Things are a little different with Shameless Season 7.

Not only is it coming back earlier than normal (yay!), but it's entirely possible it's not all bad news ahead for the Gallaghers. 

Is that even possible?! 

Helping the family out will be some new faces cast for the upcoming season.

Alicia Coppola has been added to the cast as Sue, a blue-collar, no-nonsense woman, according to Deadline, who is the supervisor of the group of EMTs where Ian is working.

That's right, Ian, who was once hardly the picture of stability and normalcy, is doing really well as an EMT and has a steady relationship.

Coppola was most recently seen on The Young and the Restless falling prey to the schemes of Victor Newman. 

We hope her character, Sue, has better luck with the Gallaghers. Nobody needs to be jerked around by crazy family and then another!!

The new season will pick up a month after the family threw Frank into the river, when he awakens from a coma. He decides to decare war.

He'll have a new friend in New Monica/Dolores a homeless woman Frank hooks up with.

Arden Myrin (Orange is the New Black) will be taking on that role.

Fiona is taking no prisoners as she tackles her new life, and nobody is going to get in the way of her management of Patsy's.

Ruby Modine has joined the cast as Sierra, one of Fiona's waitresses at Patsy's.

Svetlana's family is also expanding, as Pasha Lynchnikoff has joined Shameless as her father, Yvan.

While these recurring roles will certainly make things interesting, they're not the only news coming our way about Season 7.

After all, Debbie is still trying to be a mom and Carl is on his way to becoming a man of his own.

The big question will be whether the Gallaghers can hold their own while Fiona spends a little Me Time trying to focus on her path and spending a little less on theirs.

Shameless returns to Showtime on October 2 at 9/8c. You can watch Shameless online right here to catch up!

View Slideshow: 17 Characters Who Should Put A Sock In It

Shameless is coming back early!

Showtime is treating Shameless fans to an additional season this year and it looks pretty fantastic. 

If you recall, Shameless Season 6 closed out with the Gallagher family finally realized there was no helping Frank. 

They threw him in the river and out of the Gallagher family. Dude deserved it. 

We pick up on Shameless Season 7 with Frank in a coma, but there's hell to pay when he wakes up. 

He tries to worm his way back into the family, but he realizes it is no easy task. 

What do you do when your family ditches you?

You get a new one. 

Frank finds himself living in a homeless shelter due to his family not wanting anything to do with him, so he gets himself a whole new family. 

There's a Liam, Debbie, Lip, Ian, Fiona and even a Monica. 

If the latest trailer proves anything, it's that Shameless still has a lot of story left. 

Not many shows have that luxury this late in the game. We'll never get tired of Frank causing trouble. 

He goes about it in the funniest way. 

Fiona is making some changes of her own. 

For far too long she's looked after the family and they're all growing up, she's living her own life. 

She starts her new path off by letting her brothers and sisters know they need to contribute to the bills. 

Why shouldn't she? Being a Gallagher, they should all know how to raise cash quickly. 

Hopefully Fiona stays out of a relationship for some time. Single Fiona would be a breath of fresh air. 

Carl looks like he's going to be in a tough spot when it emerges that he gave his girlfriend an STI. 

That doesn't go down well with her father and he chases Carl out of the house. 

Remember you can watch Shameless online right here on TV Fanatic. Get caught up now!

What do you think of the trailer?

Hit the comments below!

Note: Shameless Season 7 Episode 1 airs Sunday October 2 on Showtime

Did Frank manage to keep Fiona out of her room?

That was a key question on Shameless Season 7 Episode 2 when Fiona made it clear she would not let Frank ruin her good mood. 

Watch Shameless Season 7 Episode 2 Online

Meanwhile on this hit Showtime drama, Ian went all out in his attempt to get to the root cause of what went wrong between him and Caleb. 

Also, Debbie went too far with the stroller business and almost kidnapped a child.

