The escapades of a hard-partying Chicago father of six and his tight-knit but dysfunctional brood, who muddle along with adult supervision provided by the eldest daughter.
Following the escapades of a hard-partying Chicago father who provides no guidance to his dysfunctional brood of six.
A manhunt goes out for Frank after he heads off on a Friday bender and uncharacteristically fails to show up to cash his disability check.
Fiona contemplates romance with a policeman who has had a lifelong crush on her, but Steve isn't about to remove himself from the picture.
When Aunt Ginger takes her leave, little Debbie is left sad and lonely, so to ease the hurt she kidnaps a toddler from a birthday party, leaving the Gallaghers scrambling to come up with a plan to return the child.
The family attempts to pull off a fake wedding when it is revealed that Veronica comes from a wealthy family; Frank is given bad medical news and doesn't do such a good job of handling it; and Steve goes cruising for a new car, with Fiona along for the ride.
Fiona scrambles to spruce up the house for an impending visit from Carl's teacher; Lip makes some extra cash by taking tests for his less-intelligent classmates; the Kash and Grab is repeatedly robbed by a local punk; and Frank's lack of business acumen costs him.
To come up with $6000 Frank owes to two thugs, he entertains the notion of a risky business that's going to require some big-time help from the family.
Frank goes on the wagon, which pleases Carl and Debbie, but a sceptical Lip doesn't believe their father's newfound sobriety will last for long.
Frank is due some settlement money, but there's a catch: he needs his ex-wife's signature on the paperwork.
Monica returns and the Gallagher clan are in a tizzy as they try to determine if Frank is their real father.
Fiona befriends an alluring young lady after Debbie talks her into joining a mothers' group.
Steve's actual occupation is revealed and he tries to persuade Fiona to leave town with him. Meanwhile, Frank goes into hiding when his and Karen's secret is spilled; and car thieves Lip and Ian get caught and locked up.
Following her breakup with Steve, Fiona lands a job tending bar at a local bar and makes a new acquaintance in an enterprising young businessman.
Frank spots a potential sugar momma in a bar patron named Dottie, whose health is failing fast but is living well on a city pension.
Fiona ponders the morality of getting involved with a high-school crush who's now married; Frank pulls out all the stops in an effort to stay in the good graces of his meal ticket, Dottie; and Harry's health issues leave Debbie obsessing over death.
After sleeping with Craig, Fiona is confronted by his angry wife - and on the family front, she's concerned that she is dumping too much responsibility on the Gallagher children.
When Eddie Jackson's body turns up, Frank thinks he should be in line to claim his pension benefits.
Debbie's day takes a turn with the arrival of Grammy Gallagher, who's been released on a medical grounds. She seeks Frank's help in finding an old pal who owes her a big debt.
Jasmine throws an end-of-summer blowout and invites Fiona down to David's boat but neglects to inform her that Steve and Estefania will also be on board.
While Jody and Sheila comfort a dying Grammy, Frank steps out and stops at the Kash and Grab, where he walks in on Ian and Mickey in a compromising position.
Monica blows back into town and immediately hooks up with Frank for more shenanigans, but the kids are left wondering if she's finally here to stay, and Frank is eager to pick up the ashes of his late mother and reclaim the cash he believes she's hidden.
With Monica around and pitching in, Fiona is able to devote more time to pursuing her GED and a promotion at the club.
Fiona's Thanksgiving plans get put on the back burner when Frank tries to get help Monica out of her depression.
Jimmy gets back into Fiona's good graces and decides to have her meet his family; Frank plots to free Monica from the psychiatric institution; and Jody and Sheila attempt to hide Karen's new-born.
Fiona adapts to living with Jimmy; Frank awakens in a strange place; and Lip gets sentenced to community service. Meanwhile, Jody and Sheila are losing sleep over Baby Hymie's nocturnal restlessness.
Fiona has second thoughts about loaning money to Meg; and a drunken Frank staggers home, where no one wants him, until he proves he can quiet fussy Baby Hymie.
Frank works a scam on a cancer foundation; and Fiona is shocked to learn what she must do for a job as a grocery-store cashier and teams with Veronica to get back at the manager.
Carl heads to cancer camp, where the facility's activities leave a lot to be desired, while Frank goes on babysitting duty and Sheila plans to introduce Jody to "toy time".
Frank has a problem on his hands when the city announces it will be doing work on the main sewer and they'll be digging up his yard, where Aunt Ginger's remains are located.
The Department of Family Services takes away the Gallagher children, and Fiona is desperate to get them back - so much so that she tries convince Frank to act responsibly and make a court appearance.
