However, Wells had revealed that the Gallagher family will stand by each other no matter what. Shameless is a family comedy-drama that revolves around Frank Gallagher and his dysfunctional family of six kids. How did you decide he would get Covid? You could argue that Frank was already meant to die when he had liver disease or countless other physical ailments. Previously, Wells had expressed his keenness on having Emmy Rossum reprise her role as Fiona. It also delivered one of the most controversial finales ever with a simple smash cut to black just as somethingmaybe nefarious, maybe notwas about to happen to the show's iconic antihero, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini). 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Aside fromhis final accession, the finale also lefteven moreup in the air: Lip (Jeremy Allen White) gets an offer tosell the family's home and hopes to start a new life with Tami (Kate Miner), their son Freddie and his brother Liam (Christian Isaiah). At the time, fans were left unsure if Frank was just planning for the future or if he was about to make a major choice. On his deathbed, Frank sees visions of his family from early in the shows run. We arrived at alcoholic dementia and had written more than half the season when we shut down. I dont have any explanation for why The Wire was never the most decorated show in television history. In other news, Why is Gina Carano not in The Mandalorian season 3 as Cara Dune? Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! Take general public health precautions to prevent spreading an illness to others. And more than a year later, many of them are still asking that very question. Print People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported - ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. John Wells discussed the impact of the pandemic and police protests on Sundays series finale. We could have used two more seasons to explore that. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day, Inside the business of TV with breaking news, expert analysis and showrunner interviews. Then I lost a close family member from Covid at Christmastime. Below, we break down the latest. Covid is just the thing that finally pushed him over the edge.. Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! Then three days before shooting began on a season in which the mostly grown-up Gallaghers finally disperse, production was shut down for months. Yes, absolutely. "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. We were also trying to address things about lack of housing. Unfortunately, with COVID protocols in place, there just wasn't a good way to make it work. We put it up on the writers room board and then took it down a few times. We werent trying to do a Very Special Episode, Wells said. In the end the hospital-gown-clad character instead reprised his seat at The Alibi as a ghost of sorts, watching over his beloved, even though no one could see him. Bleak. Thank you for 11 incredible seasons. Thats happening to lots of families. We arrived at alcoholic dementia and had written more than half the season when we shut down., Showrunner John Wells spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the ways the pandemic changed the series finale and how travel challenges prevented one long-awaited reunion from happening https://t.co/SFV6EpPZoC. 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. And then Fiona opened the box! In theShamelessseries finale, he woke up and wandered around southside Chicago. Showtimes long-running series,Shameless, concluded with the series finale on April 11, 2021 and the death of Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy). Original star Rossum departed Shameless in season nine, with barely a mention of her character since. Ian (Cameron Monaghan) and Mickey (Noel Fisher) accept theirnew yuppie lifestyle. Frank continues wandering around the city in a daze, revisiting old haunts like Patsy's Pies and a church where he believes he's an altar boy. Its fun in American Graffiti where you tell everyone what happens. On Sunday, April 11, the hit Showtime dramedy series Shamelesscame to an end after 11 seasons. In the final moments of the finale, Franks body explodes during his cremation because of the amount of alcohol in his body. (Laughing.) Frank has so many possible comorbidities Covid is just the thing that finally pushed him over the edge. Do You Need to Watch The Book of Boba Fett Before The Mandalorian Season 3? 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. Of course there were plenty of big life decisions to be made in the meantime, so when Frank woke up and wandered off, no one other than Liam took note. Thats hard for us to accept. Not much left to say really. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The travel was such a mess that we never got to the point of my actually writing it. Frank has so many possible comorbidities Covid is just the thing that finally pushed him over the edge. What are our responsibilities to each other? You rewrote the entire season after the shutdown. Watching Showtime's serial killer thriller, one got the impression that the titular murderer (played by Michael C. Hall) might eventually have to, you know, pay for his many, many sins by the time all was said and done. WARNING: Spoilers for the Shameless series finale are ahead! What did you think of the Shameless finale? Fans were stunned when ABC's groundbreaking sitcom signed off after nine seasons with the titular heroine (played by Roseanne Barr) revealing that the entire final season had been a figment of her imagination, with her beloved husband Dan (John Goodman) having not actually survived his heart attack in the season prior. 