TV Show Review

TV Review: SHAMELESS: Season 4, Episode 7: A Jailbird, Invalid, Martyr, Cutter, Retard, and Parasitic Twin

Jeremy Allen White Emmy Rossum Emily Bergl Shameless

Showtime’s Shameless A Jailbird, Invalid, Martyr, Cutter, Retard, and Parasitic Twin TV Show Review. Shameless: Season 4, Episode 7: A Jailbird, Invalid, Martyr, Cutter, Retard, and Parasitic Twin saw the tension built up between Lip Gallagher (Jeremy Allen White) and Fiona Gallagher (Emmy Rossum) during There’s the Rub and Iron City come to ahead.

The majority of A Jailbird, Invalid, Martyr, Cutter, Retard, and Parasitic Twin dealt with characters having to deal with their new position in life,  Lip actively rebelling against the destruction of his collegiate one. Of all the characters, two stood out: one of these characters could not stand the scent or insinuation of death while the other was borne into a world where they were blamed, distrusted, and banished.

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When the Gallagher family went back to bagged lunches, that was unofficial confirmation that Fiona was no longer employed at Mike Pratt (Jake McDorman)’s company.

During her court case hearing, Fiona accepted responsibility in her normal stoic fashion but hearing the things she had lost and was now saddled with, e.g. a criminal record, were like hammer strokes on an anvil. She bore the clanging well, like a soldier standing at attention during a Court Marshall.

The groundwork for Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy) not wanting to accept death was established episodes back but his denial reached new emotional heights (momentary) in this episode (there was still a human-being buried beneath all of his narcissism). Sammi (Emily Bergl), having gone without a father all of her life, was desperate to garner Frank’s affection through any means she could during his ordeal. It was through that prism that Sammi’s misguided attempts were understandable (for a Gallagher).

Ian Gallagher (Cameron Monaghan) and Mickey Milkovich (Noel Fisher)’s reunion was not what the viewer may have expected. I assume that Mickey has stayed back a few times in high school (before dropping out entirely) but his character is supposed to be in his late teens early twenties, right? With that in mind, why would anyone buy him as a police officer? He has the verbal dexterity of a police detective and the swagger but most of the ‘teen’ characters in Shameless are played by older people (à la Game of Thrones) so that on-screen coitus can occur between them. How could someone ‘Mickey’s age’ creditably pose as a cop outside of Halloween? This was one of the times an age appropriate actor playing Mickey’s character would have ameliorated the scene.

The highlight of the Ian and Mickey’s reunion was when Ian was passed out, Mickey was sitting next to him watching him, and Mickey’s wife walked into the room. She saw the look in Mickey’s eyes, a look that he has never had for her. Mickey has been dreaming of this reunion for months, hoping, praying (in his own way). The question is, when Ian wakes up, how will Mickey handle it? Will he finally spill his gusts and profess his love or will he be default Mickey: the tough guy?

Leave your thoughts on this review and this episode of Shameless below in the comments section. For more Shameless reviews, photos, videos, and information, visit our Shameless Page, subscribe to us by Email, “follow” us on Twitter, Tumblr, or “like” us on Facebook.

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Rollo Tomasi

Rollo Tomasi is a Connecticut-based film critic, TV show critic, news, and editorial writer. He will have a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University in 2025. Rollo has written over 700 film, TV show, short film, Blu-ray, and 4K-Ultra reviews. His reviews are published in IMDb's External Reviews and in Google News. Previously you could find his work at Empire Movies, Blogcritics, and AltFilmGuide. Now you can find his work at FilmBook.
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