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Shameless Season 3 Episode 9

Frank the Plumber

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AIRED: Mar 17, 2013

9.1

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Episode Summary

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Fiona starts a new job at an office. Mandy affects Lip's future, while Karen pushes Mandy to the edge. Frank manages to become the public face of a gay rights movement.

Fan Episode Reviews (4)

all over the place but overall still really good as always

8.0

By darcicomplex, Apr 12, 2013

Really liked this episode, which kept a nice balance between laughs and by balance, I mean it veers off in extreme directions all the time. Most of the time I like this, sometimes the tonal shifts are just a bit too sudden and it feels still i love how the show dares to do this.

While i'm on the subject of extreme shifts, one area that mimics this is music. The show has always used a lot of good songs, but then sometimes they do stupid things like just blasting 10 seconds only of a song when a scene could've just done without music. One thing I hated about this episode was that they played "I Will Survive" at the gay bar, how stupid and stereotypical/cliche that is. I'm not even gay and that offended I digress. On the other hand, this episode did have a bunch of other cool songs like Murder By Death's "Brother" (plays when Sheila goes to Karen's room to apologize for being a crazy

mother) "Run With A Knife" by The Left Hands (plays when Jimmy finally receives his paycheck) and last, but not least, The Acorn's "Bobcat Goldwraith" (plays when Fiona is asked to stay on at World Wide Cup).moreless
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Frank the Plumber

7.0

By thefanof, Mar 23, 2013

Surprised to see how far this show will go to be edgy, to not worry about offending people, and that's what makes it an original show every Sunday night. Not one of the strongest of the season, way too much Mandy and Karen, but the job scenes with Fiona are always entertaining.

Another strong show.
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Great episode yet again. Best of the season so far!

10

By melynaanylem, Mar 20, 2013

Lots of laughs on this one.

Great ensemble esp. Frank and Fiona! Perfect for their roles! More! More! More please!
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bad title, great (seriously, it's a review, but if you haven't seen it, there are spoilers)

10

By cuculhain, Mar 18, 2013

So I didn't catch the title meaning until the last minute of the show when they handed it to us on a plate. Because it only had a passing connection to the inferred connection. But not important.

I LOVE MANDY!!!

Yes, she may be a sexually abused, white trash raised bit of a psychopath, but damned if I don't love her anyway. She lies cheats and steals to pay for application fees for Lip behind his back because she wants him to get out. She absolutely stares down Karen in a school hallway because Lip has given her enough affection for her to stake her claim. And then, boom, hits her with a car at the end. And add it all up, and I still want her to end up with Lip. She is the right kind of disfunction. Shameless, not selfish.

Fiona's trip to call center world hit me close to home so much I couldn't help but laugh the whole time. I worked in one, and had a script-loving boss just like that. The writers clearly did as well. Any time this show wants Emmy to dress sexy, I applaud it, but her outfit issues were funny too. Nothing about it was business or even business casual. But coming from V's wardrobe, that doesn't surprise. Having her feel good enough about her job performance to get herself a more approriate suit was a great way to end her story.

And having Jimmy possibly finding a job he could actually enjoy doing legally and still have the rush he needs. I am still worried that the writers intend to have every season arc be about whether Fiona and Jimmy are in the same city by the end or not. This gave me a little hope that that was not the case, until I saw next week's previews. (This is why I wish I had the patience to just wait and watch the whole season at once from Netflix or Amazon, but I can't. patience is not a virtue I have for this (also, I purchased Emmy Rossum's new cd, it's really good, older covers, but catchy as hell, especially "Things")

Frank was funny as always. For me it wasn't the actual speec making scene. I have tired of that of late. No, it was the scene in the Alibi. The patrons ragging on him mercilessly. And even though he explained it as an attempt to get free insurance, he didn't fight back when he was mocked, he just got up and left. Maybe there is a reason why that they will explain. Maybe he really just doesn't like people making fun off people for something they didn't choose to be. maybe he has done enough debauchery and sexually ambiguous things in the past for him to stop worrying about sexual labels. I don't know, but that scene, plus the bj from the Translady was laugh out loud funny. And the preview means he will have more of that story without having Chris to bog him down, so I am looking forward to that.

I liked that Lip put an effort into the idea of MIT as an option. Yes the scene in the front yard felt a little forced. And the hastily written essay felt like the Breakfast Club threw up on his leagl pad. But still, I would hope that the writers find a way to send him off to a university somehow. The season is short enough as is that they can write him in as being back on break, trying to raise cash to not be the poorest student on whatever campus he ends up at. He needed 3 semesters to get through senior year, no reason they had to have him graduate in less than the regular 4 for the same reasons. So they wouldn't have to write him off. And don't get me wrong, I LOVE this show, and it is resigned for 2 more seasons. Add 2 to that for Lip to graduate, and that is a long running show, even for a short season show like Shameless.

The circumcision thing was premature, but still funny. Having Fiona disagree with Veroniica on that was great. Having the HR cousin guy from the new company so uncomfortable for leagal reasons was great too. And yes, they had great chemistry. Don't know if it will be a competing romance for Fiona. If Jimmy leaves, I am rooting for the new guy.

Loved seeing Debbie the nuturer back, but hope she keeps some of her new found indignation and anger going.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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William H. Macy	Frank Gallagher
Emmy Rossum	Fiona Gallagher
Justin Chatwin	Jimmy Lishman / Steve
Ethan Cutkosky	Carl Gallagher
Shanola Hampton	Veronica Fisher
Steve Howey	Kevin "Kev" Ball

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Christian Clemenson	Christopher	Guest Star
Matthew Glave	Scott Walker	Guest Star
Mary Mara	Nance	Guest Star
Laura Wiggins	Karen Jackson	Recurring Role
Bernardo De Paula	Beto	Recurring Role
Jim Hoffmaster	Kermit	Recurring Role

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Featured Episode Clip

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Directing a Scene: Frank the Plumber

3/18/13 (01:35)
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Equal Rights

3/11/13 (01:30)
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Men Are Never Right

3/11/13 (00:42)

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (1)
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- Sheila: My daughter's a mean girl. I don't know how it happened.
  Debbie: It's not your fault.
  Sheila: But I'm her mother.
  Debbie: Hey, if how we turn out is all about how our mother is, then I'm pretty screwed, right?
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NOTES (1)
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- Joan Cusack (Sheila Jackson) is credited as special guest star.
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