Fiona makes a fateful decision about the future of her and her siblings, and recruits Lip for a plan to forge Aunt Ginger's will, but first they need a dead body.
At the gathering for Aunt Ginger's fake funeral, the family meet Frank's wily cousin Patrick, who might just be devious enough to "out-Gallagher" the Gallaghers.
Fiona has a difficult time dealing with the corporate culture in her new office job, while Frank, needing medical coverage, somehow gets mixed up in a gay-rights event, where he rubs elbows with a powerful activist.
Just when Fiona has settled into her job and found some structure to her life, Jimmy drops a bombshell on her.
Fiona takes the kids camping and a homeless Frank tries to get Carl to sneak him into the Gallagher van for the night.
Fiona and the family throw a surprise party for Lip's high-school graduation; and Frank uses his gambling winnings to take Lip out for a nice dad-lad dinner.
Frank is still mourning the loss of Bianca, while his newfound appreciation for life is freaking the Gallaghers out.
Determined to keep her baby, Debbie carries a bag of flour around all day at school, but quickly realizes people are not as accommodating to mothers and babies as she hoped.
Kevin and Veronica visit Yanis in hospital and learn he's been paralyzed.
Fiona's only hope of evading eviction from Patrick is to get a mortgage from the bank and bid on the house at auction.
Debbie's presence at the Wexlers' is welcomed by Erica, but not Tyler, so Frank tells her to up her game while he helps Erica through with his "cancer concierge" process.
As Ian's relationship with Caleb gets more serious, Lip is still reeling from the very public scandal with Helene.
Struggling with Nick's absence, Carl takes over the Gallagher home, remaking it as his "crib," where he invites his friends over to party and make music.
Now living with Sean, Fiona attempts to get his son to like her. He slowly starts to come around, until he gets his hands on a gun from Carl.
Debbie travels with Queenie to her rural commune, along with Frank who's trying to escape G-Dogg for stealing his drugs.
Sean officially moves into the Gallagher house, while Fiona - intent on getting her marriage right this time - sets out to plan a traditional wedding...bachelorette party included.
In an effort to be part of the wedding, Frank offers to pay for the reception, but Sean's concerned that he'll just end up hurting Fiona and confronts him - leading to a brawl.
When Frank shows up uninvited and high to the wedding, he reveals that Sean is still using.
Frank awakens from a coma to little fanfare from his family. And Fiona struggles to manage Patsy's Pies.
To save Patsy's Pies, Fiona hires a new staff, while Frank constructs a new wall to reclaim the upstairs part of the Gallagher house.
Left without a place to sleep after the shelter closes, Frank gathers a new Gallagher clan and home.
Worried that his new family will lose their new shelter, Frank plans some goodwill for the neighbourhood.
Frank learns that a billionaire philanthropist has bought the shelter allowing him and his clan to stay.
Fiona decides to invest in the Laundromat, while Frank revels in his latest scam and Kev and V discover a shocking secret about Svetlana's father.
Frank helps Liam get into a plush new school after his old one is shut down.
Having used up all of her money to buy the Laundromat, Fiona takes on DIY renovations.
Monica's back to help Debbie get back Franny. Meanwhile, Frank tries to avoid her, Ian has his first fight with Trevor, and Lip tries to mask his relapsing alcoholism.
While Fiona contemplates Margo's offer on the Laundromat, Ian wrestles with the reality that Mickey might actually be out of prison and on the lam.
Frank and Monica have an interesting proposal for the kids. Lip tries to get his sobriety under control, while Ian and Mickey play Thelma and Louise.
the Gallaghers deal with the loss of one of their own, while grappling with their grief. Meanwhile, Kev and V get their revenge on Svetlana.
Now that Fiona has a steady job and Lip is enrolled in college, it looks like the Gallaghers may have a shot at happiness - but when you're down and out, moving up isn't so easy.
While Fiona adjusts to living life just above the poverty line, she refuses to share a liver with Frank, forcing him to go in search of his 'other' oldest daughter.
While Frank gets (maybe too) close to his unsuspecting daughter Sammi, Fiona hits it off with Mike's drug addict brother, Robbie.
In increasingly dire health straits, Frank attempts to contrive an "accident" with an overeager Carl that will cover the cost of a potential transplant.
Fiona's bad decisions finally boil over when Robbie alerts Mike of their affair - leaving Fiona horrified and in employment limbo. Frank and Sammi continue to bond over his liver.
