Shameless dives into life of Gallagher family in Chicago. It shows struggles of Frank Gallagher, a not-so-great dad and his six kids. They deal with poverty, addiction and all sorts of craziness. Dark humor shines through, making it both funny and real. This show won hearts and critics alike since it hit screens in 2011. It’s a wild ride!

Meet the characters from Shameless

Kevin Ball

Kevin is that big-hearted, bumbling dad-friend who runs a bar and somehow knows everyone’s business (and still forgets his own birthday sometimes). He loves sports, cheap beer, and the kind of loyalty that’s loud and a little clumsy, but he can also surprise you with solid, annoyingly good advice. He’s equal parts jokester and stubborn protector — will dance on a table one minute and hold a kid’s hand through a meltdown the next. Also, he collects novelty shot glasses for reasons he can’t fully explain, and yes, he swears he’s terrible at karaoke but will still grab the mic.

Mickey Milkovich

Mickey is rage, romance, and a very messy heart packed into a guy who fights before he cries (and maybe cries after he fights). He’s terrifyingly fierce and protective but also weirdly soft with the people he trusts — it’s like seeing a coal stove try to knit. He keeps secrets like trophies and uses sarcasm as armor, though sometimes that armor has holes where tenderness leaks out. He probably has a tattoo that means something deep but also matches his favorite cheap hoodie, and he will deny all of this if asked.

Jimmy Lishman

Jimmy (aka Steve) is the charming con man with a million smiles and about a million schemes, most of which are dangerously clever. He oozes roguish charisma — the kind that makes you forgive things you shouldn’t — and he’s always two steps ahead until emotions trip him up. Deep down he’s a romantic who’d reinvent himself for love but then gets bored and reinvents himself again, which is tragic and kind of compelling. Also, he’s suspiciously good at fixing things he claims he doesn’t care about, and might keep a little stack of fake passports in a drawer he calls “misc.”

Carl Gallagher

Carl is chaos that learned to aim; equal parts street kid, soldier-in-training, and occasional big softie. He starts off wild and punchy and then morphs into this weirdly dedicated dude who either wants to be feared or to protect everyone — sometimes both at once. He’s got that impulsive streak that makes you worry, but also this deep-down loyalty that you can bet your last dollar on. And yes, he still has a weird obsession with tactical gear but also cries at Hallmark commercials when nobody’s watching.

Frank Gallagher

Frank is the glorious disaster you can’t look away from — brilliant, selfish, hilarious in the worst ways, and somehow heartbreakingly human. He schemes like it’s an art form and treats consequences like optional life accessories, yet beneath the vomit-stained bravado there’s an oddly poetic streak. He will sell a kidney for a drink and then quote something Shakespearean to justify it, and honestly, it’s almost impressive. Also, he keeps a folder of “genius ideas” that smells faintly of old coffee and regret.

Ian Gallagher

Ian is quiet intensity with the sort of inner life that feels like a locked room full of stars and fire alarms. He’s principled and brave and sometimes dangerously single-minded, whether it’s about justice or people he loves, and his moods can shift like weather which makes him all the more real. He’s compassionate in a way that can be tender and also profoundly stubborn — he’ll argue ethics at 3 a.m. and then make you soup. Small detail: he probably owns more black jackets than is reasonable and has a playlist for every mood, including “plotting.”

Debbie Gallagher

Debbie is organized chaos — the one who wants to build a life and, shockingly, actually tries to do it, even when she makes questionable choices. She oscillates between maternal overdrive and teenage rebellion like it’s a sport, and holy moly, her ambition is both inspiring and kind of terrifying. She’s fiercely practical, but also sentimental in a drawer-of-souvenirs way, and will lecture you about responsibility right after doing something wildly impulsive. Also she might have a scrapbook full of receipts and a secret desire to open a boutique or run for something — or become a professional baker; she’s still deciding.

Lip Gallagher

Lip is terrifyingly smart and ridiculously prone to self-sabotage — like give him a scholarship and watch him emotionally trip over it. He’s sarcastic, brilliant, and devastatingly aware of his own flaws, which he uses as both shield and dagger; you feel for him even when he won’t feel for himself. He says things in the voice of someone five steps ahead, but then falls two steps behind and curses his boots, and it’s maddeningly human. Also, he probably has half a textbook glued to his bedside and the other half used as a coaster, depending on the week.

Fiona Gallagher

Fiona is the tireless glue of the family — tough, exhausted, endlessly resourceful, and kind of a saint who sometimes cheats on that sainthood. She runs a household like a tiny, chaotic CEO and takes on responsibility with a gambler’s stubbornness; sometimes that means hero moves, sometimes it means giant mistakes. She wants better for everyone and also for herself, which leads to fierce ambition and heartbreak in equal measure. Also, she has a collection of takeout menus and a tragic little plant on the windowsill that she forgets to water but talks to anyway.

Veronica Fisher

Veronica (V) is loud, loyal, and gloriously unfiltered — she does not have time for nonsense and will call you out with flair. She’s Kev’s partner in crime and the steady spark of the friend group, turning chaos into community like it’s her day job (which it basically is). She’s funny, fiercely protective, and will bake a casserole and start a business on the same afternoon; also she gives the best nicknames and keeps a suspiciously organized coin jar. Tiny oddity: she swears she hates romantic comedies but can recite entire scenes from them in the car.