Shameless – “The Two Lisas” Retrospective. What an Explosion!

Season 5, Episode 3

Air Date: Sunday, January 25, 2015 at 9:00 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

“I will milk myself like a goat before I let them drink that Russian AIDS milk.” – Vee

Frank can be so convincing when he wants to be.

The latest installment of Shameless, “The Two Lisas,” does a good job of moving almost everyone’s story lines along, and once again addresses the subject of the gentrification of the Gallaghers’ neighborhood. We know from last week’s episode, “I’m The Liver,” that Sheila (Joan Cusack) wants to sell her house to the two lesbians who are trying to buy up the neighborhood but Frank (William H. Macy) is dead set against it, and tasks Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) with scaring off the women while he convinces Sheila not to sell. Frank’s mind is in two places, however, as he visits a junkyard to heist some new brewery equipment. The only way he’ll get what he needs is to make a deal with the owner (guest star JB Blanc), one that sets off both Sammi (Emily Bergl) and Sheila in an explosive ending.

Ian (Cameron Monaghan), still suffering with some sort of mental illness, furiously cleans the Milkovich house, but when he learns what Mandy’s (Emma Greenwell) plans are for the future, he knows he needs Lip’s (Jeremy Allen White) help to talk her out of it. Meanwhile, Debbie (Emma Greenwell) has her own problems with her supposed friends, and Fiona (Emmy Rossum) goes on a date of sorts. And that’s what’s happening in this week’s episode of Shameless.

Selling the House

Frank brings his “130 proof” homemade beer, the “milk of the gods, the strongest beer known to man,” to The Alibi to convince Vee (Shanola Hampton) to buy it for the bar. I don’t think he expects the purchase order he gets from one of the bar’s patrons, though. Six cases is a tall order for a homemade still that’s sitting in the basement of Sheila’s house.

Sheila does her best to talk to Frank about selling the house to the “two lesbos,” aka the two Lisas, but he’s too busy with his stills to pay attention to her. He should, though, because there’s nothing a woman hates more than being ignored. Frank realizes he has to do something drastic when Sheila tells him she’ll travel the world by herself if he refuses to go. Enter Carl, the psychotic member of the Gallagher family and the one Frank knows he can count on to do his bidding. Kudos to Macy for displaying such a wide range of acting chops when Frank explains to Sheila all the reasons he can’t leave. He almost made a believer out of me! As we know, Frank is an expert at getting what he wants, especially when it comes to Sheila. So it’s no surprise when he waxes poetic, tugging on Sheila’s heartstrings. But when that doesn’t work, he pulls out all the stops.

More than Frank Bargained For

In the meantime, Frank ‘shops’ at the neighborhood’s junkyards for supplies to upgrade his still. Too bad he runs into the owner, who wants to “get laid” in exchange for money. Frank is at his most reprehensible when he volunteers his daughter Sammi for the job. ”I know a little blonde who can suck the chrome off a trailer hitch…She’s a looker—nice face, excellent tits, tight ass.”

Irony is at its best during Sammi’s conversation with her father. I wonder whether she realizes what she’s doing when she screams, “Chuckie, go to bed!” immediately following her statement to Frank – “I’m not used to having people yell at me all the time.” Needless to say, Frank has an ulterior motive for dropping in unannounced and it has nothing to do with being a father. Despite not wanting to get involved, Sammi gives in. I might have too with the way Frank describes the man. I swear, Frank could sell ice to an Eskimo. I feel so bad for Sammi; she truly wants someone to love who will also love her, but her blind date doesn’t want anything to do with a long-term commitment. I had a good chuckle when he says, “Huh?” after Sammi rebukes his advances. Man, is Sammi angry when she learns what Frank promised the guy.

You Can Take the Girl Out of the Hood…

After finding “a bunch of dead roaches” and “rat turds the size of Raisinettes®,” Ian decides it’s time to clean Mickey’s (Noel Fisher) house. He’s interrupted, though, when Mandy comes in with her abusive boyfriend Kenyatta (guest star Shel Bailey), talking about moving to Indiana. Ian does his best to talk her out of it, to no avail, so he asks Lip for help. Mandy is, and has always been, a woman who has little to no self-esteem and thinks she can fuck her way into getting what she wants. She confuses sex with love, as do many women with abusive backgrounds. But Lip screwing her brains out isn’t the way to convince her not to go—especially when she says, “I love you” and he doesn’t respond. It actually has the opposite effect on her. I hope writer Sheila Callaghan hasn’t written Greenwell out of Shameless; it would a shame (no pun intended) to lose this talented actress. Besides, I have always hoped that in the end, Lip would end up with Mandy; the two make a perfect couple.

