Was it a satisfying ending for me?
No.
I think the show should have ended with the last episode of the previous season - at Mickey and Ian's wedding. Except for Lip falling off the wagon, which is a big except of course, the rest of the episode was funny, joyous, upbeat. Everyone was happy - about as positive as you get in Gallagher land. And we even had hope for Lip, because he realized right away what he did, and got himself to a meeting ASAP.
What did we get this season?
More of Debbie being a terrible mother and all around crappy person.
Lip continuing to struggle. The look on his face when Tami told she might be pregnant was heartbreaking. Seeing him get a job delivering food was depressing.
Ian and Mickey were trying to get somewhere, but Mickey's anger issues and reluctance to grow and change were dragging them down. I have absolutely no problem with gay men becoming fathers. I do have a problem with Mickey being a dad.
Carl - I think it's great he became a cop. Being reduced to a meter maid - not so much. And was he going to be a dad or not? I hate that that storyline was left hanging.
Speaking of left hanging - did Kev and V sell the Alibi and move to Kentucky, or not?
I'm not surprised that Frank died, and that he passed with only a nurse to provide comfort. It would not have been consistent with the show to see the family gathered at his bedside, wringing their hands and wiping their eyes. Their indifference as they watched him barely breathing after a heroin overdose made perfect sense. But the fact that COVID was what took him - not the alcoholism, drug use, or dementia, that was unsettling to me. And knowing the whole family had been exposed but was partying at the Alibi when they all should have been in quarantine - that was super unsettling.
It's not that I expected a happy ending for the show. These are the Gallagher's. They struggle. Life doesn't go their way. But I was hoping for at least a little good news. Some rays of hope. The kids were all singing at the end, arms wrapped around each other, as the rich guy's car burned and Frank slowly floated away. But my heart was heavy. I wasn't celebrating.
librarianintx
