This post is my personal analysis of the Gallavich storyline in Shameless Season 11, Episode 7 (hereafter referred to as E7).
Season 11 has its fair share of controversies, but let’s be honest. This episode’s Gallavich part is easily one of the most debated, right? I was honestly conflicted for a long time about how to interpret it. That’s why I felt like this was an episode I really needed to address at least once. Now that I’ve finally managed to organize my thoughts, I decided to write them down. Some of you might read this as pure projection. And that’s totally fine! You can also take it as a fanfic-style interpretation and just enjoy it casually. However you read it is completely up to you. So, let’s begin!
First things first, I need to make one thing clear. This episode is undeniably based on OOC writing, especially for Mickey. I rarely ever use the term “OOC” even though I’ve loved and analyzed many different works over the years. I usually try to accept canon as it is. But this particular episode (and honestly, the early part of S11 as a whole) just can’t be discussed without using that word. So here we are.
That said, I still have this habit of trying to make sense of canon within its own framework, no matter how contradictory it gets. So, I wanted to examine the characters’ motives and behaviors in E7 as much as possible from a canon-consistent perspective.
And yes. paradoxically, E7 does have some great moments. The morning scene where Ian calls Mickey his family, Ian sulking when Mickey doesn’t immediately take his side — those are nice touches. There are also plenty of genuinely fun moments, like the fan-favorite line, “I hate funcking gays! Meh~bleh~.”
But then there’s that one big, glaring, infuriating thing. Yeah. That one.
So let’s start with the main question. why did Mickey act that way?
My answer is this. Mickey’s actions were entirely about proving a point . To confirm his own beliefs and expose Ian’s misjudgment. He wanted to show that “finding gay friends” was something they didn’t need at all. And on top of that, if Ian tried to provoke him through jealousy to get a reaction, Mickey was going to prove that it wouldn’t work anymore. That this time, it would completely backfire on Ian instead.
Ian had clearly tried to provoke him by saying something like, “If I make gay friends, we're gonna talk about sex, and if you're not there, who knows what will happen?” That was what pushed Mickey to tag along — that one reason alone.
And here’s the key part. when Ian said that line, Mickey reminded him of their agreement. The nuance was, “Remember our deal? So don’t do that.” Not, “Remember our deal? So include me too!” That’s the core of Mickey’s role in this episode.
And from that point on, “making gay friends” became, in Mickey’s mind, synonymous with “talking about sex with” or “having sex with” those people. Ian’s provocation had turned the concept of “gay friends” into something inherently sexual for Mickey. That’s why when he saw the guys jerking off in the steam room, he immediately ran to Ian. like saying, “See? These are the ‘gay friends’ you were talking about. Now it’s your turn to do the ‘thing’ you mentioned.”
So they joined in with the steam room guys. And I think that act itself was, on some level, satisfying for both of them. After that, Mickey began doing exactly what Ian had told him. trying to “get friendly” with them. Maybe exchanging glances, a few words, something casual but intimate.
And this is where Ian’s brain hits the brakes. Yes. this is his key moment. I don’t think Ian ever actually believed that Mickey could do something like that so naturally, so effortlessly. That was Ian’s miscalculation.
The key to understanding Ian in this episode lies in how his stance shifts before and after the steam room scene. The contrast is fascinating. Do you think Ian really set out on this “gay friend adventure” with the possibility of having sex with other men in mind? To some extent, personally I think yes, he did.
At that point, Ian and Mickey had already established their sexual agreement, and deep down, Ian probably wanted to test it. Maybe it started out as simple teasing. But since the topic was already on the table, Ian couldn’t help but consider what might happen after making “gay friends.”
Because remember at the gym, he was openly checking out that hot straight guy’s body, tracing him with his eyes. And when he found out the guy was straight, he looked genuinely disappointed. yeah. Up until the moment he entered the steam room Ian intended to do something with a gay friend. So when Mickey called him over he followed him inside without hesitation.
But then, strangely enough, after leaving the steam room, Ian’s stance completely flipped 180 degrees. Suddenly, he declared, "we can’t be friends with someone we’ve had sex with." That was a brand-new rule. And it happened because Ian had clearly felt uncomfortable watching Mickey give another man a handjob.
He probably tried to tolerate it at first — after all, they had agreed to this. He didn’t want to start a fight over something they’d both consented to. But watching Mickey act familiar, even friendly, toward that guy afterward — that was what he couldn’t stand. In the end, Ian couldn’t take it anymore and dragged Mickey out of the steam room. Then, as if to regain control, he unilaterally redefined their boundaries.
Yeah. even though they’d literally left the house under the premise of “something might happen with gay friends.”
That new rule? It came 100% from Ian’s jealousy.
Naturally, Mickey doesn’t understand Ian at all . because he’s just doing exactly what Ian told him to do, what Ian wanted him to do. He went out, found some fancy gay guys, did the “thing,” and was finally about to become friends with them — only for Ian to suddenly stop him. (Of course, the very fact that Mickey didn’t understand Ian’s true feelings here is already pretty OOC, but… let’s just move on.)
So, the most basic step in their original goal — “making gay friends” — which included the process of “getting close to gay friends and maybe something happening,” completely fell apart right there. At least in Ian’s head. Yes, all because of his jealousy.
