Shameless 7X12: Requiem for a Slut

I'm not sure I enjoyed this episode. It sort of didn't really feel like an episode of Shameless. Yes, Monica died, but too many good things are happening right now. The Gallagher family is generally half a step forward, sixteen steps back. Right it feels like they are all racing toward the finish line.

So, Monica dies. Ian and Carl both come home. Carl has an attentive, upstanding human. (He's stopped for groceries on the way home and is cooking breakfast- literally on top of Frank- before everyone gets up). Frank is completely unwilling to deal with the situation and disappears for a bit. When he returns, he sees they've gone through Monica's things and found a key to a storage locker. In there, he finds $70k worth of meth to sell and split between the kids as there inheritance. Fiona staunchly refuses, but everyone else is up for it.

Monica's dad shows up and beats up Frank. He hated Frank and always blamed him for everything that happened with Monica (although, at the wake, Frank says that she was the instigator).

Just before we have the wake for Monica, Fiona shoves her portion of the drugs under her body in the casket, tells her she hates her, and hits her. Everyone finds something nice to say about her (even Fiona), and then they go home and a Gallagher party. (This definitely felt like an episode of Shameless. I feel like they do this at least once a season).

But things seem to be going well for everyone. Carl is doing well in school, Debbie has started her welding classes, Lip is going to meetings; has made up with Sierra; and wants to to back to school, Fiona buys the apartment building, and Ian goes back to work. I think it's all going to well for them. Where is the dysfunction? Although, I guess after seven seasons, we've got grown somehow, right?

Also, I remembered to stick around for post credits, and they just told me it was over and to stop watching. 🤣