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 on Amazon.
> Buy the complete Series 1-6 boxset on Amazon.
> 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.
Carl and Chesney return to the Chatsworth and live secretly in Joe's storeroom. When Maxine discovers the boys are back, she risks her relationship with Ian by secretly concocting a plan to get them out of trouble. Carl prefers a more direct option which results in putting all the Gallaghers in danger. Whilst others choose to turn a blind eye, including Paddy, Shane refuses to stand by and do nothing, teaching Jimmy and his gang a lesson they will never forget.
Meanwhile, Libby's attempts to set up a book club backfire when she, with Frank's encouragement, becomes an unwitting modern day Robin Hood.
Episode 11
Tuesday 6th April 2010
Liam befriends elderly World War Two veteran, Reggie, to help him with a school project. Troubled, lonely without his sister Debbie 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 spies on Liam and his secret friend, she jumps to the all the wrong conclusions – leading to a tragic confrontation between the Gallaghers and the old man.
Maxine is shocked when her brother, Bruce, turns up on the doorstep sporting a black eye and describing a homophobic attack by his own Dad. But Maxine’s loyalties are tested when she confronts her Dad and discovers the real story. Bruce's arrival as an openly gay man on Chatsworth agitates the locals and he quickly outstays his welcome at Ian's house, but charms his way into Mimi's heart and the Jockey, leaving Micky teetering on the brink of a nervous breakdown.
Meanwhile, Karen is put out when Joe appears to have moved on by taking control of his life and attending anger management classes.
Episode 12
Tuesday 13th April 2010
In an attempt to build confidence, Ian joins the local boxing club and quickly strikes up a friendship with the owner, Jock. But when the club faces closure due to Jock's debt with Paddy, Ian enlists Maxine, Carl and Chesney to help raise funds. However, it soon becomes clear that Ian has stumbled into a hornet's nest of unfinished business that exposes the true nature of Paddy and Jock's relationship.
Meanwhile, a moment of heroism prompts Micky to take control of his life and he applies to the fire service for a job, but during the assessment he is weighed down by a familiar spectre of doubt. Returning a failure, he feels wounded, but his handling of a life-threatening emergency proves that he deserves respect.
At the Gallaghers', Libby's biological clock is in overdrive and, to Frank's utter horror, she makes it clear she wants to have children of her own before it's too late. Elsewhere, Liam is targeted by bullies, and Karen sets up a 'Chatsworth's Got Talent' night at the Jockey. (Ricky Hatton guest stars as himself.)
Episode 13
Tuesday 20th April 2010
Kelly takes guardianship of her 15 year-old half sister Tonya who is homeless and needs help to get her baby boy out of care. In a meeting with Tonya's social worker Julie, it's agreed that custody will only be considered if Tonya proves she is responsible by looking after a 'simulation' baby. But it's not long before the unruly teen leaves Micky holding the plastic baby, forcing him to make a painful decision.
Elsewhere, Libby witnesses the results of an apparent miracle from a visit to a French grotto and organises a pilgrimage for Patty. Petrified and elated at the thought of liberation from her mother, she persuades Frank to escort Patty while she waits anxiously at home. The unlikely travelling companions end up sharing a room in a convent where Frank becomes the improbable focus of attention.
Episode 14
Tuesday 27th April 2010
After months of separation, Patrick and Mimi amicably agree to a quickie divorce, but they get a nasty shock when they discover their marriage was never legal. Mimi flies into accusations and recriminations, holding Patrick to blame. She then hatches a plan to secretly marry and divorce legitimately to save the souls of their "bastard" kids. Everything is in disarray, and Patrick is due to leave for a new business venture, but the mission to re-marry brings up memories of the past and unearths their true feelings.
With his parents apparently divorced, Micky feels "orphaned" and embittered about relationships. In an effort to cheer him up, Maxine and Ian treat him to a night out, where he meets a guy, Gary. Their connection restores his faith until he discovers their bond is built on secrets and half-truths. Micky must decide whether to bare the burden of his own lies or if honesty is the best policy.
Meanwhile, Patty sets Frank up on a benefit scam, landing him behind bars. But when Libby learns the truth, she rails against a righteous Patty in order to raise bail and free her love.
Episode 15
Tuesday 4th May 2010
During his birthday celebrations, Joe receives tragic news of his father’s death. The painful realisation that ‘life’s too short’ fuels his determination to start a new life with Karen. Karen is torn but when Joe gives her a taste of how their future could be she sets her sights far away from Chatsworth.
Attempting to come clean to Jamie, Karen’s confession is derailed when he reveals his own grubby secrets. Emotional deadlock forces Joe into an action that they will all regret for the rest of their lives.
Episode 16
Tuesday 11th May 2010
Karen and Joe are holed-up in the shop whilst the spectre of Jamie’s revenge looms over them. Joe plots a future away from Chatsworth but Jamie has Connor in hiding and a shell-shocked Karen is going nowhere without her son.
Joe uses his dubious contacts and when opportunity knocks he grabs his chance, snatching Connor and dragging his new family away to freedom; little does he know he’s carrying unwelcome baggage.
