Shameless: Series 7 - Episode guide

Riots, protests, screaming newborns, lollipop sticks and strife... welcome back to the Chatsworth estate, as Shameless returns to Channel 4 for a seventh season. Find out what happens in the next episode!

> Buy the Series 7 boxset.

> Buy the complete Series 1-6 boxset.

> Find out who came top in our poll of the best Shameless characters ever.

> Take a look at our Series 7 preview.

> Read our interview with Pauline McLynn, who plays Libby.


Episode 1
Tuesday 26th January 2010

It’s Frank’s 50th and Liam has the dubious honour of sharing the auspicious day with him on his 11th birthday. Uncharacteristically, Frank snubs the chance of a party, and instead opts to dwell in his own lonely loveless existence until… Libby, a narcoleptic local librarian falls into his life - literally! His passion reignited; a whirlwind romance ensues, but will Libby’s wheelchair bound mother Patty, bibliophile activists and riot police stand in the way of Frank holding onto his new love?

Meanwhile, Liam’s inherited the dirty nappies, rubber gloves and responsibility of the Gallagher household. Nin, Liam’s great grandmother, offers to move in and help ease his burden, but a selfish Frank rejects her. Liam is infuriated. Unable to cope herself, Nin is spurred into homicidal action and in turn teaches Liam a priceless lesson in surviving as a Gallagher.

Elsewhere, whilst an overdue Karen worries about the paternity of her unborn baby, an oblivious Jamie and the rest of the Maguire clan prepare for the imminent arrival. Joe lurks in the background, but a medical emergency soon brings him to the fore and back in favour with the Maguires.

> Read our Episode 1 review.


Episode 2
Tuesday 2nd February 2010

The Maguire clan is fully mobilised for the Christening of its newest member baby Connor, with Mimi pulling all the strings. Her first act, reallocating Godmother duties, leaves Kelly devastated. Shane is stuck in the unenviable position of being forced to take sides between Kelly’s need for acceptance and his Mum’s pursuit of respectability. Kelly demands he permanently cut the apron strings if their relationship is to last.

Patrick’s attempt to get involved in the family celebration is derailed by his own personal credit crunch. Papering over the cracks in his relationships Patrick tries to press-gang Shane and Jamie into his new plan for the family business. Whilst the lads turn him down an eager Micky is overlooked. Feeling ever more isolated, a fatal mistake by Patrick means Micky must come to his rescue. At his lowest ebb, Patrick takes the Christening opportunity to cleanse his own soul in front of the astonished family.

Meanwhile Karen’s spending is burdening her and Jamie under a mountain of debt whilst her affair with Joe threatens to spiral out of control. At the Gallagher’s; Carl’s experiment in the bedroom shocks Maxine into retaliatory strap-on action.


Episode 3
Tuesday 9th February 2010

Karen's obsessive drive to prove herself more than just a mum has Jamie worried. With the help of a trampoline and a battalion of baton twirling majorettes her body is in perfect shape but her mind is in danger of unravelling, leaving the Maguires to pick up the pieces.

Liam's pursuit of his first true love is threatened when he becomes tangled in a web of his own lies. His desperate attempts to conceal his Chatsworth life are shattered when Frank is summoned to the school. Maxine's life is thrown into turmoil when she is presented with an urgent choice. At the time she needs Carl most, she finds him following in Frank's footsteps at the bottom of a pint glass, so she turns to Ian for support.

Elsewhere on the Chatsworth estate, Yvonne is in debt and out of her depth when Paddy comes collecting. The Karibs concoct a plan leaving the shop under new management, Paddy enraged and Chesney starting a new independent life. Meanwhile, Micky finds a plumber to help him with his neglected pipework.


Episode 4
Tuesday 16th February 2010

Mimi gets a toy boy, Billy, the Jockey football team's star striker. However, Mimi's happiness is short-lived when she discovers her new beau is the not the man she thought he was. But when Billy tries to blackmail Mimi into continuing to see him, she decides to teach him a Maguire life lesson he will never forget.

Shane and Kelly encourage Patrick to get back into the dating game; only to have their proposal rejected. Unperturbed, Shane rallies his brothers together and arranges a night out for Patrick. At the club Patrick's embarrassing Saturday Night Fever dance routine causes his sons to abandon him. Emasculated, Patrick returns home and finds his own opportunity to make a proposal.

Meanwhile, Frank is temporarily blinded by bootleg vodka. When he rejects doctor's orders to detox, the family take advantage of his blindness and set about turning his vices into virtues. Joe settles in as the new manager of the shop and in an attempt to make more money on the side, makes a deal with Shane.


Episode 5
Tuesday 23rd February 2010

Maxine is desperate to make a good impression at her parents' party so cajoles Ian into pretending to be her boyfriend. He reluctantly agrees but their act unearths deep feelings that take everyone by surprise. Meanwhile Carl realises what he’s lost by splitting up with Maxine so he is determined to win her back. Carl soon finds love and hate are two sides of the same coin when Micky reveals a painful secret.

