Won’t someone please think of Liam, who even Shameless occasionally forgets exists?
TV Reviews Shameless
When Shameless divided up its characters for the “Hall of Shame” episodes, they lumped Carl, Debbie, and Liam together. And given that they were only doing seven episodes of the clip show, that made sense: while Fiona, Frank, Ian, and Lip have all at one point or another been ostensibly the leads of the show, and Kev and Veronica needing to be addressed, putting the younger siblings together was really the only option. And they share the same general arc, beginning the show as sidekicks before eventually maturing into their own stories over the show’s eleven seasons.
However, there’s a pivotal distinction that we need to make, which is that although I have a lot of issues with how Debbie and Carl’s characters have been handled, their transitions to their own storylines was narratively justified. I may hate the person Debbie has become—she spends this episode blaming Lip for her own reckless behavior, seriously considering reporting him for incest as punishment for wanting to sell the house—but the narrative arc of a Gallagher having to grow up fast was a productive parallel to her older siblings. And while Carl’s journey was a little more scattered thematically, if you ignore some of the specifics—like the absolute waste of time that was Carl’s story in this episode—and just cover the broad strokes, the intent is logical. They started the show at an age where they were an afterthought, and they’re ending it with more agency, and that feels true to the show’s thesis as it were.
But Liam is a different story. Liam started the show as a narrative burden: a toddler that needed care and attention, unable to do anything for himself. His most prominent story was when he overdosed on Fiona’s cocaine, and while there was a period where it felt the show was using the character as evidence of the consequences by suggesting some type of brain damage, eventually the show got to a point where they decided that Liam needed to be a character in his own right. And so they recast the role, and transitioned him into the sidekick role that Carl filled when the show began, all the while gesturing at but never committing to stories regarding his race. And then they decided to commit to those stories, but immediately backed out of them, reverting Liam to just another Gallagher. But unlike his siblings, who have grown into adults over the course of the show, Liam is still trapped in the liminal space of middle school, and the show has never cracked how to tell his stories without making it seem like they have no idea how to tell his stories.
Which is to say that Liam’s current predicament is frustrating both within and outside the narrative, as it’s hard for me to get a grasp on who exactly should be held accountable. On the one hand, the episode itself is arguing that this is Lip’s fault, because he’s ostensibly Liam’s guardian by default in Fiona’s absence, and he didn’t make it clear to Liam that he would be living with him and Tami in the instance that they were to sell the house. The final scene of “Survivors” certainly affirms this, transitioning into the credits without any kind of music, meant as an emotional moment of Liam finally realizing that his family is there for him. It’s not the first time that the entire family has basically forgotten Liam existed, but it was one of the more consequential, and resolving it puts the family back on solid footing as they prepare to say goodbye to this era of their lives now that Debbie has admitted she just doesn’t want to lose her connection to the family and seems open to the idea of selling.
But at the same time, I was so perplexed by Liam’s behavior in this episode. In general, the current incarnation as Liam has been positioned as being smart beyond his years, clever and shrewd in how he navigates his world, but I have no grasp on what he was doing throughout this episode. He goes to DCFS and asks about being adopted, or going into a group home? He tries out being homeless to see how it might feel? The episode tries to frame this as him being pragmatic and preparing for the worst, but why in the world wouldn’t he just ask his siblings about this? Yes, I hold those responsible for Liam at fault for not being proactive in making him feel safe in the situation, but the show’s inconsistent characterization of Liam makes his unwillingness to ask them a simple question inscrutable. He literally moved out of the house without them knowing before, but this time he’s so concerned that he can’t ask them directly? The final scene is pitched as a big emotional moment, but I have no grasp on his emotions, because the show has had no idea how to tell stories using the character. Liam is too old to not just ask his siblings what’s going to happen to him, and too young for his actions to read as a clear story arc, meaning the time we spend on him ends up lacking the resonance we would normally associate with the end of a series.
The characters who could resonate—Ian and Lip—are mostly sidelined from the series finale preparations this week, outside of Lip’s drop-in on Liam: Ian and Mickey handle Terry’s affairs and find out his neo-nazi origin story (he murdered his would-be Jewish father-in-law after he forbid the union, and then she married an African American), while Lip fixes a crime boss’ grandson’s mini Mercedes for some reason. Tami doesn’t even appear in the episode, which I suppose means there might be conflict if Lip didn’t run the Liam plan by her, but it mostly seems like we’re meant to see that story as resolved, and so I’m curious when we start getting a clearer picture of the endgame for the show’s two most important characters.
