Okay, let's talk about Shameless. Specifically, the last season. And even more specifically, how many episodes it had.
Ready to play a guessing game? No? Too bad, we're doing it anyway.
The Great Episode Debate
So, how many episodes were in that final season? You might think you know. But are you *really* sure?
The answer is... (drumroll please)... twelve! Yep, 12 episodes of Gallagher chaos to wrap things up.
But here's where things get interesting, and maybe a little controversial.
Was it Enough? An Unpopular Opinion
Twelve episodes feels...short, right? I mean, come on! We've spent years with this crazy family.
Did we *really* get the closure we deserved? That's debatable, my friends. In my humble, yet correct, opinion? No, we did not.
Think about it. So many storylines crammed into so few episodes. It felt rushed.
Remember Ian and Mickey? Their wedding in a previous season felt like a bigger event than their overall arc in the final one!
And what about Lip? Poor Lip, always struggling. His ending felt a bit... unresolved, didn't it?
I needed more! We *all* needed more. Don't even get me started on Frank.
Frank Gallagher: A Fitting End (Or Was It?)
Okay, Frank's ending was... well, it was Frank. But still, a bit abrupt, yeah?
Did he deserve more screen time for his grand finale of self-destruction? Maybe. Maybe not. Probably, yes.
I'm not saying I wanted a happy ending for him. But a *more* drawn-out, shamelessly Frank-like demise would have been... fitting.
Let’s be real, William H. Macy *is* Frank Gallagher. Period.
The Season Felt...Different
Anyone else feel like the show lost a bit of its edge in the later seasons? Maybe it's just me getting old and boring.
Or maybe the writers were running out of new ways to make the Gallaghers even more dysfunctional (impossible, I know!).
The earlier seasons had this raw, gritty energy. The last season felt... tamed. Like a slightly less wild version of its former self.
Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it. But it wasn't the same Shameless I fell in love with.
Maybe that's why the 12 episodes felt so insufficient. We were craving that old magic. The kind that made us laugh and cringe in equal measure.
So, What's the Verdict?
Twelve episodes. That's the official answer. But in my heart? It'll always be "not enough."
Shameless will always hold a special place in my TV-loving heart. Even if the ending felt a tad rushed.
Maybe someday they'll do a reunion season. Or a movie. Please, TV gods, hear my plea! More Gallaghers!
Because let's face it, we all have a little bit of Shameless in us. Just maybe not quite as much as the Gallaghers themselves.
And that’s probably a good thing.