dreamylyfe-x

[dreamylyfe-x]

[dreamylyfe-x]

I love this revisit of season 7 Gallavich, because I love those episodes. They are absolutely the comfort episodes I'm most likely to put on if I just want to watch some Gallavich (and then bonus Monica chaos, with Lip falling apart in the corner.) But when I see this sort of literal celebration of the season and those precious two episodes, I always think of the people who watched that shit LIVE. And they were not celebrating.

Context is everything. When you know how the story ends, and you know that isn't the ending, and you know you can just fully skip season 8 on your rewatch, 7x10 and 7x11 are really lovely, bittersweet, emotionally cathartic episodes.

I try to keep this in mind in fandom -- though to make it silly, maybe I can also keep this in mind in life -- that sometimes all you need is a little time and a different perspective, and it's not that bad. It might even be pretty good.

[dreamylyfe-x]

To the person who sent me that ask yesterday -- I forgot to say "welcome!"

I'm not around these parts as much as I used to be but every time I sign on, this fandom is still going pretty strong. I hope you hang around.

[dreamylyfe-x]

Hi, I am pretty new to the Shameless/gallavich Fandom but first I LOVE YOUR FICS

Second, I've read some of your meta and I don't know about soaps but novelas and kdramas under my belt, I agree the come and go of Noel probably saved them from drama in later seasons, they probably have had them broke at one point also, they refused to make Mickey a principal, but one of my fav parts of s4 is that he finally gets his own arc (pimp and all that apart) and I'd have loved to see him explored outside his relationship with Ian

Hey! What an amazing surprise this is!

First of all, thank you.

Second: Novelas, kdramas (I have watched my share of t-dramas -- Devil Besides Me and Meteor Garden forever), Shondaland -- they will all give you the gist of that soap experience. My feeling is that we'd get a season six where both Mickey and Ian sort of struggle to figure out their adult lives -- and that's probably a decent enough story. They likely marry them in season seven. And then they spent seasons 8-11 (or however many seasons they get to keep them) messing them up. Not because Shameless burns plot the way soaps and novelas do, but because 11 seasons is a lot. And at some point they will decide they need conflict for Gallavich and that conflict will be in the era of Gay Jesus-type writing and I'm confident we'd have been very upset by it.

I will say I don't think they so much refused to make Mickey a principle as they didn't know for sure what they wanted to do with American Mickey or where he fit into their pretty full roster. Like, there was always a chance for him, since I believe his British counterpart sticks around, but he's not filling the same role that US Shameless Mickey does. Also, shows has a budget and I can completely see how they might not have had the money for him until season three.

In season five, Cam and Noel did an interview with Buzzfeed where the EP, Etan Frankel, talks about how Mickey turned into the character he'd become at that stage, and it's clear that they don't quite know where they're going with him, and then once they shoot 1x7 they know they've got something interesting to pursue. There are a lot of moving factors in making use of that, though, including Cam's age and how ian's character balances out with his siblings in terms of storyline. Gallavich get one of the most dramatic moments of the entire series in season three and I think that's really when they shift into being primaries on the show. More and more, they start to drive fan engagement online and that sets up season four where, absolutely, Mickey vaults ahead in terms of how much the show is paying to his inner life.

Part of that is because Cam is off filming The Giver, so he's not around for half the season, but I think the other part is what Etan is talking about in the Buzzfeed article -- they just know Noel can deliver. I particularly always think about this quote, in regards to both Noel and Cam as individual performers, but also when I think about their creative partnership:

As a writer, you feel secure writing a scene knowing they're going to knock it out of the park and they'll find things you didn't necessarily intend, so you find beautiful moments. It's exciting to see those dailies come back and saying, Oh wow, that wasn't even a moment in the script, but they've made it become a moment.

I know this is why we get so much Mickey in the first half of season 4. Not just that he needs to carry the torch for Gallavich by himself but because the writer's room knows they can give him that scene with the picture in the bathroom and the performance will convey how much Mickey misses Ian. This is also clearly when he essentially becomes a point-of-view character -- and he continues to be until he leaves the show in season six. So many key moments in those two seasons, particularly around Ian's illness, rely on the audience seeing Mickey's reactions and moments of realization. His confusion in 4x12. His reaction to the suitcases. His meltdown after Ian is hospitalized, where virtually his entire reaction is silent across two episodes. It's really great that they trusted him to do that. It's one of the reasons I think the story works so well.

Anyway. I find it a little jarring, when Mickey comes back, that he isn't quite the POV character he was. It improves in season 11 and we get more Mickey-centred storylines. But I feel consistently (particularly in the late seasons when I'm really not that invested in the rest of the story) that there was a lot more room to use Mickey the way they used to. But by then, it's a different kind of show.

