After 11 long, entertaining years, Shameless has finally gone off of the air. Not only does this most likely mean that this is the last that fans will ever see the Gallagher family (unless a spinoff unexpectedly comes to fruition), it most certainly will be the last that fans will see of Frank Gallagher, as the patriarch of the family died during the finale.
Across 11 years, much of the Gallagher family grew as individuals and learned valuable lessons, but living up to the title of the show, Frank was the only character who stayed mostly the exact same as when the very first episode aired. In fact, in many ways, Frank occasionally regressed as a character throughout the years and ignored life-changing events in favor of embracing his old self. However, that doesn't mean that he hasn't changed, however briefly, in those 11 years.
10 He Gets Sober & Becomes A Good Father (Then Undoes Everything)
In just the first seven episodes of the series, Frank proves to be an unstable alcoholic and absentee father. However, in the eighth episode, there is a major turning point for Frank when he decides to quit drinking cold turkey.
Granted, he only does it at the behest of a doctor promising him $3,000 for a hospital study if he stops drinking for two weeks, but his behavior proves that when he's sober, he's actually a good, supportive dad.
9 He Finally Stands Up To His Mother
During the second season, viewers finally get a clear glimpse as to why Frank is the way he is and the person he's become. It's because, for his entire life, he has been emotionally and verbally abused by his mother, who re-enters his life to boss him around as per usual.
It isn't until the second season episode "Can I Have A Mother" that Frank, for the first time in his life, is able to talk to and stand up to his mother. Granted, it proves to no avail as his mother doesn't take him seriously and their relationship remains as is, but for a moment at least, Frank had a major moment of personal growth.
8 He Suffers Liver Failure
His final moments during the last few episodes of Shameless are far from Frank's first brush with death across the series. One of his first near-death experiences comes in season four when his liver finally gives out on him after years of alcohol addiction.
Unsurprisingly, when he is in need of a donor, Frank's plight gains little to no sympathy from the usual Gallagher clan and as a result, no one offers to help. Fiona's a donor match, but she refuses since Frank brought this on himself. So he goes to his other daughter for help. No, not Debbie.
7 He Gains Another Daughter & A Grandson
To the surprise of everyone, both the audience and the cast of characters, it is also revealed during the fourth season that Frank has another mysterious daughter from a relationship with a woman named Queenie, who audiences don't get to meet until season six.
His previously unseen eldest daughter is Samantha "Sammi" Slott, and she has a special needs son named Chuckie, making Frank a grandfather. Although their relationship starts awkwardly since she initially thought Frank was trying to date her having never met him before, eventually, she grows to love him dearly more than any of the other Gallaghers did.
6 He Falls In Love Again
Despite how much Sammi loved her father, that didn't stop her from shooting him in the seventh episode of season five, albeit accidentally. Nonetheless, he winds up in the hospital where he is tended to by a doctor suffering from Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer.
Across the next few episodes, he forms a bond with the doctor, Bianca, and helps her in her pursuit of living a fulfilling life before it ends. They embark on a getaway to Costa Rica, but on the trip, Bianca ventures alone into the ocean never to be seen or heard from again. Frank is genuinely heartbroken at her departure, showing that Bianca may have been the first and only woman he truly loved since Monica.
5 He Loses His Family's Love
Frank has always found himself out of favor with his family over the years, but he always found a way to win back their love and attention. However, his family seemed to reach the last straw during the season six finale when he ruins Fiona's wedding by exposing family secrets and revealing that Fiona's husband-to-be still hadn't kicked his heroin habit.
As Sean leaves Fiona's life, the Gallaghers push Frank out of their lives for the last time by dumping him in a river, which they reveal in season seven that they hoped he died from. Although he remained in their lives in later seasons, their relationship never recovered from that fateful day.
4 He Becomes Homeless & Owns A Homeless Shelter
Frank had always bounced from home to home throughout the seasons, but he had never truly been without a home until the seventh season in the wake of no longer being welcome in the Gallagher House. He moves into a homeless shelter where he adopts a new Gallagher 2.0 family, so he calls it.
One thing leads to another, and in the spirit of random happenstance, Frank ends up briefly opening his own homeless shelter. This new endeavor doesn't last long, as he ends up squandering donation money.
3 He Attempts To Be A Responsible Adult
The closest that Frank does come to finally reconciling with his family is in mutual mourning over the death of his ex, Monica, during the seventh season finale. He enters the eighth season hoping to turn over a new leaf of becoming a responsible adult, meaning no more panhandling, getting a real job and actually making an attempt at apologizing for all of the terrible things he's done to his family and friends.
His family refers to Frank's new lease on life as "Saint Francis." Granted, much like his attempt at sobriety, it doesn't last too long as he's back to his old self halfway into the season after being fired from his job.
2 Frank Becomes A Campaign Manager
During season nine, Frank's latest and most ambitious scam yet comes when he recruits a disgraced former congressman named Mo White and nominates him for congress, serving as Mo's campaign manager.
As the election drew near, Mo was locked in at dead last in the race, but miraculously, he manages to pull off an upset victory with 52%, thanks in large part to Frank convincing Terry Milkovich to get his neo-Nazi friends to vote. This ultimately ends Frank's political ambitions, especially after discovering Mo's true colors.
1 Frank Suffers Dementia & Dies
The final season of Shameless is when Frank Gallagher's years of debauchery finally catch up with him. Following a dementia diagnosis, his condition only worsens, leading to a suicide attempt. He survives, but aimlessly wandering the streets of Chicago lands him in a hospital where he dies from coronavirus, dying in the hands of a nurse he mistakes for Fiona.
Appropriately, in the darkest way possible, Shameless' most shameless, arguably irredeemable character dies alone in a hospital bed while his family members aren't even aware of his death, but remain all the happier for it.
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