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The Best Episodes of Shameless

Every episode of Shameless ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Shameless!

Binge this in 2h 0m•Peaking at 8.4/10

The story of a young group of siblings pretty much abandoned by their parents, surviving by their wits - and humor - on a rough Manchester council estate. Whilst they won't admit it, they need

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Shameless Season 6 Episode 16 - Episode 16
    8.4/10(128 votes)

    #1 - Episode 16

    S6:E16

    Patrick continues to lose his grip on his marriage and his family.

    Director:Lawrence Till
    Writer:Alex Ganley

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  2. Shameless Season 5 Episode 15 - Episode 15
    8.3/10(108 votes)

    #2 - Episode 15

    S5:E15

    While enjoying another secret rendezvous, Debbie and Tom are forced to come to the aid of an assaulted woman, but things go horribly wrong when Tom gets arrested on suspicion of being the attacker. Only Debbie can supply his alibi, but not without putting both of them in a compromising position. There's a gruesome showdown between Shane and Paddy over Shane's girl, leaving Mimi torn between her love for her husband and the love she feels for her son. When Norma wakes up in a stranger's jogging bottoms after a night on the tiles, she sets off on a wild goose chase to find out whoever it was she slept with.

    Director:Paul Walker
    Writer:Ed McCardie

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  3. Shameless Season 2 Episode 4 - Episode 4
    8.2/10(222 votes)

    #3 - Episode 4

    S2:E4

    Plans are afoot for Steve and Fiona's upcoming wedding. They pay a visit to the local vicar who eventually agrees to let them marry in the church but only after Steve agrees to pay a lot of money. Then disaster strikes when his car is stolen outside the church. Steve begins to panic and calls Tony. However, unknown to Steve Tony has actually stolen it for a joke but decides to look inside the car and finds a lot of money and drugs. Veronica becomes convinces her mother is going crazy when she continues to talk to her dog. Marty packs her off on a mystery cruise and then takes the dog to have an operation to loose its voice! Steve persaudes Tony to hand over the car. Steve drops the car off with some drug dealers but Tony and Stan turn up. Things turn nasty when a gun is pulled and then fired. One of the drug dealers is killed and the other one escapes but is quickly captured. A warrant is issued for Steve's arrest and he has to flee the estate.

    Director:Dearbhla Walsh
    Writer:Paul Abbott

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  4. Shameless Season 2 Episode 5 - Episode 5
    8.2/10(191 votes)

    #4 - Episode 5

    S2:E5

    Sheila asks Lip to water the plants for a neighbour who's away on holiday, but the house is burgled and Lip is arrested by a bent copper, stitched up and charged. Frank goes to the police station and makes matters a lot worse.

    Director:Dearbhla Walsh
    Writer:Phil Nodding

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  5. Shameless Season 2 Episode 6 - Episode 6
    8.2/10(182 votes)

    #5 - Episode 6

    S2:E6

    Lip is sleeping with Mandy while she pretends to be Ian's girlfriend to hide the fact that he's gay. However, after Mandy falls pregnant with Lip's baby everyone thinks Ian's the dad and the Maguires welcome him to the family - with the threat of castration if he doesn't marry her. Fiona gets mugged on her way home from a drunken night out.

    Director:Dearbhla Walsh
    Writer:Daniel Brocklehurst

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  6. Shameless Season 6 Episode 15 - Episode 15
    8.2/10(107 votes)

    #6 - Episode 15

    S6:E15

    After Debbie throws him out for the night, Frank ends up in a confessional booth where he hears a neighbour's shocking confession. Frank finds himself drawn into what is going on.

