Review: "Shameless"

We all think our family is dysfunctional, especially on holidays, when the entire family gathers under the same roof, when while eating there will be an argument between some family members and that gets you thinking “God my family is really dysfunctional”. But, you don’t know dysfunctional until you met the Gallaghers.

Frank and Monica Gallagher have six children, they also have alcohol and drug addictions, so the eldest daughter is forced to raise her brothers and sisters all by herself.

The series follows the Gallaghers, living in south side Chicago as they try to make it through life, forever scarred by the actions of the father and the mother of the family.

The show manages to combine the drama with the comedy, while carefully highlighting the effects that drugs and alcohol can have on you and those around you.One of the few series out there tackling such a sensitive subject, “Shameless” does it like no other. Depicting the everyday life of a family with so many problems as theirs, gives us a glimpse of how some people try make a living, under the worst possible circumstances.

The series has been on the air for eight seasons, awaiting the ninth.

The lead actor William H. Macy offers the audience memorable scenes as Frank Gallagher, a man addicted to every addicting substance that runs the streets. Frank Gallagher is not the only one offering great acting though, the entire cast is really great, each and every one of them act great.

Emmy Rossum (Fiona Gallagher) playing the eldest daughter is the pillar of the family, raising her brothers and sisters since a very young age with the help of the two next in line, Lip (Jeremy Allen White) and Ian (Cameron Monaghan). The people behind “Shameless” are doing a great job also. Managing to take to the small screen the problems of poor families living in the ghetto, families that the most of don't have any idea how hard they try to make it by.

Despite the hardship and the problems, the show also expresses the importance of having people who love you close to you. Throughout the show the viewer can see what the creators had in mind making it. Having people that care about you can take you through every difficult situation, no matter how dire that situation might be. The series also tackle a really big problem, not only in the US, but around the world, drug and alcohol addiction.

Watching the hardship the characters go through, due to their addictions, makes you question your choices and whether you might have an addiction yourself. And that is exactly why “Shameless” has such a large audience. It could be any one of us having the same problems the Gallaghers have. It might seem a bit too much, for a family to go through all the hardships they are, but some of their problems are our problems as well.

The series is based on the British hit “Shameless” aired from 2004 till 2013. The American version of the show is a class A series and I recommend it to everyone, no matter what they are looking for in a series. If you are looking for drama “Shameless” is full of that, if you are looking for a comedy, the show offers that as well. It also offers social and sometimes political messages.

Watch the show and the next time your family starts arguing over the family table, think how much worse things could be and appreciate all you have.