#Mickey Milkovich meta

[meta-squash]

Do you think that Terry used to beat up Mickey when he was younger?? Cause I notice every time someone wakes him up, he enters in a some sort of "defense mood" (I don't really know how to call it),and that makes me think and imagine that sometimes Terry came home drunk at night and started to beat him up for no reason at all...I don't know I'd just like to know what are your thoughts about that (Btw I really like reading your analysis/opinions, they're really interesting)

I absolutely do. I absolutely think Terry was abusive towards his children, and that Mickey’s older/oldest brothers probably joined in to some extent. That defensive wake up is one of the big reasons I think that way. Not to mention the fact that we know Terry is sexually abusive and raped Mandy. And we also see how dirty and roughed up Mickey is for the first two or three seasons. I absolutely think Terry was physically abusive towards Mickey.

I’ve always had the thought that Terry was an abusive man, but especially so towards people he saw as disobeying him in some way. Mickey’s the smart one out of his siblings, but that also means he’s the one that will talk back or question authority on a totally different level from his brothers. I think that probably got him a lot of shit when he was a kid until he learned it was safer to keep his mouth shut. We know almost nothing about Mickey’s mother except that she’s dead and that she ran out on the family, but I imagine she was a major victim of Terry’s abuse as well.

Mickey spends so much time during the first few seasons filled with so much fear and anxiety, and that anxiety comes out as aggression. He terrorizes the neighborhood, but I think a big part of the reason for that isn’t because he’s a horrible person like his dad, but because he’s terrified that if he doesn’t establish some sort of reputation, more people will hurt or take advantage of him when they learn how scared he is all the time. Some of that anxiety I think comes from just generally being smaller than a lot of people as well as the youngest boy in the family, but I think it’s also a fear that comes from being afraid that people will see him as weak, that his father will see him as weak and will punish him for it. I don’t think Terry would allow for any other emotions besides neutrality or anger; anything else is weakness or disobedience.

Mickey chills out considerably whenever Terry is gone. His whole personality kind of softens, both when Terry is back in prison and when Mickey’s living with the Gallaghers.

I think Mickey’s life wasn’t just hard because his family is dirt poor and can barely scrape things together to pay all the bills at once. He’s also living in a situation where one wrong word or move means physical retaliation. He’s also living in a situation where, unlike the Gallaghers, his siblings aren’t going to save any extra food for him, or make sure he’s doing okay, or whatever. He doesn’t eat the way he does just because he’s rude; he does it because he grew up knowing that if he didn’t shove the food in front of him into his mouth asap, someone else would eat it first and he wouldn’t know where or when his next full meal would come.

I think that Terry was physically abusive to all Mickey’s siblings, but the rest of them managed to either turn into mini-Terry’s, or (like Iggy) just be dull and obedient enough for Terry to never notice if they had any thoughts against him and too lazy/stoned to actually act on them anyway. But Mickey’s more talkative, more sarcastic, more clever, more introspective than his brothers and I think that means more talking back, more questioning, more doing his own thing and then getting fucked over for it. I think there were a lot of times where Mickey got beat on by Terry because of his mouth, but I also think there were probably a lot of times that seemed to be for no reason (but of course Terry would have a reason, just not one that Mickey knew). We also know from Mickey’s monologue in season 10 that Terry was also emotionally manipulative and emotionally abusive and very neglectful of his children on top of his physical abuse. Things like that defensive waking aren’t just about defense from being hit, they’re also about being hyperalert regarding the emotional state of other people in the home, or the presence of strangers, or the discomfort of being somewhere unfamiliar like wherever they ended up through CPS, things like that.

I think Mickey spent most of his life into his teenage years walking on eggshells around his father and even somewhat around his older brothers. He’s quick, angry, and defensive the way that he is because he had multiple bigger, older, and probably physically stronger family members who could and probably did fuck him up pretty good if he stepped wrong. It’s also probably why he kind of established himself as the organizer of scams and things like that; if he can get into this position of power/control as the brains of the operation (whether it’s threatening a pedophile schoolteacher or scamming people with moving trucks or y’know whatever) then he’s got one less line he has to be wary of crossing.

I think Mickey’s defensive waking comes from that, the fact that even just sleeping in his own home still holds unexpected threats of someone being drunk or angry and picking on the youngest brother, or of him talking back or being sarcastic and catching shit for it. Terry’s also an asshole and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was especially cruel when Mickey was younger, before he had more of a sense of self or agency (and so was less likely to fight back physically or verbally). By the time Mickey is introduced in the show I think he mostly knows to walk on eggshells around his family, how to navigate those hidden mines of violence and abuse.