The march to the finale was strongest with Frank, which is to be expected, as he wanders through his co-conspirator rolodex to discover all the people on his old crew are either dead, retired, or unable to perform their old duties. As I stated previously, Macy is a strong actor, and I do think it’s productive to see him pushing the bounds of his dementia as a way to think about his situation. The big speech about how conditions like Alzheimers and Dementia put seniors in vulnerable positions is not entirely untrue, but obviously Frank isn’t the most sympathetic source of that argument, which could generate good tension in the weeks ahead. I don’t know what we’re supposed to do with the mid-credits suggestion that Frank actually successfully stole “Nighthawks” from the Art Institute of Chicago off-screen, but we’ll wait and see if it’s even canon as of next week’s episode and if they use it to provide an influx of cash to simplify the conflicts ahead.
That said, although the Alibi story itself was as pointless as Kevin and Veronica’s stories have been for seasons now, I do think we’re starting to see an endgame for them as well. Veronica went to Kentucky to help convince her mother she doesn’t actually want to move there, but the choice to contrast it with Kev’s childcare misadventure at the alibi where the twins get into the edibles seems to be signaling that they might start imagining a simpler life outside of Chicago. I resent the premise of this story—Is there not enough money from the Alibi for a babysitter? Or a part-time employee to tend bar to the roughly 5 customers while he watches them?—but I will say that my biggest question mark about the finale is how they decide to handle these characters, and if they angle toward a potential spinoff that has no narrative motivation in the current moment but could scramble to find some in the three episodes remaining.
With the issue of the house apparently settled—Debbie sure went from Defcon One to “I mean, as long as we have a weekly dinner at Lip’s house” in a hurry, huh?—we’re at the point where each character will now need to find their space within the new normal. I don’t know if I’d say that “Survivors” did much to tap into the natural momentum of the season’s final act, but admittedly the simple proximity to the end tends to make me more invested in what’s happening even if it isn’t necessarily earned, which is making this stretch of the series dull if not necessarily tortuous.
Stray observations
- As with many previous moments related to the show’s amnesia about its own past, they do not get points for admitting that no one knows who Liam’s legal guardian is within the show as though it justifies the show’s refusal to acknowledge that it was Fiona, and she left without considering this. It was still very, very dumb.
- Given the comic resolution to Lip and Brad being kidnapped, it seems safe to say that the crime boss is happy to commit some insurance fraud and has no need to go after the parts, effectively meaning that the big freakout over the Born Free theft is over? So the point of all that was…I know, I know, it’s not worth it.
- The choice for Ian and Mickey to sing “I Will Survive” over Terry’s burning corpse was admittedly lost on me, and I still don’t really have a clear answer, although I’m reminded by my Googling that Frank sang the song during a lucid moment back in the first season?
- Speaking of Ian, I was absolutely perplexed when he was the one who was like “You could marry him now that he killed your father, right” during their meeting with Rachel. Ian is typically more rational than that, and so it felt like a line that would be more likely to come from Mickey between the two of them, and I’m still confused where that thinking would come from.
- I realize that one of Shameless’ central arguments is that the problems plaguing institutions are so significant that the dysfunctional but functioning Gallaghers are far from their central problem, but it’s still weird that neither Debbie’s unhinged discussion with the clinic nurse nor Liam’s discussion with DCFS resulted in either party reporting them in some capacity.
- Beyond the fact that it served no purpose beyond bringing back Joshua Malina, that little “because they defunded the police, SWAT is just me and a sniper” line in Carl’s storyline was wildly misjudged, not unlike the both sides-isms of the cancel culture story last week.
- Veronica step-brother-son is stressed because his Weedle card is missing? His WEEDLE card? Kid, unless it was a shiny, you’re going to be able to replace your Weedle card no problem. Chill out.
- “It freaks me out when you’re here by yourself”—after only Tommy appeared in the seventh episode, only Kermit appears here, and I agree with Kevin. It freaks me out as well.
- What was with that establishing shot of the Kentucky border that made it seem like they were entering Hicksville?
