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Shameless (2004)
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Johnny Bennett as Liam Gallagher
Episodes 63
Episode 1
When Fiona Gallagher's (Anne-Marie Duff) bag is stolen on a night out in Manchester, a handsome stranger called Steve McBride (James McAvoy) comes to her rescue. He accompanies her to her home in Chatsworth, a deprived inner city council estate, to meet her large family, and the pair begin to grow close, until she receives a visit from the police concerning her alcoholic father, Frank (David Threlfall). Meanwhile, Lip Gallagher (Jody Latham) makes a shocking discovery about his brother Ian (Gerard Kearns) that turns the brothers close relationship upside down, and he also uncovers a shocking secret about the local shopkeeper, Kash Karib (Chris Bisson). Elsewhere, Karen Jackson's (Rebecca Atkinson) father, Eddie (Steve Pemberton), leaves home after catching her in a compromising position.
Read MoreEpisode 4
The Gallaghers have a big problem on their hands when a local child goes missing from a party. Debbie steals/kidnaps a baby from the estate. However, the local residents immediatly think that the kid has been kidnapped by a pervert not least because Frank thinks he saw one outside the house of the missing girl. The race is on to find the girl while the Gallaghers, Veronica & Kev come up with a madcap scheme to get the baby back. It looks set for disaster but somehow they manage to get it off. The baby is returned and Debbie is flooded with money and praise by the Police little knowing she actually kidnapped the kid in the first place. Meanwhile after all the excitement Karen Jackson seduces Frank and they pair embark on a dangerous and likely disasterious affair.
Read MoreEpisode 5
Karen and Frank's affair continues behind the backs of Shelia and Lip. Shelia is concentrating on beating her phobea of open spaces, through a nurse that comes and visits her. Shelia goes shopping through a virtual reality machine but panics when she gets too near the doors. Ian's affair with Kash is ruined after security cameras are installed in the shop to stop shop lifting. Yvonne notices strange behaviour and comes to the correct conclusion. She tells Kash that she wants another baby and decides that Ian can stay on at the shop but his relationship with Kash is over. Lip discovers Karrens and frank's affair and goes crazy. He attacks his father.
Read MoreEpisode 7
The balifs and Mr Wilson are still after Frank. And Frank seems to be more interested in spending time with his ex-wife, Monica, than dealing with his spiraling debts. However, much to Frank's annoyance Norma, Monica's lesbian partner, gives Frank a good idea, to fake his own death! Meanwhile Maggie realises that Frank isn't as interested in her as she hoped. When Anthony comes around to talk about Fiona she accidentally gets Chilli in her eyes and staggers out into the Garden! The first time she has been out in five years! Tony has finally found the perfect way to get rid of Steve and get with Fiona for he has stumbled across Steve's car stealing scam. The balifs aren't so convinced that Frank is dead until one of them attacks Frank in his coffin, in front of the family! When Frank doesn't stir the balif finally realises that Frank is really dead, and how sick his violent outburst/attack seemed. At Frank's wake Frank bursts out of the coffin and a party starts. Maggie turns up to ever
Read MoreEpisode 1
The Gallaghers' return for a fourth series, and its Lip's 18th birthday but not all is going to be clean sailing as there’s a few surprises ready to hit him. First the Maguires expect him to do something for them. But the biggest shock of all is his long-lost mother Monica turning up out of the blue with a bombshell that could turn their lives upside down.
Read MoreEpisode 2
Frank’s desperate to keep the fact that he’s still married to estranged wife Monica from Sheila, and Monica’s not making it easy for him. But Sheila can see that she has competition for Frank and sets about trying to reunite Monica with her estranged lesbian lover. But is Monica still a lesbian?
Read MoreEpisode 3
Monica manages to seduce Frank and sink her claws back in, but he dare not tell Sheila that he and Monica have been sleeping together. Sheila proves to be a frightening adversary when scorned and Frank could be in real danger. But neither Sheila nor Monica want to share him and he has to decide on which wife he wants. But who will he choose?
Read MoreEpisode 6
Carl wants his family back together and that means getting rid of Norma - for good. Unfortunately, things don't go to plan when Norma proves to be a very tough adversary. Frank agrees to work on Shane's ice cream van - the Maguires use it as a cover for dealing and Frank's got E's on tap! However, there's trouble brewing.