Which is why he’s so magnetized when it comes to Ian: this is quite literally the first person (except maybe Mandy) who he can be vulnerable or at least gentle with who doesn’t immediately judge him for that. Ian does not see him as weak, or as inadequate, or anything like that. He doesn’t have to establish dominance by threatening Ian (at least once he realizes Ian’s not afraid of him and things are more established between them) and he doesn’t have to hide his feelings as much. I don’t think Mickey is good at articulating his feelings; I think he is good at thinking them over and admitting them to himself when he’s ready, but he struggles with expressing them to others. So Ian’s acceptance and general nonchalance around him is a sort of rare gift, an oasis in the middle of this life of violence and abuse and anxiety that he’s lived in for like 16 or so years when we first meet him.

[shameless-notashamed]

the more i think about it, the more i just can’t believe that mickey wasn’t consciously trying to pick-up ian in s1 when he went back into the kash and grab to steal the dip.

the dip was literally what mickey went back to so flagrantly shoplift, but that’s what he throws at ian when ian confronts him. he didn’t want the dip, he wanted to rile-up ian, and it worked!! props to mickey and his mad game. he basically invited ian over to his house when he told him that if ian had a problem with it he knew where he lived.

which then makes me believe that mickey stealing kash’s gun wasn’t some coincidence either, that little thug planned that shit out, he wanted ian to stand up to him again, and look how that worked out for them. they started their own little “fight club”.

i don’t know exactly when it was that it happened — when mickey went from wanting to kick ian’s ass to wanting to do something entirely different with his ass, but somewhere in there the moon shifted and the tides lifted and mickey got a crush on ian. and then, much to his own chagrin, mickey’s playground-bully antics actually worked in his favor! he tugged on ian’s pigtails so hard that he got what he wanted: a reaction. and that reaction was the catalyst of just earth-shattering things for the both of them.

(spoiler alert: they’re happily married!)

[odietamo-gallavichzine]

Well, it’s finally happening!

(stick around for a cringe-y yet necessary mod’s victory lap—and to get a first look at the printed copy!)

Struggle after struggle, delay after delay: the Odi Et Amo Fanzine is finally here!! Stay tuned for more updates in the coming days.

Thank you for your support.

💙💫📕👨🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼

[marzgaperez]

S10, Episode 10

We all knew about the shenanigans Ian was up to between here…

…and here…

But Mickey didn’t. Not entirely. He knew that he’d sparked something in Ian to fight fire with fire, but what if he went too far?

What if the first swinging dick Ian attached himself to had something to offer that Mickey couldn’t?

Or what if Mickey was right all along?

What if he didn’t need to spend the afternoon worrying about Ian’s mystery man or how much longer he’d be stuck bunking with Byron?

Cole is a force, don’t get me wrong, but his chemistry with Ian? Laughable. At this point, Mickey knows the jig is up. He can breathe a huge sigh of relief, sit back, and enjoy watching Ian’s ridiculous successful attempt to win him back.

By the way, how in tarnation does Noel do that with his eyebrows?

[gallavichprompts]

Gallavich ‘Meta’ March

A Gallavich-themed trope challenge for March (or whenever you’d like to take part!) If you are new to writing or a writer who’s trying to get back into the swing of things - why not try writing some meta? (And you don’t have to be a writer, this is really a challenge that’s open to everyone!)

So, what does “meta” mean?

Fanlore: 

In fandom, meta (also meta essay) is used to describe a fan-authored piece of non-fiction writing discussing any aspect of fandom, fanworks, or the source text. This can include discussing characters and their motivations, fanfiction tropes and trends, fan activity, particular plot elements, choices by canon creators, alternate possibilities for canon and much more.

Meta [is] a blanket term to include things like headcanon, ship manifestos, theories, and character analysis.

Fandom talking about itself or its interests in a thoughtful way is the best description we can come up with. When it comes to intention, pretty much anything that isn't fictional or conversation would count. Meta can be very long (even a series!) or it could be just a few paragraphs. 

Meta is thoughtful, respectful discourse and analysis about characters and storylines. It is a thought, or a series of arguments with examples of the character’s actions that helped you draw a specific conclusion OR an analysis of the situation that you’ve focused on. Anything with detail, evidence, and explanation is a meta discussion.

What’s the challenge?

With 11 seasons and over 14000 fics on ao3, there’s a lot to discuss when it comes to Ian and Mickey and their relationship. So, whether it’s a topic or idea that’s been discussed many times before or something that hasn’t been analysed quite as much - try writing some meta!

It’s a casual challenge meant to encourage people to get writing more or try writing a different format. There’s no set time to submit fics, or a limit to how short (a paragraph) or long (an essay) the work can be. You can share your work anytime in or after March - tag it with #gallavichmetamarch and @gallavichprompts.

And don’t forget meta can be very casually written. There’s a lot of amazing meta that people put in the tags of posts that they may not realise is meta or may not feel confident sharing, but just know that you can and people would love to read it. You could even just share questions or ideas you think other people might like to explore.