- I was preparing a whole rant about how Kevin was going to go “make some more fries” since the show has previously suggested the Alibi has a magic kitchen somewhere, but then he just went to the microwave, which is an acceptable justification if a bad statement for the quality of the food at the Alibi.
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The good: Micky and his confusing emotions. And his confusion at having confusing emotions. Loved it.
The bad: Most everything else. Debbie continues to be the worst. That girl really needs to get herself into therapy. (yeah, cause that’ll happen)
Vee was… frustrating me. Like, dude the more you keep pestering your mom like that the less likely she’s gonna come back, even if she wants to. Just tell her you’ll support her no matter what and should she ever change her mind you’ll be there to help. But of course this is Shameless and people don’t do that kind of thing I guess.Also annoyed at Kermit’s complete lack of even the barest of assistance. Dude you’re just gonna let these kids eat a fuck tonne of edibles? You basically live there, the least you could do is keep an eye on them occasionally (don’t even have to move a muscle) and give Kev a shout if they start getting into that kinda shit. Don’t just shrug your shoulders, dick.Anyway I hated this episode probably a C- from me, and I’m usually pretty lenient.Aside: is 24 hours normal to “pick up a body”? That’s… that doesn’t sound right. Like at all.
Aside 2: “Since they defunded the police”? Wow I musta missed when that happened IRL. If anything a lot of departments have increased funding. ACAB.
And why isn’t The Alibi’s weed locked up? According to last week’s episode, they are a legal dispensary so there’s rules on how that stuff is stored. And having unlocked and on the corner of the bar, makes it super easy to steal it! But we have to have characters be morons for a stupid plot point.
Totally agree about Mickey. Noel Fisher constantly does alot with a little. And I think this is the first time we’ve seen a character show grief in this kind of way. Actually, I might be wrong cause Frank also had complicated feelings when his mother died but I still liked Mickey’s reaction. Even the moment with the knife. It’s interesting how people can morph a memory to give it a sentimental perspective.
The whole situation at the Alibi with the kids getting into the pot edibles and seemingly having a great time while high — was that supposed to be funny? All I kept thinking was why didn’t their Dad immediately rush them to the emergency room.This show used to be about a family finding resilience in their connection to one another. No matter what, the Gallagher’s always had each other’s backs (except for Frank, who’s often been the antithesis to this theme of familial strength).
Now, there’s none of that. I was surprised Debbie even noticed Liam’s behavior enough to tell Lip about it. The final scene of Lip reassuring Liam was almost jarring — I can’t recall the last time any of the characters were shown communicating like that.
Who knows what this show is anymore, other than an insult to the intelligence of its audience. It seems like the writers are more concerned with trying to make edgy, clever statements about the social issue of the week — i.e. “cancel culture” — rather than any of the characters or their relationships. And the show’s social statements aren’t all that clever…or subtle.
I’ve seen people say that Ian chose that song to sing cause of the symbolism of the lyrics and how it’s fitting for Mickey (first he was afraid of Terry but he grew strong) but I think the intent was choosing a campy “gay” song and you can’t get more iconic than disco and I Will Survive.Ian’s comment about “well, once your dad was out of the way…” was so… I don’t know haha It was dumb obviously but it just made me think that Ian was still into Mickey when Mickey threatened to kill Frank and maybe it was supposed to be something like that? Like we’re supposed to believe that a “little thing” like murder isn’t really a deterrent when it comes to loving a Milkovich. I don’t know. I mean it’s definitely safe to say a Milkovich will kill or maim for the people they love and Ian’s not surprised or deterred by it. But again, it’s dumb and I probably sound dumb trying to explain why it could make weird sense. I get that Ian would be thrown by Mickey’s crying (he’s probably never seen it before and it’s unnerving being around crying people and not knowing what to do) but feelings are complicated and irrational which you would think he would get since he a) has breasts tattooed on his back after trying to get something to memorialize Monica b) cried in a big sweaty stranger’s arms c) spent all night trying to fix Monica’s grave by himself. I guess he was as supportive as he could be given the circumstances for Mickey but this is what came to mind when I watched his reactions to Mickey’s actions. And regarding how quickly Terry was taken to the potter’s field, Frank didn’t claim is mother and yet she wasn’t taken to a communal grave. And I think she was cremated. I don’t understand how things work.