Use the video above to watch Shameless online to get caught up with the latest drama for the Gallagher clan.

Shameless continues to be one of the best shows on television. 

On Shameless Season 7 Episode 3 the Gallagher family were all at important stages in their lives and had to deal with what it means to be growing up. 

We'll start with Fiona, who continues to be one of the best written characters on television. For much of her life, she has been looking after Frank and Monica's offspring without so much as a thank you. 

It's time for her to finally move on with her life and do what she wants to. Gone are the days of sleepless nights, wondering where the kids are and if they are going to have enough money in the squirrel fund to survive the winter. 

Now Fiona has tasked her siblings with bringing in money to keep the family afloat. Why should it be down to her to keep bailing everyone out? I get that she went off the rails for a period during Shameless Season 4, but that was always going to happen. 

She went so long putting everyone else before her that she had a brief period where she just needed a break, and that ultimately landed her in prison. As much as I don't agree with her going on all the Tinder dates, at least she's having a good time. 

Lip implying that she was a deadbeat pretty much set the tone for Fiona's journey through the hour. She seemed to think that because she didn't have an education, she couldn't go anywhere in life. 

Actually, that was far from the case, and she realized that she could actually make something of her life and looked at the woman who owns the company that owns Patsy's Pies. 

I am just as likely as anyone of this family to make something of myself.

Fiona

• Permalink: I am just as likely as anyone of this family to make something of myself.
• Added: October 16, 2016

I have a feeling she's going to seek tips from her in the coming weeks to try and carve out her own career. As much as I like Tate Ellington as Chad, I hope the writers don't throw Fiona into a relationship with him, or anyone for that matter. 

Fiona functions so much better as an independent woman. I can't wait to see how the rest of her journey plays out this season. I just hope that Fiona's storyline coming full circle is not paving the way for an exit for Emmy Rossum. 

The show just would not be the same without her. That said, the UK version of Shameless lasted for nine seasons after Fiona departed. The writers really could come up with a plausible exit for the character. 

Elsewhere, Ian's storyline took a dark turn and it put the life of a patient at risk. It was a horrific turn of events, but it proved that maybe being a paramedic is not the best career path for him. 

It must be really difficult to watch someone in pain, but he almost got a patient killed by unstrapping her. It was a nice touch that his boss had a recording of himself telling him to go home. 

His boss is taking a huge risk if she lets Ian return to work, but it's clear she really cares about his welfare and knows, without the job, he'd be miserable. 

One person who was not miserable was Frank Gallagher. The dude continues to find new ways to piss off his family, but his tactics are not as cumbersome this time round. 

Getting himself a whole new family to replace the current crop of "degenerates" was a great way to bring some new characters into the fold. The storyline is simply hilarious. 

The police officer refusing to move Frank from the house the realtor was trying to sell was a great twist. She didn't want to cause any trouble by moving dozens of homeless people, so she let them stay put. 

Frank: God is handing me a do-over. New Ian, new Lip, new Debbie.
New Debbie: I'm a boy.
Frank: You need a haircut, Debs.

• Permalink: You need a haircut, Debs.
• Added: October 16, 2016

Say what you want about Frank, but he can easily sway people who are not his family on to his side. It's a good trait to get what he wants. 

"Home Sweet Homeless Shelter" was up there as one of the best episodes of the entire series. The show can flawlessly switch between serious subjects and humor. No other show on TV is quite like it. 

Other tidbits from the episode:

• Did anyone else see Dom being a cheat coming a mile off? As soon as her father showed up at Casa De Gallagher, I knew there was going to be way more to that story. 
• Lip clearly thought being an intern would be a good job. Working for free is never fun. However, I don't believe what his supervisor said about the previous person being there 8 months and getting $100,000 salary job after it. 
• The scene with Svetlana's father being introduced made me laugh out loud. 
• Kevin seems to have taken some money making tips from Svetlana. He always seems to find a way these days to make some extra money. 
• Debbie should have quit stealing while she was ahead. I was surprised when the store assistant turned on her as soon as the security guard appeared. 

