Shameless Season 5 Episode 8 recap: “Uncle Carl”

Episode 508
Sammi checking the damage she did on Frank

After Sammi shoots Frank we see him really schmoozing up to her this week, but is it real? Here’s the Shameless Season 5 Episode 8 recap: “Uncle Carl.”

Episode 508Frank, Sammi, Carl and Chuckie: While caring for Frank – who in Sammi’s eyes is an untrained dog that needs to be trained, hence the reason for shooting him – sees that his arm is infected and that they will need to go get it checked out. Frank putting on a really good act to Sammi that he does really love her is scheming was to get back at her. Up comes the perfect opportunity given Carl got a “promotion” from his drug dealer boss to do a special run to Michigan. Frank convinces Carl to strap the drugs onto Chuckie since the cops would sniff Carl out in a heartbeat. So Carl straps him up with the drugs and off to the bus station they go. The second they walk in the cops show up with drug sniffing dogs that immediately hoan in on Chuckie. Carl of course bails. At the hospital getting his arm checked out Frank is really laying it on thick to Sammi about what a great mother she is to Chuckie. Sammi then get’s the call that Chuckie was busted with all the drugs. In a flashback moment we see Frank making an anonymous phone call while they were in the hospital about a boy carrying drugs. That sneaky little SOB, guess he got his revenge. Of course putting his own son in trouble too but what does Frank care.

Bad Carl, Bad Carl, whatcha ya gonna do when the cops come for you?
Bad Carl, Bad Carl, whatcha ya gonna do when the cops come for you?

Carl now is a little worried he is going to get killed by his dealer and has no clue Frank called it in. Smart Sammi catches on that Carl planted the heroin on Chuckie, so she calls the cops on him. The cops show up at the house they chase him down and lock him up for questioning. Lucky for Chuckie, who is COMPLETELY oblivious as to what’s going on has Uncle Carl locked up next to him.

 

 

 

Episode 508Fiona: Wondering if she is still married since Gus is giving her the silent treatment and is soon to leave on tour decides to move back into the house for awhile to take care of Ian. She then learns of the 1,000 mile band rule and gets some advice from her boss Shawn that she needs to fight for him or let him move on. Deciding to go grovel for him and she catches him while they are loading up the van and says she wants to go on tour. Gus has a nice way of brushing her off telling her how horrible it is to tour and that he really needs time to think through this whole marriage thing. Not sounding like a happy ending here. Maybe Jimmie isn’t gone forever after all?

 

 

Episode 508Ian and Mickey: Ian still trying to cope with his new mental diagnose is sprung from the hospital, only to be fully loaded with a bunch of meds. Mickey, not dealing so well with what’s going on with Ian has just become a drunken jerky recluse left to his own devices in his room. Needless to say the family isn’t handling it so well either, it’s bringing back all the painful memories of their mother Monica. After Fiona & Lipp scoop him up from the hospital they take him home and he is extremely doped up. Needing to be taken care of and making sure he takes his meds, Fi leaves Debs in charge of him. Debs is so into texting her new beau that she doesn’t see Ian come downstairs where he in turn flushes all his drugs down the toilet. Debs not knowing this, finds all the empty bottles. Freaking out looking for him she finally finds him he explains that he flushed them because he can’t handle how they make him feel. Racing off to tell Fiona what happened, they try to get the drugs refilled and it’s a no go. Debs still feeling guilty goes to Mickey to try and get them off the black market. Finding a drunken jerk of a Mickey she goes off on him and he has clearly checked out of this relationship right now. Ian is kind of feeling that Mickey has too but apparently Debs talk with Mickey helped him snap out of and he finally goes to Ian.

Debs: Trying to make right of the situation that happened with Ian & his meds and striking out with Mickey goes to the hospital and tries to act the part of crazy to get them only to find out that she would have to be committed for 72 hours and storms out.

Lipp: Still stuck in a bind as to how to pay for school the light bulb goes off in his head and comes up with a plan. One that could potentially get him landed in jail, but whatever. He needs to make the dough. Teaming up with Kev, they go back to the weed selling “ice cream truck” plan they used to do, minus the truck. It is pledge week so there is a profit to be made! Setting up shop in abandoned dorm room they head off to some frat parties and raise some cash. Going to pay at least half of what he owes the financial aide guy is giving him grief over paying cash and in payments. Suggesting he takes a semester off Lipp tells him if he does that he will never come back then proceeds to spill his whole life story to him. Which bought him 1 week.

Episode 508
V disgusted with Eddie Murphy

Kev and V: Living the dream above the Alibi, V discovers she has a new roommate, a rat scurrying around the floor stuck in a trap. Adds some nice comedic relief to this sad situation, especially later in the episode when the Alibi is basically just being run by the patrons and Frank gives it a shot of whiskey. Of course the rat drinks it! Anyways, V still dreaming of the likes of old high-school boyfriend Eddie Murphy, plans a lunch date with him but tells Fiona she is having second thoughts about going. Back at the house caring for the girls since Kev is off with Lipp, she wakes up from a nap with Svetlana “performing wifely duties” on her. Professing that she is not gay she lets her continue then they have a nice bonding talk about motherhood. Now I guess Kev has no need to feel guilty. V then decides to go her date after all and comes across a very angry Fiona along the way who sternly tells her not to go. Heeding no advice from her since Fiona has no right to be giving advice like that right now she goes anyways. Maybe that’s a good thing because once she gets there it seems he is only wanting one thing from her, she wises up that she really wants to just go back home. But is it too late since Kev was off having a wild night with some college girls? Time will tell.

New episodes of Shameless premiere Sunday nights at 9pm on Showtime. 

Images courtesy of Showtime.