Fiona Gallagher: Breaking Down The Characterization Of Parentification – Through The Looking Glass Of The Mother Lion That She Became

My previous post about ‘Sierra Burgess Is A Loser’, the very, very questionable 2018 Netflix romantic comedy (I tell you why in the previous post, so you can check it out after you read this one), heavily discussed how sometimes, people do sh*tty things because of the pressure their parents put on them; and other times, it has nothing to do with parents at all. Sometimes, people do sh*tty things, make sh*tty decisions for themselves, and treat others like crap because they’re just sh*tty people – like Sierra Burgess herself.

Getting the chance to write about Sierra Burgess reminded me of Fiona Gallagher, one of the main protagonists on ‘Shameless’, a show which ran between 2011 and 2021. It starred Emmy Rossum in the role of Fiona, as well as William H. Macy, Jeremy Allen White, Cameron Monaghan, Emma Kenney, Steve Howey, and Shanola Hampton. It also starred Joan Cusack for the first 4 seasons of the show. The character of Fiona appeared in 9 of the 11 seasons of the series. Rossum decided to leave the series in 2018 because of a salary dispute, as well as to pursue other projects. In a statement published on Facebook at the time, Rossum wrote, ‘The opportunity to play Fiona has been a gift. There are few characters — female or otherwise — as layered and dynamic. She is a mother lion, fierce, flawed and sexually liberated. She is injured, vulnerable, but will never give up. She is living in an economic depression but refuses to be depressed. She is resourceful. She is loyal. She is brave. I knew it the second I read the pilot script, this was different, this was special’

Back in 2022, after the series had ended, Emma Kenney appeared on the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast, where she opened up to Alex Coopwr about what it was really like to work alongside Rossum. She said, ‘We were both so young, I was obviously a lot younger. There were times where she would try to be a good influence and then there were times where she would be blatantly giving me…not the best advice. I have a lot of love for her, and I hope that she finds her happiness.’ In the same interview, Kenney said that during Rossum’s time on the show, she (Rossum) was going through, as Kenney put it, ‘her own inner problems’, and those inner problems created not the best atmosphere on set. So much so that Kenney even felt relieved when Rossum left the show. She said ‘the set became a little bit more of a positive place.’

Throughout her time on the show, rumours were swirling of Rossum’s friction on set with her co-stars. Though Kenney doesn’t follow Rossum on Instagram, the rest of the cast does. Kenney also said in the same interview on ‘Call Her Daddy’ that Rossum had a competitive nature in her. It’s very hard for me to believe that she’d feel a sense of competition with someone so much younger than her. Kenney was 12 when the show started airing. Rossum was 25. I don’t know how true the rumours are. All I know is that could write an entire blog entry on how vital it is to still stay professional while through personal triumphs, and maybe I will in the future, particularly while speaking of Rossum herself as the subject matter. For now, however, I’ll stick to my original plan, which is to break down the fictional character that is Fiona Gallagher – the sister and the mother that is in her. As Rossum said herself in her departing statement, Fiona is a ‘mother lion, fierce, flawed and sexually liberated’ – the perfect testament to describe Fiona. For the sake of this particular blog entry, we’ll be discussing the America version of the series, which is a remake of the British series of the same name, aired between 2004 and 2013. In the British version of the series, the character of Fiona was played by Anne-Marie Duff.

As the story goes, Fiona Gallagher is the eldest daughter of Frank and Monica Gallagher. Together, they have 6 children – Fiona, Lip, Ian Carl, Debbie and Liam. Frank and Monica aren’t the best of parents, and that’s putting it lightly. Frank is a drunk. Monica is a junkie and bipolar. Fiona’s role as a sister was morphed into a motherly role at a very young age; 9 to be precise. That was exactly when Monica left the family and deserted the kids entirely; only showing up when it benefited her, like when she and her girlfriend wanted to take Liam away from the family to raise. Frank has been anything but reliable; partly due to his drinking, and partly due to him just not giving a rats a**. When we meet Fiona and her family for the first time, she’s 21 years old. And yet, she does everything for the kids that a mother should be doing – getting groceries, buying school supplies and paying all the bills.

The role Fiona took upon herself has a name – Parentification. It’s when an older sibling leaves their role to act as a parent or caregiver to their younger sibling(s), and let’s just say doing such a selfless thing can lead to problems. These include causing damage the older sibling’s mental well-being, lead to long-term mental health conditions, and disrupt the natural process of maturing. We certainly see that happen to Fiona throughout her time on the show. In a 2023 Parents online magazine article by Inés v.B, she writes of her own experience taking on the role of a parent to her younger sibling at the age of 12 following their parents’ divorce. She writes:

‘For a big part of my life, I was complimented on my maturity and my ability to handle responsibility. Something that, as of today, still feels like a compliment. But looking back on it, I’ve come to realize that being so mature at a young age wasn’t always a good thing.