What did you think of the episode?

Hit the comments below!

Remember you can watch Shameless online right here on TV Fanatic. Get caught up with the latest developments now!

View Slideshow: 17 Times Shameless Proved It Was The Funniest Show On TV

Did Fiona finally stop looking after everyone?

That was a key question on Shameless Season 7 Episode 3 when she realized she was about to lose her job. 

Watch Shameless Season 7 Episode 3 Online

Meanwhile on this addictive drama, things took a crazy turn for Ian when he put the welfare of a patient at risk. 

Also, Frank found himself a new family when he realized his one hated him, but how long did it last?

Use the video above to watch Shameless online to get caught up with the latest drama for the Gallagher clan.

Things are changing in the South Side for our favorite characters, but are they changing for the better?

On Shameless Season 7 Episode 4 pretty much all of the key characters had some conflict in their lives, but was it enough to push them closer to where they needed to be?

We'll start with Fiona. We've witnessed a change of tide for her as she's begun looking out for herself and only herself. It was only natural that she would reach a stage in her life in which she would rebel and force her siblings to look out for themselves. 

That's sort of what happens when you have deadbeat parents who expect other people to look after their children. Through it all, it's clear that Fiona is giving the kids tough love to push them to do things for themselves. 

My main issue with Fiona in this installment stemmed from her telling Debbie about the donut store hiring. It's not like Debbie can just rock up with a kid in a stroller to the interview. 

I get that Fiona is sick to the back teeth of getting interrupted, but she should have thought of the positives of Debbie getting the job. She was acing the interview until Fiona showed up with Harriet. 

I think Fiona started to realize she was being too hard on Debbie at the conclusion of the episode. Debbie was smart to decline the job offer from Fiona because she knew there was no way the two of them could work together. 

For now, it seems like Debbie will need to continue to follow Svetlana's tips in order to become a "kept woman."

Any way you look at it, Svetlana is one of the smartest women on television. She knows the tricks of the trade to get herself to where she wants to be. She probably never in a million years thought she would land on her feet with Kevin and Veronica. 

The concerning thing about the relationship is that it would crumble if Svetlana was not around. She's taking charge of the finances, among other things. She knows how to get the to family live within their means. 

View Slideshow: 17 Times Shameless Proved It Was The Funniest Show On TV

It's just a shame Kev and V did not trust her. Let's face it, anyone would be scared to death if Svetlana's father was looking after their kid. I mean, he doesn't speak English and he was walking around one of the worst neighborhoods in America. 

All of the things he was saying about the children being "good earners someday" made my skin crawl. Shameless has never been a show to stray away from shocking storylines, so there was a part of me that believed he could have ran off with the kids. 

Thankfully, he returned with a hilarious family portrait to show off just how thankful he was to the family for letting him stay. It was nice, but the whole thing would have been resolved sooner if there was a way of communicating with him. 

I'm glad the storyline put V under enough stress to finally lash out at Fiona. That was a long time coming and I foreshadowed them falling out a few weeks ago. 

They are both at very different stages in life, but Fiona only seems concerned about her herself right now. They once had the strongest friendship, but is that long gone?

Elsewhere, Lip moved up a rank with the company he was interning for, but his curiosity got the better of him. It was clear from the get-go there was something not quite right with the company. 

It was almost like no one actually ever worked. There was just someone going in and out of the server room. It was a great idea for a company, but it was not legal or ethical. 

Maybe it's karma biting Lip on the ass for the way he keeps boasting about how he's going to have an amazing job when it's all over. That may be the case, but the job won't last very long. 

I liked that he realized he was bringing Fiona down and made it right in the end. 

"I Am a Storm" was another solid episode of this Showtime drama. The storylines continue to be fresh and exciting and I can't wait to see where we go next. 