The comment about marrying him now that he murdered her dad *was* super out of character for Ian and would have even been dumb coming from Mickey. I’d almost be worried it was foreshadowing that Ian might be having some mental health issues recurring but that seems too subtle for Shameless.
YO we don’t even have enough time this season fro subtleties like that! The writers want us to focus on a never-ending crooked cop storyline and pointless Debbie/Kev/V hijinks!!
Liam’s guardianship calls to mind the question of who legally owns the house. Is it still in the dead aunt’s name? Or didn’t Carl chip in drug money at some point? Or did Fiona put it in her own name and transfer it to Lip? I truly don’t remember, but can Lip even sell that house? And if he can, we wasted a lot of time on the idea that Debbie could do anything to prevent it. I’m still missing a strong sense of why Carl is so committed to law enforcement. Shameless doesn’t communicate that particular irony very well and this isn’t the first time they’ve tried. I half think that the writers don’t know what to do with Debbie as a female lead if Emma Kenney won’t do the sex scenes that Emmy Rossum did early in the show.
I think Carl is supposed to want to better his community and have a sense of purpose. Who is more impactful on the community than a cop?
It’s crazy that they forgot that Carl’s girlfriend was murdered and they never showed him having any reaction to it whatsoever.
The rating for this episode is so much nicer than I thought the episode was worth haha which is why I’m not the critic/reviewer/whatever you want to call it.So much wasted potential and I just do not understand why. Personally, I do not buy Lip talking to Tami about Liam living with them cause Lip hasn’t shown any particular interest in Liam in how long? No one ever seems to care or know what’s going on with him.And I don’t think the house being sold argument was resolved in a satisfying way either. Three people, who ACTUALLY live in the house, didn’t get their voices heard. Technically, we don’t know which way Carl would’ve gone but he didn’t even get a say. Milton’s house on the South Side was good enough for Lip but the Gallagher house is only worthy of fixing up to get rid of?Debbie’s fear of losing her family is meh because they barely interact! And I get that it’s an understandable and valid issue for her but the emotional impact isn’t there, at least for me, because everyone has been off doing their own thing. I guess we’re supposed to take those scenes of everyone eating breakfast quickly and that one time Liam heated up a lasagna has family togetherness moments?
The final scene of “Survivors” certainly affirms this, transitioning into the credits without any kind of music, meant as an emotional moment of Liam finally realizing that his family is there for him.
I got more of a “oh shit, I just agreed to another thing without consulting Tami…” vibe from Lip in that scene more than any kind of emotional moment.I think it’s weird that the main Gallagher plot is still basically running around looking to resolve itself with only 2 episodes left. Considering the show’s penchant for returning to the status quo at the end of the season, I almost wouldn’t be surprised if this is all for naught and they all end up staying in the house anyway. Say what you will about how they’re getting there, but at least Mickey, Kevin and V are clearly getting some degree of closure in their stories…
With the show is ending, they wouldn’t need to return to the status quo though. I’m kinda thinking Debbie might end up living with Carl in a roommates situation. Then again, maybe she will get comfortable with the idea of living alone with only her daughter.
That makes sense, so it probably wont happen.
Yeah I got a sense of regret from Lip at the end. He was always the one who most rejected Fiona’s acceptance of their circumstances so i can see how he wouldn’t want to continue supporting siblings forever. And he made some pretty big, unrealistic promises to Liam.
I really hope that Christian Isaiah gets a great show after this that treats him right because the kid’s got talent. He actually makes the Liam moments somewhat bearable despite how badly plotted and written they usually are. As for ‘I Will Survive’ it’s definitely the kind of song that TV likes to treat like a queer anthem despite the fact that I have never heard it once in a queer space. So going with that for Mickey having survived Terry made some sense from that perspective.
I have noticed that on all the outside scenes, especially ones with outside houses, there is always a black Jeep Compass in the background somewhere. Only other part of the show worth anything was Micky parts.
This week’s Mickey plot was undone the second we saw that the name on the box was Rachel. Women named Rachel don’t tend to be Nazis, you know? I’m surprised Ian and Mickey didn’t question that.
I got the feeling that is why Micky’s dad was the way he was. Her dad not letting him marry her, then he kills him, and then of course she won’t marry him turned him to be a neo-nazi.
I always love a chance to be “that guy”. Defcon 5 is the calmest, used in peacetime. Defcon 1 would be the the scorched earth method Debbie was going with.
