Frank the Plank

"Frank the Plank"
Shameless episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 2
Directed by	John Wells
Written by	Paul Abbott John Wells
Produced by	Cindy Caponera Nancy M. Pimental Michael Hissrich
Cinematography by	J. Michael Muro
Editing by	Thomas Bolger
Production code	2J5402
Original release date	January 16, 2011 (2011-01-16)
Running time	54 minutes
Guest appearances
Joan Cusack as Sheila Jackson (special guest star) Tyler Jacob Moore as Tony Markovich Joel Murray as Eddie Jackson

"Frank the Plank" is the second episode of the first season of the American television comedy drama Shameless, an adaptation of the British series of the same name. The episode was written by executive producer Paul Abbott and series developer John Wells, and directed by Wells. It originally aired on Showtime on January 16, 2011.

The series is set on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, and depicts the poor, dysfunctional family of Frank Gallagher, a neglectful single father of six: Fiona, Phillip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam. He spends his days drunk, high, or in search of money, while his children need to learn to take care of themselves. In the episode, Frank winds up in Canada, forcing the Gallaghers to retrieve him without a passport.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.81 million household viewers and gained a 0.4/1 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received positive reviews from critics, who praised its exploration on Frank and performances.

Plot

Frank (William H. Macy) goes to the bar, where he seizes the opportunity to get a free drink. However, he is punched by Eddie (Joel Murray), who blames Frank for Ian (Cameron Monaghan) getting oral sex from Karen (Laura Slade Wiggins). When Frank returns home, he suddenly hits Ian in the nose, prompting Steve (Justin Chatwin) to scold him; Fiona (Emmy Rossum) is forced to ask Steve to leave before the situation worsens.

The following day, Frank goes missing. Fiona and her siblings are desperate to find him; it is the last Friday of the month, which is when Frank gets his disability checks. Frank wakes up in Toronto and is subsequently arrested for not carrying a passport. As Fiona and her siblings debate on what to do as getting him a passport will take months, Steve reveals that he smuggled Frank into Canada while stealing a car, feeling he could finally solve their family issues. Fiona slaps him and forces him to find a way to bring him back. Steve gets an RV, which includes a secret smuggling compartment for Frank. Meanwhile, local cop Tony Markovich (Tyler Jacob Moore) asks Fiona out on a date, which she considers. After Steve successfully smuggles Frank back into Chicago, Fiona breaks up with him. He tries to win her over by getting her a new car, but she tells him she will return the money he paid for the washing machine.

Feeling unwanted by his family, Frank decides to move out of the house, but is unable to find a new home. He runs into Eddie at the bar, who apologizes for his actions and buys him a beer. Eddie reveals that he has left Karen and her agoraphobic mother Sheila (Joan Cusack), who is mentally ill and receives disability benefits from the welfare state. Intrigued, Frank visits Sheila and attempts to manipulate her into letting him stay at her house. Frank flirts with Sheila and convinces her to have sex, although he is taken aback by her dominatrix behavior. The next morning, Karen is dismayed to learn that Frank has officially moved into their home.

Production

Development

The episode was written by executive producer Paul Abbott and series developer John Wells, and directed by Wells. It was Abbott's second writing credit, Wells' second writing credit, and Well's first directing credit.

Reception

Viewers

In its original American broadcast, "Frank the Plank" was seen by an estimated 0.81 million household viewers with a 0.4/1 in the 18–49 demographics. This means that 0.4 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode, while 1 percent of all of those watching television at the time of the broadcast watched it. This was a 18% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was seen by an estimated 0.98 million household viewers with a 0.4/1 in the 18–49 demographics.

Critical reviews

"Frank the Plank" received positive reviews from critics. Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode a "great" 8 out of 10 and wrote, "I liked seeing more of the many ways this family is able to make ends meet (sort of). From having Debbie steal newspapers for coupons, to Ian stealing food from a truck while Veronica distracts the driver with her abundant cleavage, the Gallagher's are nothing if not resourceful. And speaking of Veronica's breasts, we also learned she makes money via a webcam show in which she irons stuff while topless, which was a nicely perverted touch."

Joshua Alston of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B–" grade and wrote, "I'm still not convinced that the show's funny, off-kilter slices of life are enough of a skeleton on which to drape a twelve-episode season. While I'm charmed by stuff like Debbie's coupon hoarding and Veronica and Lip's dairy heist, I can't say those kinds of scenes will continue to pack the same punch six episodes from now. But then, the Gallaghers don't seem to think too far ahead, so I suppose I shouldn't afford myself that luxury either."

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "as much as I usually love William H. Macy, he's not the part of the show that really interests me. The draw here comes from Emmy Rossum and the kids (particularly the actors who play Lip and Ian) and their own problems, and so an episode where they're almost exclusively reacting to Frank didn't feel as strong as the pilot, or as I found next week's episode." Alexandra Peers of Vulture wrote, "Frank Gallagher may be a drunk, but as far as the neighborhood and much of his family is concerned, he's their drunk. We get an insight into this curious, perhaps misbegotten loyalty in an episode in which William H. Macy's Frank goes missing."

Tim Basham of Paste wrote, "Watching Shameless is a little like watching modern dance. There's a lot going on and it all seems to be moving in several directions. But in the end it comes together quite nicely. Whereas the first episode gave more attention to Fiona, this one gave William Macy's role as the reluctant patriarch Frank Gallagher a lot more room to share his total dysfunction. It's wonderful to behold." Leigh Raines of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 2.5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "The second episode of Shameless had a more dismal tone than its highly-rated premiere. We got to see a lot more of the alcoholic enigma that is Frank, and let's just say that despite William H. Macy's fabulous method acting, it wasn't pretty." Jacob Clifton of Television Without Pity gave the episode an "A+" grade.

External links

• "Frank the Plank" at IMDb