There’s a list of Gallavich meta prompts under the cut, rounded up from previous prompt posts, as well as some new prompts!

Three lovely people who have written some excellent meta have very kindly shared some quotes:

@gallavictorious - “Sometimes you sit down with a finished observation or theory and you put that into words because you want to share it with others. But sometimes you only have this vague notion – something that tugs at you, an inconsistency or contradiction or hole in the text – and then the very act of writing becomes the act of exploration: as you put the words down, new ideas suddenly occur to you, new patterns become visible. By hashing it out on the page, you hash it out in your mind. Then you release it into the wild, and in the best of worlds someone pick up your tentative thoughts and take them further.

This process of shared discovery and discussion is what I love most about meta; I think that some people see excessive meta-ing as a compulsive need to explain away any and all inconsistencies in the text, but for me it’s not a pursuit born of frustration, but of curiosity and joy and a lust to engage with the text. For me, meta is an (often) intellectual game but it’s also, and more importantly, play: let’s pretend that all this is real. Let’s do it because it’s more fun if we do.” (meta)

@dreamylyfe-x - “When I finished binging Shameless and picked up the show live I was SO hungry to talk about it. I had this deep, insatiable thirst that fic couldn’t touch and the only thing that satisfied was reading meta. I just wanted to know what people THOUGHT. Really great meta reveals something you didn’t notice or think of. It brings a different perspective to the whole thing. It points out patterns, observes new details, or breaks down fandom ideas that maybe don’t have the deep roots you think they do. I love to write meta about Mickey and Ian because I love these characters down to their atoms. I am interested in the most granular details. So much of this story is in the subtext and meta is where you find people discussing that. One of my favourite things about this fandom is how deep people here go.” (meta)

@whaticameherefor - “I love reading and writing meta because there is so much to explore within these characters and storylines that simply wasn't addressed or presented as best as it could have been in the show. Especially with characters like Ian and Mickey who either hold things so close to the chest or need to present a false front -- it's really fun to get into their heads, figure out why they may have done something or what their thoughts were during a certain moment. Meta can help bring a better understanding of two people often misunderstood. I also really love the sharing of opinions and ideas. The sort of validation you feel when you see someone think the same way as you, or the lightbulb moment when reading someone else's meta like, "Wow, I've never thought about that before!" It's just another level of loving and appreciating these characters and their love story. I love meta!” (meta)

Resources: 

@you-are-so-much-better-than-that​ - Shameless Timeline

Ian Gallagher - Shameless Wiki

Mickey Milkovich - Shameless Wiki

Fanlore - Fandom Wiki for everything fandom related e.g. tropes, genres

Gallavich Meta Prompts - Part 1 // Part 2

What underrated tropes/genres would you like to see more of in Gallavich fanfic?

Do you have any headcanons about Mickey’s mother? What impact do you think she had on his life?

Are there any moments/scenes that you feel aren’t discussed or explored much when it comes to Ian and Mickey and/or their relationship?

What kind of relationship do you think Mickey has with his siblings post-finale?

When do you think Ian and Mickey realised they were in love with each other?

Do you think Ian stays working security with Mickey post-finale or do you think he decides to try a different job?

What kind of conversations do you think they had in early seasons that we didn’t see in canon?

Do you think they see themselves as best friends?

What things do you think they have learned from each other over the course of their relationship?

What songs or music do think worked well for their scenes? Or what songs or music do you think would have worked better?

How you think Ian and Mickey express themselves through their clothing/style?

Which serious issues do you think the show failed to explore when it comes to Ian and Mickey and/or their relationship?

How do you think Ian and/or Mickey see themselves at the beginning of the series versus the end? How have their opinions of themselves changed over time?

Which reunion do you think is the most important to them?

What sort of parallels do you see across the series - could be in terms of their behaviour, or their emotions, or things that happen to them?

Are there any underrated lines of dialogue or non-verbal actions that you think should be explored more? (Think about looking at gifsets and edits, you never know what you might not have noticed before that could be interesting!)

[dramaticviolincrescendo]

The way Mickey (1) notices Ian isn’t answering him and is overeating in his pajamas when the day has begun, (2) picks up the whiskey bottle because Ian is very much not a morning/day drinker, (3) restructures his “job offer” to weasel past Ian’s pride, (4) very visibly flaunts the gun in front of Ian so that he’ll get fired up over keeping Mickey out of jail, and (5) uses reverse psychology to get Ian to work with him was so wonderful. He systematically galvanized Ian into action so that he wouldn’t wallow in what he felt was utter defeat a few days ago.

The writers have done so much justice here. Mickey knows Ian: he knows that doing something for him will be hard because Ian does for others and refuses to feel pitied or as though people think he’s broken. What’s the best way to get him working and feeling empowered the way he always wanted instead of working that dead-end, soul-crushing minimum-wage job he thinks he’s trapped into? Make it about Mickey. Make it about helping him, about correcting what he perceives to be Mickey’s mistakes, about keeping him out of prison—make it about being a good husband and protecting Mickey, and Ian is putty in his hands. Stubborn putty, but putty nonetheless.

