Shameless/YMMV
The British series has examples of
- And the Fandom Rejoiced: Upon hearing Kev and Marty would return.
- Non Sequitur Scene: In the first episode following baby Stella's birth, there is a storyline which involves her communicating telepathically with Frank and Monica. Random, stupid, makes no sense even in context, and after that one episode nobody mention's the incident again.
- Ensemble Darkhorse: Lillian, a support character who is incredibly popular with fans despite her limited screentime.
- High Octane Nightmare Fuel: Jamie digging up Joe's dead father's corpse and dumping it outside his shop at the end of series 7.
- Moral Event Horizon: In series 2 Frank agrees to take care of an expired friend's dog. Cut to him on a bridge luring it into a sack with some meat
- Throughout the episode where Frank's dad returns, he persistently subtly belittles Frank and puts pressure on him to do something with his life. Fair enough, you'd think, until he finally crosses this by shaking a ladder that Frank was on, going on a rant about how he wished he'd killed Frank as he was born. It's also suggested (by Frank) that Neville got Frank's mother pregnant just to slow her political career as a trade unionist down.
- Protagonist-Centered Morality: You'd think the audience would side with Neville Gallagher, the typical Lancashire grandad who comes out of nowhere to demand his waster son takes charge of his life, stop spending his nights down the pub, get a job and look after his kids to support his mentally ill wife. Instead, we're supporting Frank because Neville is, let's face it, an arsehole.
- Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: Kelly Ball started life off as Kev's annoying sister. After annoying the hell out of everyone in one episode per series (2-4), she was promoted to the main cast as Shane Maguire's girlfriend and has shed her previous image.
- Strangled by the Red String: Kelly and Marty barely speak to each other in the early series, yet by series 9 when Marty returns, he suddenly announces he loves her and even stranger, she seems to return the feeling despite being married to Shane for years.
- Tear Jerker: A few here and there but none as heart-breaking as Jamie Maguire singing 'The Last Rose of Summer' at his sister's funeral.
The American Series has examples of
- Everybody Remembers the Stripper: Emmy Rossum has expressed annoyance at how often interviewers bring up her (admittedly frequent) nudity on the show.
- Moral Event Horizon:
- Frank has done pretty bad things for money but using a dying women who need a new heart to get her pension is low even for Frank. Later he destroys her chances to get a new heart and help her killing herself by having sex with him. Granted this is Black Comedy though.
- Frank though seemed to be pushing it even further when he attacked Ian for no good reason in the season finale of Season 2, after saying the beer was his. However, going by the previous scene before with Monica had just left for the umpteenth time, Frank's action of wanting to go and get drunk is reasonable but hitting and trying hurt Ian was still heinous.
- Frank has done pretty bad things for money but using a dying women who need a new heart to get her pension is low even for Frank. Later he destroys her chances to get a new heart and help her killing herself by having sex with him. Granted this is Black Comedy though.
- She Can Really Act: The series really turned around critical opinion of Emmy Rossum.