Copyright 2023 ComicBook.com. Not much left to say really. Then we came up with the solution of how Frank would seek forgiveness, how Lip would urinate on Franks head and Frank would actually accept it, because he realized he deserved it. Your source for entertainment news, celebrities, celeb news, and celebrity gossip. 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. Having said this, it does seem like Franks future will be bleak. Five simple words are all we need to explain why this iconic CW drama's finale missed the mark: Dan Humphrey was Gossip Girl. Was the goal to show that no matter what happens with the house, theyll always come together? Thats what I felt. This is all most people will experience. Does she wind up with anyone romantically? True to the series and its dark humor, a midcredits scene sees the crematorium oven exploding due to Frank's alcohol-ridden body. We had a lot of conversations with Showtime about how much we could say. 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. You rewrote the entire season after the shutdown. But we get to tell a lot of great stories with these people and wonderful actors, writers and directors. 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. Frank can still make you smile even as hes dying. 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. SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched Father Frank, Full of Grace, the series finale of Showtime, available on-demand now. 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. Another factor that seems to be tied to Franks possible death is Fionas return. Now, as the group packs up their bags, their hula lamps, and moves on from the South Side of Chicago, Shameless fans prepare to say goodbye ahead of the series finale on April 11. Leave some extra money for the maid when you stay at a hotel or motel. As of February 8, 2023, a total of 1,110,364 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the United States. Despite much hope among fans, Emmy Rossum, who left the show in. We planned on alcoholic dementia when we were only a few days from shooting when everything shut down in March [2020]. 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. It seemed appropriate for Frank. Possible symptoms include: Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body aches Headache 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. He had that great ability. To find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you: Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233. Kev (Steve Howey) and V (Shanola Hampton) plan a move to Kentucky. In . But were surely not planning anything. His attempt to sell stolen bikes went south, with the cops coming to his house; he had to hide and then dispose of an infamous painting Frank stole; he lost out on a deal to sell the house to a developer, and he re-introduced alcohol into his life, even if he didnt slide down the slippery slope he did years prior. 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. We were always planning for him to pass away from something at the end. "You know, she very much wanted to, and we wanted her to. The pandemic also prevented Rossums return to reprise her role as former leading lady Fiona Gallagher when travel bans amid a COVID surge eliminated that possibility. Knowing you were always going to give Frank alcoholic dementia, but ultimately COVID-19 knocked him out, was there anything about the end of the series that had to change because of the pandemic? The character, who rarely wore a mask, was initially hospitalizedafter displaying more severe symptoms of his alcohol-related dementia and after suffering a suspected suicide attempt by overdose. However, old footage of her wasincluded inshort family flashbacksexperienced by Frank. 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. Those fates are obviously up to the audiences to decide. Emmy Rossum) through flashbacks from the shows earliest episodes. Kev and V seek buyers for the Alibi. The cast of the Mean Girls musical movie keeps getting bigger, with Busy Philipps signing on for the Paramount Plus project. Dips and spikes could be due . In that regard, you might expect him to be able to stick it out and live to see the end of the series. Frank began to understand what was going on with his body. WARNING: Spoilers for the Shameless series finale are ahead! I will miss you this Sunday! We werent trying to do a Very Special Episode, Wells said. People would stop me on the street and tell me that Frank was like their dad. And Shameless? Season 11 of the American show, Shameless, has just aired on Netflix, and fans of the show, who didnt watch the Showtime series live when it first aired, are wondering if the shows lead, Frank Gallagher, dies in the latest chapter. Body aches, sore throat and . And fans were PISSED. I would have been interested in seeing the plight of this family without Frank and all that he brings hovering over their heads. Guess that's it. Daenerys (Emilia Clark) suddenly a fascist villain? 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. And even Frank feels that. And did Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) ever finish parallel parking? 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? 