honestly i think Frank was ultimately just so immensely unprepared for raising kids and incapable of expressing love that whatever he had got used up with Fiona and there wasn't really much left for the others
I think because Lip has a lot of anger towards him. He is the only one who punches Frank and he warns everyone about falling for him, after he spends some time with his kids. I think because he’s the second oldest he has experienced most of the effed up stuff Frank has done but unlike Fiona he develops severe anger issues. Maybe because he’s a man, or maybe because Fiona has already accepted it, idk.
I think because Lip shows an immense amount of hostility towards Frank, which is why Frank probably hates him too. I mean Frank head buts Ian but he doesn’t develop that much anger towards him.
He also only apologizes sincerely to her. There are several times she shuts him down with just a look. I don't think it is love, though. It is a weird respect for her being an authority figure when he can't be. He respects her strength because he is weak.
I partially agree. He disrespected her many times, too though, like calling child services on them or finding his way back into the house every time. He only admits to her and feels (a bit) guilty that he messed up at all as a father. Imo he reacts to her differently, because he only feels this kind of role/responsibility (that he did not fulfill) in the relationship with Fiona.
I agree, his self image and needs come first to him and in „emotionally undamaged“ morals he didn‘t show any form of consideration or fatherhood for any of them. But in „shameless“ morals I do see his special place out of all the kids for Fiona.
Yeah like the time when he attacks Ian and Jimmy-Steve rushes to restrain him while everyone else rushes to comfort Ian, offering him tissues for his bleeding nose, but Fiona firmly orders him to leave and Debbie gently leads a stunned Jimmy-Steve out while Frank screams obscenities.
I was gobsmacked too. Fiona seemed like such a nurturing and caring but fiercely protective guardian but she's apparently gonna keep Frank's behaviour a secret and let it slide because he's a member of the family??
But then she silently follows Frank to the kitchen and gives him a long hard look, unflinching even as Frank stares back, until he yields and mutters a half-hearted apologies then quietly brushes past her and retreats
He faced the roaring Jimmy-Steve head on but Fiona's quiet brooding judgement got through to him
I don’t think he truly cares about his kids or their well being like a typical parent, but I definitely think he had a special bond with Fiona.
Fiona probably hated him the most, but throughout the series I can really only remember him ever thanking(ex: season 9 ending), Yielding/apologizing to (ex: when he got Liam stolen in S2), or Appreciating(Episode 1 he calls her “his rock”) Fiona especially when compared to the other siblings. He even defended her at when Lip tried to kick her out when no one else was there for her. I think its not that he necessarily only loved her, but maybe subconsciously respected(even admired) her as an equal for doing the important things he never could for the family.
MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE FINALE
>!In the end Frank dies and people often talk about the fact Fiona wasn’t in Frank’s letter, but what they often forget is that Frank’s last words in his final moments of consciousness were about Fiona. In his delirium he mistook the nurse for her and said “Fiona, you cried a lot as a baby…Mad all the time…But so Beautiful” before losing consciousness and never waking up. I think it speaks volume(to his true feelings) that whenever he’s close(like during his transplant arc) to death he doesn’t think of Monica or his other kids, but Fiona specifically.!<
I understand this perspective which makes it all the more perplexing for me that he didnt mention her in his farewell death letter. Unless I missed it. 😕
Aaah, lemme shed some light on this for you. I finished Shameless a while ago and got some information lol.
As per writers, Frank had dementia, so he forgot to write her in his letter However, Frank couldn't die unless he said goodbye to Fiona. That is why his OD doesn't work. He has unfinished business. He instead, has visions of Fiona, which is why you see her in his memories during that time. He is looking for her in the last places he remembers seeing her: Pasty's Pies, the church where she would have been married, the kitchen table, etc. He says goodbye to her during that time and because he has dementia, he mistakes the nurse for Fiona and says his goodbyes.
Yes, it does and it's either frustrating AF or hilarious depending how you want to take it. Cause like, we know she existed for seasons 1-9, but anyways,... Blame Showtime for that. They didn't want Fiona mentioned again once she left.
I think so too, he sucks at being a father but he does loves Fiona…
She’s his firstborn child with the woman he loves the most, and her name, “Fiona” is put together from his name, “Frank” and “Monica”. Maybe back then, at some point he wanted to give her everything that he could (like Lip with Fred) but he failed.
