Shamelessis knownfor featuring the most immoral, dysfunctional family in all of Showtime’s history, The Gallaghers. From compulsively lying, cheating, stealing and sometimes causing someone’s unintentional demise, this family is boundless when it comes to their misdeeds towards those around them. Nevertheless, one character manages to turn things around and break his family’s downward cycle–Carl Gallagher. Once believed to be destined for failure,Carl Gallagher’s character arcmakes him the best developed character inShameless.
Despite their infamous reputation for their raunchy, degenerate behavior, the Gallaghers considered Carl the bad seed of the family. And for the first half of the show, this is actually true. Carl lies, steals, and does downright unforgivable things to anyone he can benefit from. Among his most horrible (yet unforgettable) acts is him selling guns in school, poisoning Patrick, and manipulating his nephew, Chucky, into helping him sell drugs. Perhaps the most shameless thing Carl ever does is proudly admitting to selling narcotics at school when Fiona and his lawyers try to get him a plea bargain. Carl preferred juvenile court over downplaying his crimes.
From Law-Breaker to Law-Appropriator
The biggest twist inShamelessis seeing Carl go from a lawbreaker to law-appropriator. Two isolated incidents influence his change drastically. First, his former juvenile detention friend Nick kills someone in front of Carl, causing Carl to see a murder firsthand. This is an eyeopening event for Carl as he used to romanticize violent crimes but had never before seen someone die. The second turning point was Carl’s run-in with somelegitimate criminals in season six. When he almost gets himself killed, Fiona’s then fiancé Sean intervenes and bargains with the criminals to spare Carl. This eye-opening moment marks the beginning of Carl’s redemption, which comes full circle when he excels in military school and ultimately becomes a cop.
Starting off dependent onFiona for food andshelter, Carl becomes the head of the Gallagherhousehold by season 11. When Carl joins the Chicago Police Force, he quickly becomes an indispensable asset to the force. From being the kid who used to blow-up things for fun to being the person keeping the South Side in one piece, Carl demonstrates that any lost cause can make a turn-around.
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The Biggest Heart
Carl has a heart of gold extending to family and strangers alike. Notable instances include his lasting loyalty to Frank when all his other siblings had given up on him. Next to Liam, Carl is the one Gallagher to maintain a somewhat caring relationship with Frank. Carl is also devoted to all of his siblings, and will often risk his own safety to protect them. In season one, Carl confronts a bully looking to beat up Lip, and while Carl does manage to win when he sneaks up on the guy, he risked getting seriously hurt by a guy twice his size.When Fiona goes tojail in season four, Carl gets in contact with her ex-boyfriend Mike to have him bail her out.In season 10, Carl befriends a girl named Anne and helps her family raise money to buy an apartment. Carl is always there for family and friends through thick and thin.
Good Boyfriend
Carl’s loyalty extends to his relationships, and he’s been one of the few Gallagher siblings to never cheat on a partner; he’s actually the one to get cheated on repeatedly. As aforementioned, Carl grows close to Anne in season 10, and though they have a genuine friendship, he never crosses the boundaries established in his relationship with Kelly. Carl even forgives Kelly when she admits to having cheated on him. One of Carl’s most interesting relationships is with Dominique, his second girlfriend. Carl tries to woo her with his bad boy personality, which only causes Dominique to reject him. When Carl turns over a new leaf, Dominique has a change of heart and gives him a chance. Ironically, this short-lived relationship ends when Dominique cheats on Carl, but there’s a silver lining to this ill-fated romance when Carl bonds with Dominique’s father, a cop that influences Carl’s decision to join military school.
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The Most Interesting
Seeing a character go off the deep end due to a bad upbringing is expected, and while compelling, it’s interesting to see the opposite outcome. Carl could have followed in Frank’s footsteps and become another deadbeat, but instead he decides to break the general cycle and succeed in life. He’s had a lot of road bumps, but has managed to grow from each of his mistakes. Quick-witted, resourceful, and a kind person overall, Carl Gallagher is not only the bestdeveloped character inShameless, but the most interesting to watch.
