Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Shameless: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie Review

"I'll keep that in mind when I'm feeding my family dogfood this winter."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 18, 2012

Shameless is, in a word, shameless, and it's in that complete disregard for boundaries, moral fortitude and, well, good taste that the depraved Showtime series unearths surprising dramatic heft and sociopolitical relevance. With an outrageously negligent patriarch who puts every other alcoholic degenerate on television to shame and a troubled twentysomething operating as mother, father, breadwinner and sole stabilizing agent, the Gallagher clan, from youngest to oldest, is a mess of almost ludicrous proportion. It's all played for laughs and sympathy -- and sometimes both -- and paints a picture so objectionable that it's hard to look away. But there's a strange bond that develops between the Gallaghers and their premium cable audience, and an even stranger need to see if Frank, Fiona or one of the Gallagher kids will catch a break. Or rather catch a break they won't somehow sabotage a few scenes later.

"The best gift you can give is neglect. Neglect fosters self-reliance."

Just a friendly warning: the series tends to be a tough slog, and Season Two is far tougher than Season One. It's also a rewarding slog... if, that is, you're able to weather the worst of the Gallagher storms, stomach the most self-destructive behavior Frank (William H. Macy) and Fiona (once sweet little Emmy Rossum) indulge in, endure the most delinquent misadventures of the grade-school Gallaghers, and happily hold out hope until that fateful moment when someone, anyone shows a fleeting sign of redemption. Shameless isn't for everyone, that's for sure. Those who warm to its particular brand of crude, rock-bottom dramedy, though, will be treated to another season of terrific performances, unpredictable story arcs, and perverse, deviant depravity unlike anything a viable series should be able to contain.

That said, it takes the better part of a dozen episodes to reach a point when the show's nasty habits and dangerously borderline unlikable characters start to pay off, and only eventually comes around thanks to the efforts of the smartly cast actors that engage so earnestly in all that economic muck and emotional grime. Vile and grating as Frank is, Macy uncovers a sliver of a soul in the sadsack father of six. Testy and temperamental as Fiona can be, Rossum works every angle and plumbs every depth to find the scared little girl doing her best to keep her family afloat. Even the youngest members of the cast, grossly maligned as their junior Gallaghers are, deliver the goods, Jeremy Allen White cheif among them. Justin Chatwin, who arrives late to the party several episodes into the season, accomplishes a great deal with the few hours he's afforded, rounding out a smartly, sometimes hilariously assembled stable of supporting talent and familiar faces that includes Joan Cusack, Steve Howey, Shanola Hampton, Laura Slade Wiggins and countless others. Shameless may be hard to watch, the Gallaghers may be an unsavory lot with a few too many sickos and sadists in their ranks, but the series is ironically one of Showtime's most addicting.

The Complete Second Season Episodes:

