Content warning: This article contains mention of rape and sexual assault.
Many viewers assumed that once Fiona left the show, Debbie would be the one to take her place. However, as Debbie evolves, it becomes increasingly clear that she's nothing like Fiona. Every Gallagher child has in some way learned from Frank, whether they like it or not. Liam is often portrayed as Frank's protege, but some of the older kids have followed in his footsteps quietly, too.
Surprisingly, it's Debbie who is most like Frank in the last few seasons of Shameless. She's one of the most skilled hustlers - or scammers - and shows no remorse for any of her sketchy choices. Of all the characters in the show, she seems the least likely to follow in Frank's footsteps, given how sweet she is as a child. However, a close watch will reveal how much Debbie admires Frank as a young girl, even after he lets her down or does something despicable.
Swindles People Instead Of Getting A Job
Debbie complicates things for herself on many occasions, especially after giving birth to Franny. Once she's a mother, she feels the need to prove herself, to feel worthy and sophisticated, and to step into Fiona's place as the matriarch of the household. However, the methods she resorts to are not only unnecessary but harmful and excessive.
Fiona entrusts Debbie with the family's finances, but at the start of season 10, Debbie looks like she's been secretly spending the money on fancy clothes for herself. She steals Lip's security number, leaving her family cashless after allowing them $100 to use every week. When her quest for self-worth isn't enough, Debbie finds herself something of a sugar mommy in Claudia, then proceeds to secretly date her daughter, too. This isn't the first time she's tricked people into providing for her; she does the same with a cancer patient earlier in the show, at Frank's suggestion. He's proud of her scams on both occasions.
Steals Strollers
Debbie is a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. She never fails to come up with very complicated - often immoral - ways of making money, like the Craigslist stroller scheme.
When Franny is a baby, Debbie needs to find work and hire someone to look after her daughter, since her family is either unreliable or busy. During this time, her reluctance to get a job makes a little sense, but stealing other people's expensive strollers seems extreme. She then resells them at much higher prices so she can pay someone to look after Franny. The scheme only comes to an end when she accidentally steals a stroller with a baby in it. Even so, she's not ashamed, only scared of being caught.
Seduces A Cancer Patient (& Her Husband)
Like the other Gallagher siblings, Debbie is a student of Frank. He almost prostitutes her to a financially well-off family. Debbie is pregnant and needs to earn some money before she gives birth, but once again, she goes too far.
Instead of doing the job she's hired to do - housekeeping and nannying for a woman who's dying of cancer - she decides to follow Frank's advice and tries to worm her way into this family's personal life. Still only fifteen, she tries to seduce the cancer patient's husband, but when this doesn't work, she seduces the wife. The only thing that makes this less shameless than some of Debbie's other acts is that this interaction is mutual and consensual.
Steals Carl's Girlfriend
Debbie has a habit of taking things that don't belong to her, and these things aren't always physical objects. Even Carl is wary of her tendency to stake her claim on anything and anyone that isn't already hers - like his girlfriend, Kelly.
When Carl starts working at Captain Bob's, Kelly starts spending more time with Debbie, and the two become friends. Debbie misreads the situation and kisses Kelly in her sleep, knowing that she and Carl are together. Kelly realizes Carl is right to be suspicious of Debbie and breaks up with Carl. Debbie and Carl both feel rejected and heartbroken, but Debbie shows no remorse - in fact, she helps Carl vandalize Kelly's truck.
Helps Abduct Aunt Ginger
One of the earliest instances of Debbie stealing - other than petty theft and grocery bargains - is when she accompanies Fiona, Frank, and Veronica to the aged care home. Frank has been cashing Aunt Ginger's checks illegally, and the Gallaghers must prove to investigators that Aunt Ginger is actually around.
In fact, Ginger is buried in the Gallaghers' yard after an unceremonious death. Thus, it's up to Frank to conjure up someone who can pose as Aunt Ginger. The best solution they come up with is to borrow an elderly person who won't remember where or who they really are. Debbie handpicks the fake Aunt Ginger at the aged care home, then refuses to let her go back after she's used her.
Lies About Getting Molested
In season 3, Uncle Patrick stakes his claim on the Gallagher house. After being forced out of their home, Debbie comes up with a last-ditch effort to implicate Patrick in front of the cops, leading to his arrest. The Gallaghers are able to keep their home, but at what cost?
At this young age, Debbie has already proven herself to be a skilled liar and manipulator, and lying about assault, harassment, or abuse is a serious offense. Even worse is that Fiona condones it, so Debbie thinks it was the right thing to do. Of course, the family is in a tricky situation, and Debbie's idea works, but it's still one of the most shameless things she's ever done.
Kidnaps A Toddler (Twice)
Early in the series, Debbie thinks it's a fun idea to steal someone else's child and pretend it's her own. She has no plans of returning the toddler and doesn't even realize that what she's done is wrong and illegal.
It's also not the only time Debbie tries to abduct a child in Shameless. When Debbie fights Pepa for custody of Franny, she comes up with a ridiculously complicated plan to switch Franny out with another girl who resembles her. She recruits an imposter deal during a foster parents' event at the park, then brings the girl to Pepa, who immediately backs out of the custody deal.
Takes Advantage Of Neil
Kidnapping a toddler is unacceptable, but at least Debbie returns the children to their respective homes when she's through with them. With Neil, Debbie hopes to use him for life, thinking that he won't know any better.
When Debbie realizes Neil has fallen in love with her, she feigns her feelings and arranges their engagement. She plans to marry him as soon as possible so that she can use him, his money, and his home for herself and Franny. Despite hearing objections from both her own family and Neil's, Debbie proceeds to neglect Neil and use him as a babysitting service for Franny.
Lies To Derek About Contraception
One of the most abominable things Debbie does in the whole show is manipulating Derek into impregnating her. She lies about using contraception and hopes to get pregnant so that he pays more attention to her.
She's noticed that he isn't as affectionate with her as she'd like and that he probably doesn't entirely reciprocate her feelings. Their sexual relationship is consensual, but Derek isn't romantically interested in her, so Debbie tries to force him into a long-lasting relationship by giving birth to his child. Derek's family is understandably outraged by Debbie's attempts to wrangle money from them for Franny and for her obsessive stalking of their son.
R*pes Matty
When Debbie is 13, she develops a crush on Matty, who's 20. He draws some clear and firm boundaries for both of their sakes, but mostly for Debbie's. She persistently ignores him and tries to come onto him several times. Instead of brushing her off, Matt remains friendly and tries to nurture Debbie as a friend.
However, when she takes things too far, he stops seeing her. She stalks him and his new girlfriend, for whom she leaves a snake in her car, trying to force Matty into a relationship. Eventually, they become friends again, but Debbie takes advantage of Matt when he's sleeping - after intentionally intoxicating him to the point of unconsciousness - and r*pes him. He has no recollection of this and is outraged, violated, and hurt when he finds out. Debbie doesn't think she's done anything wrong, but Matty cuts off all communication with her.
Tries To Drown Someone
Though the incident is quickly forgotten, one of Debbie's most concerning behavioral exhibits happens early in the show when she visits the public pool. She doesn't quite fit in with the city kids who often swim there and treat her poorly.
When Debbie's had enough of their teasing, bullying, and pranks, she gets into a fight with one of the girls and attempts to drown her. This is an act of direct and intentional violence that could have resulted in serious harm, and Debbie feels absolutely no shame for trying to kill someone.