The biological patriarch got the biggest sendoff of them all as the show followed him through a daze that could have been due to brain damage from the recent OD, his recently-diagnosed dementia or his surprise new diagnosis of COVID-19 or some combination of all of the above. No one was alerted to his status, just as no one found the note hed left before shooting up in the penultimate episode. But I dont know. He writes things on his fathers arms to help him remember that he has dementia and who to call if he gets lost. Never has a series finale more nakedly telegraphed the idea "We like this character and may want to do more with him some day" before. I want to think what I want to think about the characters, where they end up and what happens with them and have the audience have those conversations with others over drinks. Carls story line became far more topical. On the finale,the Gallagher family patriarch (William H. Macy) died of COVID-19. And fans were PISSED. It was a callback to the character's desire in the early seasons to become a writer by having Roseanne sitting at a typewriter, writing a different ending to her story, but it left viewers feeling like their time had been wasted in the worst way. This interview includes spoilers for Sundays series finale of Shameless.. Except time's precious. We very much wanted to try and bring back Fiona for the finale, but there was just no way to make it all work with the pandemic. Taken to the hospital for one final time, Frank spent his final moments alone, remembering his family (including Fiona, a.k.a. Carls story line, becoming a cop. We couldn't figure out how to do it in a way that would work with her schedule. Frank has so many possible comorbidities Covid is just the thing that finally pushed him over the edge. But she had some health concerns about returning, quarantining and trying to be safe. In my mind, she winds up back with Jimmy-Steve (Justin Chatwin). That is a huge portion of our society that we dont tell nearly enough stories about.. I lost a close family member who had been ill in December of COVID, despite following the COVID protocols. It's hard to believe that the Gallagher family has been a part of our lives for the past 10 years we've literally watched the actors and their respective characters grow up right before our eyes every Sunday night. Although there's no direct explanation for his death,. Shameless: Breaking Down Frank Gallagher's Fate During the Series Finale. That's what we do, at least. In your mind, do you know how it ends for these characters? The cast of the Mean Girls musical movie keeps getting bigger, with Busy Philipps signing on for the Paramount Plus project. "So, we had to show that there were some consequences. After 11 seasons and 134 episodes, Showtimes Shameless wrapped its run Sunday with a series finale that was directly impacted by the global coronavirus pandemic in two key ways. Its the same reason that at the end of ER we walked away from the hospital in the middle of a shift, and at the end of The West Wing Santos (Jimmy Smits) had just gone into the White House and Bartlet (Martin Sheen) was headed home. The Iron Throne melted down?! Fiona, unfortunately, wasn't with the rest of the family at the end of the show, though most fans had hoped the character would be making a comeback. His body was in the ER, and he was dreaming that he was sitting at the Alibi drinking a massive beer. The episode followed immediately on the penultimate episodes final moments, with Frank (William H. Macy) having overdosed on the family sofa and not one member of the household even slightly concerned that the patriarch may have finally exited this world. Additionally, the fans may also recall that Fiona comes back for the season finale in the original UK version of the show. So, here is everything you need to know! As many expected, Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy) died in the final episode, and he ascended to the sky to deliver a monologue over his surviving family. Showtimes long-running series,Shameless, concluded with the series finale on April 11, 2021 and the death of Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy). He embarked on countless schemes that brought any last ounce of his morals into question, and he has continued to be a thorn in his children's sides. But is he? Over 11 seasons, Shameless conveyed the outrageous and topical stories of the Gallaghers, a sprawling family with largely absent addict parents Frank and Monica (played by William H. Macy and Chloe Webb), leaving the daughter Fiona (Emmy Rossum) to raise her younger siblings Lip (Jeremy Allen White), Ian (Cameron Monaghan), Debbie (Emma Kenney), Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) and Liam (Christian Isaiah). The finale doesnt offer any resolution about whether Lip sold the house, what happened with Debs (Emma Kenney) and Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) and Liam (Christian Isaiah) or if Kev and Vee sell the Alibi and move to Louisville. Only Liam (Christian Isaiah) had any insight as to his dads mental health status when those heroin needles reappeared, but rather than call an ambulance, the family collectively decided to grab a cup of coffee and carry on with their day as they waited to see what would become of Frank. In Episode 10.10, Frank agreed to take her to the coast, so she could view the Irish coast from the horizon. And NO. Does she wind up with anyone romantically? In the final moments of the episode, we see Frank at the Alibi and hear what he wrote in a note to. Were so invested as writers and audience members in their lives that you want to fill in some blanks and not run the American Graffiti end crawl. With all the comorbidity that Frank had, Bill and I both talked about it, he continued. ("It . Why do you think Shameless wasnt part of a larger cultural conversation, particularly during awards seasons? He eventually returned positive for COVID-19 and died in the ER after the nurses and doctors discovered the DNR instruction on his chest. Despite much hope among fans, Emmy Rossum, who left the show in season nine in 2019, did not return forthe finale to reprise her role of Fiona Gallagher. In what world?! Saved by the bell: Contestant ordered to keep mask on, in historic 'Masked Singer first, Chris Pine admits 'it does look' like Harry Styles spit on him but this is what actually happened, Rebel Wilson 'collapsed' after Ramona Agruma proposal: 'I was so overwhelmed', Amy Grant recalls being 'so scared' to return to touring following serious bike accident, Travis Scott being sought by NYPD after alleged nightclub assault. While Wells had to rewrite the entire first half of the final season after production was stalled because of the pandemic, the prolific writer-producer (ER, The West Wing) added in Franks COVID-19 demise in a bid to accurately reflect the struggles of an economically challenged community like the South Side of Chicago. Your source for entertainment news, celebrities, celeb news, and celebrity gossip. Although theres no direct explanation for his death, viewers can surmise that he died from complications of COVID-19 and excessive drug and alcohol abuse. Frank Gallagher(William H. Macy) is diagnosed with the coronavirus in a hospital and soon dies while on a ventilatora most harrowing cautionary scene amid the current pandemic. As viewers learned later in the episode Heidi (Shakira Barrera) had one hell of a rap sheet, but that only turned Debbie on even more. Connect today SHARE Many businesses continue to adapt their operations and workforce to COVID-19, whether bringing their employees into the workplace safely or evolving work-from-home or hybrid work strategies. