Liver, I Hardly Know Her Recap: Shameless

Just how far is Sheboygan from Chicago? For anyone wondering, maybe 2 hours or so if Bonnie was driving, probably more for someone normal. Fiona finds herself sitting outside of a convenience store after Nick’s friends, heading to work on a pear farm, take off in their SUV that she almost threw up in. It didn’t appear they intentionally dumped her. All of them were coming off hard partying at Robbie’s. She was sleeping in the back and woke up to go to the restroom. When she came out, they were driving away. Ray, who worked at the store, put in a call to Lip and helped her inside.

But we’re getting ahead of all the frantic searching that went on for Fiona after she was AWOL all night. Debbie tasked Ian and Carl with checking hospitals. Kev was in the hospital helping Veronica through childbirth. V named the twins Amy and Jemma, in spite of Kev’s wish to call one Zaniqua. He put the word out that Fiona was missing, but couldn’t come up with any leads. It was Debbie who finally remembered Mike’s brother Robbie as at least the beginning of Fiona’s troubles. Ian called Worldwide Cup to find out where he lived. Fiona’s cell phone and other stuff were still there when they woke Robbie out of his stupor, but he didn’t know where she went.

Over at Sheila’s casa, Sammi is preparing for the worst and tries to get Carl to say the last words he will ever be able to say to Frank. Sammi thinks Frank is saying he’s “ready for the Lord’s will.” Frank really said he’s ready for more pills. Carl bolts and Sammi tells Sheila that Frank is gone. She opened the window and let his spirit out. Sammi says the wedding was a nice idea but it’s not going to happen. An agitated Sheila insists this is not about her, it’s about those 5 American Indian children who need a loving home: “the tribal council is in six days. If Frank wants to die after that, it’s up to him.”

The drug dealer that Sammi met in a parking lot after a Phish concert comes over and they find out that he knows a doctor from Bangladesh who can find a liver match for Frank if they have medical records and $25K. They meet with the doctor (calling himself “Johnny”). He wants an extra $5K for the liver. They agree upon $26K. A young guy named Shakhawat is the match and he goes home with Sheila to help plan her wedding. Shakhawat has a change of heart during the actual operation but they knock him out. After the operation, Dr. Johnny bails and Sammi calls 911. Frank is admitted to the E.R. and they learn that he did not have a liver transplant at all. In fact, Dr. Johnny took out one of Frank’s kidneys. God only knows what happened to Shakhawat!

None of this stops Sheila from proceeding with the nuptials, especially after she asks Frank to give her a sign that he wants to go ahead. Frank, she announces, says he couldn’t be more thrilled. “More pills,” Frank tells Sammi. Sheila and Frank are married by Kermit. Some of the Alibi regulars, Ian, Debbie and Carl and Bonnie are there and Sammi’s son, Chuckie, held Sheila’s train. Right after the wedding, Frank is whisked off to surgery because he has been moved up on the transplant list due to his serious condition.

Supporting Cast of Liver, I Hardly Know Her

Carl and Bonnie continued their crime spree, stealing a car and driving it into a convenience store after Carl asked her how to knock off an ATM. They didn’t take the ATM, just candy, chocolate milk and anything else they could carry. Bonnie showed him where she lives — in a van with her mother and a whole mess of siblings. Her dad won’t get out of jail until she’s 30. Well, if the tribal council rules against Sheila, here’s a another bunch of needy kids she can minister to, minus Bonnie, of course. We suspect — no, make that expect — that she and Carl will soon be in juvie.

Another problem for Kev was Mickey deciding if he was going to be charged rent, Kev was going to have to pay a finder’s fee for Mickey’s girls. (Sort of like Kelly Girls). Kev used the gun he bought off Mickey to force him to return the money Mickey took from the Alibi register. Mickey threatened certain death so, at home, Kev made sure his shotgun was loaded and ready. Some kids with firecrackers outside made Kev think Mickey had arrived. When he came back in the house, he tripped over some baby things, the weapon went off and a bullet whizzed by V’s head where she was tending to the babies and broke a window. Terrified, she told Kev not to come near her babies. He promised to get rid of all the guns.

Mickey was delayed by Ian’s attempt to kill Kenyatta. Mandy was staying at the Gallaghers after being beaten by Kenyatta. When Mickey went home to get armed, Ian followed, insisting he could not go after Kev. They found Mandy making Kenyatta lunch. Mickey decided he didn’t care if Mandy was going to pretend she fell, but Ian tried to make her leave and they tussled. Ian was called to the hospital.

Lip made it out to Sheboygan to pick up a pitifully abject Fiona. Hitting rock bottom, she was plumb out of excuses and rationales. Instead of the tough love she expected, Lip offered comfort and understanding but she was still going to have to face the music for breaking probation. The episode ended with Fiona sitting in her probation officer’s office.   “So, you want to go first?” Officer Johnson asked.