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. It also delivered one of the most controversial finales ever with a simple smash cut to black just as somethingmaybe nefarious, maybe notwas about to happen to the show's iconic antihero, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini). The events towards the end of season 11 hint that Frank does not intend to live any longer and might prefer to leave the world on his terms rather than suffering more. Showrunner, John Wells, previously announced that they would have loved to welcome Fiona, and her actor Emmy Rossum, back into the narrative for the finale season if the pandemic didnt rear its ugly head. Speaking of The Alibi, the bar took up a surprising amount of finale time with its own storyline in Sundays episode, as Veronica (Shanola Hampton) and Kevin (Steve Howey) fielded an offer to sell and the locals wondered if it would be the last great establishment to fall victim to the gentrification going on around them. However, he kept forgetting that he had dementia. Dips and spikes could be due . Instead, his poor sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) met her demise and he escaped Miami to restart asa lumberjack in Oregon?! In the early days, we had a lot of conversations about Frank choosing to sleep with Lips girlfriend Karen (Laura Slade Wiggins). Not only does Frank die, but he does so alone and the series ends without his family knowing about it. Based on a British TV series, the Showtime version transferred the scruffy family to the South Side of Chicago and, among other things, thoroughly modernized the British concept of kitchen-sink drama. The Gallagher kitchen hosted such events as Monica slicing her wrists, Fiona having impromptu sex, Debbie giving birth, Frank removing Debbies necrotic toes and then-toddler Liam collapsing from a cocaine overdose. Thats what I felt. Theres certainly some schadenfreude in this, Frank always thinking he can skate by everything and coming to a moment he couldnt skate by. We had about 20 of them! 423 followers . Showrunner John Wells talks with The Hollywood Reporter about the ways the pandemic changed the series finale and how travel challenges prevented one long-awaited reunion from happening. All rights reserved. We had a lot of conversations with Showtime about how much we could say. See TV's most controversial series finales: The series ended its 11-season run on April 11, 2021. We didnt want Frank to get off scot-free for all his lifestyle choices. We caught it at the wrong moment. And NO. You never know. Furthermore, it will include a COVID-19 story line, after John Wells reworked the season to fit one in. The Flash Recap With Spoilers: "The Mask of the Red Death Part 1", Jon Favreau Reveals How Book of Boba Fett Set Mandalorian Season 3 Free, Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce Becomes Indiana Jones in New SNL Promo, Jay Leno Jokes About His "Brand New Face" After Garage Fire, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Quantumania Exclusive Interview | Phase Zero ft. Jeff Loveness. Additionally, the fans may also recall that Fiona comes back for the season finale in the original UK version of the show. Shameless: Breaking Down Frank Gallagher's Fate During the Series Finale. Its not like we took out the healthiest individual youve ever seen. Id love to be talking about pandemic checks, and what a huge difference affordable day care would make to Debbie and Tami (Kate Miner). Frank has so many possible comorbidities, Wells said. Figures for Covid patients in hospitals and I.C.U.s are the most recent number of patients with Covid-19 who are hospitalized or in an intensive care unit on that day. Mild disease. Bill [Macy] and I had always made deal that there would have to be consequences for all of Franks abuse to his body, between the drugs and alcohol. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner John Wells confirmed Frank is actually dead. The finale begins with Franks overdose, brought about during the last episode, and he is later taken into hospital where it was revealed that he had Covid-19. "So, it was disappointing for everybody, and we would've loved to have her back, and she wanted to come back, but it was one of those things that couldn't get done during the pandemic.". Its hard to question anybodys choices based on travel and safety. After 134. Frank can still make you smile even as hes dying. And Bill playing the part was such a huge part of that. I lost a close family member who had been ill in December of COVID, despite following the COVID protocols. On Sunday night, Showtime's long-running and acclaimed remake of Shameless finally came to an end, closing the book on the popular Gallagher family. Except times precious. 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. All of the Spoilers You Could Ever Want for 'Shameless' Season 10. As he passes away, he imagines himself rising upabove the rooftops while sitting in a chair in his hospital gownas he narrates a letter, filled with words of "advice," that he left for his family. Anyone can read what you share. Let us know in the comments! There have been plenty of Covid-19 subplots on TV but I cant think of another lead character who actually died from it. Eventually, in his dream (or maybe as a spirit), he floated up on his barstool above his family. Frank visited a church, at which he seemed to think he was an altar boy, and the priest called an ambulance for him. It's unclear as to whether he dies from his alcoholic dementia, from COVID-19 complications, or as a result of his recent overdose. Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) the king? It seemed unrealistic to do something about the South Side of Chicago and people living barely above the poverty line and not have anybody succumb to this horrible pandemic. In your mind, do you know how it ends for these characters? I like keeping it with the audiences imagination of who would react and how when they finally discover that hes gone. Kev (Steve Howey) and V (Shanola Hampton) plan a move to Kentucky. Not much left to say really. In Sundays series finale, Frank died of Covid. Was the goal to show that no matter what happens with the house, theyll always come together? A parade of returning guest stars testified about all the horrible things that had befallen them as a result of Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George (Jason Alexander), and Kramer's (Michael Richards) extreme selfishness and, in the end, a judge threw them in jail for a full year as a result of it. Body aches, sore throat and . In the 10th episode of the season, Frank opts to get a "do not resuscitate" tattoo across his chest, seemingly trying to take the burden of making that decision off of his children. It's unclear as to whether he dies from his alcoholic dementia, from COVID-19 complications, or as a result of his recent overdose. 