While the family (minus Frank) waits nervously for any update on Liam's condition at the hospital, Fiona lands in county jail - unsure of Liam's condition or her future.
With Fiona under court order to remain inside the house and Frank's illness keeping him out of commission, the weight of guardianship falls squarely upon Lip's shoulders.
Fiona prepares for a visit from her probation officer and must rid the house of all suspicious items ?- a mission that puts her directly at odds with Debbie and Carl. Ian finally makes his long-awaited return to the Gallagher house.
Carl shares a connection with a troubled girl named Bonnie in detention, while Sheila returns from her trip to the reservation with plans to adopt the Native American kids.
When Fiona goes off the rails, by partying with Robbie's degenerate friends, the family goes into search party mode ?- not unlike their past experiences with Frank.
Frank wakes up from his operation, while Fiona is hauled away to a tough correctional facility. Meanwhile, Ian delivers an ultimatum to Mickey after his lack of commitment.
With Frank beginning to recuperate, Sheila fights for custody of the Native American kids and clashes with Sammi about where they will all live once Frank is released.
Lip heads back home from college to find that the old neighbourhood is changing. Fiona balances her new job with a crush on her older boss.
Fiona is finally officially off house arrest. Lip starts his first day of work for Tommy but manual labour turns out to be much harder for Lip than he thought… and the brutal hazing from his co-workers certainly doesn't help.
The gentrification of Chicago's Back of the Yards neighbourhood continues as Frank enlists Carl to scare off potential investors who are buying up more property in the neighbourhood, while pleading with Sheila not to cave and sell her home.
Arriving at Lou's to pick up his six-figure insurance settlement, Frank's shocked to discover that he's already collected it. Meanwhile, Lip visits Amanda and her family at their luxurious house in Miami.
Fiona and Gus must navigate the awkwardness of their quickie wedding but Fiona's plans to announce her marriage at a family dinner become unravelled when her co-worker overdoses.
Fiona is thrown in to chaos by the return of Jimmy/Jack/Steve, but she must deal with an even larger crises first as Ian, in a full psychotic break, steals Mickey and Svetlana's baby and takes him along on a road trip... but Jimmy is relentless in his pursuit of Fiona.
As Ian begins to regain some of his senses, he's upset to find himself under a mandatory 72-hour psych hold.
When Lip and Fiona arrive to pick Ian up from the psych ward, Mickey is noticeably absent. Ian's doctor encourages them to get Ian on a regimen of pills, which proves to be difficult as Ian refuses to accept his bipolar diagnosis.
Frank goes to see his uptight doctor, Bianca, for a wound check-up, but Bianca is falling apart after receiving a grim cancer diagnosis.
Frank is having a ball with new sick friend Bianca, but when Bianca thinks Frank might be developing feelings for her, she kicks him to the curb.
A lot of new sexual tension exists between Fiona and Sean after their night at the diner. With Ian now in a military pre-trial facility, the gang must set off to visit him and to explain his condition to his attorneys.
Fiona reunites with Gus after he returns from his tour but is torn by the fact that her friendly feelings for Sean have turned into love. Down in Costa Rica, Frank has love struggles of his own while he works to keep Bianca happy in her dying days.
The Gallaghers find themselves with money to burn as Carl sells their inheritance from Monica.
Frank joins the workforce for the first time, while Fiona grapples with whether to evict someone; and Lip makes a plan to sabotage Charlie's chances with Sierra.
A violent meth dealer threatens the Gallaghers, forcing Ian, Carl, Lip and Debbie to find a way to pay him off without involving Fiona.
Fiona has a surprise visit from her past that forces her to reevaluate her life, while Frank becomes the most popular dad in the PTA at Liam's school.
While Ian helps Trevor raise money for a youth shelter, Carl loses his scholarship and gets creative with ways to find the tuition money.
While Debbie has a pregnancy scare and winds up in a compromising position, Lip enlists Carl’s help to search for his sponsor.
Ian tests Fiona's patience by bringing an "Occupy Fiona" movement to her front door, while Lip struggles to get Professor Youens to court for his DUI trial.
While Frank starts a booming import-export business, Lip interviews new sponsors and Debbie deals with being unemployed, while trying to afford school and raise Franny.
Frank goes on the run, while Lip decides whether to tell Sierra about Charlie's past. Fiona doesn't fit in with Ford's eclectic friends.
Ian's fame in the LGBTQIA community explodes, but his sudden surge of followers may be more than he can handle.
Lip takes in a terrified Sierra and Lucas when her father is released from prison, while Ian provides sanctuary to a runaway teen, despite warnings of the legal ramifications.