    Director:Lawrence Till
    Writer:Ed McCardie

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    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of Shameless

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  7. Shameless Season 1 Episode 7 - Episode 7
    8.1/10(280 votes)

    #7 - Episode 7

    S1:E7

    The balifs and Mr Wilson are still after Frank. And Frank seems to be more interested in spending time with his ex-wife, Monica, than dealing with his spiraling debts. However, much to Frank's annoyance Norma, Monica's lesbian partner, gives Frank a good idea, to fake his own death! Meanwhile Maggie realises that Frank isn't as interested in her as she hoped. When Anthony comes around to talk about Fiona she accidentally gets Chilli in her eyes and staggers out into the Garden! The first time she has been out in five years! Tony has finally found the perfect way to get rid of Steve and get with Fiona for he has stumbled across Steve's car stealing scam. The balifs aren't so convinced that Frank is dead until one of them attacks Frank in his coffin, in front of the family! When Frank doesn't stir the balif finally realises that Frank is really dead, and how sick his violent outburst/attack seemed. At Frank's wake Frank bursts out of the coffin and a party starts. Maggie turns up to ever

    Director:Dearbhla Walsh
    Writer:Paul Abbott

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  8. Shameless Season 6 Episode 1 - Episode 1
    8.1/10(113 votes)

    #8 - Episode 1

    S6:E1

    Ian is attacked and left shaken and confused as to what he could have done to provoke it. When the stranger strikes again, Ian is left hospitalised and there's more bad news when he regains consciousness: he's got amnesia. Suddenly he's an alien amongst his own family and friends, and even his own sexuality is a mystery. Meanwhile it's Debbie's 16th birthday. Tom decides it's time to go public with their relationship, but Debbie has doubts about whether their relationship was ever really serious. Kelly has bad news for Shane about her pregnancy; Frank and Monica are faced with an impossible challenge when they hear the voice of newborn baby Stella: but do they want to know what she has to say about her parents and Chatsworth? And Ian's amnesia brings him a whole new perspective on his life, leaving him questioning if Chatsworth is the place for him after all.

    Director:David Richardson
    Writer:Ed McCardie

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  9. Shameless Season 1 Episode 4 - Episode 4
    8.0/10(274 votes)

    #9 - Episode 4

    S1:E4

    The Gallaghers have a big problem on their hands when a local child goes missing from a party. Debbie steals/kidnaps a baby from the estate. However, the local residents immediatly think that the kid has been kidnapped by a pervert not least because Frank thinks he saw one outside the house of the missing girl. The race is on to find the girl while the Gallaghers, Veronica & Kev come up with a madcap scheme to get the baby back. It looks set for disaster but somehow they manage to get it off. The baby is returned and Debbie is flooded with money and praise by the Police little knowing she actually kidnapped the kid in the first place. Meanwhile after all the excitement Karen Jackson seduces Frank and they pair embark on a dangerous and likely disasterious affair.

    Director:Mark Mylod
    Writer:Paul Abbott

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  10. Shameless Season 2 Episode 10 - Episode 10
    8.0/10(195 votes)

    #10 - Episode 10

    S2:E10

    The local elections are underway and Kash is running to be Chatsworth's councillor against dirty-dealing Bernie Creme. However, it turns out that Bernie is just a racist who exposes himself to the entire pub and loses all his supporters. Lillian's husband is involved in a tragic accident which, at first, appears to be caused by Tony and Stan's Police van. But it later turns out that moments before he was hit by the van he was shot in the head. And it seems he was a junkie, according to the Police. Lillian is dashed off down the Police station to be interviewed about her late husband while Carol realises who shot him-Carl! Tony and Stan quickly figure out it was Carl as well due to CCTV footage. The family (bar Fiona who doesn't know) rallies behind Carl and just about manage to get him off the hook. Frank meanwhile decides to take the deadman's indentiy to get his benifits and then tries to kill his pet dog through various methods.

    Director:Dearbhla Walsh
    Writer:Paul Abbott

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  11. Shameless Season 3 Episode 6 - Episode 6
    8.0/10(150 votes)

    #11 - Episode 6

    S3:E6

    The Gallagher clan can't believe it when Carl starts to bring money into the household - but his mini-enterprise involves growing cannabis for the Maguires and the police are quick to bust him. Lip is jealous when Mandy gets a new boyfriend and he later discovers that she was the brains behind Carl's business.

    Director:David Threlfall
    Writer:Emma Frost

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  12. Shameless Season 3 Episode 8 - Episode 8
    8.0/10(139 votes)

    #12 - Episode 8

    S3:E8

    In preparation for her wedding to Frank, Sheila commissions the building of a conservatory in her back yard - but she suddenly remembers her first husband is buried under the patio. Veronica's last stab at IVF on the NHS fails, so she hatches a macabre plan to raise cash for private treatment.