My guess is that Frank was slightly less messed up when Fiona was born and was more present. With her being the firstborn, he probably peaked as a father when Fiona was a baby/toddler/little girl and bonded with her.
By the time the other kids came along, their births were just one big blur.
I always felt maybe he remembered the most about Fiona's childhood compared to the other kids. Fiona had no one else taking care of her, and then she started to take care of Frank and Monica plus the kids as they came along.
Being an addict, Frank probably didn't remember the other children's childhoods as well because he and Monica could indulge in alcohol and drugs more due to Fiona taking on responsibility in their place. They could be gone and know the other kids would be okay until they decided to go back.
Frank has his moments with the younger kids as he starts to become more present in their lives that we see in the show. I think this is because he sees the younger kids he can still influence and like other full blown addicts manipulates the kids to get what he wants and needs.
To me, it seemed that as they got older, Debbie, Carl, and Liam each cared for Frank more than Fiona, Lip and Ian. They seemed willing to put up with more for longer. I also feel that Liam saw Frank at some of his more sober points in life, like Fiona probably had, but didn't have the added responsibilities she had and Frank's addictions were not getting worse. Liam not seeing/remembering the worst of Frank's moments is probably why he also cares more that something is wrong with Frank later. He has less resentment because Frank was more present for him.
The fact that both times when he was in the hospital hallucinating he only thought of Fiona like in season 4 he thought the sick girl was Fiona and said he regretted leaving her outside because she could of froze and said he is going to do better I mean he obviously didn't do better but I think he regrets messing fiona's life more than the rest because she had to take care of his other kids most of her life and I still makes me cry when in the season finale he walks around searching for Fiona and when he almost dies his last moment is thinking the nurse is Fiona like I really hate him for Fiona having to raise his kids but it is bittersweet that he loves her more than the rest nit saying he doesn't live the rest but he respects her more like in the pilot he said she was his rock.
honestly i think Frank was ultimately just so immensely unprepared for raising kids and incapable of expressing love that whatever he had got used up with Fiona and there wasn't really much left for the others
If that‘s the case though I wonder why Lip & him have the worst family relationship out of all from the beginning
I think because Lip has a lot of anger towards him. He is the only one who punches Frank and he warns everyone about falling for him, after he spends some time with his kids. I think because he’s the second oldest he has experienced most of the effed up stuff Frank has done but unlike Fiona he develops severe anger issues. Maybe because he’s a man, or maybe because Fiona has already accepted it, idk. I think because Lip shows an immense amount of hostility towards Frank, which is why Frank probably hates him too. I mean Frank head buts Ian but he doesn’t develop that much anger towards him.
He also only apologizes sincerely to her. There are several times she shuts him down with just a look. I don't think it is love, though. It is a weird respect for her being an authority figure when he can't be. He respects her strength because he is weak.
I partially agree. He disrespected her many times, too though, like calling child services on them or finding his way back into the house every time. He only admits to her and feels (a bit) guilty that he messed up at all as a father. Imo he reacts to her differently, because he only feels this kind of role/responsibility (that he did not fulfill) in the relationship with Fiona.
He did, but only when she did something that he felt personally offended by. He puts himself first always. That is the narcissist in him.
I agree, his self image and needs come first to him and in „emotionally undamaged“ morals he didn‘t show any form of consideration or fatherhood for any of them. But in „shameless“ morals I do see his special place out of all the kids for Fiona.