Read MoreEpisode 7
Explosions across the estate spark fears that Chatsworth is a terrorist target. But it has the Maguire's worried that they're under threat from folk a little closer to home when Patrick finds the family semtex missing. Meanwhile when Frank reveals to Monica she was never his first choice over Sheila, Monica vents her anger by turning to Norma for gifts and goodies.
Read MoreEpisode 1
An emergency visit to the hospital results in Frank receiving devastating news, prompting him to embark on an orgy of drink and drug-fuelled mayhem, which culminates in a bizarre, drug-induced encounter with his younger self. Elsewhere, Lillian comes up with a surprising way to make money, and Lip's shady past catches up with him and leads to a no-holds-barred fight in The Jockey, with shocking consequences.
Read MoreEpisode 2
Mimi is forced to confront her deepest insecurity after an ex-boyfriend makes a cruel comment about her weight, and Paddy's inability to back up her up forces a wedge between the loving couple. And Carl takes offence when Ian becomes romantically involved with his teacher, ruining his chance at wooing a promiscuous fellow pupil.
Read MoreEpisode 3
Monica seeks to make up for lost years with her children after failing a pregnancy test. Paddy is livid after the Jockey is robbed before Mimi's surprise birthday party, leaving Karen with the responsibility of arranging the bash from scratch. Stan becomes smitten when his pen-pan from the Ukraine pays a visit, but Carrie suspects that the charming foreigner has an ulterior motive.
Read MoreEpisode 4
Frank Gallagher has won the lottery; or so the residents of Chatsworth think when Yvonne announces it on the local news. And Frank's not about to announce that he's never bought a lottery ticket in his life when free drinks are coming his way. But will he 'fess up when Liam is kidnapped and the ransom fee is his so-called winnings?
Read MoreEpisode 5
With the local council doling out money to the new young-mayor, Debbie sees a chance to buy hens and potatoes and give Chatsworth free egg and chips. Meanwhile, Shane falls for his perfect woman and it looks like she's fallen for him but when she takes him back to her place, the spare room at Lillian's; Shane's in for a bit of a surprise. Also, Yvonne has trouble with some yobs in the shop and things get a bit heated has she finally met her natch? And,when Stan runs down an old lady, he confides to Tom and Carrie that he should be wearing spectacles. To save his job, Carrie takes the rap, but when the old lady decides to sue, it might be Carrie who is going to get fired.
Read MoreEpisode 6
A mishap with baby Katie and a bag of Es leads to a standoff between Mandy and Frank. When the family back Mandy, Frank is forced to leave the house and ends up sleeping rough. Meanwhile, when Liam learns he's going to be nappy changing for Monica's new baby, he decides to run away. He catches up with Frank and the two outcasts bond over a camp fire and a leaky tent. Micky's attempts to get into his dad's good books go horribly wrong when he accidentally loses the weekly drug pick-up distracted by a hot guy from the local abattoir. He enlists Ian's help to get them back and the two lads go on an epic search until Ian gets caught by the thieves and Micky has to decide whether to save his friend or his own skin. Shane is delighted when Kellie finally admits that she loves him and he invites her round for Sunday lunch with the family. But Paddy is not happy about sitting round the table with a prostitute and decides to pay Kelly a little visit...
Read MoreEpisode 9
Monica has an unexpected visitor, her mother Joan, who no one's seen for twenty years. Suddenly all Monica's childhood insecurities come flooding back. But Joan has a secret, she's got Alzheimer's disease and has a very important task for Monica but, she can't remember what it is. When Stan confesses to Yvonne that he's got a soft spot for her he gets a little more than he bargained for, in the stock room, up against the shelves and behind the frozen goods. Yvonne is a woman with physical needs but does she want this to go any further because, Stan certainly does. When Paddy and Mimi take a holiday, Shane and Mickey decide to throw a party. The only problem is, they've no cash to buy booze and drugs and when they enlist Liam to help them with a money making business venture, they soon find themselves outsmarted.
Read MoreEpisode 10
Jamie's ex-cellmate Mark comes to stay, but Karen doesn't trust him and the battle lines are drawn. Karen's got a fight on her hands if she's to prevent Mark from leading Jamie back into a life of crime. When Carl gets poor grades in his GCSEs, he realises everybody thinks he's a failure. So he sets out to prove them wrong and, with a little bit of help from Paddy, finds his real talent in the boxing ring. Yvonne gets a shock when she hears that her daughter Meena has arranged her own marriage. Meanwhile, Norma finds herself on a date. But is she over Monica yet?
