Shameless Review: Face It, You’re Gorgeous (Season 9 Episode 6)

Last week Cameron Monaghan (Ian) revealed on Instagram that Shameless Season 9 Episode 6, “Face It, You’re Gorgeous,” would be his last episode on the series. Sharing this information sets up a lot of expectations for the character’s final sendoff. Does the episode meet the anticipation?

In a word, yes.

As the episode begins, Ian is preparing for his last day as a free man. It seems like he may be up to something as he turns down the opportunity to spend time with his siblings on adventures around Chicago.

But, what becomes clearer and clearer as the episode goes on is that Ian is scared. 

Instead of checking boxes off some pre-prison bucket list, he fills his day with activities that provide him with at least a minor sense of control over his upcoming experience. Everything he chooses to do on this last day is supposed to calm his anxiety — and ours — over what comes next.

Even with all of this last-minute prep, though, it feels like prison will eat Ian Gallagher alive.

It’s particularly heartbreaking because once upon a time Ian was the Gallagher with the most potential. He was enrolled in ROTC, he was disciplined, and he had big plans of joining the military. Over the years and through the onset of his mental illness, we’ve seen these dreams fade away, but nothing has felt as detrimental to his future as the prospect of real time in prison.

Not to mention the day-to-day reality of spending two years in prison. The thought that permeated my soul throughout this entire episode was Is Ian going to be okay? 

The goodbyes outside of the prison were intense on two levels. First, the emotional connection these actors have to each other transcends the entire scene.

These are real goodbyes with nine years of love behind them. Ian hugs Lip and thanks him for being his brother and we can feel the sadness of the two actors behind these characters saying goodbye to a decade of working together.

But it’s intense within the context of the show as well. Ian’s about to walk into this prison and who knows what awaits him behind that gate. It’s terrifying and heartbreaking and we just have to let it happen.

The set up to this point is absolute perfection. We are all afraid for Ian. What’s going to happen to him in there? How will he get by?

He turns away from his family and makes his way into the prison. He trades in his street clothes for a jumpsuit. He is ushered through the halls with all of the more veteran prisoners looking at him like he’s fresh meat.

It’s all almost too much to bear. And. Then. It. Happens.

And it’s not just that Mickey is there and that these two people who share this epic love story get to be together again. It’s also that we don’t have to worry about Ian anymore. This entire episode pushes us to a place where we’re just not sure Ian is going to be alright.

Now we know. Ian’s going to be just fine.

Other things to note:

• In true Shameless fashion, Fiona finds herself in the midst of a massive downward spiral. The tragedy of it all is that she missed Ian’s goodbye, something she’ll regret for a long time to come. Fiona has an uncanny ability to have it all together until she doesn’t — and then the fall is spectacular.
• There’s nothing funnier than Kev and V watching Paw Patrol on their own while their kids are asleep.
• Now that Lip’s got his sobriety under control, I’d love to see him find a drama-less relationship. He has so much love to give, and it would be so nice to see him happy.

What did you think of this episode of Shameless? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Shameless airs Sunday at 9/8c on Showtime.

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