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. His eyes drift closed after writing a letter to the Gallagher family. In an interview with TVLine, Wells added that there isnt any hope of aShamelessspinoff for Frank or the rest of the Gallaghers. I think thats more fun, personally. 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. In the post-credits, his body, saturated with ingested alcohol, is cremated, with explosive results. Frank Gallagher A former journalist and communications professional, certified in AWS Cloud Computing and Google Project Management. We did what we set out to do. 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. In Season 11 of Shameless, a new disease has taken hold of Frank. You really dont get to connect. 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. 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. Body aches, sore throat and . See TV's most controversial series finales: The series ended its 11-season run on April 11, 2021. Covid-19 is a mild infection for eight out of 10 people who get it and the core symptoms are a fever and a cough. 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). Even when he was dogging his own kids in his own suicide note, hes still making us laugh because hes still Frank. Liam tells Lip that he's "sort of gone," with Lip believing Frank has died. Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) embraces a new position in the police department that will allow him to stay true to himself. And thats OK. We had a great, loyal audience for a long time. 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. There are certainly many people who believe that. Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) embraces a new position in the police department that will allow him to stay true to himself. So, it could be that Franks death in the series could bring all his kids together one final time before Shameless comes to an end. Updated March 1, 2023. As many expected, Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy) died in the final episode, and he ascended to the sky to deliver a monologue over . All rights reserved. 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. The showrunner and executive producer John Wells weighed in on the plans for Franks ending. In the early ideas of the story, that was a perfect way to have Fiona return. We wanted her to return and had some storylines about her coming back and she wanted to do it. https://t.co/9mbYSHdr57. However, he kept forgetting that he had dementia. We caught it at the wrong moment. 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. He has had multiple diseases and injuries over the seasons to the point where he has been incapacitated more than once. The house is in Fionas name, and she remains Liams legal guardian. No, Fiona does not appear in the final season of Shameless. 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. I was also interested in Arthur (guest star Josh Malina) and Carl running the Alibi, it could have been funny as a cop bar story. That Shameless would end without providing resolution for what happens to the Gallagher children comes as little surprise, as Wells has said for years that he was drawn to a sense of life going on for the characters. By Charlie Ridgely I say youre just not drinking enough. We all search for community, and the Gallagher world was a community of kids who cared about each other. Why havent the Gallaghers talked about their sister? 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 current 7-day average of new deaths (453) decreased 9.7% compared with the previous 7-day average (502). We could have used two more seasons to explore that. When the show was revived in 2018 after 21 years, it forgot all about its controversial ending. - April 12, 2021 11:49 am EDT. Thats about how the system doesnt really work for families living near the poverty line, Wells said. Interactive tools, including maps, epidemic curves and other charts and graphics, with downloadable data, allow users to track and explore the latest trends . Bleak. So much for all of the internal work she did last week to understand why she just cant find a good relationship, huh? Did he meet his maker while feasting on a bowl of onion rings with his family? You rewrote the first half of the season after COVID hit. On his deathbed, Frank sees visions of his family from early in the shows run. There was going to be a family discussion about who was going to take care of Frank. It was a death that felt inevitable, but between the other-worldly element of him floating above the city and the additional mid-credits scene of the crematory oven exploding while processing his alcohol-riddled body, it was a death that did come not without the quintessential dark humor of this series. They also never find the note he left before overdosing. Right?! It was a fine line, trying to ride an ongoing conversation in the country. In the sixth episode of this season, Frank is diagnosed with early stages of Alcoholic Dementia. 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. Five simple words are all we need to explain why this iconic CW drama's finale missed the mark: Dan Humphrey was Gossip Girl. 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. If you hated the way Lena Dunham's HBO comedy ended, with a half-hour that focused merely on Hannah Horvath with a bit of Allison Williams' Marnie thrown in, helping to raise Hannah's baby, may we suggest you think of it as merely an ill-advised epilogue and allow the penultimate episodewhich saw Hannah saying goodbye to all of the titular girls in a truly emotionally effective half-hourto act as the show's true finale. 