A Great Cause
| "A Great Cause" | |
|---|---|
| Shameless episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 10 |
| Directed by | Mimi Leder |
| Written by | Etan Frankel |
| Produced by | Michael Hissrich |
| Cinematography by | Rodney Charters |
| Editing by | Regis Kimble |
| Production code | 2J5960 |
| Original release date | March 18, 2012 |
| Running time | 54 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"A Great Cause" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American television comedy drama Shameless, an adaptation of the British series of the same name. It is the 22nd overall episode of the series and was written by co-producer Etan Frankel, and directed by Mimi Leder. It originally aired on Showtime on March 18, 2012.
The series is set on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, and depicts the poor, dysfunctional family of Frank Gallagher, a neglectful single father of six: Fiona, Phillip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam. He spends his days drunk, high, or in search of money, while his children need to learn to take care of themselves. In the episode, Frank and Monica steal the family's fund and go on a shopping spree, while Ian and Lip discover the real father of Mandy's baby.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 1.16 million household viewers and gained a 0.6 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised the dramatic elements of the episode.
Plot[edit]
Monica (Chloe Webb) is now spending more time with her family, often getting Debbie (Emma Kenney) and Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) to stay up late at night to watch movies with her and Frank (William H. Macy). Ian (Cameron Monaghan) is harrassed by Terry (Dennis Cockrum), who believes he got Mandy (Emma Greenwell) pregnant. Per Monica's suggestion, Ian tries to enlist in the Marines, but is turned down as he lacks a high school diploma.
Fiona (Emmy Rossum) begins to plan her future by taking GED classes and taking initiatives to move up in her club job. Steve (Justin Chatwin) attempts to smuggle Marco into the United States to reunite Estefania (Stephanie Fantauzzi) with her true love and get back into Fiona's good graces, but complications arise when they can't find him. Estefania leter gets mad at Steve when he realizes Marco is running out of resources and calls him a "dead man" before leaving their room. Sheila (Joan Cusack) and Jody (Zach McGowan) take in Ruben (Moshe Kasher), a deaf drug addict, into their new "hospice". Sheila struggles in communicating with Ruben, until Jody reveals he knows American Sign Language and can finally see what he needs.
Monica finds the Gallagher's "Squirrel Fund", and decides to get her and Frank a few gifts, including drugs and a new car. After Terry once again tries to shoot Ian in his house, Mandy pulls up a shotgun on her father to let Ian live. Lip (Jeremy Allen White) and Ian realize that Terry actually got Mandy pregnant while drunk, and he was trying to express his guilt by framing Ian. To help with an abortion, Ian starts a fundraiser with his family. Monica takes Carl on a ride, and allows him to drive the car, which leads to their arrest. Lip is informed by a police officer and immediately leaves for the house to get the fund, realizing Monica took it, forcing him to use his own money to bail them out. That night, Lip tells Fiona about the event, and reprimands her for not focusing on her family. Fiona says she thought it would be different this time, and scolds Monica for her actions. She returns to the living room, where she breaks down and begins cleaning.
Production[edit]
The episode was written by co-producer Etan Frankel, and directed by Mimi Leder. It was Frankel's third writing credit, and Leder's second directing credit.[1]
Reception[edit]
Viewers[edit]
In its original American broadcast, "A Great Cause" was seen by an estimated 1.16 million household viewers with a 0.6 in the 18–49 demographics. This means that 0.6 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode.[2] This was a 12% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was seen by an estimated 1.31 million household viewers with a 0.7 in the 18–49 demographics.[3]
Critical reviews[edit]
"A Great Cause" received mostly positive reviews from critics. Joshua Alston of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B" grade and wrote, "as is usually the case with an episode of Shameless, “A Good Cause” was a battle between the version of Shameless I like — the one that is poignant and rings true even when its class shadings are foreign to me — and the version that completely drains me, the one that seems to exist only as an exercise in boundary-pushing rather than a character-based story."[4]
Tim Basham of Paste gave the episode a 7.8 out of 10 rating and wrote, "Every week the show's creators bring us to the edge of disaster before offering a resolution that ties the family bonds again. But Monica's appearance has left some ambitious and hopeful bonding to take place with only two episodes remaining this season."[5]
Leigh Raines of TV Fanatic gave the episode a perfect 5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "I was so happy to get the call to fill in and cover this week's episode of Shameless, as "A Great Cause" was a great time full of the brand of dysfunctional behavior fans of the show have come to love."[6] Kelsea Stahler of Hollywood.com wrote, "Shameless is a wasteland of broken hearts, but no shattered dream hurt nearly as much as Fiona's this week."[7]
References[edit]
- ^ "Shameless - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West. Archived from the original on June 1, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (March 20, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Walking Dead' Season Finale Laps the Field + 'Khloe & Lamar,' 'Frozen Planet,' 'Army Wives' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (March 13, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Dominates, 'Oprah's Next Chapter' Sees Series High". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Alston, Joshua (March 18, 2012). "Shameless: "A Great Cause"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on June 7, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Basham, Tim (March 19, 2012). "Shameless: "A Great Cause" (Episode 2.10)". Paste. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Raines, Leigh (March 19, 2012). "Shameless Review: A Great Cause". TV Fanatic. Archived from the original on June 7, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Stahler, Kelsea (February 3, 2013). "'Shameless' Recap: Fiona Makes a Run For It". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