Other tidbits from the episode:

• I loved Frank's storyline about the homeless shelter last week, but it was too predictable that the homeless people would be causing trouble around the neighborhood. Hopefully the storyline is over. 
• Ian going back out on the clubbing scene was a good idea. He needs to move on from Caleb. However, as much as I liked the new character introduced, Ian should remain single for a while.
• Carl going to military school is a complete 180 from the Carl who was sent to prison a few years ago. Hopefully he stays on the straight and narrow. 
• I don't think I'll be able to block out the image of Kevin as a horse for quite some time. That was grim. 

Remember you can watch Shameless online right here on TV Fanatic. Get caught up on the latest developments for the residents of the South Side, 

Shameless continues next Sunday, October 30 at 9/8c On Showtime!

View Slideshow: Quotables for Week Ending October 21, 2016

Did Kev and V push Svetlana too far?

That was addressed on Shameless Season 7 Episode 4 when Svetlana got annoyed about the way her partners were treating her father. 

Watch Shameless Season 7 Episode 4 Online

Meanwhile on this addictive drama, Ian made a new friend, but he got mixed signals when the two of them went out on the town. 

Also, Lip got a shock about his internship when he realized that things in the office were not very legal. 

Use the video above to watch Shameless online to get caught up with the latest drama.

Why does everything keep falling right into Frank Gallagher's lap?

On Shameless Season 7 Episode 5, Frank was pretty close to getting thrown out of the homeless shelter, but a billionaire philanthropist stepped in to save the day. 

The dude bought the shelter and allowed Frank to live there. It was a nice gesture and all, but there was absolutely no way Frank was not going to milk it for all it was worth. 

Just look at the way he seemed to think he owned the property. Any other person would be ecstatic at not being made homeless, but all Frank cared about was having more power than everyone else. 

The dude has a sense of entitlement. He thinks that everything should go his way, or the high way. That's the Frank we've watched throughout seven seasons. There's no way he's changing, so we're just going to have to get accustomed to that fact. 

I'm surprised he even thought it was necessary to help Debbie out with schemes to get money quickly. 

Debbie has been struggling to keep it together in recent weeks. She's been trying her best to make sure that Frannie/Harriet gets the best possible start in life, but she needs to realize that she's not doing it right if it means breaking the law. 

I'm glad people started realizing that Fiona was being way too hard on Debbie. I get that she got pregnant young and wanted it to happen, but Fiona is still technically her guardian. 

It must have been embarrassing for Debbie to cross paths with someone from Derek's family. I mean, it's not like they've exactly taken much of an interest in her, or the baby. Maybe Frank scared them off when he was trying to get money out of them. 

It should be intriguing to see just how Debbie copes with the social work involved. She's witnessed their involvement in much of her own life, so she probably doesn't want to be seen as a similar parent to Frank. 

This would be a perfect opportunity for Fiona to at least try to accept Debbie's choice. There's no turning back, but there's a good chance she'll be losing her kid if her family doesn't try to help her. 

Fiona is just so determined to better her own life that she's forgetting about the people closest to her. Her life is very hectic right now, and she's determined to make something of herself. 

View Slideshow: 13 Morally Bankrupt TV Characters

There's no denying that the odds are stacked against her. Being a Gallagher has to be one of the worst starts in life. They're just so well known for not being the best of people. 

I'm really digging Ian's storyline with Trevor, but I can't get on board with the two of them as a pairing. It's already been confirmed that Noel Fisher is returning as Mickey. It's hard to imagine Gallovich getting anything other than a happy ending. 

The pause on their relationship at the beginning of Shameless Season 6 was clearly just a way to keep Cameron Monaghan on the show for a little longer after Noel left. Now, it makes perfect sense to give them that happy ending. 

I genuinely think if the show goes beyond Shameless Season 7, we'll be losing some of the key players. It sucks, but it happens on most shows this late into their run. 