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Debs (Emma Kenney) plans on moving to Texas with her daughter Franny (Paris Newton)and a new girlfriend. Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. So I thought, We should make a comment on that. We tried to make a comment all season on the particular difficulties that the pandemic has presented in low-income communities, and still make it kind of funny. What did you think of the Shameless finale? Since the initial diagnosis, his health has only declined. And Ian (Cameron Monaghan) and Mickey (Noel Fisher) have a kid. John Wells would have been happy for Shameless to last another 20 years, but hes satisfied with its run. By Charlie Ridgely Yes, Frank Gallagher dies during the Shameless finale, season 11 episode 12, titled 'Father Frank, Full of Grace.' The finale begins with Frank's overdose, brought about during the last. It was a callback to the character's desire in the early seasons to become a writer by having Roseanne sitting at a typewriter, writing a different ending to her story, but it left viewers feeling like their time had been wasted in the worst way. In Sundays series finale, Frank died of Covid. In other news, Why is Gina Carano not in The Mandalorian season 3 as Cara Dune? After 11 seasons of debauchery, drinking, and downright denial, " Shameless " and the Gallagher crew said farewell in the April 11 series finale, "Father Frank, Full of Grace" with an expected. After nine seasons of listening to Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) deliver one of the most long-winded stories in the world on the CBS sitcom, detailing how he met the mother of his children, fans were understandably horrified by the tossed-off way it was revealed that she'd been dead all along and Ted was, in fact, seeking his kid's permission to pursue their aunt Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders). Did he meet his maker while feasting on a bowl of onion rings with his family? "She lives in New York, and you know, we were trying to make it work, but there were quarantine setups that were in there if she came out to LA. But, fan fiction following their adventures to adopt to take in one of the neglected Milkovich brood, which Ian posed as an option, will surely be in abundance. What went into the decision to kill off Frank with COVID after he was diagnosed with alcoholic dementia? 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. The penultimate episode gave us some pretty strong clues as to how the Showtime series would wrap up, but one major cliffhanger had us wondering: does Frank die? But I would say that when youre doing stories about people who are less fortunate, if youre not providing easy answers, the shows tend to get overlooked a bit more. However, old footage of her wasincluded inshort family flashbacksexperienced by Frank. Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) the king? There are certainly many people who believe that. In a phone interview from Victoria, British Columbia, where hes working on a new series for Netflix, Wells discussed the inspiration for Franks death, Fionas near-return and the legacy of Shameless. These are edited excerpts from the conversation. There have been plenty of Covid-19 subplots on TV but I cant think of another lead character who actually died from it. While he has constantly been misusing substances and landing in trouble, his kids raised themselves and learned to look out for each other. After suffering from memory lapses, he was diagnosed with early-stage alcoholic dementia. Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) the king? Interactive tools, including maps, epidemic curves and other charts and graphics, with downloadable data, allow users to track and explore the latest trends . Ultimately, Franks (William H. Macy) past catches up with him as a combination of COVID-19 and the effects of alcoholic dementia prove to be more than he can handle and the character dies alone in a hospital. You never know. Steve Has Been MIA From 'Shameless' Since Season 5, but Could He Return? Thats about how the system doesnt really work for families living near the poverty line, Wells said. That was biggest disappointment: not being able to make that work out, because we all wanted it to happen. Have something to tell us about this article? There's certainly some schadenfreude in this, Frank always thinking he can skate by. As showrunner John Wells tells The Hollywood Reporter, the plan was always to have Frank face consequences of his addictions and horrible parenting an agreement he made with his Emmy-nominated star Macy. I sure as hell did." We planned on alcoholic dementia when we were only a few days from shooting when everything shut down in March [2020], Wells began. Kev and V seek buyers for the Alibi. We were always planning for him to pass away from something at the end. Offers may be subject to change without notice. World Health Organization Coronavirus disease situation dashboard presents official daily counts of COVID-19 cases and deaths worldwide, along with vaccination rates and other vaccination data, while providing a hub to other resources. John Wells is responsible for developing this show. Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) embraces a new position in the police department that will allow him to stay true to himself. On the subject of Emmy Rossum reprising her role as Fiona, Wells said that both sides involved wanted to make the character's comeback work. One thing I wish we had another year to explore was the eviction moratorium expiring, when we discover just how many people have lost their jobs and live with food insecurity. (The series failed to resolve whether Tami, played by Kate Miner, truly was pregnant, let alone what they would choose to do if she was.) FX Drops Trailer for 'Pose' Final Season (TV News Roundup), 'Shameless' Retrospective Series 'Hall of Shame' Ordered at Showtime, 'Shameless' Boss on Why It Would Have Felt 'Criminal' Not to Address COVID-19 in Final Season. Whatever you think is right! The current 7-day average of new deaths (453) decreased 9.7% compared with the previous 7-day average (502). You and many other people! 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