[abundanceofnots]

Ian knows the boxes in the attic won’t most likely have anything useful in them for their new apartment, but he figures this move is as good a time as any to throw away their contents since it’s mostly his old notebooks, school textbooks, and a couple of not-so-discreetly hidden gay porn mags stashed inside his Soldier Monthly that he won’t ever live down in Mickey’s eyes.

He leaves through the notebooks first, trying to find if there’s anything other than scribbles and his chemistry notes. There’s a loose paper in one of them, crumbled and crisscrossed, and Ian takes it out to give it a quick skim-read, letting out an almost disbelieving giggle as he does.

„Ha! Holy shit. I remember this,” he tells Mickey, who stands over a different box across from him. “What the hell. I can’t believe it’s still here.“

„What is?“

Ian shakes his head, smiling over the memory.

“We made these stupid lists with Mandy one night when we were stoned. We were fifteen, I think. Fuck. I can’t believe I kept it. It’s kinda embarrassing.“

That seems to be everything Mickey needed to hear. “Oh yeah? Show me.“

Biting his lip, Ian stalls for a second, reconsidering. Then, with nothing more than a little shrug, he hands the piece of paper over.

„Yeah. Good luck finding that guy,“ Mickey comments through a huff of laughter, reiterating Mandy’s written words.

Ian mimics his little chuckle, then cocks his head, grimacing as his eyes narrow.

„Mickey,” he says as if he’s talking to the slowest person on the planet because, come on, it’s obvious. “I already did.“

But Mickey only looks more confused.

„Look, we were both fucking high off our tits when we made these,” Ian explains, “and I didn’t want Mandy to figure it out, so I threw in some bullshit, but this is about you. Obviously.”

„How are any of these obvious? I’m not fucking… tall.“

„Yeah, you are. In your own way, anyway.“

Mickey blinks back at him, his face still a mask of total comical incomprehension.

„In what way?“

„I don’t know,” Ian huffs in frustration. “It’s a metaphor. It makes sense in my head.“

“Really fuckin’ hope it does,” Mickey grumbles before he takes another look at the paper, snorting. “This shit’s hilarious. You were so damn pathetic at fifteen, man.”

“Oh yeah? Like you at that age was so fucking suave.”

“Yeah, well, at least I wasn’t making lists about the guy of my dreams—or doodling Mr. Mickey Milkovich all over my notebooks.”

“Asshole. I definitely wasn’t doing one of those things.”

Ian stacks the books back inside the box, the question aching to be said out loud.

“But if you ever did,” he starts out slow, “what would, like, be on your ideal guy list?”

Mickey cackles. “Definitely not: must be some scrawny ginger kid with a massive crush on me.”

“Right.”

Deflating a little, Ian focuses back on the task. It takes another minute of complete silence between them before Mickey kicks his shoe.

Ian looks up just in time to see him roll his eyes.

“Probably things like: Annoys the shit out of me every fuckin’ day. Unbearable soft bitch with a crippling mental disorder and self-confidence issues. Daddy issues. Mommy issues. A family of weirdos as a package deal. Sings out of tune and on the most inappropriate occasions. Great in the sack. Must stand me at the altar at least once. Best fuckin’ friend I ever had.”

Ian stares, feeling his cheeks heat up.

“Thanks.” He smiles at his husband, giving him a tentative hip-check. “I mean, that was deeply offensive, but also kinda sweet. So yeah, thanks.”

Mickey smiles back. “Anytime.”

[gallawitchxx]

a meta moment, if i may: i was musing on 4x11 my beloved with @mickeyssleevelessflannel today and i just can’t stop thinking about how well the whole episode, but especially the first alibi scene is constructed for mickey's gorgeous character development. the writing was so good.

mickey's having these little conflicts back to back--kev into svet into ian, while the threat of an incoming terry looms. it’s a powder keg.

mickey has to tell ian to leave. says it’s svet, says if it were up to him, ian’d stay, promises to see him later. thing is, ian’s been aggressive all day, he’s been coming on strong. earlier he demanded to know if they were a couple or not. mickey was sweet, and met ian where he was. of course we are.

but ian hasn’t listened to mickey. he showed up at the church. he followed to the alibi. and when mickey finally asks him to go, he’s stubborn, he pushes, he throws his hail marys.

mickey starts to get riled up--who can blame him, he’s dealt with a lot of stupid shit today--and as ian starts to get emotional, he continues to be honest, but is getting frustrated. then, ian gives him the ‘ole impassioned because you're not free!

mickey gets quiet. and like earlier in the day, he meets ian where he is. what you and i have makes me free. not what these assholes know.