Read MoreEpisode 11
When Paddy is caught on camera for an armed robbery and could face 20 years inside, Mimi begs him to call his brother, Noel. He's the only one who can help. But Paddy has a dark history with his sibling and would rather go to jail than ever set eyes on him again. As the reality of his situation dawns, he realises he has no choice. The Gallaghers find themselves three grand in debt to Mimi after Frank inhales a box of her drugs, and it seems that Ian is the only one who can bail the family out. But when his business venture fails, Ian finds he has nowhere to turn. In an act of desperation, he steals money from the till at the Jockey but things quickly spiral out of control. The status quo gets altered in the police house when Carrie becomes a sergeant. Tom is peeved that Carrie is exploiting her new position, but a chance comment leads him to discover a dark secret in Carrie's past, which means he can regain the upper hand...
Read MoreEpisode 12
When Stan gets caught in the crossfire between Yvonne and her kids, a full-blown row puts their relationship on the rocks. Things go from bad to worse when Yvonne finds herself held at gunpoint in the shop. Stan comes to the rescue but any hopes of this leading to an easy reconciliation are thwarted when the gun goes off and Stan lies bleeding amongst the cut-price yoghurts. Monica starts to panic when she discovers that the delivery date for her baby could be sooner than she thought. Faced with the unbearable last weeks of pregnancy and dreading maternal failure, she concludes that the only way through is to face her fears, bring on the birth and get it all over and done with. Carl announces that he's going to join the army. After all, there are some good perks: lots of travel, learn a trade and the girls love a guy in uniform. But can he really put himself up as canon fodder?
Read MoreEpisode 13
Mandy looks set for an upturn in her love life when she's persuaded to go on a blind date by Karen, Jamie and Ian. It seems she's struck gold and is onto a keeper, until her first night of sex and drugs turns into a nightmare. Finding themselves with a corpse on their hands, Karen and Mandy have to work out how to get rid of the evidence before they're charged with murder. It's a long night for the girls as they drag a heavy wheelie bin around the estate...
Read MoreEpisode 14
After Mandy gets arrested for suspected drug running she forms the most unlikely of friendships and finds herself helping Tom search for his real mother. The friendship, however, soon becomes something deeper for Mandy and with the help of Ian, she sets out to win Tom's heart. But do Tom's affections lie elsewhere? Mimi's short fuse gets the better of her when she harms her favourite son, Micky. Desperate to rein in her temper she attends anger management courses and gradually evolves as a new, sensitive woman - and responsible drug dealer. Seeing his business going down the pan, Patrick despairs and knows he has to get his old Mimi back or they'll go bankrupt. In an attempt to impress a new girlfriend, Carl enlists Karen as his personal sex counsellor, but is he getting help or getting off?
Read MoreEpisode 15
While enjoying another secret rendezvous, Debbie and Tom are forced to come to the aid of an assaulted woman, but things go horribly wrong when Tom gets arrested on suspicion of being the attacker. Only Debbie can supply his alibi, but not without putting both of them in a compromising position. There's a gruesome showdown between Shane and Paddy over Shane's girl, leaving Mimi torn between her love for her husband and the love she feels for her son. When Norma wakes up in a stranger's jogging bottoms after a night on the tiles, she sets off on a wild goose chase to find out whoever it was she slept with.
Read MoreEpisode 16
When Manchester experiences an earth tremor, Monica's waters break and she goes into labour. On the other side of Chatsworth, the same tremor knocks Frank off of his barstool and puts him in a coma. Monica's refusing to have the baby unless Frank is present, but how long can she keep her bun in the oven? While he's out cold in his hospital bed, Frank experiences an alternative world: a life where he is a success, where Ian isn't gay and Debbie looks like she'll never leave home. It's the world as Frank would have it; or is it? Carl is finding new success with girls by posing as a single parent. It's all going very well until his latest target runs off with the baby. Meanwhile, Shane has a proposal to put to Kelly.
Read MoreEpisode 1
Ian is attacked and left shaken and confused as to what he could have done to provoke it. When the stranger strikes again, Ian is left hospitalised and there's more bad news when he regains consciousness: he's got amnesia. Suddenly he's an alien amongst his own family and friends, and even his own sexuality is a mystery. Meanwhile it's Debbie's 16th birthday. Tom decides it's time to go public with their relationship, but Debbie has doubts about whether their relationship was ever really serious. Kelly has bad news for Shane about her pregnancy; Frank and Monica are faced with an impossible challenge when they hear the voice of newborn baby Stella: but do they want to know what she has to say about her parents and Chatsworth? And Ian's amnesia brings him a whole new perspective on his life, leaving him questioning if Chatsworth is the place for him after all.