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. But I dont know. Billions Season 6 | Official Teaser | SHOWTIME. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. William H. Macy, who plays Frank, is credited for every episode of Season 11, including the finale. We didnt want Frank to get off scot-free for all his lifestyle choices. It sadly certainly seems that Frank is dead. We had about 20 of them! While the problematic patriarch's death would be a sad way to conclude the show, fans are hoping that it may mean a reunion for the rest of the Gallaghers. Total Deaths Reported. It just hit at just the wrong time with the continuing shutdown," said Wells. All Rights Reserved. Shameless showrunner John Wells told Entertainment Weekly that he would love for Fiona's actress, Emmy Rossum, to return for the final season. However, nothing has been confirmed, and the only way to know if Frank dies is to watch the final episode of the series. It was always about the balance of whats been done and what we leave unpunished and unforgiven in the family, because the show is really just about how a family can pull itself through all different kinds of crisis. Beyond everything else in the show that people love, what I was always most attracted to was no matter how difficult things were, this was a group of people who loved each other and came together even when they were angry with each other. It hasn't been confirmed just yet, but if Frank dies, Fiona could make her return to the show at his funeral, bringing all of the Gallaghers together one final time. 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. On the finale, the Gallagher family patriarch ( William H. Macy) died of COVID-19. COVID-19 played a major role on the final season of Shameless, both onscreen and off-screenserving as the primary reason that Emmy Rossum, who starred as Fiona Gallagher on the series for nine. Carls story line became far more topical. 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. I think I have an idea about what would happen over the next few months, but I have no idea what would wholly happen. After 134. In its final season, Shameless sought to reflect the losses many families have experienced during the pandemic. Shameless is a family comedy-drama that revolves around Frank Gallagher and his dysfunctional family of six kids. 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. The series ends with a scene of everyone getting together to celebrate Ian and Mickeys wedding anniversary. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Frank visited a church, at which he seemed to think he was an altar boy, and the priest called an ambulance for him. All of the Spoilers You Could Ever Want for 'Shameless' Season 10. It's a question we've asked about William H. Macy's character more times than we'd like to admit, as his rambunctious behavior has left him with plenty of hospital stays and even at the bottom of a lake. Another hint that Frank is dead comes from the title and synopsis of the last episode, "Father Frank, Full of Grace." In the final moments of the finale, Franks body explodes during his cremation because of the amount of alcohol in his body. I love Kevin (Steve Howey) and Veronica (Shanola Hampton), and would love to see what happens to them. Or was that a way to get Emmy Rossum back onscreen, even for a second? Shameless: Breaking Down Frank Gallagher's Fate During the Series Finale. There are three broad possibilities if you think you've dodged the virus: You're wrong - you have actually been infected, but never realised. Furthermore, it will include a COVID-19 story line, after John Wells reworked the season to fit one in. Contact a healthcare provider if you have any questions about your test result or if your symptoms worsen. What went into the decision to kill off Frank with COVID after he was diagnosed with alcoholic dementia? They agreed, It would be unrealistic to not have anybody in this community actually suffer severe consequences of the pandemic. And Frank seemed like the logical choice. Many wonderful novels end and youre still thinking about the characters and what they do. John Wells is responsible for developing this show. Franks final words were observations about and advice to his children, including that Lip all-too-often gets in his own way. Sadly, the rest of the Gallagher clan never learn he is dying thanks to his ridiculously large hospital file, although Lip crosses paths with the ambulance without knowing it. Forever in search of normalcy, Ian was all for the idea, while Mickey seemed gutted by the notion of being a crappy father. Distractify is a registered trademark. 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. {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. You may remember that in season 4, he needs a liver transplant but ends up losing a kidney instead, in an illegal procedure. The idea was with Franks dementia being discovered, theres a call and she comes back to help everyone figure it out and that she would come back and be involved at the end with what to do with the house and all that. 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