At this time, it's still unknown whether Shameless will continue for much longer after Emmy Rossum's upcoming exit at the end of this current ninth season. The fact that her iconic character, Fiona Gallagher, is permanently taking off brings up a whole discussion surrounding past characters who could make a triumphant comeback. Some of these long-forgotten characters could come back in order to give Fiona a proper send-off, while others could return in order to attempt to fill the inevitable void that she'll leave behind. Should the show itself come to a conclusion at the end of season nine or ten, some past characters may even be required to help tie-off other character and story threads or even pay homage to previous seasons. At this moment, we can't be 100% sure, but come the return of Shameless' upcoming season on January 20th, we may have a better idea. In short, now's the perfect time to be delving into the deep well of past faces who could very well return to Shameless.
Even though we could be graced with the presence of characters who have been erased from our memories, others have no hope of returning; and although we aren't the creators of Shameless, we can pretty much guarantee that some past characters will never, ever, be resurrected. There are a variety of reasons for this fact, all of which we'll be getting into on this list. So, without further ado, here are 19 Forgotten Characters Who Could Return (And 6 Who Never Will).
25. Could Return: Karen
Lip's first love left the show at the end of the third season, and although she received a life-changing injury, thanks to being run-over by Mandy, she's still very much alive. She's also still very much capable of returning to Shameless.
Even though many of Lip's love-interests have caused us to forget about her, none of them have been as interesting. Given that she was his first, as well as the most dynamic, the writers could want to bring her back should the show come to an end. If she did return, chances are she'll have recovered while away and even have changed her manipulative ways.
24. Could Return: Sammi Slott
Sammi wore out her welcome on Shameless pretty fast. Sure, it made sense that Frank would have had children with other women, but did we really need another Gallagher? Although other characters on the show weren't likable, she had an added annoyingness that fans didn't click with. Still, there's a strong chance she could return to the show, especially since Fiona is leaving.
The Gallaghers are going to need a new matriarch, and who better to contrast Fiona's style than Sammi? Bringing her back could be a way for the show to redeem her in the eyes of the fans who've purposefully forgotten her; then again, it could also aggravate them. Regardless, Sammi is still on the table, folks.
23. Could Return: Chuckie Slott
Although Sammi and Chuckie are currently separated, if she returned, he would as well. Chuckie currently lives upstate with his grandmother, Queenie, and even though it's odd that the show hasn't included him for multiple seasons, there hasn't really been a need for them to do so. However, once Fiona departs, there will be a gap that will need to be filled.
Chuckie doesn't have any of the qualities that Fiona has, but having him around might add more dimension to the other characters. For instance, he is still entertaining for characters like Carl, Liam, or Frank to play off of. When Fiona goes, Shameless will be looking for almost anyone to create entertainment.
22. Never Will: Trevor
There was a lot of press surrounding the addition of Trevor on the show, but unfortunately, the character was a bit of a letdown. He didn't have the charisma or depth that he deserved, which is probably a reason why they turfed him unceremoniously.
His only connection to the story was Ian, and even then, it was pretty poorly developed. Now that Ian's gone forever, there's literally no hope of Trevor returning to Shameless since he would serve the story no purpose. On top of this, it would feel odd that he was brought back after Ian departed and not before.
21. Could Return: Jody Silverman
There would be no purpose for Jody to return if Karen didn't, but at this time, we don't know if she will or not. Therefore, Jody is still on the table even though most fans don't remember who he is.
The last time we saw him, he was driving Karen and Hymie off in order to get her some help, which opens up the possibility for him to return with her. Then again, the two of them could have parted ways during the time that they've been gone. Regardless, Jody is an easy source of comedy, so it's hard to believe that the writers would simply forgo an opportunity to have him return.
20. Could Return: Derek Delgado
It would make complete sense for Derek to return and attempt to be an active father in Franny's life. This would add conflict in the part of the show that's nearly as forgotten as he is; Franny's hardly in it, after all. Every story that Debbie is currently part of seems disconnected to the most cataclysmic event of her life, and the return of Derek would bring Debbie back to this.
Then again, most fans don't even remember who the father of Debbie's child is, which seems to have been on purpose, but there's nothing stopping them from correcting this in the coming episodes.
19. Could Return: Helene Runyon
If Helene Runyon returned to Lip's life, it would certainly shake things up. Currently, things seem to be going well for Lip, whose even gotten himself a new (and yet completely forgettable) girlfriend.
However, audiences have come to expect that nothing good lasts forever on this show, and thus, Lip is due for a reckoning. Who better to bring it on than the mother-figure who caused him to fall into binge-drinking in the first place? Bringing Helene back may seem like deja vu, but it's certainly possible for the writers of Shameless to do. After all, she seemed to have an incredibly powerful effect on Lip and she's still out there, somewhere.
