Monica Gallagher, Shameless

Monica Gallagher (Chloe Webb)

On the American remake of the UK comedy-drama Shameless, Monica is series protagonist Frank’s ex-wife and the mother of the Gallagher children. Monica has bipolar disorder, and while she feels terrible for abandoning her children she finds she can never sustain her love and concern for them for very long before succumbing to drugs, selfishness, and depression. The older Gallagher children resent and distrust her, but she is sometimes able to coax her younger children Debbie or Carl into spending time with her.

Season 1

In season 1, Frank tricked Monica into returning to live with him for financial gain. However, Monica announced she was gay and in a relationship with Roberta (“Bob”) whom she intended to marry. Monica and Bob tried to leave with youngest son Liam, but eldest daughter Fiona asked Monica to give him back and she does so.

Season 2

In season 2, Frank went to Monica for support when his mother died. The following morning, Frank and Monica were at the Gallagher household cooking breakfast and it was revealed that Bob has left. At the end of the second season, Monica found the Gallaghers’ savings fund and convinced Frank to spend it with her. Later, Monica cut her wrists in front of the family. After a long discussion with Fiona, Frank helped Monica escape the clinic with her new girlfriend. Monica was last seen speeding away in a car, telling Debbie she loved her.

Season 5

Monica briefly reappeared in Season 5, episode 11, when she visited her son Ian in prison. She and Ian hitchhiked out of the city, before Monica took Ian to live with a new boyfriend called Walter who made methamphetamine.

Season 7

Monica had a 4 episode arc at the end of season 7 when she was killed off. She helped Debbie get Frances back and revealed to Frank that she was dying of brain damage. After a hangover, Frank was unable to wake her up and in the finale she never regained consciousness at the hospital. She died from a massive cerebral hemorrhage.

Appearances:

• 13 episodes.

Female love interests:

• Roberta (Carlease Burke, guest 3 episodes)

Relationship story arc with a woman: No

Male love interests:

• Frank Gallagher (ex-husband, William H. Macy, main cast)
• Clayton Gallagher (Kristoffer Ryan Winters, guest, 2 episodes)
• Walter (Ryan Dorsey, guest, 1 episode)

Relationship story arc with a man: Yes

Filter Relationship Arc:

• Male (Regular)

Storyline during sweeps? No

[1] A relationship story arc is defined as explicit, developed on screen, and lasting more than 3 episodes. It is listed as questionable or subtext if romance is only implied, mentioned instead of shown on screen, part of a dream sequence, or otherwise not explicit for the viewer.
[2] Sweeps episodes air in February, May, July and November, the periods when advertising rates are set. A character is marked as "sweeps" when there is a very limited number of episodes that address their sexuality, all air during sweeps period, and the storyline is otherwise ignore/dropped.