitness exercise since phys-ed classes were diminished during COVID-related budget cuts.

Thankfully, V has her new connections with the alderman in their district which could prove beneficial to fixing the issue, and Kev’s spare exercise gear could solve another problem as their daughter’s school needs equipment. If we know V by now, she’ll get those tasks done with time to spare.

Carl’s Concerning Tryst

(Credit: Paul Sarkis/SHOWTIME)

Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) has the day off and uses it to look for new furniture as he plans on taking over the basement for his new room. During his trip to the furniture store, he steps in to stop a rude customer from verbally abusing an employee at the register who he learns is named Tish (Chelsea Alden). She thanks him for his help and then offers her phone number and a store discount on a recliner.

Later in the day, Carl hears from Tish who asks what he’s up to, they agree to meet up and go out for fries and shakes before she visits the Gallagher home. She doesn’t take long to get close to Carl and pushes him to have sex. He’s fine with that but wants to use a condom. She doesn’t let him though and he later tells his family about the experience once Tish has left. Debbie (Emma Kenney) tells Carl he was raped, and he’s not convinced at first, but we later see him attempt to file a sexual assault complaint at the police department. So, what could have been Tish’s motivation for going against Carl’s wishes? Considering how much Tish brought up the benefits and money attached to Carl’s job, could she be looking for a baby daddy or is she already pregnant? We have so many questions.

Debbie’s Dilemma

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Debbie is upset that Sandy (Elise Eberle) has essentially ghosted her following last episode’s husband reveal. It turns out that Sandy has been taking care of her uncle Terry following his accident, and on a tear, Debbie looks for answers even using her daughter Franny (Paris Rose Newton) as a way of getting Sandy’s attention. Meanwhile, she takes a job at a local gay bar, hanging a neon sign for the owner and gets a little pep talk. Later Debbie returns home and has a chat with Sandy who is sitting fireside in the lot next to the Gallagher house. She reveals that she married her husband when she was fifteen and it was a means for a better life, but ultimately she’s not committed to him. In a sweet moment, the pair say they love each other.

Liam’s Penance

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Liam (Christian Isaiah) is feeling pretty guilty after realizes the bullet he shot is the one that accidentally paralyzed Terry. Unsure about what to do in order to relieve his guilt, he asks his family for guidance. He attempts to apologize for Terry’s condition to a Milkovich classmate at school and isn’t able to get any positive results. After exhausting all efforts, even trying to phone the Pope, Carl tells Liam to hide the weapon and not tell anyone, congratulating his little brother for taking care of an issue that affected so many.

Mickey’s Turing Point

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Mickey is ambivalent towards his dad Terry following his accident, and while Ian (Cameron Monaghan) tries to guide him through those feelings, Mickey needs to work it out on his own. Determined to not help him, Mickey says his dad is better off dead considering his condition, and when they meet Terry on the sidewalk, he holds a gun to his father’s chest, but he backs away.

This attitude concerns Ian who questions Mickey if he’d help him if he was in a similar situation as Terry. Mickey says yes, but before they can dig too much into the conversation, Terry continues to yell from outside, asking for help from anyone to get into his house. Mickey and Ian both go to the man’s aid and after assisting him, Ian tells Mickey that he’s a bigger person than his dad. This obvious statement seems to please Mickey who accepts his good deed for what it was, even if he doesn’t like Terry.

So, what’s next? Tune in for more South Side shenanigans and answers when the next episode of Shameless airs on Showtime.

Shameless, Season 11, Sundays, 9/8c, Showtime