Read MoreEpisode 2
With the launch night of the newly redecorated Jockey looming, Jamie and Karen are feeling the pressure in their relationship. The honeymoon period is well and truly over - but can a lesbian encounter put the spice back into their marriage? In the wake of Ian's departure, Micky looks to expand his horizons and enrols on a film course. Soon Micky discover a hidden talent and new friends; his tutor Liz and her husband Ady. The couple soon introduce him to the world of swinging when together they seduce him into their bed. An accident sends Carl to hospital where he takes up a job and is befriended by auxiliary nurse Maxine. Maxine is introduced to the rest of the Gallaghers, but Carl feels left out when Debbie and Maxine spark up a friendship. Meanwhile Stan's attempts to bond with Chesney and Meena land them in trouble with the police and Norma makes a grim discovery while refurbishing the Jockey. And Mandy meets a new man in the form of Jamie's football team mate, Joe.
Read MoreEpisode 4
Monica feels unwanted when Frank rejects her advances, and attends a hypnotist's show at the Jockey in the hope of regaining her sex appeal. Carl's new job leads to an intimate encounter, but after discovering he has an STI, he sets out to track down all his previous partners. Meanwhile, Paddy sets out to catch the people who desecrated Fergal's grave and Mickey's love life hits a stumbling block
Read MoreEpisode 5
Karen's relationship with Jamie is put under strain when she suffers a miscarriage, unaware she was pregnant to begin with, and matters are made worse by the Maguires' extreme reaction. Liam wins a modelling competition that Debbie entered him in, Tom takes his prank war with Stan too far, and Carl gets into trouble with the female residents of the Chatsworth estate
Read MoreEpisode 6
Paddy wakes up to find himself chained to a bed in a strange room, unable to remember how he got there, and tension arises between Frank and Monica following a DSS investigation. Carl schemes to discover Micky's sexuality, Tom's last-ditch romantic gesture to regain Debbie's affection backfires, and Carrie decides it is time for a change
Read MoreEpisode 8
Paddy returns and is determined to keep his heroin addiction a secret from the Maguires, while Mimi starts to think that he's got cancer. Meanwhile, when Frank inherits a house from an aunt, the Gallaghers celebrate a possible new start outside Chatsworth however, thing's aren't all as they first appear. After Kelly resigns from Lillian's brothel, she and Shane scam unsuspecting male clients in hotels across the city, until a sting goes horribly wrong leading to life threatning circumstances. Meanwhile, Jamie sabotages Karen's application for a wedding licence, and she reacts in a shocking way by standing strong ang making it clear that she'll never let the Maguires get hold of The Jockey.
Read MoreEpisode 9
Nobody is sure if Shane will ever be the same again after he is left partially paralysed by the accident, while Mimi and Kelly clash over who will help aid his recovery. After the departure of Monica, Norma contemplates her own future on the estate and a figure from the past offers her the chance of a fresh start. Elsewhere, Jamie settles back in with the Maguires and alarm bells ring for Karen when she suspects all is not right in Mandy and Joe's relationship
Read MoreEpisode 10
Norma steps into Monica's shoes to help Liam's parents appear conventional in front of his head teacher, but Frank looks set to spoil his son's place on a scholarship. Meanwhile, Paddy is increasingly agitated by Mimi's efforts to wean him off drugs, and Karen sacks Jamie - only for Joe to propose taking his place. Lillian gets a surprise visit from her son Rodney, and Kelly recruits Meena to do Shane's physiotherapy
Read MoreEpisode 11
Jamie beats Joe up after he discovers that he has been hitting Mandy. Mimi decides to take the blame for the attack to save her son from being sent back to prison. Paddy's secret comes out.
Read MoreEpisode 12
Ian becomes angry with Liam when he discovers that he has been skipping school. He soon finds out that Danny is responsible for Liam's absence and suspects that there is more to this than meets the eye. Patrick goes cold turkey and faces his demons, but can he come out clean and make a fresh start? And although Mimi faces an uncertain prison sentence, her main concern is Patrick's past infidelity. With Joe recovering, Mandy is under mounting pressure from all sides to leave him, but the decision is hers alone. And Meena takes her modelling career in a raunchy direction, much to Yvonne's disapproval.