"Own Your Sh*t" was another solid episode of this Showtime drama. The drama continues to be one of the best on television, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the season has in store for us. 

Other tidbits from the episode:

• I'm really not digging Lip's storyline. He needs to think about what he wants from life and put his mind to it. Being a crook is most certainly not the way forward for him. 
• Carl has redeemed himself after some questionable choices, and I hope that pays off for him with the whole Military School storyline. 
• Svetlana continues to be a delight. Is there anything she doesn't know?
• The washer that Steve bought the family way back on Shameless Season 1 Episode 1 is broken. Hopefully that doesn't mean he's coming back to buy a new one. 

Remember you can watch Shameless online right here on TV Fanatic. Get caught up now!

What did you think of the episode? Hit the comments below!

Note: Shameless Season 7 Episode 6 airs November 6 on Showtime!

View Slideshow: 17 Characters Who Should Put A Sock In It

Did Frank manage to move on from the drama with the homeless shelter?

That was addressed on Shameless Season 7 Episode 5 when a billionaire philanthropist bought the homeless shelter and left Frank and everyone in it.

Watch Shameless Season 7 Episode 5 Online

Meanwhile on this addictive drama series, Debbie had to get creative in her quest to make enough money to stay in the house. 

Also, Fiona got smart financial advice from a Tinder hookup. 

Use the video above to watch Shameless online to get caught up with the latest developments as the Gallagher family tried to better their lives. 

Hold the front door!

Did Shameless Season 7 Episode 6 serve as Carl Gallagher's swan song? When you leave the city on a Greyhound bus, it kind of begs the question about whether your character is off the show. 

Throughout Shameless Season 7, Carl has matured a lot and that's part of why Dom's dad helped him get the place in military school. Working on a show for seven years is a huge commitment, especially for a young actor. 

Going to military school was the best way for Carl's storyline to actually progress. It would have felt like a wrong move to stay in the South Side with Dom. 

Dom is not worth the trouble at this stage. She abused Carl's trust several times during their relationship. She's really not a nice girl and Carl can do a lot better. 

It must have been difficult for Luther to let Carl witness Dom with another dude, but it was the kick in the right direction Carl needed. 

There's absolutely no way Dom had any intention of being exclusive with Carl -- never mind anyone else. It's sad, but Carl had to move on from her and the best way to do that was to leave town and start a new life. 

It's crazy to think about how much Carl has changed over the course of the series. He has done so many questionable things that he was poised to fail and turn into his father, Frank. 

Morning, chief, would my apache brother like toast, or does he only eat maize?

Fiona

• Permalink: Morning, chief, would my apache brother like toast, or does he only eat maize?
• Added: November 06, 2016

If the show does come to a close soon, it would be great to have a callback to Shameless Season 1 with the school principal. 

If you recall, he told Fiona, Steve and Lip that there was no way Carl would ever succeed in life. He said something about a lobotomy being the best course of action for him. 

Before Carl's journey is really over, I want to see him go back to that darn principal and show that he's developed into a great young man who can succeed just as well as anyone else. 

There's going to be a severe change on the show if Carl just disappears. I'm all about embracing change, but I just can't fathom what will become of the Gallagher family without him. 

There's been a lot of change for every single character this year, but I just don't give a damn about Frank anymore. He's always going to be looking for some sort of scheme in order to get ahead. 

When he refused to let Debbie get married to Neil, I almost choked on my coffee because I thought he actually had a paternal bone in his body. 

This is the guy who ditched his kids and happily became a father to Karen Jackson. He's the master at playing happy families, but it's just a shame he can't actually do good things for his own flesh and blood. 

He does not deserve any more chances with his kids. They despise him and it's clear just how unhappy he makes all of them. Without Fiona, they would have been split up and put in foster homes. Yes, they did get split up a few years ago, but Fiona fought tooth and nail to get them back. 