Around the age of 12, I found myself becoming my younger sibling’s keeper in the midst of our parents’ divorce. When we were staying with family away from our home, it became my responsibility to make sure my sibling wasn’t distressed, was eating well, and overall was safe and happy. I would then report back to my parents as an intermediary since they weren’t on speaking terms. Soon enough, my stays away from home became less about myself and more about creating the right environment for my sibling.

When I became a teenager, my biggest worries should’ve been what to wear to a party or an upcoming exam. But on top of those, I found myself also worrying about my parents’ lives, financial issues, and my sibling’s upbringing. As a result, I didn’t feel comfortable around people my own age because I felt like I had nothing in common with them.’

There are numerous reasons why an older sibling takes on a role of a parent to their younger sibling(s). These include:

• The parent was neglected or abused as a child.
• The parent has a mental health condition.
• The parent has an alcohol or substance use disorder.
• The parent or a sibling is disabled or has a serious medical condition.
• The parents are divorced or one parent has died.
• The parents are immigrants and have difficulty integrating into society.
  The family experiences financial hardship.
  

Fiona did everything she did for the kids out of the goodness of her heart. The way she cared for them; the way she loved them; the way she supported them through their trials and tribulations before those of her own. She’d done all those things out of the goodness of her heart. No one told her to do all those things. She just did them. Neither Frank or Monica ever showed appreciation for her selfless act, and neither did the kids. The kids, particularly.m, acted like spoiled brats most of the time; and as though it was her duty to care for them. But then again, some kids act the same way the kids acted either way Fiona with their own parents; even with good parents.

That’s not to say, however, that the kids didn’t show appreciation for Fiona, as well as make it clear that they’re always on her side even though they’re such d*cks. No one can forget Fiona’s wedding to Sean; when Frank storms in and tells her that Sean is a junkie and still uses. He didn’t do it because he cared. He did it because he was selfish. He messed her relationship with Sean, and he interfered in Sean’s relationship with his son. Fiona’s siblings and best friends grab Frank, take him to a lake as if his taken hostage, and throw him there. That particular scene is why I know about the show in the first place. Other moments include when Lip came to pick Fiona up after a stranger took her in when she was stranded in the cold snowy Chicago weather; when Debbie, with the help of her friends, publicly embarrassed Fiona’s fling after it was revealed he was actually married; and finally, perhaps the most touching moment of all, when Carl Doug up the money he was saving up for himself for Fiona to buy back their house after she lost in her divorce from Gus.

Fiona’s love for her kids was unconditional. She wasn’t perfect, and she didn’t claim to be. But she tried her very best. When she took custody of all her 5 siblings, the judge asked her why she felt Frank was an unfit parent. She tells him the story of how they lived in their car once after their uncle kicked them out, and they couldn’t find anyone who’d take them in. Their father pulled over and said he’d be right back, but he never showed. A few hours later, they were still sitting on the sidewalk. Ian had a fever and she didn’t know what to do. She ran across the street with Lip under one arm and Ian under the other to try to get someone to help them. As she said, it would’ve been easier to get crack than a ride to the clinic. She made it on foot, and was told Ian had a fever of 104. Another couple of hours, he probably would’ve been dead. Frank only showed up a couple of days later, and the first thing he asked her then was how much money she had. And it wasn’t the only time. It was only the first.

As Fiona said in her testimony, Frank takes what he pleases. He offers nothing. No money, no support. She did what she could to help raise her siblings. It wasn’t much, but it was everything she had. She never asked for praise or pity. She just did what she felt she had to do, which was to give everything that they deserved. No ever asked Fiona what was best for HER. The judge in the custody case was the first ever person to do so. ‘What’s in YOUR best interest?’ He asked. She almost seemed shocked that someone would even give the slightest bit of a sh*t about her. Though hesitant at first, the judge grants full custody to Fiona, and the children couldn’t be happier about it.

When we first meet the family, Monica is nowhere to be seen. She abandoned the family following her separation from Frank. When she comes back to the house she once lived in to the family she once was a part of, she’s only there to take Liam with the intention of raising him with her Black girlfriend. Her girlfriend’s excuse for wanting to take him is that Liam is Black and needs a Black parent to be able to connect with the culture. When Monica snd Fiona argue over custody of Liam, Monica says that she’s his mother and Liam needs her. ‘YOU WERE MY MOTHER TOO!’ Fiona screams. The main in her eyes as she starts crying after screaming this was so raw. I wanted to cry with her. I wanted to hug her. I wanted to be there for her.

