TV Review: SHAMELESS: Season 5, Episode 1: Nectar of the Gods [Showtime]

Showtime‘s Shameless Nectar of the Gods TV Show Review. Shameless: Season 5, Episode 1: Nectar of the Gods showed that the Gallaghers had all adjusted to their new circumstances. Some situations from last season were not touched upon, minor though they may have been. One of those situations was how Debbie Gallagher (Emma Kenney)’s dance went with her older ex-boyfriend Matt (James Allen).

The manifestation of Ian Gallagher (Cameron Monaghan)’s ‘condition’ followed him everywhere, as if a loyal dog, during Nectar of the Gods. The outward nature of it was camouflaged behind being a horny teen yet made blatant to the world with risky sexual behavior.

What was curious was that Ian did not notice his abnormal sexual appetite, especially with his mother’s previous behavior as a tableau for his own. Like Mickey Milkovich (Noel Fisher) said though: “What teenage, gay kid isn’t horny?” Through that prism, it would hard to see the forest through the trees.

The Milkovich household ran like a well-oiled machine, different people of different nationalities, sexual tastes, and job titles co-existing. Somehow they all found a way to get along with Mickey being the object around which everyone else spun. With his hegemonic status, Mickey was the recipient of multiple kisses on the cheek from: a.) his wife, and b.) the love of his life before the day began. With everything out in the open, tensions had been released and everyone had settled into their roles and situations. It would have been even more interesting during Nectar of the Gods if the story of how this equilibrium was established was presented.

Lip Gallagher (Jeremy Allen White) was not the same Lip that first went off to college (and there was still no explanation on why he didn’t go to M.I.T.). Now that he’d seen a world outside of the barrio, he hesitated about jumping back into his old neighborhood behaviors and the people with which they are associated. He either knew it was a dead-end or didn’t want something to happen that would jeopardize his future. Regardless of the undisclosed reasoning, it was obvious Lip was at the beginning of a journey that would see him grow out of the trappings of his neighborhood, past, and most importantly, his father’s influence.

Carl Gallagher (Ethan Cutkosky) mentioned in passing that he had been continuously kept back in school and would be kept back this year as well. Fiona Gallagher (Emmy Rossum) nor Lip Gallagher seemed concerned about this. Neither of them mentioned it at all. No one was trying to get Carl a tutor (a luxury to them but a needed one). He and Debbie lived and operated with almost no parental oversight. The Fiona that monitored everyone’s lives and kept a watchful eye out for everyone’s well-being was not present. Instead of being a parent, it seemed as though Fiona had slipped into the role of tenant instead, watching events happen in lieu of stepping in to stir the ship. New work environment acclimation and a budding romance were higher on her list of priorities.

Frank’s secret project and “The Milk” was only something a person like Frank could come up with (who had just received a new liver after drinking his former one into oblivion). No one could stomach “The Milk” but Frank, at least the first batch anyway. The reaction of the first non-Frank taster was hilarious. It was as if the person had seen something horrible, in a horror movie, but that something had ended up in their mouth.

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