After that, they headed to the furniture store. That’s where Ian subtly shifted his focus. Now, he started targeting only gay men Mickey wouldn’t want to have sex with as potential friends. (Honestly, Ian’s petty, ridiculous jealousy running through all of this is kind of hilarious.) Anyway, now He’s worried Mickey might find someone attractive among these “friends.” So Ian starts chatting up men who are completely not Mickey’s type. Naturally, Mickey is disgusted. But Ian, thinking he’s found a loophole, goes, “Perfect! these are safe! We can totally be friends with them.”
And yet, Ian miscalculates again. The very men Mickey initially found off-putting? He actually starts getting along with them just fine. And suddenly, it’s Ian who feels uncomfortable. The atmosphere, the setting, the guys’ slightly condescending tone. Everything rubs him the wrong way. So Ian decides to leave, dragging Mickey along just like he did back at the steam room.
Back then, Mickey had followed him out without much resistance. Even when Ian changed the rules on a whim, Mickey went along with it. That’s how it’s always been. Mickey’s never really denied Ian what he wanted. (Except that one time, the marriage thing) So Ian assumed it would go the same way again. He thought he could pull Mickey around however he pleased, then just say, “Okay, I’m done now,” and walk away from the whole thing.
But Mickey isn’t that easy to handle anymore. At this point, he’s figured Ian out completely. The sudden shift in attitude before and after the gym, the hastily added “boundaries,” and now the way Ian is trying to make a quick exit. Mickey sees right through all of it. So when Ian tries to make some excuse to leave, Mickey insists on staying by himself.
And that’s when Mickey finally throws Ian’s own words back at him. The very line Ian used to drag him into this whole situation in the first place. “If I make gay friends, we're gonna talk about sex, and if you're not there, who knows what will happen?” turned on him. He’s caught off guard, cornered, and reluctantly stays by Mickey’s side. Of course, he starts to panic, worrying that maybe Mickey actually finds one of these guys attractive.
And then, to make matters worse, the exact “something” they’d been joking and arguing about(something far beyond a simple handjob ) finally starts happening for real. Just like Ian had said, “If I make gay friends, we're gonna talk about sex, and if you're not there, who knows what will happen?” And it did.
Ian’s face freezes. His instinct is to leave immediately. But Mickey’s reaction is strange — he gives Ian this look, like, “What’s wrong? Isn’t this what you were talking about? You’re not joining in?” Naturally, Ian’s answer is a firm no. He doesn’t want to be there anymore, and he definitely doesn’t want Mickey getting involved with them either.
But once again, Ian gets caught in his own trap. Mickey stabs him right back with his own logic “Didn’t you say if you have sex with them, you can’t be friends anyway?” As if to say, this whole mess is your doing, not mine.
So in the end, Ian joins in, not out of desire, but to clean up the mess he himself created. And, okay, this part is a bit of my personal hope speaking, but I honestly don’t think it went as far as full-on sex. Most likely, they both just got a blowjob before heading home. This wasn’t about boundaries or agreements anymore. It was simply that neither of them found those guys attractive!
They were just doing it to prove a point. To settle Ian’s own argument. And really, if it had been the steam room guys Mickey actually liked, that might’ve been different. But with these ones? There was no reason to take it that far.
After spending the entire day caught up in that chaos and paying for his own mistakes, Ian comes home with only one thing left to say. “What a mess of a day, huh?” And yeah, it really was. It had been an absolute disaster for him. Making gay friends wasn’t fun, and the sexual encounters weren’t satisfying either. The “friends” were dull, and on top of that, he’d spent the whole time on edge, worried someone might get too close to Mickey.
In response to Ian’s weary sigh, Mickey doesn’t let up on teasing him. “Yeah,” he says. “Apart from handjob, duck and orgy, total waste of a fucking day.” Ian doesn’t even have the strength to argue anymore. He just lets out a tired little laugh.
And finally — almost gently — Mickey turns to him at the front door, as if offering forgiveness, and asks, “So we need gay friends?” That was what Mickey had been trying to say all along. That was his way of forgiving Ian. You acted like an idiot today, but you get it now, right? I forgive you.
And for the first time all day, Ian can answer honestly, without defensiveness or guilt. “Nah. I’m good like this.”
And that’s how their chaotic day comes to an end. There’s no third party between them anymore. They fall back into their old rhythm. Just the two of them, bickering and soft with each other, heading back inside together.
Later, in the bathroom, Mickey hums Rain on Me to himself. The moment he hears someone approaching, his expression freezes and he stops singing — but when he realizes it’s Ian, he relaxes and starts again. Ian joins in, singing along. The atmosphere is completely different from when they’d watched those guys at the “gay party,” dancing and talking about divas while Rain on Me played. Now, Mickey’s genuinely happy that Ian’s singing with him. Ian’s happy too. They don’t need “gay friends.” As long as they can have their own little party together, that’s enough.
That’s the end of my thoughts on S11E7.
My interpretation might differ from yours, but thank you for reading with an open mind. Yeah, and I’m not going to use this one episode to make claims about what their sexual agreement will or won’t be in the future. The whole thing was… honestly just a “happening for the sake of happening.” I don’t think it’s an episode that tells us anything definitive about their future. But at the very least, I wanted to take a closer look at their motivations and behavior within this episode itself. Thanks for reading! 🫡
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