Read MoreEpisode 13
The Gallagher unit is rocked when an unexpected visit from the social services catches them off guard and the family fall apart. In the aftermath Debbie unleashes her fury on Frank, which propels him on an almighty bender, but can Frank realise the solution to their problems won't be found at the bottom of a pint glass, before it's too late? Every teenage boy's fantasy becomes reality for Chesney when he is introduced to a married housewife who pops his cherry and he quickly falls head over heels.
Read MoreEpisode 14
Yvonne's past catches up with her and she tries to stop Chesney and Meena from learning the truth.
Read MoreEpisode 15
After Debbie throws him out for the night, Frank ends up in a confessional booth where he hears a neighbour's shocking confession. Frank finds himself drawn into what is going on.
Read MoreEpisode 16
Patrick continues to lose his grip on his marriage and his family.
Read MoreEpisode 1
It's Frank's 50th and Liam has the dubious honour of sharing the auspicious day with him on his 11th birthday. Uncharacteristically, Frank snubs the chance of a party, and instead opts to dwell in his own lonely loveless existence until... Libby, a local librarian falls into his life. His passion reignited, a whirlwind romance ensues - but will Libby's mother Patty (a full-time wheelchair user), bibliophile activists and riot police stand in the way of Frank holding onto his new love? Meanwhile, Liam's inherited the dirty nappies, rubber gloves and responsibility of the Gallagher household. Nin, Liam's great grandmother, offers to move in and help ease his burden, but a selfish Frank rejects her. Liam is infuriated. Unable to cope herself, Nin is spurred into homicidal action and in turn teaches Liam a priceless lesson in surviving as a Gallagher.
Read MoreEpisode 2
The Maguire clan is fully mobilised for the christening of its newest member baby Connor, with Mimi pulling all the strings. Her first act, reallocating godmother duties, leaves now 'ex' godmother Kelly devastated. Shane is stuck in the unenviable position of being forced to take sides between Kelly's need for acceptance and his mum's pursuit of respectability. Kelly demands he permanently cut the apron strings if their relationship is to last. Paddy's attempt to get involved in the family celebration is derailed by his own personal credit crunch. Papering over the cracks in his relationships, Paddy tries to press-gang Shane and Jamie into his new plan for the family business. While the lads turn him down, an eager Mickey is overlooked. Feeling ever more isolated, a fatal mistake by Paddy means Mickey must come to his rescue. At his lowest ebb, Paddy takes the christening opportunity to cleanse his own soul in front of the astonished family.
Read MoreEpisode 3
Karen's obsessive drive to prove herself more than just a mum has Jamie worried. With the help of a trampoline and a battalion of baton twirling majorettes her body is in perfect shape but her mind is in danger of unravelling, leaving the Maguires to pick up the pieces. Liam's pursuit of his first true love is threatened when he becomes tangled in a web of his own lies. His desperate attempts to conceal his Chatsworth life are shattered when Frank is summoned to the school. Maxine's life is thrown into turmoil when she is presented with an urgent choice. At the time she needs Carl most she finds him following in Frank's footsteps at the bottom of a pint glass. She turns to Ian for support. Elsewhere on Chatsworth, Yvonne is in debt and out of her depth when Paddy comes collecting. The Karibs concoct a plan leaving the shop under new management, Paddy enraged and Chesney starting a new independent life. Meanwhile, Mickey finds a plumber to help him with his neglected pipework.
Read MoreEpisode 4
Mimi gets a toy boy, Billy the Jockey football team's star striker, but her happiness is short-lived when she discovers her new beau is the not the man she thought he was. So when Billy tries to blackmail Mimi into continuing to see him, she decides to teach him a Maguire life lesson he will never forget. Shane and Kelly encourage Paddy to get back into the dating game; only to have their proposal rejected. Unperturbed, Shane rallies his brothers together and arranges a night out for Paddy. At the club Paddy's embarrassing 'Saturday Night Fever' dance routine cause his sons to abandon him. Emasculated, he returns home where he finds his own opportunity to make a proposal. Elsewhere, Frank is temporarily blinded by bootleg vodka. Rejecting doctor's orders to detox, the family take advantage of his blindness and set about turning his vices into virtues. Joe settles in as the new manager of the shop and in an attempt to make more money on the side, makes a deal with Shane.