beyond being a great and really effective line, it's just one of those moments that mickey absolutely could've shut down, dismissed, or even made fun of ian over--but he didn't. he dropped every defense, and in the middle of a highly volatile situation for him that's only going to get worse, mickey tried to make sure that ian knew that not only was he taking this whole thing between them seriously, but that after everything they’d been through together, and even if it was fleeting or confined to private spaces, he is free. with ian. because of ian. he even touches ian’s shoulder, comfortingly, quickly, because then of course, terry arrives.

we all know what happens next.

but i mean, come on! a perfectly paced, poetic rollercoaster! the writing was so good. and noel fisher deserves his own post and every award obviously, don't even get me started.

anyway, i try not to take the writing in later seasons too seriously, but it’s this singular moment that really makes ian bashing mickey’s emotional iq in season 10 so hard to swallow. because mickey may not always know how to express himself clearly or in a non-violent way, but you cannot say the man isn’t emotionally intelligent. he has his finger on everyone’s pulse. he’s constantly reading the room and adjusting accordingly. and when he has to, he allows himself to be vulnerable. he drops all persona. he tells his boyfriend that he’s important to him, every step of the way.

[depressedstressedlemonzest]

Leaf

“Oh I brought you home something.” Ian said reaching for his wallet and opening it.

Mickey raised an eyebrow curiously, he didn’t know what Ian would have brought home.

He watched as Ian carefully maneuvered his wallet and then slowly, painstakingly, pulled out a little yellow leaf.

Ian smiled and held the small leaf out to Mickey, holding it by it’s stem.

“a leaf?” Mickey asked confused.

Ian’s smile grew, “a leaf that’s in the shape of a heart.” Ian said emphatically.’

Mickey looked at the leaf, not sure if he saw a heart there or not. He held his hand palm up and Ian gently placed the leaf in his hand.

Mickey looked at it, turning his head slightly to the side, now he could see it.

“You brought me a leaf?” he asked looking up at his husband from the yellowed autumn foliage he had brought into the house.

“That looks like a heart.” Ian grinned.

Mickey’s brows furrowed, “Why would you bring me a leaf?” He asked looking back down at the leaf in his hand.

“Because it reminded me of you, I love you, and it’s in the shape of a heart. So I picked it up and put it away to keep it safe until I could bring it home to give you.” Ian said simply, his tone just dripping with sweetness.

Mickey looked up at his husband, he had a sheepish look on his face, but the smile was still there. Mickey felt his heart ache in the best way, his husband brought him a leaf that looked like a heart. 

Mickey felt a warmth swirl in his cheeks and his mouth pulled into a smile, “You’re such a fuckin sap.” He murmured gently running his fingertips along the leaf in his hand as he leaned forward and kissed his husband, their smiles melting together.

Ian wrapped his arms around his husband, making Mickey yelp, “Hey hey! Watch it Red!”

Ian laughed as Mickey cupped his hands around the leaf protectively.

“I’m going to put it somewhere safe.” Mickey muttered as he walked to their bedroom.

Ian knew exactly where Mickey was going to put the leaf, he had a shoebox that he kept momentos of their relationship in. Mickey didn’t know that Ian knew about the shoebox, but he did.

When Mickey came back in the room Ian wrapped his arms around him tightly, pressing a kiss to his lips.

“I love you.” He murmured into his husband’s lips.

“Sap.” Mickey teased kissing Ian back.

Based on this leaf which I brought home to my husband.

[metalheadmickey]

There are few fictional relationships that make me feel more unhinged than Mickey & Terry. And I’m sure it’s been dissected to death, but I think about their confrontation at the beginning of 10x11 a lot and it makes me feel extremely. So here I am to talk about why. CW: abuse and homophobia below the cut (I mean, it’s Terry).

I don’t think I need to give a history lesson here, but the abuse and violence Mickey endured by Terry’s hand unfortunately shaped a lot of Mickey’s life. Mickey didn’t take forever to be comfortable and open with Ian because he wanted to, he didn’t marry a woman because he wanted to, he didn’t live a lie for so long because he wanted to. This all happened because he actually, literally feared for his life. Additionally, there was the complicated fact of him starving and striving for his abuser’s approval. He wanted more than just bodily safety; he wanted to be in good standing with Terry. This is despite enduring what he described as torture. Terry “tortured [him] every day for years,” and yet he still desired a relationship with him. This happens sometimes in abusive relationships, it’s definitely not unusual that he felt that way. But it’s still hard to watch, knowing about their background and knowing that Mickey was aware of what Terry was capable of.