[dreamylyfe-x]

I love this revisit of season 7 Gallavich, because I love those episodes. They are absolutely the comfort episodes I'm most likely to put on if I just want to watch some Gallavich (and then bonus Monica chaos, with Lip falling apart in the corner.) But when I see this sort of literal celebration of the season and those precious two episodes, I always think of the people who watched that shit LIVE. And they were not celebrating.

Context is everything. When you know how the story ends, and you know that isn't the ending, and you know you can just fully skip season 8 on your rewatch, 7x10 and 7x11 are really lovely, bittersweet, emotionally cathartic episodes.

I try to keep this in mind in fandom -- though to make it silly, maybe I can also keep this in mind in life -- that sometimes all you need is a little time and a different perspective, and it's not that bad. It might even be pretty good.

[dreamylyfe-x]

Long time listener first time caller; love the show! Question for you. Something's bothered me about the way Mickey is portrayed in E07, and upon (too much) reflection, I think it's this: he acts like a mob boss. The dropped phone, the kidnapping: Mickey's ordering around a lot of people for an escaped convict in flight. It's risky unless he's their leader; but as things unfold, Mickey's pretty clearly on his own. So what gives, dear screenwriters? -- Have you any thoughts on this?

Hee hee hee...

OK! First off. I am worried, first-time-long-time, that you will think that wasn't that into this ask because it's taken over a week for me to respond but NO! I was super into it and I responded to it immediately... And then tumbler ATE the post. (And my life got very busy and I couldn't respond. Because my thoughts, they are many.)

So again. Once more. Hitting the 'save as draft' aggressively.

Hee hee hee...

Ok, I have things to say, but this is head canon, because I can't justify it.

I can justify PART of it.

First off, Mickey likes to put on a show.

He has a flare for the dramatic. This is foundational. Look at EVERY TIME Mickey enters the chat.

We got season one:

Season two:

Season three:

He comes in like a wrecking ball. Every time.

So. What do these entrances have in common? They all happen before Mickey has locked things down with Ian. They are before they're kissing or spend the night together. They're before they're talking about feelings. They're all during times when Mickey wants something from Ian (granted, in season one it's 'to bash Ian's brain in') and he leads with the bravado. Every time.

We don't get that in season four because, by that time, blood has been spilled and they're both hurt and desperate about each other and Mickey is way too worried to bother with theatrics. He also doesn't need to. He knows, by that point, that he means something to Ian. I mean, the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference. He knows Ian isn't indifferent. And Mickey is in that place until the end of season five.

Then... We get this:

This is what is called a 'big choice'. One of the roughest things about watching that 6x01 scene is Mickey refusing to act like he and Ian are done. Just shining it on, with reckless abandoned. Loving so hard the bright heat of it comes right though the glass. Not bravado, exactly. But a show. His last attempt to get Ian to stay through the impossible sentence he's been given. He means it, but it's still Mickey putting out what he wants Ian to pick up with FULL face.

After 6x01 Ian stops coming to visit and Mickey has to deal with that -- and here we only have head canon because we don't get anything else for a couple of years. There's that deleted scene where we see the upset that Mickey isn't going to let Ian see. And then the curtain comes down until 7x10. When Mickey comes back after at least a year and half. And once again -- he puts 👏 on👏 a 👏 show👏.

Imagine Damon. My favourite of all the Gallavich victims. He gets put in a cell with Mickey Milkovich. Smart. Tough. On a mission. Mickey wants to get out and he's going to take Damon with him. This is great for Damon so he falls in line and he does whatever Mickey needs him to do because the end of this story is him getting the fuck out of prison.

And then it WORKS. Mickey's plan comes together and they are free and Damon turns to Mickey, who has worked out this intricate escape and clearly knows how to figure shit out and says "What's next? Where do we go? What do we do? What is your plan?"

And Mickey has a plan. An intricate one. And it requires two burner phones, a van and some guys big enough to overpower a six-foot tall redhead who has been doing a 100 push-ups a day since he was 15.

I like to imagine this conversation because I bet it was comedy gold. Damon is the one with contacts! He has friends! He's in a gang that he went down for. There are people who will do shit for him. And since Mickey did him a solid, they will do shit for Mickey, too!

But the shit Mickey wants done is ... weird. And SUPER focused on what was always Mickey's primary reason to escape: getting his boyfriend back.

Like, sure, yeah, Mexico. He doesn't want to go back to prison, that's for damn sure. But that's not nearly as important as getting Ian back and step one? INTRICATE game! Cell phones are deployed and hidden. Scenes are set. Mickey makes his dramatic entrance.

Again. Let's imagine Damon trying his best to roll with this. Probably asking, occasionally -- much like Ian does in 7x11 -- "What are we doing now? How are we getting to Mexico? When the fuck are we leaving?" Meanwhile:

It really is the funniest thing Mickey ever does. I love it with all my heart. He has planed the SHIT out of getting Ian back and yadda-yadda'ed sneaking into Mexico. Like the plan drops off a CLIFF once Ian is in the car. After that it's like "fuck in car, fuck under stars, find Jesus, ???, Profit!"

