Shameless: Bianca And Frank's Storyline Pleasantly Surprised Fans
You'd have been hard-pressed to find a character whose reputation for drug and booze-fueled depravity bested that of Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy) while "Shameless" was on the air. That arguably remains true even a couple of years after the series aired its finale. And to put it, ahem, frankly, it seems likely no single character will ever again reach the same level of small-screen Caligulian debauchery.
And yet, despite the relentless wave of transgressions Frank manifested against his family, friends, and most anyone else on Chicago's South Side, it was pretty hard to fully loathe the Gallagher paterfamilias as he always managed to temper the foul behavior with acts of unexpected kindness. That was particularly true during a Season 5 storyline that found Frank running amok around town with a doctorly acquaintance by the name of Bianca Samson.
Played by Bojana Novakovic, the previously straight-laced doc broke bad and then some with Frank after a terminal cancer diagnosis, painting the Windy City and places far beyond all shades of red. And legions of "Shameless" fans have taken to Reddit to report they loved every minute of it. Among them was u/Engcnyfs who wrote, "I was deeply moved by the character and her arc. It was so heartbreaking. Been so long since I've stopped watching 'Shameless' but undoubtedly I will never ever forget Bianca and her moments."
Shameless fans liked seeing the softer side of Frank during the Bianca storyline
There are actually several Reddit threads dedicated to the rambunctious, yet surprisingly poignant travails of Frank Gallagher and Bianca Samson. And yes, they're mostly full of posts throwing unbridled admiration at the Season 5 arc.
In particular, several "Shameless" fans admitted Bianca was one of their favorite characters, with u/WhatIfThisWereMyName stating, "She was an [amazing] side character. I loved her arc, I loved every scene with her in it. She was beautifully written and the actor who played her was fantastic!," and u/CloudyNeptune noting, "They did such a good job with her story/character, as much as it would've been nice to see Frank go on a better path, the way things played out [was] chef's kiss."
While Bianca still has her share of "Shameless" admirers, many fans loved the arc all the more as it allowed William H. Macy to play up the softer side of the typically self-centered Frank. U/jzn110 posted, "It's the one and only time that Frank ever actually cared about someone other than himself." Elsewhere, u/hotcheetofingers27 added to the Frank-goes-good storyline love-in, "I just watched this last night since I am doing a 'Shameless' rewatch. It's definitely my favorite Frank storyline. It was nice to see a different side to Frank that we really hadn't seen much up to that point."
Unfortunately, that arc only ran for a few episodes on "Shameless." And when it tragically ran its course, Frank resumed his debaucherous antics with renewed vigor. Still, fans clearly enjoyed watching him play nice while it lasted.