when sparks fly

You mean in the show as it was airing?

I didn't watch the show as it was airing either, so I think people who were like "in the trenches" so to speak would have a different perspective.

I also think that it's likely people who watched the show live would probably have stronger reactions and perhaps more bias than those who came to it later, because especially as a gallavich shipper, knowing the ending made it easier to get through the middle.

I don't necessarily think that Ian was mischaracterized because I think looking at the larger picture provided more context to explain his actions. But when you're in it and you know the behind the scenes and you're watching it live, it would make sense to judge it more harshly. Especially with no guarantee of it being course-corrected.

But long story short, from what I've gathered: noel was a recurring cast member for seasons 1 and 2. They dyed his hair temporarily with tattoo ink so it could easily be washed out. He was doing multiple other projects at the same time because being "part time" gave him the flexibility to take on more work, pad out his resume, make connections, and supplement his income.

He then got promoted to series regular and signed a contract spanning seasons 3, 4 and 5. Still on a part time basis, but with more commitment, more screen time and more character growth. Mickey was quickly becoming a fan-favourite.

But noel ended up being in 11 out of 12 episodes of season 4, and all 12 episodes of season 5. Which is arguably more than he was being compensated for, and didn't allow him the flexibility he'd had in earlier seasons that may have made up for it. By comparison, Cameron was in 8 episodes of season 4, and Shanola was absent for at least one episode of season 5. So he was putting in more hours that some of the main cast.

Noel has always been very open about Mickey being his favourite character he's ever played, and he maintains friendships with a lot of the cast even to this day, so I don't think he ever really wanted to leave the show necessarily. He just couldn't really stay under those circumstances.

From what I've read, he and his team were trying to negotiate for a full time "main cast" contract for season 6 onwards. I think it was presumed him essentially working over time for 4 and 5 would give him leverage. Especially with Mickey being popular with audiences.

Apparently, some of the cast and crew were also supportive of him getting that contract. The showrunners/executives didn't want to add someone else to the "main cast/character" roster. Negotiations went on for longer than people thought they would, but no agreement could be made. Ultimately, noel left. Which then leads into why mickey went to prison.

The show then released a statement saying they were "sorry to see him go" and that he could "return at any time", which inadvertently made it sound like Noel wanted to leave and kinda ignored their own culpability in what happened.

Noel then returned in a special guest capacity for the first episode of season 6 to effectively type up loose ends. I'm not sure if it works the same across all shows, but I believe a special guest gets paid a higher rate, but on an episode-by-episode basis with no commitment. So this was what Noel's sporadic appearances in seasons 6, 7 and 9 were done under.

However, Ian and Mickey's relationship had been a substantial part of Ian's story up until this point. And the show had to try and sell the audience on the idea that it was no longer a viable option. They didn't know if Mickey would ever come back in a significant capacity and at the time it probably didn't seem likely. So they had to have Ian seem like he was over it.

The writing for Ian in season 6 then involved him saying things about Mickey that came across as needlessly cruel and sometimes even blatantly untrue. And this was clearly done to try to dissuade the audience from wanting the relationship back, and hopefully make people more open to the idea of a new love interest coming in.

The show was supposed to end at season 7, so a lot of that season feels like an ending. Mickey's return was almost like a chance for fans to see him one last time and to give him some semblance of "freedom" by escaping to Mexico. The episode was even called Happily Ever After. The season ending with Monica's death and subsequent funeral was also a poignant end.

But the show got renewed and the actors contracts were renegotiated in order to continue. Emmy wanted to be paid the same as Bill as they were both listed as top billing. Bill supported her in that.

The show eventually agreed to equate their salaries. Emmy wanted to be back-paid for the duration of the show, and compensated for the time they hadn't been paid equally. This negotiation process halted early production of season 8.

No one really knows what happened interpersonally between Emmy and the other actors, but they weren't as close as they'd appeared in earlier seasons. She started gaining a reputation for being difficult to work with, and ultimately left the show and Fiona was written out by the end of season 9. No one knows the real extent of what happened (if anything at all) between the cast, but some people speculate that the show runners and writers speaking negatively about Fiona in House of Shame was a shot at Emmy.

Cameron then left the show part way through season 9. We don't know the full details. Everyone involved with the show has been very professional and diplomatic in their responses when questioned.

But Cameron had expressed concern that Ian's story had run its course. And he's said that he had concerns for a few years before ultimately leaving. I personally think that he may have signed on for season 8 because season 7 left off with some potential for Ian's character (especially in regards to the loss of Monica and how that could impact Ian specifically vs the rest of the Gallaghers). I think Cameron likely had hopes for season 8 that weren't met. Not to mention, he signed his contract with Star Wars in like 2018, so he wasn't relying on Shameless for employment/income. And with Ian going to prison, it probably felt like the most opportune time to leave. Noel returned once more in a special guest capacity for the prison reunion. That was supposed to be Ian's ending.

But I think the show runners had concerns about losing Emmy and Cameron in the same season, and could the show survive without both Fiona and Ian.

With whatever behind the scenes stuff that was happening with Emmy, and with Fiona getting a real "ending", Cameron was obviously the one they were banking on getting back. But Cameron knew he had leverage.

The show runners contacted him and told him they were in talks with Noel about coming back to the show. Cameron voiced his initial concerns, negotiated not only his own salary, but also Noel's, and they both returned for season 10, and Noel finally got the contract people wanted for him in season 6.

The reason why I don't necessarily think Ian's behaviour in season 6 is "out of character" is because he has a habit to self-sabotage and is shown as having concerns about his ability to maintain a relationship for the rest of the show (the marriage argument being a prime example). I don't think it's unreasonable for his diagnosis and the subsequent adjustment period to cause his perspective to shift, and I think he (like all the Gallaghers) isn't always able to take responsibility for his own wrong-doing. I think he was being needlessly cruel because I think he needed to convince himself that Mickey wasn't an option. If he tells himself that he was a naive teen who viewed their relationship with rose-tinted glasses, then he can be convinced that what he did was for the best, and move on from it more easily. This plays in well with his self-esteem issues and insecurity regarding relationships that we see throughout the remainder of the show.