Mickey knowing what Terry was capable of is precisely why their interaction at the beginning of 10x11 made me go “yooooo” out loud at my TV at the end of the scene. I had to pause it, my eyes were bugging out of my head, I had to let it sink in, etc. etc. It really struck me hard. Mickey heard Terry shouting slurs at him from outside on the damn sidewalk where anyone could hear, and he put on an unamused look and stepped outside and walked right up to him. Terry pulled out a gun, and Mickey did not even flinch and instead pulled out one of his own. He listened to his father berate and then threaten him, and instead of backing down he proceeded to do the opposite of what he had done his whole life and deliberately said shit that would piss Terry off. And on top of it, he then went back into the house and started planning his big gay wedding with specific details designed to make Terry mad. He wanted to rub his happiness, his gay love, in that prick’s face. And he begins this endeavor with that line “I definitely love one.”

There’s an important detail in that exchange (“You must really love cock.” “I definitely love one.”) that is what ultimately elevates this scene from merely insanity-inducing to "Jessie will never be normal about this ever in their entire life," and that’s Mickey’s wording. It’s such a good comeback and it hits so hard, but it’s important that it also hits Terry hard. And it does, because he used language that Terry understood. I think if he had phrased it differently by saying something like “I just love Ian” or “I’m just in love” or something similar, it wouldn’t have landed the same with Terry. Terry had taken Mickey’s gayness and reduced it to something so base and vulgar because he hates gay people and doesn’t care to know shit about the gay experience. And instead of throwing his gay love in Terry’s face by using language that’s less horrendously offensive, Mickey fucking embraces it. Mickey takes Terry’s words and twists them to suit himself and throws them back at him. Mickey’s gay and he loves cock, and he definitely loves his partner’s cock. You know, his partner? Who he’s in love with? And gonna marry? Because the gay experience isn’t just about sex? Mickey’s not getting married because he wants to get fucked, he’s getting married because he’s in love. Terry doesn’t give a shit about all that and Mickey knows this, so his comeback utilizes language that Terry can wrap his head around, but he still manages to convey the fact that he’s in fucking love with one person. It’s affirmation and ownership and it is so badass. Terry was actively trying to be cruel and Mickey threw back at him in one of the most elegant comebacks I have ever seen. And yeah, we know Mickey is capable of being vulgar as hell, so it’s not like saying something like this is particularly out of character for him anyway. It just worked so damn well in accomplishing the goal of getting Terry to shut the fuck up while conveying to Terry and the audience that he’s in love and willing to engage in risky behavior to defend it.

I mean, he was doing all this with a gun in his face. Terry wanted him to feel fear, he wanted him to feel threatened because he genuinely thought that Mickey deserved to experience violence, and he wanted him to feel ashamed. But Mickey decided years ago that he was done feeling fucking ashamed, and he was so accustomed to Terry’s violent behavior. So whether he stood up to him with a gun in his face because he was desensitized to Terry’s violence or because he just decided to be brave and ignore whatever fear he may have been feeling in that moment, either reason speaks volumes. If he did it because he was desensitized to Terry’s violence then that really speaks to the tragedy of his upbringing. If he did it because he just decided to be brave in that moment then that speaks to just how much he was willing to risk for his principles. Either way, he could’ve ended up dead. We know this because Terry does end up trying to shoot him in the end. And yes, Mickey had his gun aimed at Terry, but I don’t know if I think he’d actually shoot him and I think his actions towards Terry in season 11 may speak to that. But Terry would shoot. And he does shoot later on. Again, he knew what Terry is capable of. And he stood up to him anyway and it was amazing to watch. Mickey used to be so afraid of Terry that he feared for his life while vying for approval. He used to live in a way that was the very antithesis of what he actually wanted for himself, just for his piece of shit father. And in this scene he shows us just how far removed he is from that fearful kid now, openly in love with his partner and standing up to his father in a way that will expressly make him angry about his gayness specifically, the thing that he was so tortured over in his youth. Tortured because he was hiding out of fear and the internal conflict that he experienced because of that, and then physically and emotionally tortured by his father once he’s found out. That abuse may have shaped his past, but he was ready to move the fuck on and not let it define his future. So this scene is just unreal. A neat little package of character and relationship/dynamic development in a little 70-second scene that packs an enormous punch.

[meta-squash]

I loved the IDEA of the confrontation between Terry and Mickey. I just wish the dialogue had been a little more intense, a little more believable. Like there, are a lot more things that Terry could have said besides “you faggy faggot” and like sure he’s probably not the smartest man in the world but Terry is a man with contacts and power over other people, as opposed to Mickey who mostly just fends for himself. So Terry is still kind of scary, and like I know this is a weird thing to say but I just really wish that whole scene had been more intense, more vitriolic and frightening on Terry’s end.

Because that would contrast hugely with how (apparently) calm Mickey was. Which would then make his entire obsession over doing the wedding because of Terry make so much more sense. It’s Mickey’s kind of weird, transferred way of freaking out over his dad. While that freakout makes sense in the actual show I kind of wish the catalyst had been a little more intense. We know Mickey has a ton of trauma due to Terry, so a more mild confrontation about something as emotional as the wedding would be enough to nudge some sort of freakout BUT I don’t think the wedding is something Terry would be taking lightly. The other two times we saw Terry reacting to Mickey’s sexuality and/or relationship with Ian, he forced Mickey to be raped and then tried to kill him. I don’t think seeing Mickey and Ian again years later will cool that hate much. It might even bring it back worse than before.