As she’s fighting for Liam, who was 2 years old at the time, to stay in the family, Fiona tells Monica of her siblings’ accomplishments.

• Debbie is class president. She’s on the debate team going to nationals.
• Lip is top of his class.
• Ian was promoted in ROTC and tested out of English.
• Carl made something blow up in his science fair.

It was the little things that made Fiona proud of the kids. She did everything as a mother that Monica should’ve done, but didn’t. She provided them with shelter, physical support, as well as emotional support. And as Fiona said to Monica, the kids accomplished all those things all on their own, not thanks to Monica…because she wasn’t there. In turn, Monica said she was appreciative of Fiona, something so questionable, and that she was there now and that Liam belonged with her.

I wanted to scream at my screen as I watched that scene unfold. Monica was just a sad f*cking excuse for a mother. She always gave the excuse of Frank driving her away from the family due to his drunken nature for leaving the family following their divorce after 18 years of marriage. How much bullsh*t can one come up with, and how long has she thought about this particular excuse? In a case of two people getting divorced, the two people divorce each other, NOT the kids. If you’re a good parent, there’s absolutely no such thing as divorcing the kids. As a divorcee, you leave your spouse behind, not the kids. Monica left the kids to care for their own well-being. She left them with a man she knew didn’t give a sh*t about anyone but his own damn self. It was mind boggling. And what kind of mom mother only wants to raise and be there for one child but not the other? Again, absolutely mind boggling.

Watching that particular scene was so difficult and heart wrenching for me. As a mom, I can’t imagine leaving my son in such a situation to be all alone. How cruel do one have to be to leave their children in such a mess. I’d run for the hills and do everything I f*cking could to protect my son, and this woman who calls herself mom can’t even see straight in that she failed in her role. Nevertheless, Monica asks her kids for another chance and begs them to be their mommy again. More so, she tearfully asks this of Debbie and Carl, the youngest of the bunch, with the exception of Liam who is 2 when this happens. They do and embrace her with a hug. The two have a change of heart in the next scene where everyone has dinner and find out Ian isn’t Frank’s son and that Monica had a fling with Frank’s brother during the time of Ian’s conception. It was at that scene that Fiona tells Monica that if she ever truly loved any of them, then she’d leave without Liam. Fiona and the kids all leave the dinner table to let Frank, Monica and her girlfriend to be, showing a united front between all 6 of them. Monica is heartbroken, and leaves her former family yet again. Before she does though, she kisses Liam goodbye and gives him to Fiona.

This was one positive thing that Monica ever did for a child of hers. At the end of the day, she understood that Liam would be in a much better life circumstances in Fiona’s care than he ever would with her and her girlfriend. She’d done some pretty shady things to her kids throughout her time on ‘Shameless’ following her first appearance. The most despicable thing she’d done was steal money from them. Personally, I don’t even understand how she came back into their lives after what she’d done. Nevertheless, she redeemed herself right before she passed away of a terminal illness when she came to Debbie’s baby daddy’s house with a bat, destroyed the house to its absolute core, threatening the baby’s paternal aunt and grandmother if they didn’t return Franny, Debbie’s baby, to her rightful guardian.

This was an entirely different storyline where Debbie became the absolute villain. She tricked the baby’s father into having unprotected sex with her when she was 15. The baby’s father left town after that, much to Debbie’s dismay. Franny’s paternal grandmother and aunt never liked Debbie, and rightfully so, but they still wanted to have Franny in their lives. They had her come over to their house with the baby, and asked for a family picture to send to Derek, Franny’s father. Debbie leaned in to pose for the picture with Franny and her paternal grandmother, but we see the screen of Franny’s aunt taking picture, we see that Debbie is cut off from the picture frame. As Debbie is about to leave the house with the baby, Derek’s aunt and grandmother trick her and take the baby away from her without returning her because they feel the baby will be better off with them than with Debbie. As Monica destroys the house while ‘reading’ Debbie’s rights as a parent, Franny’s paternal aunt is returning home. Feeling threatened by Monica, she quickly gives the baby back to her rightful guardian.

