How 'Shameless' Should Handle Emmy Rossum's Departure

It’s no secret that the cast of Shameless considers themselves a close-knit family, and a big chaotic one of that. So much so they that could rival their onscreen Gallagher clan. Emma Kenny and Ethan Curozky, who play the younger Gallagher siblings Debbie and Carl, have grown into young adults on-screen under the wings of their older castmates. Emmy Rossum expressed all of this and more, and she announced in a long and heartfelt post, filled with gratitude and appreciation for having worked so closely with talented and wonderful people for the better part of the decade, that her time on Shameless would be coming to a close. Season nine which is set to premiere later this year on Showtime would be her last season.

This is a devastating blow to Shameless. The US version of the original Shameless UK show, in my opinion, has been a stronger and more engaging show than the original because the core family has stayed the focus of the story throughout the better part of a decade. Fiona Gallagher in the UK version left with her boyfriend Steve at the end of season two, something the Showtime producers purposefully steered away from with Emmy Rossum. This has allowed her to grow into one of the strongest female leads on television, a hard-working, driven, south-side fighter constantly working on bettering herself and carrying her family on her shoulders. It comes as a small comfort that the writers seem keen to leave the door open for her return, we would not be capable of saying goodbye to our Chicago heroine forever.

Now, to kick off some speculation. With Emmy Rossum departing after nine years on the show, there are many things the writers need to wrap up to give the audience closure and allow room for the leading cast’s characters in season ten. Here are some things that should most definitely and happen and a few maybes have been thrown in for fun.

MAYBE: Fiona goes traveling.

In season three when Fiona was granted guardianship of her siblings, the judge first cautioned her about what she would be giving up. Using his daughter as an example, he said traveling were some of the best years of her life, something Fiona should have been doing at her age and another thing she has missed out on.

Fiona departing to catch a train or a flight also brings the story full circle. In season one, she packs a suitcase and prepares to meet Jimmy/ Steve at the airport to run away, yet she changes her mind last minute and returns to her family. Maybe she should end her story by stepping onto a train to get away at last.

MOST DEFINITELY: The Gallaghers prop Fiona up for a change.

I genuinely would love to see a single Gallagher do one thing for Fiona. Throughout the years she has done and sacrificed so much for them, but they have never lifted a finger for her. The only time someone has helped Fiona with her troubles is when Carl gave her his drug money to buy back their house, even then that wasn’t specifically for Fiona. Again when the neighborhood stepped in by helping her refurbish the laundromat, it was Kev that rallied people to her side. None of her siblings showed.

We need to see an episode play out when the Gallaghers show their appreciation for Fiona by coming to her rescue for a change, in any capacity; celebrating her birthday, supporting her business ventures, saying thank-you for working hard to provide anything they needed and keep the house running. The oldest Gallagher just needs some form of acknowledgment from her siblings.

MOST DEFINITELY: Debbie steps up.

Debbie’s character, a lot like Ian’s, has been horrifically written in the past season or so and has wasted a great amount of potential for both the character and actress. With Emmy Rossum stepping down, will Emma Kenney become the leading lady of Shameless? For that to work, Debbie would need to step up big time. She’s already scrappy and resourceful, she just needs to become more grounded.

To kick this off, Debbie and Fiona need to resolve their long-standing issues since Debbie began her moody teenage years in season four. They need to speak openly and honestly about how Fiona has had one foot out the door since then, and how Debbie has constantly been overlooked when she has stepped up to care for Liam in her absence. They need to resolve their issues regarding Debbie having a daughter against Fiona’s wishes and end with their relationship on a high note.

MAYBE: Lip leads the family.

The writers have been drawing a lot of parallels between Frank and Lip over the last few seasons, especially with Lip’s story arc dealing with alcoholism. With Fiona leaving for good, Lip would be leading the family full time and no longer only jumping in to be a hero when Fiona messes up. This could give room for Lip’s story to grow, would he be just as big an absentee father like Frank while trying to better himself? Becoming a workaholic as opposed to an alcoholic?

DEFINITELY: We will see more Kev and Vee.

The Gallaghers are best when they are united, but they are better when they work with Kev and Vee. The neighbors have been there for them since the beginning. Perhaps in season ten Kev and Vee can have their storylines more intertwined with the Gallaghers as opposed to appearing as a sideshow with their storylines being isolated from the main drama.

MAYBE: Jimmy/Steve returns for Fiona’s departure.

Since Steve became Jimmy and then Jimmy became Jack, his character has become quite like marmite in the Shameless fandom. Some of the audience is still rooting for them to end up together as Shameless was at it’s best when he was in the picture still and no boyfriend of Fiona’s since has come close to being as significant as him. Here’s how it could happen; flash forward to Fiona in a meeting being the boss everyone knows she can be. She struts out of the building with a grin on her face having just closed a massive deal. A car pulls up and she pops into the passenger seat. She says, "Nice car," and the camera pans to Jimmy/ Steve. He replies "Thanks, it’s borrowed," and they speed off.

It’s the best of both worlds for Fiona. She has become successful on her own and is achieving what she wants, but Jimmy/ Steve brings in that chaos and drama she craves.

With the upcoming season of Shameless having been split into two parts, the writers certainly have plenty of time to consider Fiona’s departure carefully. With how much love the cast have for each other, its guaranteed they would want to do Emmy Rossum justice. The show will not be the same without her.