I just wish that Terry’s words could have been a little scarier, a little more threatening than just “faggy faggot” which a) sounds ridiculous and b) probably isn’t the worst thing to come out of Terry’s mouth. If his words were scarier or more threatening, that would have made his actions and also his threat as he left a little more foreboding. Which would have been a VERY good reason for Mickey to suddenly feel the need to do a Real Wedding as like the biggest possible Fuck You to his dad.

Instead we get a confrontation that is frankly almost mild compared to 3x06 or the Alibi. So Mickey’s subsequent weirdness over the wedding seems OOC as opposed to a fairly understandable if oddly projected freak out from past trauma and current stress etc.

Because imagine this: Mickey confronts his dad in front of the house. Terry says a bunch of bullshit. Maybe it starts mild like in the actual episode, but as Mickey continues to remain calm and not react, it gets worse. Terry says like actual scary hate-driven crazy shit. Terry maybe references Svetlana or the events of 3x06 or something, maybe how he wishes he’d killed Mickey at the Alibi, idk. Terry threatens Mickey’s life, then threatens Ian’s life. Mickey’s not going to care (as much) that Terry is threatening him again; it’s happened so many times he’s probably somewhat desensitized to it in a way, and anyway Mickey cares a lot more about threats to the people he loves than to himself. This threat on Ian’s life is the only thing that cracks Mickey’s facade, but only a little. He makes an aggressive comment back. Terry draws a gun, Mickey draws a gun. Insults and threats are thrown, Mickey stays calm while Terry freaks out. They’re at a standstill because Mickey is equally willing to pull the trigger on his dad as Terry is on him. Terry stands down but doesn’t even pretend to have simply given up; the expression on his face says he’s thinking of a worse way to get at Mickey and Ian and hurt them. Maybe there’s a line that’s even more threatening than “Don’t say I didn’t warn you”. He body checks Mickey as he walks away. Mickey shoots off the “Good talk, pops,” line, goes back inside. Milwaukee conversation happens. The only sign that Mickey’s in any sort of distress is how quickly he chugs his bottle of beer. Liam leaves, Lip leaves, Mickey finishes eating. He and Ian have some sort of mundane conversation, but Mickey seems tense, preoccupied and distracted and his responses are kinda aggressive or short. Ian asks or hints at asking if Mickey’s mad at him or something. Mickey pats him on the shoulder or squeezes his hand or some sort of physical contact (because check it out: almost all casual affectionate touch aside from actual hand-holding has been initiated by Mickey!) and reassures him that he’s not, but he still seems distracted. Next Gallavich scene = the one with the magazines. Mickey still only says the line about Terry threatening to murder him, doesn’t bring up the threat on Ian’s life because a) that means it’s Ian’s problem and Mickey doesn’t want Ian thinking about it and b) saying it out loud makes it Real (and we’ve already seen in every scene that involves Terry, that Mickey is far more willing to put himself in Terry’s path to protect Ian). The whole wedding planning storyline continues from there as it did in the actual show, because Mickey is transferring all of his stress and anxiety and fear re: Terry into this wedding and is also trying to get it to be a big Fuck You at the same time. If it went this way, the original catalyst and the stakes it sets up would be as high as the melodramatic reaction.

I think that’s something this season has suffered from a lot in terms of the whole Gallavich storyline: the actions and reactions of the characters seem over the top and melodramatic because the catalysts for those actions/reactions are not as high stakes or intense as their results. They wouldn’t seem OOC if the original catalyst was as extreme as the reaction that comes after.

[shameless-notashamed]

“you’re nothing but a warm mouth to me” those aren’t mickey’s words, those are terry’s.

this isn’t just me defending mickey from having said such hurtful words, this is me truly believing that mickey, at that time, was wholly and completely a product of his upbringing.

it was insidious the way terry snaked his way into mickey’s entire existence. terry thought he was bringing his children up in his image; he literally tried to beat his beliefs into them. so when i hear “you’re nothing but a warm mouth to me” i hear terry’s words coming out of mickey’s mouth.

[odietamo-gallavichzine]

ODI ET AMO FANZINE — PARTICIPANTS MASTERPOST!

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[gingit-cake]

Jeez Ian and Kash is so heartbreaking; thank god Mickey put a stop to that bullshit.

(The absolutely pitiful scene where Ian tells Lip he bought Kash cds etc. in an embarrassed, prideful adolescent rage.)

[xgoldendays]

okay so here we go, let’s hope I make some kind of sense.

