In the Shameless finale, Frank Gallagher dies after saying goodbye to his rowdy children, capping eleven seasons of mayhem for the Gallagher family. John Wells created Shameless, which had its premiere in 2011. It followed the Gallagher clan as they grew up (more or less) into responsible adults with their own criminal histories, careers, and children.
Eleven seasons later, the sitcom had to satisfactorily wrap up a number of subplots for the large ensemble cast. It took a while for Frank Gallagher to pass away, but at the conclusion of Shameless season 11, his COVID-19 arc is by no means the only plot point resolved.
After Frank overdosed on heroin and tried suicide, the family discovers him hovering near death on the couch in the opening scene of the final episode of Shameless. Nobody appears to care whether Liam lives or dies, except for him. Fiona only makes flashback appearances as Frank reflects on his life, despite the hopes of many fans that she would return for the Shameless finale. Frank’s condition deteriorates during the episode, and he ultimately dies from COVID-19. But there’s a feeling that the lives of the other Gallagher family members are only getting started where Frank’s Shameless story finishes. Every Gallagher has a different ending in Shameless, with some going on to better things than others.
COVID-19 killed Frank Gallagher.
Given his lifestyle, a Frank Gallagher death scene wasn’t shocking, but few could have foreseen that he would become a victim of a pandemic. Frank Gallagher was diagnosed with alcoholic dementia at the end of Shameless, and his mental health rapidly deteriorated, resulting in disorientation and forgetfulness. In the penultimate episode of the series, Frank injects himself with a big overdose of heroin because he is resigned to dying and wants to do it his own way. Franny, however, ignores the letter he leaves for his family, merely drawing all over it with her crayons.
The hospital staff is perplexed as to whether the directives are legally binding because the Gallagher clan patriarch even gets the phrase “DO NOT RESUSCITATE” tattooed in bold characters on his breast. Frank is depicted as living on borrowed time despite surviving this overdose, with his COVID-19 infection only tipping the scales. For a man who regarded himself as much a part of Chicago’s high fidelity as its streets and buildings, succumbing to coronavirus is, in a way, fitting.
The House of Gallagher is sold by Lip.
Lip’s journey was utterly infuriating, tragic, and captivating. “Lip, you’re smart as a whip,” says Frank in the Shameless finale, his final farewell speech. It seems like you are unable to move out of your own path. Lip Gallagher’s tale gives him the best chance to escape poverty right from the beginning of the episode. He is incredibly bright and gifted in science, math, and engineering. He was accepted to MIT and ultimately received a scholarship to attend Chicago Polytechnic.
Franny is with Debbie Gallagher as she embarks on a life of crime.
As Frank states in the first scene of Shameless’ pilot, Debbie is “sent by God” and a “total angel.” But by the end of Shameless, his opinion of her has evolved. “You remind me of your mother, and not in a good way,” he continues. Similar to Ian, Monica suffered from bipolar depression; however, she was unable to follow a regular treatment regimen, which led to her being mainly absent from her children’s life as she hopped from one adventure to another. Debbie appears to be a similarly impoverished mother to Franny in Shameless season 11.
Following shameless endings, Liam Gallagher moves in with Lip.
Since Fiona departed the Gallagher household, Liam Gallagher hasn’t had anything like a parent, therefore it makes sense that he is extremely jaded for his age. Liam initially thought he would be homeless and would not receive assistance from his siblings when he learnt of Lip’s intentions to sell the Gallagher house, so he started actively preparing for life on the streets.