With the issue of the house apparently settled—Debbie sure went from
Defcon 5 to “I mean, as long as we have a weekly dinner at Lip’s house”
in a hurry, huh?—we’re at the point where each character will now need
to find their space within the new normal.
HUH. Duly noted.
The funny thing is, there is an iconic Office scene with this very issue—-when tension ramps up, Michael declares “DEFCON 10!”
So, they FINALLY addressed where Liam will live, but I’m
still so confused about their future money situation.
They’re acting like they’re winning the lottery NOT selling a house in a lower
income part of town and then splitting it 5 (maybe 6 if Frank or his care are
considered) ways. They’re going to get less money each than what Debbie wasted
from Fiona when Debbie spent it on a bunch of dresses that Frank sold and then
the show completely forgot about.
I’m admittedly not as up to date on current rent rates in Chicago, but I don’t
see how any of them can really afford it especially since NONE OF THEM BUT CARL
EVEN HAVE JOBS.
Lip is now going to get a 3 bedroom apartment and just burn through the money
he gets from the house because he for some reason refuses to get a normal job
and resented applying to Amazon (that scene a few episode back went no where
btw)? Lip says Debbie can get a nice place because she’s making a lot of money
from her handy-woman job? Really? her uninsured side business we barely see her
do is racking in the dough?
Selling the house is a terrible long-term solution for any of them. It’s mostly
a short-term solution for Lip’s current problem and the show is ignoring that
more than it ignores Fiona still existing somewhere.
Thank you. I’ve commented before to say this, so glad to see I won’t have to again out of sheer frustration. Just want to add that it was incredibly unsatisfying to see Lip get rewarded for acting like a complete ass, while we were all supposed to be in agreement that Debbie was being selfish and unreasonable. None of it made any sense and never was the issue raised of how everyone would be able to afford separate places long term without steady employment. I will ascribe all of this to what I call “Finale Tunnel Vision”, where the writers are so focused on there having to be some BIG change that they create forced story lines that need to bring this about. Personally I think the most fitting ending for the Gallaghers would be…..status quo. But that’s just never an option for a series ending.
Franks heist setup had me laughing, though only because it seemed to hit all the tropes brought up last season in the Rick and Morty heist episode, though it was “You son of a bitch, I’m out”, in this case
If this were a better show – or a better realized version of
this show – I might suspect it’s foreshadowing not only Frank’s death, but
also Lip’s. His “serious as a heart attack” line at the end of this episode
seemed somewhat odd, and there was also the extended and rather ominous ode to Lip’s drinking in
the mid-credits scene of his “Hall of Shame” retrospective.Also: This show has always leaned on the “just run away from certain arrest/imprisonment” trope too much, but this season has gone batshit crazy, with Ian and Mickey the latest lucky escapees (for, what, the third time so far?)Also: Speaking of which… the fire they set would have spread to the rest of those cardboard corpse containers within seconds. Also: Is anyone else kind of disappointed Frank’s scheme wasn’t an arc during these final episodes? “Elaborate heist conducted by dementia patient” would at
least have been genuinely interesting.
Also: How hard up is Joshua Molina for work to agree to portray
such a ridiculously non-sensical character? He’s Jeremy Goodwin/Will Bailey FFS!