I know some people are going to have a problem with Mickey in this episode (which could never be me because he’s hilarious) and still call him ooc but to me, he’s anything but. First thing yes, he has some questionable lines but that’s always how shameless does this sort of thing. What’s important is to look at the bigger picture.

All Mickey has known in his entire life is how to scam and steal. He’s sold drugs, guns, robbed, and scammed his way into having the bare minimum. Scrapping by to eat, having to take care of the Milkovich household when Terry is gone, most likely barely having enough money to heat their water half the time. All this time and effort and risk just to have essentials that other people take for granted. And while Ian isn’t better off in hindsight, he’s held a regular job - he’s been to school, he’s studied, he knows what it means to have a bank account and save your money. Things like thinking about your future aren’t foreign to Ian. Not in the same way that Mickey has only ever known how to live day by day.

Now I think it’s important to say that I don’t think Ian had ill intentions when he’s pushing Mickey to get a job. He knows that they need to move forward and he can’t do it on his own. Husbands have to work together to build their new lives but Mickey said it himself - he’s still in his honeymoon. They had money handed to them just for getting married and Mickey’s first thought is to spend it on something fun - because he’s never been able to do that. He’s never taken a vacation, bought something nice for himself or for the people he cares for, or been able to just rest for a while without threat. So where Ian thinks in the future, Mickey thinks in the present because that’s how its always been for him.

So for Ian to call his dedication into question makes him defensive. He lashes out, says things he doesn’t mean, tries to justify his actions so that Ian can understand that even if he doesn’t do it now - he’ll get there eventually. Neither of them are completely in the wrong but neither of them are completely right either. It’s really just a case of miscommunication, of not being on the right page.

I think Mickey’s actual feelings come through in this episode in subtle ways. When he’s watching tv and the guy says “stop disappointing the ones you love”, Mickey instantly reacts. That’s his biggest fear. It always has been - disappointing Ian. Not being enough for Ian. Which isn’t Ian’s fault but it’s inherent in Mickey’s mind at this point. He’s fought for this life and he wants to hold onto it, no matter what he has to do. So he takes Ian’s advice and goes to get a job at the warehouse but I think what some might forget about Mickey is that he quite literally doesn’t know what a job interview entails. He’s never been part of one in his life. Maybe some of the parts were exaggerated and played up for laughs because comedy but Mickey tried. He tried. He wants to “make it work here” while looking at Ian for his approval.

It’s frustrating when you can’t or don’t know how to be the person your significant other needs you to be. It’s hard to think that maybe you’re not as smart or capable or prepared for your own life. But Mickey is facing it even with his sarcastic comments and his lashing out. He’s facing the reality. They need money, they need stability so he plays to his strong suits. He uses the skills he knows he has. Mickey is not a stupid guy, he’s so intelligent but what’s left is to apply it to a legitimate job which we know they end up doing with the security business to a certain extent.

Long story short, I think it’s unfair to judge Mickey so harshly without looking at his mindset or trying to unpack it at least. Ian is right for pushing him because I do think he needs it but at the same time, Mickey is trying and I think we’ll see more of that once they get past their idiot bickering. They’re communicating and yes they’re handling it like children at times but they still share spaces, still eat breakfast together, still try to make it work. Neither of them are giving up which is the most important part.

[gallavictorious]

Thinking about Mickey's outfit on their anniversary. Well, mostly thinking about him thinking about it, because, did he? We know that Mickey likes to dress up for important occasions with Ian andang given that he'd planned an entire goddamned party I say it's fair to say the anniversary counts a ”important” in his book. Stands to reason he'd like to put on something nice, right? Only, he can't put on anything obviously nice, like a proper shirt, because Ian will notice and the! jig! will! be! up!!!

Ah, I can see him standing there in front of his wardrobe (well, in front of his trash bags and heaps of clothes on the floor... ), biting his lip as he furiously ponders the perfect choice, selecting then rejecting item after item.

Maybe Ian walks in and spots his husband wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and a fearsome scowl. Furrowing his brow, he asks, ”Why are you having a staring contest with your jeans?”

Mickey starts slightly. ”Uh. Just figuring out what to wear.”

”Oh?” And Ian takes a small step closer, something soft and suggestive and hopeful in his voice. ”What's the occasion?”

Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck. ”Nothing, man. Couldn't remember if I washed this shit or not, but who cares, right?” Mickey throws Ian his very best fake smile and hastily grabs the outfit he'd first considered and flees before his husband can ask him any more questions or Mickey can catch a glimpse of his subtly falling face.

(And later that night, when the jig is indeed up and Ian's got his arm around Mickey and Mickey's leaning into Ian, Ian turns his head slightly and presses a kiss to the top of Mickey's head and murmurs ”you look very nice” and Mickey smiles and smiles because yeah he fucking does, excellent clothes choices were made, and he loves his oblivious hunk of a husband so very much.)