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. I sure as hell did." Ian (Cameron Monaghan) and Mickey (Noel Fisher) were the opposite of that, as they pieced together the furniture for their new lives outside of the Gallagher residence. As he passes away, he imagines himself rising upabove the rooftops while sitting in a chair in his hospital gownas he narrates a letter, filled with words of "advice," that he left for his family. What is proper policing? Kids would come to our Chicago set, and tell us about how they were thrown out of their homes for being gay, lesbian or trans. Thats an experience many people have had with relatives who have died of COVID. In my mind, she winds up back with Jimmy-Steve (Justin Chatwin). Daenerys (Emilia Clark) suddenly a fascist villain? It was kind of our inside joke: You can do about anything, but you cant steal a library book. I think that was because [Showtime co-president of entertainment] Gary Levine didnt want to encourage people to actually keep library books. 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. People say you cant drink your troubles away, Frank said in the letter. So, here is everything you need to know! This has to set up Fiona coming back for the finale episode! The possibility of Franks death has also evoked a lot of responses from the fans. So, he got a tattoo across his chest that read, Do not resuscitate. Later, he wrote a suicide note to his family and attempted to overdose on heroin. Does she wind up with anyone romantically? The right medications for COVID-19 can help. The answer was only $75,000 (a far cry from the $200,000 he could have received from the developer), but Ian offered to give Lip his share if the deal closed. But never say never. When the iconic NBC comedy signed off in 1998 after nine seasons, original co-creator Larry David returned to really drive home how little the show's core four characters had learnedand how kinda awful they'd been all along. Meanwhile, the Gallaghers save for Emmy Rossums Fiona reunite at the Alibi, unaware of their fathers passing, to celebrate Ian and Mickeys wedding anniversary. 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. Watch Shameless on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on Showtime. It was, uh, a choice. As it turned out, she whisked herself away and finally got to live her life on her own terms. Showtime has just announced that the final season will premiere on Sunday, Dec. 6. Have a good time. So when Heidi suggested blowing Chicago and hitting the open road, Debbie seemed amenable to the idea, despite previously warring with Lip (Jeremy Allen White) over his attempts to sell their family home. 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. Ian (Cameron Monaghan) and Mickey (Noel Fisher) accept theirnew yuppie lifestyle. 2023 E! #Shameless. Patty Croker: Was revealed to be dying of cancer late in Series 10. In the following episode, we're left to discover that he was indeed making a decision. Despite much hope among fans, Emmy Rossum, who left the show in season nine in 2019, did not return forthe finaleto reprise her role of Frank's eldest daughter Fiona Gallagher. Frank Gallagher has lived through more than 10 seasons of Shameless as a drug-addicted miscreant who had no desire to ever turn his life around. 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. It was a fine line, trying to ride an ongoing conversation in the country. Having all these stories out there reminds people that the things that they might be ashamed of and feel need to be hidden, nah weve got to talk about it. The series ends with a scene of everyone getting together to celebrate Ian and Mickeys wedding anniversary. Or your body . I want to see the Alibi cop-bar story, and what happens with Carl and Arthur (Joshua Malina) as police officers. We would have loved to continue making the show because I love making the show and youve heard me say that a bunch of times. 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 ending and more than a few lingering questions about the surviving characters. Five simple words are all we need to explain why this iconic CW drama's finale missed the mark: Dan Humphrey was Gossip Girl. This was a series finale and Frank had come close to meeting his maker many times before, after all, and there were other stories to follow. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. Estimates for the case fatality rate for COVID-19 vary depending on the country. Shameless showrunner John Wells told Entertainment Weekly that he would love for Fiona's actress, Emmy Rossum, to return for the final season. Then there was the Lip of it all. Debbie never explicitly made a decision as to her future by the end of the episode, but it seemed clear that she was willing to follow this newfound love interest to whatever sad end it would bring her and her daughter. Bleak. And fans were PISSED. And even Frank feels that. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. When Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse decided to end the mind-bending ABC mystery by getting metaphysical rather than giving some, you know, concrete answers about what had been going on for the last six seasons, not everyone was exactly thrilled. 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. Although it was a very Frank way to die, fans still werent sure if the Shameless series finale meant the Gallagher patriarch was actually dead. 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