The only reasons why I keep watching this show are Noel Fischer’s acting and the kids who play Liam and Franny. Especially Franny…. that little girl is cute as a button! Can’t stand her Mom though…does Debbie even know her kid exists? There’s this one scene from a few episodes ago where Franny is sitting on her mom’s lap as Debbie tells Carl he was raped. Really? I get that Franny’s home life isn’t exactly this ideal, sheltered world, but Debbie can’t even cover her kid’s ears while having that kind of conversation?Also, you’d think that Debbie would at least acknowledge the similarity between Carl’s situation involving lack of consent and her own, in which she tricked her boyfriend into getting her pregnant. And didn’t Debbie lose her virginity to a guy she basically raped? It was a missed writing opportunity to further develop Debbie’s character and show her in a more nuanced light…as opposed to the surly, one-dimensional narcissist she’s become.And the whole situation at the Alibi with the kids getting into the pot edibles and seemingly having a great time while high — was that supposed to be funny? All I kept thinking was why didn’t their Dad immediately rush them to the emergency room.When did the main characters become so frustrating and unlikable in this show? It first started with Fiona, then Debbie, then Lip…Carl and Ian are still okay, but the writers clearly have no idea what to do with them.The turning point for me was when the show completely forgot that Lip was supposed to be this intellectual genius. I’m not saying he should’ve returned to college after getting sober — in fact, I thought him not returning was an interesting turn for his character. But the writers have been dumbing him down ever since.Are we supposed to forget that Brad and Lip got drunk the night they robbed their old shop? I thought their relapse would be a bigger deal, because for all its flaws, the show usually treats the subject of addiction with the seriousness it deserves. But in this case, Lip and Brad hit a meeting the next morning so all’s good …. I guess?At the very least, Frank’s diagnosis could’ve lead to some real character growth for Lip — it would’ve been nice to see Lip reflecting on his father’s alcoholism in the context of his own recovery.Yet another missed writing opportunity … among many missed opportunities.This show used to be about a family finding resilience in their connection to one another. No matter what, the Gallagher’s always had each other’s backs (except for Frank, who’s often been the antithesis to this theme of familial strength).
Now, there’s none of that. In this episode, I was surprised Debbie even noticed Liam’s behavior enough to tell Lip about it. The final scene of Lip reassuring Liam was almost jarring — I can’t recall the last time any of the characters were shown communicating like that. Who knows what this show is anymore, other than an insult to the intelligence of its audience. It seems like the writers are more concerned with trying to make edgy, clever statements about the social issue of the week — i.e. “cancel culture” — rather than any of the characters or their relationships. And the show’s social statements aren’t all that clever…or subtle.
I refuse to believe Amy and Gemma are in danger in Kevin’s care. When has he ever been a bad father? When has he ever put them in danger? Why all of a sudden is everybody hating on his parenting skills? The edibles and beer and doubt about his parenting skills feels so out of place to me. I’ll finish the show since I’m already invested, but it just blows my fucking mind that they so constantly forget major plot points and character development on a whim to tell jokes.
I refuse to believe Amy and Gemma are in danger in Kevin’s care. When has he ever been a bad father? When has he ever put them in danger? Why all of a sudden is everybody hating on his parenting skills? The edibles and beer and doubt about his parenting skills feels so out of place to me. I’ll finish the show since I’m already invested, but it just blows my fucking mind that they so constantly forget major plot points and character development on a whim to tell jokes.
Great point. And I know Kermit is Kermit, but we’ve seen him get up off his a$$ and help out before. He really couldn’t be bothered to help?? And the literal drugs couldn’t be locked up or just not at toddler-level on the bar???? Like SOS
It’s like they forgot V had severe postpartum depression and Kevin had to basically take care of the babies on his own.
This episode obviously deserved an F but *deep sigh* whatever. I love pain. I’m actually starting to think that making Debbie undeniably horrible over the past few seasons is *wait for it* anti-feminist. Hear me out: Debbie and Fiona were the only female leads. Debbie was introduced as the neutral younger sibling who had Fi as her only role model as they grew up. Fi’s character was framed in many ways as a shero/anti-shero, and she was almost always authentic in her disposition. When Fi f*cked up, you knew she knew that she f*cked up. There was a self-awareness and accountability Fi possessed that made you respect her. If Shameless cared about actually being a good show, we would see more of a) Debbie (un)inentionally emulating Fi’s self-accountability, or b) trying not to emulate Fi at all because she misses Fi. But we see none of this. We’re forced to see Debbie as selfish and aimless and wildly judgmental. We routinely see Debbie doing horrific things with zero regard for the consequences. We don’t see Debbie acknowledge Fi’s absence and the impact that has had on her, and I think that does Debbie a GREAT disservice. At this point, esp with just how much the writers demonize Debbie, it feels like the writers are punishing us.We have to acknowledge that Debs is the only female Gallagher that’s been around since season 1 episode 1. And this is how the show has treated her. They have given her absolutely nothing redeemable for years, and when I see Debbie on the screen I automatically roll my eyes. Her character just stresses me out, and tbh Emma Kenney is not the most dynamic actress, so after 11 seasons Debbie remains one-note. A really reallyyyy bad note. Women didn’t march on Washington for this!!!!!!
Or we could just forget about Liam forever because he is by far the absolute worst and most annoying character on the show