18. Never Will: Amanda
Unlike Helene Runyon, Amanda is a forgotten character from Lip's college days that has no hope of returning. There was nothing inherently engaging about her, nor did she really have an emotional impact on Lip's life. In other words, she didn't help him grow.
The only thing of consequence that she did was release photos of Helene and Lip, and that was something that any other college student could have done and still have caused the same conflict. The payoff to this event happened long ago and didn't really impact Amanda in any way, which means that she doesn't have a story left to tell.
17. Could Return: Sheila Jackson
There really isn't any story reason why Sheila Jackson would return. Even if her daughter Karen came back, there really wouldn't be much of a need for her. If you can recall, the agoraphobic Sheila got her well-written payoff after Frank accidentally burned down her house, which encouraged her to pack her bags and travel the world.
The reason why this character could return is that Shameless might be near its final episode and Sheila was a mainstay for the first few seasons. Also, the actor who played her, Joan Cusack, is utterly beloved, so bringing her back would be doing a boatload of fan service.
16. Could Return: Kassidi
You totally forced yourself to forget that Kassidi even existed, didn't you? Well, that's okay, you wouldn't be the only one. After all, she was one of the most annoying characters in any television show. Perhaps this is why she was taken out off-screen in a completely flippant and unceremonious manner.
However, the fact that they supposedly offed her in this way seems out of character for Shameless, and one would think that they would have played that moment up. This leads some people to believe that she could still return to Shameless and throw a monkey-wrench in Carl's current relationship.
15. Could Return: Mandy Milkovich
Mandy has pretty much been disregarded in recent years. Given the fact that there have been several love-interests that have been prevalent in Lip's life since she departed, it's safe to say that a lot of fans don't remember her, but the door isn't closed on her character.
Mandy still exists in the universe and continues to have family living down the block, not to mention that Lip has grown a lot since they were last together. The only thing that could stop her from returning is the fact that the actor who played her once dated Jeremy Allen White's Lip. And although their breakup was downplayed, he went public with his new partner soon after; romance always makes things uncomfortable at work, but never say never.
14. Never Will: Estefania
9/10 readers are still trying to place this character even as they stare at a picture of her, but they shouldn't feel too bad, though, as Estefania wasn't on Shameless for very long. She only appeared in two seasons as Jimmy/Steve's wife and of course, Jimmy only married her to appease his crime-boss father-in-law who was adamant about his daughter staying in the country. When Estefania was deported, all bets were off.
Since Estefania was deported, there's a very slim chance she could ever return. Even if they brought Jimmy back again, Estefania would add nothing. We think it's safe to say that there's absolutely no hope of Estefania coming back.
13. Could Return: Sean Pierce
If you can't recall, Sean was the owner of Patsy's Pies before Fiona took over. He was the one who gave her a chance after her darkest hours, and they engaged in a tumultuous romance that lasted multiple seasons. The two then ended things on their wedding day after Frank revealed that Sean was using.
However, there's absolutely nothing stopping Sean from coming back into Fiona's life. Sure, it may be a little redundant, given the fact that she's already checked up on him now that he's clean, and the guy is married, but the writer's could find a way to work-in the Dermot Mulroney character and make him a returning love-interest.
12. Could Return: Gus Pfender
Poor, Gus. The guy constantly got the sharp end of the stick on Shameless. His luck is so bad that there's a chance many fans have no recollection that he even existed. Well, he did. He even married Fiona for a split second. The pair had a whirlwind romance that ended in misery as Fiona still had feelings for Jimmy, which prompted Gus to seek revenge on her by going after her financially, but after what she did, it's sort of hard to blame him.
There's no way Gus would enter into another romance with Fiona, but the writers may bring him back to bring some sort of closure to their relationship, especially if they want to end Fiona's arc on a positive note.
11. Could Return: Eddie
It seems odd that this character just got up and left, dumping her niece on Lip. Of course, the storyline went nowhere, which leaves a possibility for her to return for a much-needed payoff. On the flip-side, Eddie never really made that much of an impression on fans, since the only reason she was present was to add dimension to the bike shop and throw a wrench in Lip and Sierra's already rocky relationship.
If the writers don't bring her back to properly pay off her decision to leave her niece, she could easily go back to being that interesting face in the background of the bike shop. After all, the place is kinda dull without her.
10. Never Will: Caleb
Of all the love-interests that Ian had, Caleb is probably the least memorable. He may have been hunky, but he really didn't add the spark that characters like Mickey or even Llyod Lishman did, which is the reason why some fans may have totally forgotten that he was even on the show. Don't blame yourselves too much, though, you're not alone.
Caleb has zero chance of returning as Ian is no longer on Shameless, but even if Ian were still around, his ties with Caleb were never strong enough to warrant a long lasting relationship, let alone the return of the character after his departure.