Fiona has to tap deep into her Gallagher roots to rid herself of the homeless family in her apartment, while Lip must make a hard decision to have the life he wants.
Fiona struggles to bail Ian out of jail. Meanwhile, Frank's sexual escapades get him into trouble.
While Frank discovers the financial incentives of politics, Carl bolsters his West Point application, and Kev & V research preschools.
While Fiona prepares to close her real estate deal, Frank faces obstacles as campaign manager, Debbie gets closer to her partner in crime and Ian embarks on a spiritual journey.
Frank and Fiona go head to head on election day. Lip makes an important choice about Xan's future.
Frank's new liver medication has tragic side effects. Ian tries to escape Fiona's hovering.
Lip spends the day wrangling an alcoholic actress who hired him to be her sober companion, while Frank employs Liam to chase down a romantic connection.
Debbie finds Fiona at a low point and helps her pick up the pieces as Fiona continues to face pressure on her investment hubris.
When Fiona's downward spiral continues, Debbie steps in to pick up the slack at the Gallagher house.
While Frank searches for a way to finance his future with Ingrid, Fiona's anger issues cause problems at work, and Lip is forced to confront his real feelings for Tami.
Frank meets his match in the Hobo Loco competition. Fiona is scared into cleaning up her act. Debbie gets closer to Kelly.
While Ingrid grows anxious, Frank faces off against his greatest opponent in the Hobo Games.
When a blackout hits the South Side, Kevin and Veronica come up with a plan to bring the neighborhood together.
While Fiona tries to get her life back on track, Lip grows frustrated with his relationship with Tami.
Fiona has to make a decision about her future, while the family decides what to do with a bedridden Frank. And Carl & Debbie share their heartbreak together.
The Gallaghers adjust to life in the pandemic, while Frank fears the loss of the Southside to gentrification, and Deb becomes her own boss.
Lip's home renovations run him into some trouble with his new neighbors, while Carl's first day on the force is not the Dirty Harry fantasy he thought it would be.
Debbie loses track of Franny and has to balance her search with her job, but Frank and Franny have a day of weed runs and adventure.
When the Milkoviches move in next door and wreak havoc, Frank, Kev & Liam plot how to get rid of them.
While Ian and Mickey get creative when the safety of their security gig is questioned, Lip and Tami get surprising news about their house that forces them to look elsewhere.
While Frank's day takes some unexpected turns and Liam deals with inner turmoil after doing a bad thing, Lip is forced to figure out a plan for the future.
While Lip and Brad prepare to sell stolen bikes, Kevin has to think quickly when spotted on a stolen chopper.
Veronica is depressed about her mom moving so Kevin tries to cheer her up, while planning a special surprise.
While Mickey and Ian learn a surprising truth about Terry's past, Liam tries to find a new place to live.
While Carl's disillusionment with the police force comes to a head, Lip has a million projects going on - and Frank is one of them.
While Lip has some promising leads on the sale of the house, Ian & Mickey try to adjust to life on the West Side.
Frank faces his mortality, Kev and V try to sell the Alibi, Lip gets a new job, Carl finds his purpose, Debbie meets someone, and Ian and Mickey go shopping.
Frank milks his injury for all its worth as Debbie cooks up a scam of her own. Lip and Tami get a surprise. And Carl returns home from military school.
Feeling pressure from Debbie, Frank sets out to make money to keep his place in the house, but Mikey has bigger plans for him.
While Liam gets to know his newfound family members, the pressures of fatherhood take their toll on Lip.
Frank and Mikey set off on a day of adventure around the city in pursuit of Mikey's dreams.
With Tami back in the house, Lip struggles to give up control. Debbie's fight for child support escalates and Carl juggles his romantic prospects.
Backed into a corner by her battle for Derek's death benefit, Debbie fights to protect Franny from Pepa.
While Carl embraces his civic duty, Ian & Mickey get roped into a dangerous scam for Paula.
As Debbie weighs the pros and cons of a new career path, Frank uncovers the truth about Faye's living situation.
Ian struggles to connect with Mickey after their blowup. And Frank goes back in time to uncover his connection to Faye.
While an incident in the Tamietti family presents Lip and Tami with a new opportunity, Faye's betrayal lands Frank in front of a judge.
While Frank finds a cushy place to make his new home, Lip gets cold feet when Tami moves forward with a plan for their future.
Debbie turns over a new romantic leaf, Kev's new business takes off and Lip works to convince Tami to stay in Chicago while Frank is out-Gallaghered.
