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10 Most Shameless Things Jimmy/Steve Ever Did In The Series

Steve, later known as Jimmy, embodies shamelessness more than any other character in the series, as seen in these top moments from the show.

By Svetlana SterlinPublished 2 years ago 6 min read
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Of all the members of the extensive cast of Shameless, Jimmy (previously known as Steve) may be the one who lives up to the show's title the most. He's relentless in his pursuit of Fiona, even long after she's moved on, and he doesn't know where to draw the line between his own life and the Gallaghers'.

He also has a tendency to self-sabotage, and he consistently makes poor choices throughout his time on the show. Despite his education, he often acts without thinking, and this recklessness usually lands him in trouble and hurts those around him. He rarely expresses remorse and a lot of the time his behavior is completely unwarranted.

10. Expects Fiona To Wait For Him

Though understandable, Jimmy's hurt is unreasonable when he discovers that Fiona has moved on after he disappears without a trace for months on end. The season 5 finale isn't the first time Jimmy demonstrates his obnoxious self-absorption around Fiona.

In Shameless's earlier seasons, Jimmy often seems to think that Fiona should be ready to give up everything for him - but just because he's willing to do that for her, it isn't fair to assume that she's in a position to do the same. Jimmy ignores Fiona's needs, claiming that he's making her life better, but in reality, he's derailing her from her own path - and she does need to forge her own path.

9. Befriends Ian To Win Fiona Back

When Fiona breaks up with Steve after he kidnaps Frank, he still continues to visit the Gallagher house. Fiona is irritated by his presence and knows that he's only there to try and win her back.

However, he gives the excuse that he's there to take Ian to a game. This is unfair to Ian, painful and annoying for Fiona, and confusing for the other Gallagher children, especially the youngest. He doesn't consider that what he's doing is immoral, though when Lip questions him about it, he shamelessly admits that he just wants to get back into Fiona's good graces - and her bed.

8. Asks Fiona To Leave Her Family

Jimmy presents himself as a savior, which often fools Fiona, but asking her to leave her life behind is an unreasonable request. It's also careless, especially coming from someone who claims to have grown to care for the Gallagher kids.

If Fiona had left with Jimmy at the end of season 1, her family would've been unable to cope without her. She makes the right decision to stay behind, even if she feels stuck in her life. Had she left with Jimmy, she likely would have felt guilty afterward.

7. Guilt Trips Fiona After Cheating On Her

Jimmy and Fiona's romance begins to fizzle when they both find themselves drawn to other people at the same time. It happens naturally, gradually, and hints that the two of them were never meant to last.

Fiona stops herself before she can cheat on Jimmy with Mike, but meanwhile, Jimmy has been sleeping with Estefania while claiming to be in love with Fiona. He doesn't need to pretend to be her loving husband because everybody knows he's with Fiona, too. He betrays Fiona behind her back and never tells her, while she feels bad for being drawn to Mike, who treats her much better than Jimmy does.

6. Lies About His Identity

For some reason, Steve comes across as a charming, trustworthy guy. One of Fiona's earliest impressions of him supports this idea, and she continues trusting him because to her, he'll always be the person who defended her at the club in the pilot.

Debbie is quick to become suspicious of Steve, but she soon discovers that his secrets go far deeper than anyone realized. He leads Fiona to believe that he's a South Sider like her because he thinks that'll make her like him more. He lies about who he is, where he comes from, and what kind of life he really leads, which leaves Fiona questioning who she's fallen in love with.

5. Asks Debbie To Lie To Fiona

As if finding out that her sister's boyfriend leads a double life isn't bad enough, Debbie is also forced to lie about it. Jimmy promises that he'll tell Fiona himself, though he delays this as long as he can.

Of course, Jimmy should never have let things get to this point, but asking a child to keep such a big secret from her own sister is wrong - and he doesn't even seem to consider the weight of this; he's more concerned that Debbie will break her promise and tell Fiona anyway.

4. Ignores Fiona's Pleas To Stay Away

Even though Fiona ends up falling in love with Jimmy, she's always aware of his flaws. She accepts him for who she is on the condition that he stops lying to her, but of course, he never does.

The first time Jimmy loses Fiona's trust, she tells him not to bother her family again. Instead, he wheedles his way in even more. This becomes a recurring pattern that lasts for five seasons and emotionally drains Fiona over and over again. Jimmy goes so far as to stalk her and even jokes about this, though it's more concerning than it is funny.

3. Recruits Lip As A Car Thief

Jimmy practically inserts himself into the Gallagher family despite being asked to stay away multiple times. He brings his problems into the family, and in turn, drags the Gallaghers into his risky life.

Though Lip is a minor and Jimmy knows he has college prospects, he still offers him an illegal "job" stealing cars. This is a highly irresponsible thing to do, and even worse, he defends his decision to Fiona later. He doesn't express remorse even after Lip and Ian are caught by the cops and insists that his way of life is more fun.

2. Kidnaps Frank

In the second episode of the series, Jimmy decides that he's had enough of Frank. He makes an executive decision for the Gallaghers without consulting any of them, and he stows Frank into the boot of his car and drives him over the border.

Frank awakes in Canada, while his children fear that he's frozen to death on the streets somewhere. When Fiona realizes that Jimmy kidnapped him, Jimmy defends his actions and doesn't once apologize. Frank may be a terrible person, but nobody deserves to be smuggled into another country against their will, and it isn't Jimmy's decision to make. It's a thoughtless thing to do, and it means that Fiona never really trusts him again.

1. Steals Cars For A Living

Kidnapping Frank may be the worst thing Jimmy does, but stealing cars is one thing Jimmy does that doesn't have any justification. When it comes to Frank, viewers can understand why Jimmy wants him gone. But in terms of his career, there's no excuse for choosing the dangerous life he leads.

He tells Fiona that he didn't want to live the life his parents had planned for him, but that doesn't mean he has to do something illegal and irresponsible instead. He drags Lip into his shady business under the pretext of trying to help the Gallaghers financially, then brags to Fiona about how adventurous his life is, but he could find any number of other things to do for a living, something that doesn't harm other people, and something that isn't illegal.

[Originally shared with Screen Rant.]

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About the Creator

Svetlana Sterlin

Svetlana Sterlin is based in Brisbane, Australia, where she writes prose, poetry, and screenplays. The founding editor of swim meet lit mag, she also edits with Voiceworks.

More from Svetlana: https://linktr.ee/svetlanasterlin

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