9. Could Return: Carol Fisher
Where has V's mom gone? You may not remember, but Carol Fisher actually had quite a bit to do on Shameless during earlier seasons. She even had a baby with Kevin during the time that V thought she couldn't get pregnant. However, not too long after this, she vanished from the show, and needless to say, Carol's due for a comeback.
As Kev and V's storyline dwindles, she may be needed to add a little bit of spice and energy. Also, it makes sense for her to return because Kev and V are trying to have another baby; grandma has to check in on them and the kids at some point.
8. Could Return: Jen Wagner
Just recently, Courteney Cox guest-starred as a famous actor named Jen Wagner and Lip was tasked with being her sponsor for the day, which proved to be harder than it sounded. By the end of the episode, Jen grew quite a lot from her experience with Lip, but given where Lip was in his life, Jen didn't really impact him.
This is the reason why it's entirely possible for the writers to bring her back, since it would seem kind of sloppy if they didn't. Why create a role for a big name if she doesn't influence the character she spends the most time with? Whether Jen's a love-interest for Lip, a friend, or does something extraordinary for him, chances are that we'll see her again.
7. Could Return: Jerry Gallagher
Many believe that Frank's storyline has become overly repetitive and that he's done very little to allow audience members to sympathize with him; not that it's always needed in a character. But, when Fiona leaves the show, more attention will be shifted to him, which will force the writers to come up with more story threads that involve the Gallagher patriarch. One such story may just have to do with Frank's identical twin, Jerry.
The vast majority of fans have no clue about Jerry. After all, he has only been mentioned a couple of times and been in one scene during the first season. In a way, he's basically a new character that the writers could work in.
6. Never Will: Bianca
Other than Monica, Bianca has been the only Shameless character that has forced Frank to act altruistically. Therefore, she endeared him to us for a very brief period of time.
If you recall, Bianca's storyline was incredibly well-written and dealt with topical issues such as what a person should do with their final days on Earth. Of course, given the nature of this arc, Bianca met her end during the events of the fifth season. So, there's absolutely no way that Shameless can or would bring her back. Her part in the Shameless story is over.
5. Could Return: Sierra
Sierra is another one of those Shameless characters who just disappeared off of the show. It's almost as if the writers wanted us to forget about her as no mention was made about her by the start of the ninth season.
This is particularly odd, given the fact that she supposedly still works at Patsy's Pies. But, just because she's no longer on the show doesn't mean she'll never return. After all, her storyline hasn't been wrapped up, which means that her story could continue, or she could come back in order for it to officially come to a conclusion.
4. Could Return: Jasmine
Does anybody even remember that Amy Smart was on Shameless? Her character, Jasmine, is certainly an obscure reference in the Shameless fandom. Although she didn't really impact the plot, Jasmine was around a fair bit during the first two seasons of the show. Usually, she was there to contrast Fiona's morals and general personality, and the fact that she was so proficient at it is basically the only reason why she could return.
Given that Fiona is currently down in the dumps, running in to Jasmine could either make things worse or remind Fiona that she needs to get her life together. It's possible that we'll see her again, but it's also somewhat unlikely.
3. Could Return: Lloyd Lishman
There's only one way that Lloyd Lishman could return to Shameless in an authentic manner, and that's if his son, Jimmy, returned and married Fiona. Otherwise, there's no purpose to even show a glimpse of him. Chances are, fans don't remember this character as he was used so sporadically a long time ago. He was mainly around as a mentor/love-interest for Ian, but their relationship deteriorated once Mickey started to get jealous.
Now that Ian has permanently departed from the show, bringing Lloyd back would just feel out of place. Still, he's one of the few medical experts that's willing to deal with under-the-table issues; a trait that could still be useful for the writers.
2. Never Will: Monica
There's literally no way on earth the writers of Shameless can realistically bring Monica back (she's ceased to be, after all). Of course, if they really needed to, they could include her in a flashback or a dream sequence of some sort, but given how the show almost entirely stays away from story techniques like those, it's tremendously unlikely.
Additionally, dream sequences are usually reserved for characters who've had a positive impact on other characters, and Monica wasn't that sort of influence. She only really affected Ian (who's gone) and Frank (who seems like he couldn't care less).
1. Could Return: Jimmy/Steve
Compared to the other characters on this list, it's pretty hard to believe that fans have forgotten Jimmy/Steve. Although, given how many romantic partners Fiona has had since we last saw him, it's entirely possible. However, if there's any character who has a strong chance of returning, it's got to be Jimmy as he was a major character throughout the first three seasons. Additionally, he briefly popped up after he was essentially resurrected.
Regardless of the type of ending Fiona receives, Jimmy could fit into it by being a changed man who wants to be with her, or he can bring her back to her old ways. You can put money on the fact that the writers have considered his return.
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Which forgotten character do you think will return to Shameless? Let us know in the comments below!