Read MoreEpisode 5
Maxine is desperate to make a good impression at her parents' party so cajoles Ian into pretending to be her boyfriend. He reluctantly agrees, but their act unearths deep feelings that take everyone by surprise. Meanwhile, Carl realises what he's lost by splitting up with Maxine so he is determined to win her back. But Carl soon finds love and hate are two sides of the same coin when Micky reveals a painful secret. At the Jockey, Mimi does her best to conceal Karen's illness after she returns from the psychiatric unit. While Karen settles back into Chatsworth life, Jamie struggles to cope with the reality of living with mental illness. Escaping for a night out, Jamie meets Michelle, a Madame of a thriving male Escort Agency who plans to seduce him into a murky but lucrative new job.
Read MoreEpisode 6
Paddy's plans to salsa into the sunset with his new love D'een are scuppered when Mimi forces him to guarantee the financial security of the family with one last job - targeting the drug money of notorious psychopath Roscoe. Torn between a new life with D'reen and his family responsibilities, Patrick calls upon his sons for help. Meanwhile, Liam is suffocating under an avalanche of household debts and the fallout from trying to gamble his way out of trouble. Looked upon as a massive disappointment by Frank, and with no options left, he is driven to desperate measures. And Jamie is literally flat-out trying to keep his family afloat while Karen is coming apart at the seams.
Read MoreEpisode 7
Frank's romantic interest, Libby, returns and her time away has only increased her ardour. Armed with just a mobile library she is determined to bring knowledge to the people and rekindle her romance. Libby's romantic delusion is only punctured when she witnesses the 'real' Frank, leaving her Elizabeth Bennett without the Mr Darcy she craved. But overwhelmed by his desire, Frank strains every sinew to win her back using an unfamiliar weapon, honesty. Jamie focuses all his energies into giving his Madam, Michelle, whatever she wants in order to pay off Karen's debts. But his unusual behaviour rattles Karen's delicate disposition and raises Paddy's suspicions and when Michelle makes it clear she wants more than Jamie can give, the pressure mounts. Risking the fury of a woman scorned, but with everything he cares for at stake, Jamie has no choice but to find a way out.
Read MoreEpisode 8
Wedding bells are in the air on the estate, a little too frequently for the police, as the Maguire's exploit a new money-making scheme. Business turns to pleasure when Shane asks Kelly to marry him, but his dream soon becomes a nightmare when she turns him down. As his life unravels Shane uncovers a terrible betrayal by those closest to him and must suffer for the sins of his father. Hitting rock bottom he finds the strength to make an important decision. Now Libby and her mother are firmly nestled in the Gallagher house, Frank 'volunteers' to paint Patty's converted bedroom. But in the pursuit of a bargain, Frank falls and feigns injury leading to a potentially disastrous face-off with Patty. Elsewhere, Chesney holds a house party to get close to Sammy, but a promise turns to a threat when blood is spilt, leaving awful consequences.
Read MoreEpisode 9
Carl and Chesney's attempt to outrun their troubles make them realise the grass isn't always greener. Stranded on a Welsh farm they are offered sanctuary by a mysterious woman, Hazel. But things soon turn sour when news reaches them that they are now the prime suspects for Bonehead's murder. Back home, Liam and Maxine seem to be the only ones concerned by their disappearance which forces Ian to confront Jimmy, the real murderer, in order to establish the truth. Elsewhere, Mickey and Liam have been picked by the council to make a local community film in the hope it will inspire the residents of Chatsworth now that their estate has been identified as the most run down in Britain.
Read MoreEpisode 10
Shane is devastated to discover he's 'firing blanks' and while he frets, Kelly is reconciled to their future without children. The Maguire men refuse to let one of their own be struck down so decide to take matters into their own hands and get their heads together to come up with a sticky solution. Although Shane is keen to take up their offer Kelly refuses, and with Liam's help, both realise the answer to their problem lies closer to home. Carl and Chesney return to the Chatsworth and live undercover in Joe's storeroom. When Maxine discovers the boys are back, she risks her relationship with Ian by secretly concocting a plan to get them out of trouble. Carl prefers a more direct option, which puts all the Gallaghers in danger. While others choose to turn a blind eye, including Paddy, Shane refuses to stand by and do nothing, teaching Jimmy and his gang a lesson they will never forget.
