While there is no doubt that Shameless has featured some expert storytelling over the years, the truth of the matter is that a lot of the show’s plotlines have been pretty repetitive. For example, Frank’s antics are entertaining and he changes things up from time to time but despite any growth he has undergone, he still does a lot of the same things he did when the show started.
Keeping in mind Shameless’ limited stories, it is great that the show has featured so many fantastic characters throughout its run. Unfortunately, there also is no denying that some of the show’s lesser characters have been annoying enough that viewers wanted them gone ASAP. With that in mind, it is time to get to this list of 8 Shameless characters that ruined the show and 7 that saved it.
15 Ruined: Helené Runyon
Back when Helené Runyon first got involved with Lip Gallagher, we were fine with it as we assumed she would be involved in a quick storyline that went nowhere and involved a few fun scenes. However, in the end, the storyline became wildly melodramatic, it turned Lip into a whiny baby, and it always got awkward whenever Helené’s husband showed up.
14 Saved: Jimmy Lishman A.K.A. Steve Wilton
The first of Fiona’s boyfriends who weren’t what they seemed to be at first, in the end, the man who is affectionately known as Jimmy-Steve broke her heart. However, Jimmy probably was Fiona’s only boyfriend that could keep up with her. They were enjoyable to watch together, and we still firmly believe they could’ve been great together. If only Jimmy’s past didn’t get in the way.
13 Ruined: Terry Milkovich
Even though this character has barely been seen and at this point, it seems unlikely that he will ever return, we still had to include Terry Milkovich as a character that ruined the show. After all, the character as written is such an awful human being that anytime he appeared on screen it resulted in our skin crawling.
12 Saved: Kevin Ball and Veronica Fisher
Two characters for the price of one, with this entry we are going to look at the Gallaghers’ longtime neighbors and friends, Kevin Ball and Veronica Fisher. Almost always wrapped up in wacky situations, even when these two have been involved in poorly conceived storylines, their chemistry and fun energy made the most of them. On top of that, we really appreciate how loyal they are to one another and the Gallaghers.
11 Ruined: Debbie Gallagher
Probably Shameless’ most divisive character, when the show began Debbie Gallagher was a delightful little girl, and as of recently she has become much more enjoyable again. However, for several seasons Debbie was involved in one intolerable storyline after another, her behavior towards Fiona was outrageous, and she appeared in more scenes than almost anyone else.
10 Saved: Bianca Samson
Sadly a character whose time on Shameless came to an end too soon, Bianca Samson was a terminally ill doctor who needed help to make the most of her last days alive. An extremely nuanced character as her tragic story was heartbreaking but her antics were a lot of fun, Bianca even managed to inspire a temporary positive change in Frank Gallagher.
9 Ruined: Mo White
As every Shameless fan has known from the very start, Frank Gallagher’s moral code has always been extremely loose when it is to his personal benefit. However, when the show had him continue to run Mo White’s political campaign after learning that the former congressman is a pedophile, it was so troubling that it went too far, even for Frank. As such, Mo’s inclusion in the show, ruined one of its main characters.
8 Saved: Mandy Milkovich
Quite possibly the most tragic Shameless character of all, Mandy Milkovich deserved so much better than what she got from Lip Gallagher. Clearly madly in love during their time together, we so badly wanted to see Mandy find happiness but it almost always alluded her. While we often were sad when Mandy’s heart was broken again, her character made us invest in Shameless more than any other for a time.
7 Ruined: Chuckie Slott
In a lot of ways, we wanted to like Chuckie. After all, it isn’t his fault that his mother was the worst and he was brought up in a really bad situation. Unfortunately, everything about the character as written got on the nerves of most Shameless fans and it is baffling that any of the show’s writers thought viewers would enjoy Chuckie.
6 Saved: Fiona Gallagher
By far the most responsible member of the Gallagher family, for the most part, Fiona was the person that held this most often highly dysfunctional family together for many years. No longer a part of the show after season 9, we will forever miss her character’s guiding hand over her siblings' lives but have to say her exit was handled wonderfully.
5 Ruined: Ford Kellogg
The kind of character that is a child’s idea of cool, at first Ford Kellogg was a mysterious character who was cagey about his background in a really irritating way. Worse yet, once the show began to reveal Ford’s past, everything we learned made the character less tolerable, especially the fact that he was married. On top of all that, the actor who played Ford had zero chemistry with Emmy Rossum.
4 Saved: Phillip “Lip” Gallagher
Probably the Shameless character who has grown the most over the years, it has been amazing to watch Lip Gallagher go from a total screw up to a positive role model. In fact, the only thing we wish would change about Lip is that the show seems to have completely forgotten that he is supposed to be a brilliant person. We need to see him flaunt his intelligence regularly once again.
3 Ruined: Kassidi Gallagher
Introduced during the eighth season of Shameless, at first Kassidi Gallagher wasn’t all bad as it was interesting to see Carl have a consistent girlfriend. However, by the time she turned into his wife, not only was it hard to take her crazy behavior and constant manipulation, but Kassidi made Carl a less enjoyable character as well.
2 Saved: Mickey Milkovich and Ian Gallagher
The second of two entries on this list that actually involve two characters, we can’t imagine including Ian Gallagher or Mickey Milkovich without including the other. After all, the love they shared was absolutely touching, they brought out the best in one another, and on top of all that, their shared antics could be really funny at times too.
1 Ruined: Sammi Slott
A newly discovered daughter of Frank Gallagher’s who came along several seasons into the show, it truly seems like nobody liked Sammi Slott. An all-around annoying character whose weird relationship with Frank got really gross at times, it feels like every Sammi scene only served to make Shameless a less enjoyable show.
Sources: shameless.fandom.com