    Director:Paul Walker
    Writer:Emma Frost

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  13. Shameless Season 5 Episode 1 - Episode 1
    8.0/10(126 votes)

    #13 - Episode 1

    S5:E1

    An emergency visit to the hospital results in Frank receiving devastating news, prompting him to embark on an orgy of drink and drug-fuelled mayhem, which culminates in a bizarre, drug-induced encounter with his younger self. Elsewhere, Lillian comes up with a surprising way to make money, and Lip's shady past catches up with him and leads to a no-holds-barred fight in The Jockey, with shocking consequences.

    Director:David Threlfall
    Writer:Ed McCardie

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  14. Shameless Season 5 Episode 5 - Episode 5
    8.0/10(115 votes)

    #14 - Episode 5

    S5:E5

    With the local council doling out money to the new young-mayor, Debbie sees a chance to buy hens and potatoes and give Chatsworth free egg and chips. Meanwhile, Shane falls for his perfect woman and it looks like she's fallen for him but when she takes him back to her place, the spare room at Lillian's; Shane's in for a bit of a surprise. Also, Yvonne has trouble with some yobs in the shop and things get a bit heated has she finally met her natch? And,when Stan runs down an old lady, he confides to Tom and Carrie that he should be wearing spectacles. To save his job, Carrie takes the rap, but when the old lady decides to sue, it might be Carrie who is going to get fired.

    Director:Lawrence Till
    Writer:Malcolm Campbell

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  15. Shameless Season 5 Episode 7 - Episode 7
    8.0/10(107 votes)

    #15 - Episode 7

    S5:E7

    When there is a gas leak at the Gallaghers along comes a sexy fireman named Sean. He gets the attention of Ian and Mandy but which one of them will win the race to get the Sean into bed? Also, Carl finds himself in a risky situation.

    Director:Fraser Macdonald
    Writer:Stephen Russell

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  16. Shameless Season 5 Episode 11 - Episode 11
    8.0/10(113 votes)

    #16 - Episode 11

    S5:E11

    When Paddy is caught on camera for an armed robbery and could face 20 years inside, Mimi begs him to call his brother, Noel. He's the only one who can help. But Paddy has a dark history with his sibling and would rather go to jail than ever set eyes on him again. As the reality of his situation dawns, he realises he has no choice. The Gallaghers find themselves three grand in debt to Mimi after Frank inhales a box of her drugs, and it seems that Ian is the only one who can bail the family out. But when his business venture fails, Ian finds he has nowhere to turn. In an act of desperation, he steals money from the till at the Jockey but things quickly spiral out of control. The status quo gets altered in the police house when Carrie becomes a sergeant. Tom is peeved that Carrie is exploiting her new position, but a chance comment leads him to discover a dark secret in Carrie's past, which means he can regain the upper hand...

    Director:David Threlfall
    Writer:Stephen Russell

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  17. Shameless Season 1 Episode 6 - Episode 6
    7.9/10(255 votes)

    #17 - Episode 6

    S1:E6

    Frank brings down the power of the social services on his family in a failed attempt to extract money from Monica.

    Director:Dearbhla Walsh
    Writer:Paul Abbott

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  18. Shameless Season 2 Episode 1 - Episode 1
    7.9/10(211 votes)

    #18 - Episode 1

    S2:E1

    Frank is forced to take a job as a window cleaner when his father arrives. But is the window cleaning round really the best form of employment for Frank? Meanwhile Karen eyes up Kev down the pub.

    Director:David Evans
    Writer:Paul Abbott

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  19. Shameless Season 5 Episode 4 - Episode 4
    7.9/10(109 votes)

    #19 - Episode 4

    S5:E4

    Frank Gallagher has won the lottery; or so the residents of Chatsworth think when Yvonne announces it on the local news. And Frank's not about to announce that he's never bought a lottery ticket in his life when free drinks are coming his way. But will he 'fess up when Liam is kidnapped and the ransom fee is his so-called winnings?