Read MoreEpisode 11
Liam befriends World War Two veteran, Reggie, to help him with a school project. Troubled and lonely without his sister and fed up with Libby's well-intentioned interference at home, Liam finds solace in his friendship with the old man. But when Libby spies on them, she jumps to the all the wrong conclusions - leading to a tragic confrontation between the Gallaghers and Reggie. Maxine is shocked when her brother, Bruce, turns up with a black eye claiming a homophobic attack by their dad, but her loyalties are tested when she confronts their father and discovers the real story. Bruce's arrival as an openly gay man on Chatsworth agitates the locals and he quickly outstays his welcome at Ian's house, but he charms his way into Mimi's heart and the Jockey, leaving Mickey teetering on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Meanwhile, Karen is put out when Joe appears to have moved on by taking control of his life and attending anger management classes.
Read MoreEpisode 12
In an attempt to build up some confidence, Ian joins the local boxing club and quickly strikes up a friendship with the owner, Jock. But when the club faces closure due to Jock's debt with Paddy, Ian enlists Maxine, Carl and Chesney to help raise funds. However, it soon becomes clear that Ian has stumbled into a hornet's nest of unfinished business between Paddy and Jock. Meanwhile, a moment of heroism prompts Mickey to apply for a job with the fire service, but during the assessment he is haunted by old doubts. Returning a failure, he feels wounded, but his handling of a life-threatening emergency proves that he deserves respect. At the Gallaghers', Libby's biological clock is in overdrive, and to Frank's utter horror she makes it clear she wants to have children of her own before it's too late. Elsewhere, Liam is targeted by bullies, while Karen sets up a Chatsworth's Got Talent night at The Jockey.
Read MoreEpisode 13
Kelly takes guardianship of her 15 year-old half sister Tonya who is homeless and needs help to get her baby boy out of care. In a meeting with Tonya's social worker Julie, it's agreed that custody will only be considered if Tonya proves she is responsible by looking after a simulation baby. But it's not long before the unruly teen leaves Micky holding the plastic baby, forcing him to make a painful decision. Elsewhere, Libby witnesses the results of an apparent miracle from a visit to a French grotto and organises a pilgrimage for Patty. Petrified and elated at the thought of liberation from her mother, she persuades Frank to escort Patty while she waits anxiously at home. The unlikely travelling companions end up sharing a room in a convent where Frank becomes the improbable focus of attention.
Read MoreEpisode 14
After months of separation Patrick and Mimi amicably agree to a quickie divorce, but they get a nasty shock when it's revealed their marriage was never legal. Mimi flies into accusations and recriminations holding Patrick to blame. She then hatches a plan to secretly marry and divorce legitimately in order to save the souls of their children who were born out of wedlock. Everything is in disarray, and Patrick is due to leave for a new business venture, but the mission to re-marry brings up memories of the past and unearths their true feelings. With his parents apparently divorced, Micky feels orphaned and bitter about his relationships. In an effort to cheer him up, Maxine and Ian treat him to a night out where he meets a guy, Gary. Their connection restores his faith until he discovers their bond is built on secrets and half-truths. Micky must decide whether to bare the burden of his own lies or if honesty is the best policy.
Read MoreEpisode 15
During his birthday celebration Joe receives the tragic news of his father's death. The painful realisation that life is too short fuels his determination to start a new life with Karen. Although Karen is uncertain, Joe manages to convinces her of their future together away from Chatsworth. Trying to come clean to Jamie, Karen's confession is derailed when he reveals his own grubby secrets. Emotional deadlock forces Joe into a course of action with far-reaching consequences for all of them. Elsewhere, Bruce gets a chance to shine as caretaker/manager for the Jockey football team, but when he arranges a gay five-a-side football tournament Chesney is not willing to 'come out' with the other lads. And while Ian plays with the boys, Maxine explores her artistic side as a life model.
Read MoreEpisode 16
Karen and Joe are holed up in the shop with the spectre of Jamie's revenge hanging over them. Joe is plotting their future away from Chatsworth, but Jamie has Connor in hiding and Karen isn't going anywhere without her son. Joe uses his dubious contacts to snatch Connor and drag his new family away to freedom, but little does he know he's carrying unwelcome baggage! When Maxine and Ian are mugged they viciously fight back, taking their attacker captive. At odds on what to do with their prisoner, the couple quickly realise their relationship is falling apart. Elsewhere, a dark cloud falls over the Maguire family when notorious gangster and psychopath Roscoe shows up. The brothers scatter for cover, leaving Mimi to suffer the intimidation along with a dose of extreme indigestion.
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