We discuss what we’ve learned about William H. Macy’s Frank Gallagher, Emmy Rossum’s Fiona, Lip, Ian, and the rest of the Gallagher clan over the seasons (up to season 8). Shameless is a show about addiction, about poverty, about family. It’s a show about whether change is possible. Every character wrestles with bad habits and self-destructive habits as they cope with their environment. Shameless shows how difficult and rare it is for people to truly change.