A few weeks ago, I wasn't the best at Netflix-ing, and by this I mean I had never finished a Netflix show in my life. I've attempted at binge watching a wide variety of shows that I've heard nothing but good things about from my friends and family, but nothing really caught my attention; that is, until I started Shameless. Again, I had heard nothing but good things about the show, including how funny it was and how hot the male characters were. Fortunately, I was not let down.
1. It is hands down the funniest show I have ever watched.
Incorporating humor in a TV show that focuses on the lives of an under-priveledged family living in the South Side of Chicago is ironic, but it's genius. Never has a Netflix show had the power to physically make me laugh out loud, but Shameless never fails to do it at least three times per episode. Every episode starts with an introduction that usually goes along the lines of, "For those of you who were too f*cking busy, here's what happened last week on Shameless." If that doesn't nail it, I don't know what does.
2. The Gallagher guys are so hot.
The Shameless guys are absolutely irresistible. Lip is intelligent, yet still a bad boy, Ian wishes to enlist in the army yet is warm-hearted, and Carl probably goes through the biggest glo-up in TV series history. Point blank, these boys alone give you enough of a reason to binge-watch Shameless.
3. The show teaches an important lesson about family.
Practically raising the family all by herself, the oldest Gallagher sibling, Fiona, is an amazing individual who teaches Shameless watchers that even in the worst of conditions, family is what really matters. Although their mother left and their father is a drunk, the Gallagher kids do all they can to provide for their family, even if that means getting into a little bit of trouble along the way.
4. It gives a little insight of how people really do live this way.
Living in a neighborhood where crime and violence is prevalent, the Gallagher family and the other characters on the show still manage to live safely and relatively normally. The show highlights how the Gallagher household is cramped, with the three oldest siblings sharing one bedroom, and the two youngest sharing another. It really opens your eyes about how some people in America live everyday and make you grateful for what you do have.
5. It is really easy to binge-watch.
If you are anything like me, getting through a full season of a Netflix series is the most rewarding feeling. Many popular shows, though, have 20-25 episodes per season, and 12 seasons in the entire series, requiring days of hibernation in your dark bedroom. Fortunately, Shameless has roughly 12 episodes per season, with six seasons streamable on Netflix as of now, with season 7 in the works and hopefully on its way to Netflix in the near future. If you're really dedicated, you can knock out a full season in one day (guilty...).
Whether you are a Netflix junkie looking for a new show that you haven't watched yet, or you're just on the hunt for a warm-hearted yet dark humor-filled family drama, Shameless is the show for you.