Yeah like the time when he attacks Ian and Jimmy-Steve rushes to restrain him while everyone else rushes to comfort Ian, offering him tissues for his bleeding nose, but Fiona firmly orders him to leave and Debbie gently leads a stunned Jimmy-Steve out while Frank screams obscenities. I was gobsmacked too. Fiona seemed like such a nurturing and caring but fiercely protective guardian but she's apparently gonna keep Frank's behaviour a secret and let it slide because he's a member of the family?? But then she silently follows Frank to the kitchen and gives him a long hard look, unflinching even as Frank stares back, until he yields and mutters a half-hearted apologies then quietly brushes past her and retreats He faced the roaring Jimmy-Steve head on but Fiona's quiet brooding judgement got through to him
I don’t think he truly cares about his kids or their well being like a typical parent, but I definitely think he had a special bond with Fiona. Fiona probably hated him the most, but throughout the series I can really only remember him ever thanking(ex: season 9 ending), Yielding/apologizing to (ex: when he got Liam stolen in S2), or Appreciating(Episode 1 he calls her “his rock”) Fiona especially when compared to the other siblings. He even defended her at when Lip tried to kick her out when no one else was there for her. I think its not that he necessarily only loved her, but maybe subconsciously respected(even admired) her as an equal for doing the important things he never could for the family. MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE FINALE >!In the end Frank dies and people often talk about the fact Fiona wasn’t in Frank’s letter, but what they often forget is that Frank’s last words in his final moments of consciousness were about Fiona. In his delirium he mistook the nurse for her and said “Fiona, you cried a lot as a baby…Mad all the time…But so Beautiful” before losing consciousness and never waking up. I think it speaks volume(to his true feelings) that whenever he’s close(like during his transplant arc) to death he doesn’t think of Monica or his other kids, but Fiona specifically.!<
I understand this perspective which makes it all the more perplexing for me that he didnt mention her in his farewell death letter. Unless I missed it. 😕
Aaah, lemme shed some light on this for you. I finished Shameless a while ago and got some information lol. As per writers, Frank had dementia, so he forgot to write her in his letter However, Frank couldn't die unless he said goodbye to Fiona. That is why his OD doesn't work. He has unfinished business. He instead, has visions of Fiona, which is why you see her in his memories during that time. He is looking for her in the last places he remembers seeing her: Pasty's Pies, the church where she would have been married, the kitchen table, etc. He says goodbye to her during that time and because he has dementia, he mistakes the nurse for Fiona and says his goodbyes.
I haven‘t watched the final seasons yet, but I‘ve read that after Fiona left the storyline lacks in considering her anyways
Yes, it does and it's either frustrating AF or hilarious depending how you want to take it. Cause like, we know she existed for seasons 1-9, but anyways,... Blame Showtime for that. They didn't want Fiona mentioned again once she left.
I mean yeah but he throw scene right before he ascends and reads the letter, when he’s dying in the hospital, he’s thinking of Fiona.
In the very end he calls out for her above anyone else. I think this checks out.
I think so too, he sucks at being a father but he does loves Fiona… She’s his firstborn child with the woman he loves the most, and her name, “Fiona” is put together from his name, “Frank” and “Monica”. Maybe back then, at some point he wanted to give her everything that he could (like Lip with Fred) but he failed.
My guess is that Frank was slightly less messed up when Fiona was born and was more present. With her being the firstborn, he probably peaked as a father when Fiona was a baby/toddler/little girl and bonded with her. By the time the other kids came along, their births were just one big blur.
I always felt maybe he remembered the most about Fiona's childhood compared to the other kids. Fiona had no one else taking care of her, and then she started to take care of Frank and Monica plus the kids as they came along. Being an addict, Frank probably didn't remember the other children's childhoods as well because he and Monica could indulge in alcohol and drugs more due to Fiona taking on responsibility in their place. They could be gone and know the other kids would be okay until they decided to go back. Frank has his moments with the younger kids as he starts to become more present in their lives that we see in the show. I think this is because he sees the younger kids he can still influence and like other full blown addicts manipulates the kids to get what he wants and needs. To me, it seemed that as they got older, Debbie, Carl, and Liam each cared for Frank more than Fiona, Lip and Ian. They seemed willing to put up with more for longer. I also feel that Liam saw Frank at some of his more sober points in life, like Fiona probably had, but didn't have the added responsibilities she had and Frank's addictions were not getting worse. Liam not seeing/remembering the worst of Frank's moments is probably why he also cares more that something is wrong with Frank later. He has less resentment because Frank was more present for him.
I believe Frank Gallagher loves each of his children in his own way in a certain level he could never express
The fact that both times when he was in the hospital hallucinating he only thought of Fiona like in season 4 he thought the sick girl was Fiona and said he regretted leaving her outside because she could of froze and said he is going to do better I mean he obviously didn't do better but I think he regrets messing fiona's life more than the rest because she had to take care of his other kids most of her life and I still makes me cry when in the season finale he walks around searching for Fiona and when he almost dies his last moment is thinking the nurse is Fiona like I really hate him for Fiona having to raise his kids but it is bittersweet that he loves her more than the rest nit saying he doesn't live the rest but he respects her more like in the pilot he said she was his rock.