Fiona Gallagher’s Journey On Shameless
When Showtime’s Shameless first premiered in 2011, viewers were introduced to defacto head-of-household Fiona Gallagher (Emmy Rossum). Immediately Shameless fans fell in love with Fiona’s independence, resilience, and tenacity. Over the course of the nine seasons, Fiona gallantly steered her five siblings, Fiona, Lip, Ian, Debbie and Carl, through life’s hard knocks in the often-adverse conditions they found themselves in.
Fiona’s Early Struggles
Fiona’s life as the eldest child of the mess that is the Gallagher clan was not easy. From the start, Fiona has had to make many hard decisions and sacrifices to care for her siblings. She had to make choices of vices, whether to hone what she had and use it to her advantage or to break the law in order to provide for her siblings. Furthermore, she is constantly stuck between two impossible decisions; she had to choose between providing protection and stability for her siblings or sacrificing her own wants and needs.
Fiona’s Growth and Empowerment
Despite all of the obstacles she faced, Fiona was still determined and strong-willed. She used her skills and experience to trust her instincts. She used her diversity of business knowledge to protect and expand the family’s estate. Fiona got some of her first big break as a waitress and eventually worked her way up to become the manager of her restaurant. Later on, she capitalized on a money-laundering opportunity that reveals her total business savvy and that set her up to run a car dealership.
Furthermore, Fiona’s biggest break happens with her newfound opportunity at the Kash n Grab, when her business acumen are put on full display. After being gifted the store from her mentor Frank, Fiona gets the chance to expand and grow the store with her own unique vision and ideas. She hired new employees, improved customer service and mission, rebranded to Kash For Keeps, and managed to break even at the end of the day.
Fiona’s Experiences Post Shameless
In Season 9, it was time for Fiona to leave her post as the Gallagher matriarch, so she sold the family home and went on a new adventure to be a businesswoman in New York. This eventually led to Fiona’s dramatic exit in the season finale. After returning home to drastic changes and the realization that she was no longer the head of the household, Fiona decides to leave the Southside and make her own life.
With Fiona gone and with no assurance of a return anytime soon, it can be assumed that Fiona will make a new start in the Big Apple. Although her fate will never fully be known, it’s safe to say that Fiona’s journey on Shameless has been inspiring and remarkable. Despite all of the odds, Fiona has consistently succeeded in making a better life for herself and her siblings.