Losing Your Virginity

Debbie invites Matty to her “grown up” party.

Going to school when you’re a teenager can be very cruel as Debbie learns when she finds out her BFFs Holly (Danika Yarosh) and Ellie (Teresa Ornelas) really aren’t her friends anymore. So after they throw a party and don’t invite Debbie, she decides to have a party of her own and not invite them. Neener, neener, neener! In the meantime, Carl is busy trying to lose his virginity with them. “You can get back at her by riding my joint if you want,” he tells Holly when she finds out Debbie is only inviting “older” people to her party.

Fiona and Debbie’s relationship has been rocky ever since Debbie’s hormones took over her mind and body. But I have to question Fiona’s judgment when she allows Debbie to have her party at home. This setup also tells me something bad is going to happen. And, oh boy, does it ever! I was happy to see James Allen McCune reprise his role as Matty in “The Two Lisas” as I think he’s an up and coming actor. But when Matty realizes what Debbie must have done to him after consuming some of Frank’s homemade beer, he is more than angry. I don’t blame him; is Debbie that immature, she doesn’t understand what “date rape” is? I enjoyed the way Fiona handles Debbie’s confession, treating her like the woman she professes to be. While I want to commend Callaghan for the way “The Two Lisas” puts a different spin on what date rape means, it’s the only part of the episode that doesn’t ring true.

Fiona’s Date

Not only does Gus cook for Fiona, he serenades her too!

Davis (Axle Whitehead), the lead singer of the band that frequents Patsy’s Pies just won’t leave Fiona alone, not that I think she wants him to. She even agrees to go to a concert with him even though he doesn’t want to call it a “date.” Imagine Fiona’s surprise when Gigi (Mia Serafino), Davis’ live-in girlfriend, shows up! What a creep Davis turned out to be. Fiona does her best to recover, using Davis’ bass player Gus (Steve Kazee) as a ruse. What a shame Fiona doesn’t realize what a good man Gus is; she always seems to go for the bad boys. Let me tell you, Kazee is quite good looking, plus he has one hell of a voice. I can’t wait to see where this story line goes, if anywhere.

Destroying a Great Relationship

After the cops shut down The Alibi’s “Rug and Tug” operation as part of the neighborhood gentrification, Vee comes up with a plan to generate additional income. She decides to rent out the upstairs apartment to the women who are still breastfeeding. “We’ll pay the neighborhood girls to come empty their fun bags, mark it up, and then sell it online to rich white folk,” or a “breast milk sweat shop,” as Kev (Steve Howey) deems it. The reality is Kev doesn’t like the idea at all, especially since it takes Vee away from him and the babies. I dislike where this story line is going. As the expression goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So why mess with Vee and Kev’s perfect marriage? Can’t the powers that be just let Vee and Kev suffer through her postpartum depression without ruining a good thing?

Overall

Perhaps the best scene of “The Two Lisas” is the confrontation among Frank, Sheila, and Sammi at the end when Sammi confronts Frank about pimping her out. Macy is at his absolute best as the three stand outside, Frank totally losing it. Needless to say, I’m sure none of them expected what happens, least of all Frank, although I did. Too late to take it back, Frank! I love the resolute way Sheila climbs into the RV and takes off. You go girl!

And just where are the writers taking us with the Angela (guest star Dichen Lachman) story line? If you remember, she’s Fiona’s big tipper from the season premiere, “Milk of the Gods.” Now, she wants to take Fiona out for dinner. I don’t know whether Angela is a lesbian, whether she has some sort of ulterior motive, or whether this plot point is nothing more than a red herring, but whatever it is, I wish the writers would move the story line along.

What did you think of “The Two Lisas?” Hit me up on Twitter @SeasideTV, or leave me a comment below. I love talking all things Shameless!

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Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!