    Director:Paul Walker
    Writer:Jack Lothian

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  20. Shameless Season 5 Episode 6 - Episode 6
    7.9/10(107 votes)

    #20 - Episode 6

    S5:E6

    A mishap with baby Katie and a bag of Es leads to a standoff between Mandy and Frank. When the family back Mandy, Frank is forced to leave the house and ends up sleeping rough. Meanwhile, when Liam learns he's going to be nappy changing for Monica's new baby, he decides to run away. He catches up with Frank and the two outcasts bond over a camp fire and a leaky tent. Micky's attempts to get into his dad's good books go horribly wrong when he accidentally loses the weekly drug pick-up distracted by a hot guy from the local abattoir. He enlists Ian's help to get them back and the two lads go on an epic search until Ian gets caught by the thieves and Micky has to decide whether to save his friend or his own skin. Shane is delighted when Kellie finally admits that she loves him and he invites her round for Sunday lunch with the family. But Paddy is not happy about sitting round the table with a prostitute and decides to pay Kelly a little visit...

    Director:Lawrence Till
    Writer:Ben Edwards

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  21. Shameless Season 5 Episode 16 - Episode 16
    7.9/10(104 votes)

    #21 - Episode 16

    S5:E16

    When Manchester experiences an earth tremor, Monica's waters break and she goes into labour. On the other side of Chatsworth, the same tremor knocks Frank off of his barstool and puts him in a coma. Monica's refusing to have the baby unless Frank is present, but how long can she keep her bun in the oven? While he's out cold in his hospital bed, Frank experiences an alternative world: a life where he is a success, where Ian isn't gay and Debbie looks like she'll never leave home. It's the world as Frank would have it; or is it? Carl is finding new success with girls by posing as a single parent. It's all going very well until his latest target runs off with the baby. Meanwhile, Shane has a proposal to put to Kelly.

    Director:Paul Walker
    Writer:Stephen Russell

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  22. Shameless Season 7 Episode 16 - Episode 16
    7.9/10(83 votes)

    #22 - Episode 16

    S7:E16

    Karen and Joe are holed up in the shop with the spectre of Jamie's revenge hanging over them. Joe is plotting their future away from Chatsworth, but Jamie has Connor in hiding and Karen isn't going anywhere without her son. Joe uses his dubious contacts to snatch Connor and drag his new family away to freedom, but little does he know he's carrying unwelcome baggage! When Maxine and Ian are mugged they viciously fight back, taking their attacker captive. At odds on what to do with their prisoner, the couple quickly realise their relationship is falling apart. Elsewhere, a dark cloud falls over the Maguire family when notorious gangster and psychopath Roscoe shows up. The brothers scatter for cover, leaving Mimi to suffer the intimidation along with a dose of extreme indigestion.

    Director:Metin Hüseyin
    Writer:Tom Higgins

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  23. Shameless Season 11 Episode 8 - Episode 8
    7.9/10(67 votes)

    #23 - Episode 8

    S11:E8

    Frank is shocked when he boards a bus - only to be reunited with his eldest son, Lip, and grandaughter Katie. However, it is not a pleasent reunion between father and son as it soon becomes clear that Lip is living in the area. But doesn't want Katie to be associated with his alcoholic father or Chatsworth.

    Director:David Threlfall
    Writers:Loren McLaughlan, Amy Roberts

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  24. Shameless Season 11 Episode 14 - Episode 14
    7.9/10(102 votes)

    #24 - Episode 14

    S11:E14

    After spending months in jail, Frank returns to Chatsworth hoping for a welcome home party. However, he discovers Monica has took up residency at the Gallaghers - and is expecting his tenth child, and the return of a few faces from his past heralds the end of an era. Meanwhile, it's business as usual at Chesco's, as an old face re-instates herself.

    Director:David Threlfall
    Writer:Jack Lothian

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  25. Shameless Season 1 Episode 3 - Episode 3
    7.8/10(288 votes)

    #25 - Episode 3

    S1:E3

    Kev accidentally proposes to Veronica, and although he soon admits he's still legally married to Roxy, they decide to go ahead with a fake ceremony anyway in order to claim a small inheritance from Veronica's father.

    Director:Jonny Campbell
    Writer:Daniel Brocklehurst

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Best Episodes Summary

"Episode 16" is the best rated episode of "Shameless". It scored 8.4/10 based on 128 votes. Directed by Lawrence Till and written by Alex Ganley, it aired on 5/12/2009. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Episode 15".