• Summertime: Despite her breakup with Steve (Chatwin), Fiona tends bar at a local hotspot with Veronica (Hampton), hangs out with a successful young business executive, and enjoys her youth; Debbie (Emma Kenney) runs a daycare with Carl (Ethan Cutkosky); Ian (Cameron Monaghan) takes over at the Kash and Grab when Kash leaves town; Lip (White) runs a Little League book and helps Kev (Howey) out with their annual ice cream/pot truck; despite Eddie's disappearance, Sheila (Cusack) takes small steps to finally leave the house; Frank loses a bet and surrenders Liam as collateral.
• Summer Loving: As Sheila conquers her agoraphobia, a worried Frank finds a new financial plan in fellow bar patron Dottie (Molly Price), whose declining health and city pension make her an ideal match; Fiona juggles her job, the kids and her burgeoning love life, and Jasmine (Amy Smart) tries to help by setting up Fiona with a sugar daddy; Veronica takes some old folks from the home on an excursion; Lip worries about Karen's (Wiggins) growing relationship with Jody (Zach McGowan); Ian tries to land a recently released Mickey a job at the Kash and Grab; Debbie wants her own room; Carl moves into the van.
• I'll Light a Candle for You Every Day: Fiona hopes her moral compass isn't leading her astray when she reconnects with her married high school crush, but when she finds an abandoned purse with over five hundred dollars inside, she assumes her luck is finally changing; Frank is willing to do just about anything to stay in Dottie's good graces, even marry her; after Harry's passing, Debbie becomes obsessed with death; Kevin thinks about buying the Alibi; Lip meets with a colonel to glean information for Ian about West Point; Jody asks Frank for Karen's hand in marriage.
• A Beautiful Mess: Fiona deals with the consequences of sleeping with Craig when his angry wife shows up at the door; Debbie develops a stress-rash and Fiona wonders if she's putting too much responsibility on the kids; Sheila has made it all the way to the hair salon and Frank realizes his days in the Jackson household are numbered; no longer having sex with Karen, Lip tries to dig up dirt on Jody; Ian continues on the path to West Point; Carl house-sits with his friend, Little Hank; Ethel meets Malik, a boy on Kevin's youth basketball team.
• Father's Day: Frank tries to claim Eddie's insurance benefits and pension, despite being a prime suspect in his death; Fiona attends a ritzy wedding with Richard and lies about her background; Lip is devastated by Karen's rejection; Carl rents Frank's room to a hooker.
• Can I Have a Mother?: Grammy Gallagher shows up on a medical furlough and tries to track down a former meth lab protege that owes her money; Sheila plans Karen's wedding reception; Fiona double dates with Steve and his Brazilian girlfriend, and discovers that Steve is married; Ethel reacts to Clyde's death; Frank discovers the identity of Eddie's insurance beneficiary.
• A Bottle of Jean Nate: Lip tries to get back in Karen's good graces by crafting a prenuptial agreement for her and Jody, while Ian continues to give Lip the silent treatment; Frank wants to kick Grammy out but Fiona resists until the basement meth lab explodes; Fiona is invited on a boat trip but doesn't realize Steve and his girlfriend are also attending.
• Parenthood: With Grammy near death, Frank exits the house but walks in on Ian and Mickey locked in passion at the Kash and Grab; when Lip drops out of school, Fiona proposes a deal where they both earn their diplomas, but Lip acts out and gets himself expelled when he realizes that Karen plans to sell their baby to the highest bidder.
• Hurricane Monica: Monica (Chloe Webb) returns to party and plot scams with Frank, but the rest of the family suspects she hasn't returned to stay; Fiona reconsiders her decision to kick Lip out of the house; Grammy's death affects everyone differently, and leaves Frank determined to make sure he gets every last penny his mother left behind; Sheila and Jody think Eddie's ghost is haunting the house.
• A Great Cause: Fiona starts to plan for her future now that Monica is back but her reprieve may be short-lived as Monica falls apart, spends the squirrel fund and gets arrested; Steve conspires to reunite Estefania with her true love so that he can be with Fiona; Lip and Ian learn the true identity of Mandy's baby; Sheila takes in a homeless crack addict.
• Just Like the Pilgrims Intended: It's a typical Gallagher nontraditional Thanksgiving that includes a suicide attempt by Monica, Carl shooting a bald eagle, and Karen going into labor; Steve agrees to allow Estefania's boyfriend to steal his identity; Ian meets a businessman named Ned (guest star Harry Hamlin); Frank tries to get his share of his mother's money from his brother Clayton.
• Fiona Interrupted: Lonely Frank schemes to break Monica out of the psychiatric facility; Jimmy earns his way back into Fiona's good graces and asks her to meet his family; Ian runs into Ned again; Eddie's insurance check arrives.

