Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Shameless: The Complete Seventh Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 26, 2017

The United Kingdom version of Shameless ran for eleven so-called series, with at least some of the “series” not having as many episodes as our American “seasons”, resulting in a total broadcast run of 139 episodes over the course of nine years. That track record might suggest that the Americanized adaptation of Shameless still has a way to go, at least if it wants to equal its British cousin, though as I made my way through this seventh season of the show I increasingly had to wonder if the Gallaghers are at least beginning to wear out their welcome, that is if a group as generally dysfunctional as the Gallaghers could have ever been “welcomed” in the traditional sense to begin with. I’ve mentioned in reviews of previous seasons how Shameless, despite some marketing attempts to paint the show in at least sporadically humorous tones, never quite fits into traditional “comedy” niches, and in fact it’s notable that the U.K. version won awards for Best Drama Series at the BAFTAs and an almost superbly oxymoronic “Best TV Comedy Drama” award at another English ceremony. That may give a clue that the American version as well is perhaps best appreciated as basically a drama wrapped in some whimsical outer wear. Some of the funniest material is actually the little vignettes given over at the beginning of each episode where characters break the fourth wall to berate the audience on needing a recap to catch up on what’s happening. That fits into the more traditionally snarky ambience of much cable sitcom fare, but it’s a passing fad, so to speak, since Shameless, while still fairly spry, tends to increasingly creak with now tired explorations of addictive behaviors, roiling family interrelationships and new definitions of what actually constitutes a family that would make the clan of Modern Family blush from feelings of inadequacy.

For those not wanting to sit through six seasons of vignettes berating them for not being up to speed on the series’ twists and turns, our reviews of the show’s previous seasons can be accessed by clicking on the following links:

Shameless: The Complete First Season Blu-ray review

Shameless: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray review

Shameless: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray review

Shameless: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray review

Shameless: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray review

Shameless: The Complete Sixth Season Blu-ray review

Anyone not enjoying bathroom humor had best stay away from this season of Shameless. The series’ opening credits have featured that particular locale of the Gallagher household, documenting the odd array of activities that take place in it, but repeatedly in this season there are references, including outright depictions, of various bathroom related behaviors like peeing. In fact the very first vignette offering a recap is framed within the context of Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy) attempting to relieve himself on an outside wall somewhere. Hilarious. Later episodes document the travails of the uncircumcised Carl (Ethan Cutkosky), who, chastised by his girlfriend for having too much skin “down there”, begins checking out other males’ equipment at the school urinal. It’s probably intentionally squirm inducing, but it also simply doesn’t provide much in the way of, you know, laughs.

Also a little iffy in the humor department is an arc detailing the inadequacies of Debbie (Emma Kenney) in her new guise as a young single mother. Not only are some of her hygiene choices questionable (aren’t you supposed to throw poop filled diapers away?), she begins stealing right and left to give daughter Franny some semblance of creature comforts. When she’s finally caught shoplifting, Fiona (Emmy Rossum) shows up to rescue her, resorting to suggesting that Debbie is “retarded” (to use the show’s term) to convince a store clerk not to prosecute. Again, hilarious.

Now having already mentioned how Shameless really isn’t a traditional comedy in any major sense, you may wonder why I’d be taking certain plot lines to task for not being funny. But here’s the thing — those aforementioned stories, as well as others like the “ménage à three” between Kev (Steve Howey), Veronica (Shanola Hampton) and Svetlana (Isidora Goreshter) — are played largely for laughs, though just how many laughs are forthcoming will be a matter of taste. The whole “thruple” angle tends to point out some of the lackluster writing this season, with supposed comedic hijinx being generated by such well worn clichés as the homebound spouse not doing as much “work” as the spouse (or spouses, in this case) who venture outside of the home to make a living. The fact that there’s a gender switch involved in this particular subplot doesn’t really add any energy, comedic or otherwise, to an overly familiar tale.

The series actually does a good deal better with outright dramatic developments, as in Fiona’s slow burn when her attempts to salvage Patsy’s Pies pay off, but she isn’t satisfactorily rewarded for her efforts. Similarly, a season long series of events involving Monica (Chloe Webb) probably provides the most lasting emotional dividends, though it verges on the mawkish, something that seems particularly ill suited to a series that likes to push the envelope with its ostensible in your face comedy.

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

Shameless: The Complete Seventh Season is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Brothers Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This is another pleasing set of transfers for this typically sharp and well detailed looking series, and in fact I'd rate this as probably the best overall looking of the several seasons I've reviewed. There are still sometimes rather subtle grading choices at play, with some moments looking slightly desaturated and others with an equally slightly boosted looking brightness level, but generally speaking the palette looks natural and is nicely saturated virtually all of the time. A prevalence of close-ups helps to support excellent fine detail levels (see screenshot 7). A lot of this season takes place outside, often in sunny environments, two more aspects that help to keep things popping very well with good detail levels across the board even in midrange shots.

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

As with previous seasons of this show on Blu-ray, Shameless: The Complete Seventh Season offers a workmanlike and occasionally pretty boisterous sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. As expected, crowded environments, as in some scenes at Patsy's Pies, or even at a supposed homeless shelter Frank sets up, offer the best opportunities for good surround activity. But there is consistent attention paid to placement of ambient environmental effects, even when long swaths of the show take place with just a few characters on screen. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly and with excellent prioritization throughout all of the episodes.

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

Disc One

• Deleted Scenes (1080p; 12:57)

Disc Two

• Growing Up Shameless (1080p; 13:46) focuses on some of the actors who have grown up on the show.


• The Shameless Politics of Frank (1080p; 2:21) offers a compendium of some of Frank's deep thoughts.


• Deleted Scenes (1080p; 16:19)

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

Kind of funnily, I mentioned in my review of Shameless' sixth season that maybe continued exposure to the Gallaghers and their hangers on had finally worn me down, making me more receptive to this series' really odd combo platter of pitch black comedy and almost turgid, kitchen sink- esque, drama. Unfortunately, the series took a slight if noticeable step backward for me this year, with simply too much continuing dysfunction in too many different areas. The performances are still top notch, and the writing is often sharp if too self aware, but I'm starting to hope that the U.K. record set by that nation's version of Shameless is not something this American version will seek to break. Technical merits are strong for those considering a purchase.