Showtime’sShamelesshad plenty of romances that were offensive, weird, or gross, butthe show’s biggest romantic misstep was a couple that was just blandand generic. Ian Gallagher (Cameron Monaghan) and Trevor’s (Elliot Fletcher) relationship first blossomed in Season 7 before continuing to Season 8 — which is still largely regarded as one of the show’s weakest installments. After the initial episodes that revolved around Ian learning what it’s like to be with a trans man, the show’s writers seemed to have no idea what else to do with the couple. Across two seasons,Shamelessseemed to be grasping at straws, trying to figure out how to make Ian and Trevor’s relationship interesting.
Ian Gallagher’s Romance With Trevor on ‘Shameless’ Was Disappointingly Generic
Shamelessis known forirreverent and surprising LGBT plotlines, with Ian in particular becoming a fan-favorite character because ofrich, complex storylinesthat make him distinct from any other gay character on TV. So, it was disappointing that Ian’s trans love interest was so generic. Trevor’s characterization felt like it had been lifted straight out of a teen drama likeDegrassiorThe Fosters(the latter of which also saw Fletcher playing a character’s love interest, with writing that was plagued with similar problems) rather than the edge viewers expected fromShameless. Trevor’s scenes emphasized explaining the basics of being trans, addressing myths, and defining nomenclature over actually defining his personality.
Since Trevor felt generic as a character, with the audience never given the chance to understand what made him so compelling,it’s not surprising that his dynamic with Ian also fell flat. Their relationship was at its best and most distinctive when it came to sex — the episode plot in which Ian and Trevor debate who gets to top was actually funny, and the level of detail in their sex scenes was the one element that madeShameless' portrayal of a trans man unique and transgressive. But while their sex scenes were strong, the couple’s actual romance was sadly underwritten.
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Trevor Was Never a Real Threat to Mickey on ‘Shameless’
Beyond the writing, the biggest problem with Ian and Trevor’s relationship is that it was obvious Trevor wasonly a temporary detour from Ian’s more significant romance with MickeyMilkovich (Noel Fisher). There’s nothing wrong witha couple that’s not endgame, but they should either be a fun fling or have enough emotional weight to feel like a genuine threat to the main couple. Even if the audience knows thefan-favorite love interestwill win in the end, there should be enough of a pull for viewers to feel at least temporarily engaged by someone new.
Unfortunately,Ian and Trevor’s arc was dragged out across a painful 18 episodeswithout it ever remotely seeming like Trevor could replace Mickey. When a friend tells Trevor he should just ignore that Ian ran off with Mickey, it felt revealing of the writers’ opinions. Throughout his entire arc, Trevor was treated like he should just accept being a lesser substitute to Mickey. It was boring watching a relationship so half-hearted get so much screen time, and it added insult to injury that the show’s one major trans character was wasted on this story.
Shamelessis at its best when pushing boundaries or coming up with funny, weird ways to screw over its characters. An 18-episode plot revolving around what it would be like if Ian met someone nice was ultimately boring and out of place. Anyone familiar with television storylines could have guessed thatTrevor wasn’t really going to eclipse Ian’s most popular love interest, but ifShamelesscouldn’t find a way to make Ian and Trevor feel substantial, at least temporarily, their romance shouldn’t have lasted as long as it did.
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