Ultimately, Mickey IS on his own. Damon thinks their interests are aligned and he is completely unaware that Mickey has no issue dumping him in the middle of a parking lot over one little armed robbery attempt. Getting Damon and his compatriots to be his rude mechanicals for one episode is one of his best cons and I am absolutely here for it.

[dreamylyfe-x]

Finished reading the available chapters of Bound by ColdReign, it's such a good fic honestly.

First of all it's absolutely a must for anyone that likes soulmate stories, but also I don't think I've read so much word building for this trope in a while so, it's definitely worth reading just for that.

Second of all the writing style is gripping, it feels very much like a snowballing effect, every change to canon due to them being soulmates could end up making things better or worse and you're on the edge of your seat trying to understand which way it will go.

Also, side tangent, but I just discovered that the author reblogged and commented on one of my very first gallvich posts here on Tumblr so it kinda feels like a full circle moment to be recommending their fic lol.

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Hi I just came across your page and it’s the best thing ever! I’m looking for s8 fics where Ian is missing Mickey or talking about him. I just read the ones in your s8 link. Do you know any more fics about s8 that can help me understand Ian even though they don’t include him leaving to find Mickey. Thank you!

...and it's only such love that can know true freedom. The first time Ian called, he was drunk.

my love, you’re the one five times ian gallagher misses mickey milkovich + one time he doesn't have to.

Unsent Five emails to Mickey that sit in drafts for over a year.

Magnetic “So tell me about Mickey,” Trevor puts out into the universe. (This one features Trevor heavily but I really like how it ends).

Guide Us Home Ian has never regretted anything more than walking away from Mickey that day at the border. All he wants is to find his way back to the man he loves.

The Beach. Us. Ian used to wake up at night feeling sand between his toes, the smell of the ocean, the memory of eyes as blue as the sea and the taste of cigarettes and drinks on his tongue. However, when he opened his eyes all he saw was his room and brown eyes.

[dreamylyfe-x]

guess who just found out that ian gallagher and kermit the frog share a birthday

[dreamylyfe-x]

Netflix wants me to watch Baby Reindeer so badly I'm worry it's going to show up at my house.

[dreamylyfe-x]

#triggered

[dreamylyfe-x]

Favourite types - I tend to love s10, s11 and post finale fics the most. Really love amnesia, time travel, fix-it fics, canon divergence, hurt/comfort.

Things I dislike - character bashing, mpreg. I’m not that keen on character death or zombies/apocalypse fics either but I will give them a chance if it looks good or I like the author. I can’t deal with long walls of text with no paragraphs.

I can’t pick a single fic! Off the top of my head, I’ve reread these several times and I love them:

Stages by @dreamylyfe-x

Everything With You by @gallavichy

Scenes from a marriage by @abundanceofnots

Sweet lips on my lips by @good-then-dont

We got time (but we’re only human) by @sam-loves-seb

I do love rereading fics so there’s probably more I’m just not remembering.

——-

And oh um…I’m so bad at random personal facts 🫣 I’ve visited 30 countries. I don’t know if that’s surprising or interesting 😅

Thank you for the questions @ohkate 💖

[dreamylyfe-x]

YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME

╰┈➤ @shamelesscreatorsnetwork GROWTH + requested by @howlinchickhowl

[dreamylyfe-x]

Art by the amazing Stephi @steorie 🥰🧡 a commission for Africa

Details for the artist: Instagram / Twitter / Redbubble

[dreamylyfe-x]

Just sending oodles of kudos, admiration, and ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ after my bi-annual reread of Bound!

💕Thank you. I appreciate knowing you're out there.

[dreamylyfe-x]

I do need to point out that in the initial set they are both confronting a dangerous person and in the above image they are about to complete a banking transaction -- so I was thinking a bit more this:

I also must admit that I can't deal with the 7x10 hair even though I do think Mickey is smoking in that episode in all other ways. But because I'm a Canadian xennial (and maybe a bit because Noel is from Vancouver) I can't look at him without thinking of Relic. And no one is going to know what that means, but it doesn't change the fact that... he looks a little bit like Relic.

Regarding your tags on peak Gallavich hotness -- I'd like to also submit 7x11 as a strong contender.

what...these guys?

fresh haircut clear skin clear heart clear eyes mickey and his financially responsible car lover who bottoms now? Yeah they're good lookin' I won't deny.

There is something for me about their physiques in this post you were referencing that just edges these guys out in terms of collective hotness, but are they soft and lovely and in love and ready to risk it all to be together? you betcha!

[dreamylyfe-x]