The Question That Shameless Fans Had About The Revamped Opening
The opening title sequence introduces the audience to the show, and if a series manages to stick around long enough, it may just get a revamped opening sequence. That was the case with "Shameless" when it entered Season 10. The opener fans had become accustomed to involved seeing all of the Gallaghers spend time in the family bathroom getting into various shenanigans. Of course, the kids grew up a lot from Season 1 to Season 10, so it made sense they needed to change things up.
When comparing the two sequences, the changes become evident. The show even broke down the refilming on YouTube, showcasing the changes, like how Fiona (Emmy Rossum) drug a passed-out Frank out of the bathroom in the first version, but Debbie (Emma Kenney) does that in the revised cut. That was pretty necessary because Rossum left the show after Season 9. It basically shows how all of the kids have grown up and taken on additional duties, but there are certain aspects of the new sequence that don't add up for fans.
Fans don't understand why only some of the characters got updates
A discussion thread broke out on Reddit after u/ImportanceNo8342 wrote, "Does anyone else find it weird that they've edited the opening sequence but did a half ass job of it? I mean, they took out Fiona and added Tami and Franny and aged up Liam and Debbie. They also add Ian and Mickey. Why the hell is Carl still 7? V still looks the same but Kev hasn't had that hair in years. I mostly find it weird that they've changed the sequence but Carl is still a kid lol." Plenty of others are in agreement that it's a bit strange, especially when it comes to Carl (Ethan Cutkosky). It would seem to add up that if they were going to change the sequence, they'd go all the way with it.
Of course, there were those who understood why some things were left as is. Redditor u/makermom304 linked to the previously mentioned YouTube video of the making behind the new sequence, stating, "According to production, they wanted to keep it as close to the original as possible so it would take the viewer awhile to realize it was different, replacing only who needed replacing." One user, u/swagmaster2323, even though thematic resonance with only certain changes being made: "To me it's a reminder of how the show and the family has evolved in the house. They've grown and changed as individuals there and added to their family."
Whatever the actual reasoning behind keeping Carl a kid (maybe he wasn't available to film the day they shot the scene), the revamped "Shameless" opener is a testament to the longevity of the series and how fans stuck with it for so long.