After these events, Monica and Frank renew their vows and have a happy celebration with all of their kids. It was one of the only times where the family was actually a united front in celebrating and, for even a second, forgetting about all of their problems. Soon, after Monica dies. Frank is devastated. Fiona, on the other hand, is glad she died. She even hits Monica’s dead body at the morgue out of so much anger towards her. She resents her for leaving her. She’s angry at her. She hated her for deserting and leaving her alone to take care of everyone. She was glad she died because at least by her being gone, she couldn’t f*ck anyone in the family over anymore. The thing about Frank is that he doesn’t give a sh*t about the family when his drinking takes over. There were moments where he disappointed each and every one of those kids. The most unforgettable moment, though, was when he disappointed Debbie. She was still a young child back then. He was in a drunken state. She let him use her bed to rest. The rest of the kids saw the chaos he created and tried to get him out of the house. That created an even more mess that broke Debbie’s project that she was so proud of. He didn’t care called it a peace of sh*t. It was at that moment that her views of Frank changed, and she tearfully and angrily hit him with an object while the rest watched in horror and shock. The look on Fiona’s face was just heartbroken. She was a mother sad and gut wrenched for her child.

When Emmy Rossum called Fiona a mother lion in her departure statement on Facebook page in 2018, she wasn’t kidding. We see her bend over backwards for those kids. She’d even risk her own life for them. She was fearless. She was ruthless. She was bada**. That moment where she took charge of the man Frank sold Liam to while he pointed a gun to her head was unforgettable; or when she stood up to her Liam after their neighbour complained to the police about him selling lemonade by her house because she was racist. This doesn’t mean she didn’t make any mistakes. She most certainly did. Like when she left drug over the counter and left them unattended for Liam to intake when he was a toddler. She went to jail for it and pleaded guilty. She took responsibility for her actions, which is far more than anyone could say about Frank and Monica. It was hard, and she didn’t know if she could do it, but she did.

As Debbie once said, ‘Fiona takes care of everyone, but not everyone takes care of Fiona’. As the kids grew up and didn’t need her as much, Fiona saw herself in a downfall. She struggled with addiction and alcohol. She became another version of her father. She became an unrecognizable person; one she always hated. Even though she was there for everyone around her when they needed her, they weren’t there forever her. They were harsh on her. They blamed her for their own problems. The thing that some might not realize is that addiction is a genetic disease. It can be passed on. Particularly, genes with the labels ADH1B, CHNR5, GCKR, and DRD2 are prioritized as genes that can be passed on from generation to generation. Mental illness can be passed on too. It’s a mix of both genetic and environmental factors. We particularly saw Ian struggle with bipolar disorder, an illness that was passed on via his mother.

Fiona eventually got her sh*t together. She became sober. She made a $100,000 investment in her business. She was finally happy. She felt free and like she was on top of the world. She was finally ready to take the leap of faith and put herself first for a change. She decided to leave Chicago and her family behind. They all supported her decision. Ian even encouraged her to do so because, as he said it, she deserved it. Her siblings planned a goodbye party, but she leaves without saying goodbye because she’s afraid that she’d change her mind. Before she leaves, though, she goes to Frank one last time. He shows his gratitude for all that she’s done to keep the family together. It was indirect, but it was the most anyone would get from Frank, ever. She leaves, but not before we see that she left $50,000 for the kids. She took care of them even when she wasn’t there. We never see Fiona again. But as Frank is about to die, he sees a little girl lying beside him at the hospital. He mistakes her for Fiona just as he’s about to die himself – a sign that he, in fact, did always loved her even though she’d always said that the word ‘love’ wasn’t in his dictionary; that he was never capable of love.

Writing about Fiona made me think of my own situation. No, I’m not a caregiver or a guardian to a sibling. I don’t even have siblings. But I do have a son, and I do have cerebral palsy and epilepsy. It scares the absolute sh*t out of me that one he’d have to become my caregiver or, even worse, a legal guardian. I didn’t have him for that reason. I had him because I genuinely wanted him. It’s my job to take care of him, not the other way around. I don’t want to ever feel like a burden to him. I want to be fully present for him. I want him to be proud of me. That’s why I feel it’s my duty now to take the best care that I possibly can of myself – emotionally, mentally and physically. If not for myself, then for him. With that being said, my son doesn’t come first. I do. Because I realize that if I don’t take care of myself, I won’t be able to take care of him. With that being said, the mom edition self care involves the following:

• Get enough sleep.
• Take time for yourself to recharge
• Phone a friend/make plans for a girls night
• Plan date nights with your partner on a regular basis
• Eat well and healthy, with scheduled ‘cheat days’
• Move your body and exercise
• Make that appointment

And there you have it – an in-depth summary of Fiona Gallagher. I hope I’ve done the mother lion, the fearless, ruthless, bada** that she is, justice

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