At the Jockey, Mimi does her best to conceal Karen's illness when she returns from the psychiatric unit. While Karen settles back into Chatsworth life, Jamie struggles to cope with the reality of living with mental illness. Escaping for a night out, he is seduced by a beautiful woman into exploring a murky, but lucrative new job.

While Lillian is away, Kelly takes control of the brothel and is soon making a fortune from an untapped market. Patrick is keen to get in on the action but Kelly's not interested, so he forces Chesney to become part of the Maguire organisation and accept an offer he can't refuse.


Episode 6
Tuesday 2nd March 2010

Patrick's plans to salsa into the sunset with his new love D'reen are scuppered when Mimi forces him to guarantee the financial security of the family with one last job - targeting the drug money of notorious psychopath, Roscoe. Torn between a new life with D'reen and his family responsibilities, Patrick calls upon his sons for help.

At the Gallagher house Liam is suffocating under an avalanche of household debts and the fallout from trying to gamble his way out of trouble. Looked upon as a massive disappointment by Frank, and with no options left, he is driven to desperate measures. Just when unity is needed, the Gallaghers come to blows.

Meanwhile, Jamie is quite literally flat out trying to keep his family afloat while Karen is coming apart at the seams.


Episode 7
Tuesday 9th March 2010

Frank’s romantic love, Libby, returns and her time away has only fanned the passionate flame that burns in her heart. Armed only with a mobile library, she is determined to bring knowledge to the people and rekindle her romance despite the best attempts at sabotage by Patty, her despotic mother, and a disastrous introduction to the Gallagher family. Libby’s romantic delusion is only punctured when she witnesses the ‘real’ Frank, leaving her Elizabeth Bennett without the Mr Darcy she craved. Overwhelmed by his desire, Frank strains every sinew to win her back using an unfamiliar weapon, honesty.

Jamie focuses all his energies into giving his Madam, Michelle, whatever she wants in order to pay off Karen's debts. But his unusual behaviour rattles Karen and raises Paddy's suspicions, and when Michelle makes it clear she wants more than Jamie can give, the pressure mounts. Risking the fury of a woman scorned, but with everything he cares for at stake, Jamie has no choice but to find a way out.

Meanwhile, Lillian invests in a new HD television to keep the punters happy, but soon realises she has purchased a conduit to the afterlife.


Episode 8
Tuesday 16th March 2010

Wedding bells are in the air on the estate, a little too frequently for the liking of the police, as the Maguire’s exploit a new money making scheme. Business turns to pleasure when Shane asks Kelly to marry him but his dream turns to a nightmare when she turns him down. As his life unravels Shane uncovers a terrible betrayal by those closest to him and must suffer for the sins of his father. Hitting rock bottom he finds the strength to make an important decision.

Now Libby and her mother are firmly nestled in the Gallagher house, Frank volunteers to paint Patty's newly converted bedroom. In the pursuit of a bargain, Frank falls and feigns injury leading to a potentially disastrous face-off between him and Patty.

Elsewhere, Chesney holds a house party to get close to Sammy, but a promise turns to a threat when blood is spilt leaving awful consequences for him and Carl.


Episode 9
Tuesday 23rd March 2010

Carl and Chesney's attempt to outrun their troubles lead them to discover the grass isn't always greener. Stranded on a Welsh farm they are offered sanctuary by a mysterious woman, Hazel. But things soon turn sour when news reaches them that they are now the prime suspects for Bonehead's murder. Back home, Liam and Maxine seem to be the only ones concerned by their disappearance which forces Ian to confront Jimmy, the real murderer, in order to establish the truth.

Elsewhere, Micky and Liam have been picked by the local council to make a community film in the hope it will inspire the residents of Chatsworth now that their estate has been identified as the most run down in Britain. With Kelly and Shane's help Micky decides to stretch poetic licence in pursuit of glory, whilst Liam uses the competition as a cover to film evidence that could save Carl and Chesney from prison.

Meanwhile, in a bid to better herself, Mimi joins the WI, but is humiliated and ostracised by the group, who make it clear she will never belong. In revenge, Mimi decides to pep up their annual calendar shoot with her own special mixture.


Episode 10
Tuesday 30th March 2010

Shane is devastated to discover he’s firing blanks and whilst he frets, Kelly is reconciled to their future without children. The Maguire men refuse to let one of their own be struck down so decide to take matters into their own hands and get their heads together to come up with a sticky solution. Although Shane is keen to take up their offer Kelly refuses, and with Liam’s help, both realise the answer to their problem lies closer to home.


Episode 11
Tuesday 6th April 2010

A school project leads Liam to befriend elderly world war two veteran, Reggie. Troubled, lonely and fed up with Libby’s well intentioned interference at home, Liam finds solace with the old man and their friendship grows stronger. When Libby discovers Liam’s secret friend she fears for the worse leading to a tragic confrontation.


Episode 12


Episode 13


Episode 14


Episode 15


Episode 16