View Slideshow: 17 Times Shameless Proved It Was The Funniest Show On TV

Now, Fiona's main concern is herself and how well she does in life. However, I don't agree with her using the Gallagher home as collateral. She needs to think about the bigger picture of taking on the laundromat. 

It's an investment, but investments can go wrong pretty easily. If it did actually go south, what would happen to her family members? Legally, the house is hers, but she didn't pay all the money for it. 

Lip has historically been very critical of Fiona's choices. It has been tiring witnessing him bringing her down every time she does something, but I think he had every right to on this occasion. 

An opportunity came up and Fiona leapt into it like there was no tomorrow. The way Fiona went about it was also pretty unethical. 

Etta clearly did not remember the previous conversation, and that should have been a big red flag. You could tell she was wondering whether to proceed with getting Etta to sign the place over to her. 

This will probably come back to bite her in the ass when the place inevitably becomes a success and some random family member of Etta's emerges from the woodwork. 

I really hope I'm wrong and it goes smoothly for her, but it probably won't. 

Lip is not getting off the hook, either. He seems to think he's above everyone on the South Side because he went to college. It's almost like he's forgotten all about his meltdown that got him kicked out of school. 

Fiona bringing that up when he was trashing her idea was one of the most perfect moments in TV history. That entitled look was instantly wiped from his face and it was great. 

Maybe he'll think about how other people feel before opening his mouth in future. It's time for him to grow up and stop acting like he can achieve anything. 

If his idea of making some money is scamming people out of money, then he's more like his father than he would like us to believe. 

The company was making a lot of money from the transactions, but there's absolutely no way they wouldn't have noticed some of the money disappearing. 

Now that the storyline has concluded, I sincerely hope Lip thinks about what he wants out of life, because there's a good chance he's going end up in jail, or become and old drunk like Frank. 

"The Defenestration of Frank" was a decent episode of this Showtime drama. All of the characters are making some big decisions about their lives and it's making for good TV. 

Stray thoughts:

• Frank being thrown from the window of the homeless shelter was one of the better moments of the hour. There's only so long people can put up with him. He has a very short shelf life. His fake family never had a brain cell between them. They seemed to think Frank was some sort of messiah that could do anything. 
• Debbie getting engaged and Fiona approving of the union was quite the shock. Debbie went to her as a last resort because she knew if Frank was out of the equation, there was no other way. Hopefully this paves the way for these sisters to get back on good terms. It's getting pretty tiring witnessing them sparring constantly. 
• Sierra's apprehension about Debbie being with Neil was completely right. Debbie was open about only being with Neil so that she could keep Frannie. Yes, she helps Neil, but she's not with him for the right reasons. 
• It was obvious Mariana was going to die, but it completely destroyed Ian. Running to Trevor was pretty predictable, but this relationship won't last long. Trevor is just a placeholder until Noel Fisher returns as Mickey. Then, Gallovich will be back and stronger than ever. 
• It did not surprise me in the slightest that Svetlana was sleeping with Yvon. It did, however, floor me when I found out that Yvon wasn't even her father. Svetlana is an opportunist, and I love learning more about her. She's definitely one of the best characters on television. 

Remember you can watch Shameless online right here on TV Fanatic! Get caught up with the latest developments for the characters now!

Over to you, Shameless fanatics! What did you think of the episode? 

Note: Shameless Season 7 Episode 7 airs November 13 on Showtime!

View Slideshow: 17 Characters Who Should Put A Sock In It

Did Fiona make a good business decision?

That was addressed Shameless Season 7 Episode 6 when she decided to invest in the laundromat after learning it was on sale. 

Watch Shameless Season 7 Episode 6 Online

Meanwhile on this hit drama, Frank learned how to reap a whole lot of money when from his latest scam. 

Also, Carl had second thoughts about military school when he learned just how much would be expected of him if he got in. 

Use the video above to watch Shameless online to get up to speed with the latest developments for the characters.