Shameless: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Like its first season counterpart, The Complete Second Season is backed by a raw but refined 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation that outclasses its HDTV counterpart, stands shoulder to shoulder with Showtime's other Blu-ray stunners (Dexter and Homeland), and rarely deviates from its high-quality course. Colors, though intentionally yellowed, are suitably striking and well-saturated, skintones are relatively natural, and detail is exacting. Take note of every grimy inch of the Gallaghers' abode, every back-alley block of South Side's streets, and every last touch in the series' convincingly rundown production design. Notice the spittle and bits of bread caught in Frank's stubble, the stray hair or two that falls across Fiona's face, the nasty stains on the Gallaghers' couch, the frayed fabric of old hand-me-down clothing... I could go on, but you get the idea. Edges are sharp and clean, textures are surprisingly well resolved, and delineation is decidedly decent. (Even if muted black levels follow.) What's more, there isn't any substantial compression oddities or distractions to be found (minus the bristly noise that spikes on occasion). Ultimately, Shameless' second season looks as good as its first, and anyone who enjoys the show will be thrilled with everything it has on tap.

Shameless: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Frank and his family are no strangers to chaos and general rabble rousing, and Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track latches onto every drunken wail, disheartened sigh, exhale of ecstasy and throaty bark of triumph that escapes the Gallagher clan's lips. Low-end output is hearty and healthy, lending the full weight of the LFE channel to whatever the situation or trouble calls for. The rear speakers aren't far behind, reveling in the sonic subtleties of Canaryville's snow-dusted streets, South Side's crowded bars and the series' most unsavory locales. Interiors boast terrific acoustics as well, exteriors are packed with ambient flourishes, and the soundfield is as immersive as they come. Dialogue doesn't disappoint either. Voices are crisp and clear, lines are never lost in the pandemonium, and quieter scenes are as impeccably prioritized as louder sequences. There are only a few mishaps to be heard and each one is a product of the series' rough-n-ready sound design, nothing more. The Complete Second Season is an AV pleaser.

Shameless: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind the Scenes: Writing the Shameless Version (HD, 19 minutes): A second-season roundtable chat (without the roundtable) featuring executive producer/writer John Wells, consulting producer Mike O'Malley, supervising producer/writer Nancy M. Pimental, writer Latoya Morgan and co-producer/writer Etan Frankel.
• A Shameless Actor Discussion (HD, 37 minutes): Interviews between various cast members. Discussions include "The Ghetto Girl and the Car Thief" with Emmy Rossum and Justin Chatwin, "Sibling Rivalry" with Cameron Monaghan and Jeremy Allen White, "The Bartender and the Sex-Cam Worker" with Steve Howey and Shanola Hampton, "Juvenile Delinquents" with Emma Kenney and Ethan Cutkosky, and "The Agoraphobe and the Beautiful Mess" with Laura Slade Wiggins and Joan Cusack.
• The Complicated Life of Fiona Gallagher (HD, 7 minutes): Fiona returns with a whole new host of problems, and Rossum talks about her character and the future of the Gallagher clan.
• The Art of Acting Drunk (HD, 7 minutes): William H. Macy takes a hard look at Frank as well.
• Deleted Scenes (SD, 10 minutes): Eleven deleted scenes, nothing sorely missed.
• A Shameless Look at Season 3 (HD, 4 minutes): A quick sneak peek at the series' third season.
• Music Video (HD, 4 minutes): "The Shameless Christmas Carol."

Shameless: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I could have reduced my entire Complete Second Season review to a shoulder shrug, an "ehhh," and a "it's not for everyone." Those who manage to stick with the Gallaghers, though, will be treated to an unexpectedly human dramedy that sometimes sheds its ugliness and unruliness to reveal something softer and more beautiful inside. And even when that isn't the case, Macy, Rossum and really the entire cast's performances make Shameless one of the most addicting series on Showtime's roster. It all still feels like a boundary-bumping gimmick, sure, but there's more to the show, and the Gallaghers, than first impressions tend to convey. Warner's second season Blu-ray release is even better, with a top notch video presentation, a strong and salty DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a solid selection of extras. Shameless may not be for everyone, but those who invest in Frank, Fiona and the Gallaghers will quickly find that they haven't wasted their time.