History YMMV / ShamelessUS

** For many, [[spoiler:V and Svetlana hooking up multiple times near the end of Season 6 and V deciding that she likes it so much that she wants a permanent "throuple" situation between the two of them and Kev was so rushed and abrupt that it couldn't be believed. And then a season later, it's revealed that Svetlana was already married the whole time, making her marriage with V invalid; V starts to love Svetlana more than she loves Kevin; and to top it all off, Svetlana turns out to be an antagonist who steals the bar from under their noses. Not only that, but the entire plotline was only able to happen because Kev never filed for divorce from his first wife in the first place for some reason, with zero explanation as to why despite all the effort it took to get his ex to sign the papers.]]

* WTHCastingAgency: The recasting of Mandy from Creator/JaneLevy to Creator/EmmaGreenwell. While Greenwell looks fairly similar to Levy (discounting Greenwell being about half a foot taller), some didn't like the personality change from Mandy being a PerkyGoth to TheStoic.

* AcceptableTargets: The show is very progressive in its inclusivity and portrayal of LGBTQ+ and people of colour...Yet the "wokeness" is whole-heartedly subverted by the fact that almost everyone is an asshole and/or an addict of some kind, as a result of poverty and poor choices. Much of the harshest mockery is reserved for hipsters, Millenials, gentrifiers, the undeservedly wealthy, and the "Unite the Right" movement.
** This show sure does love to play DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale for laughs... several times (Debbie with Matty, more than once with Frank).
** And Frank basically deserves everything he gets so he's the designated butt monkey for the majority of the show.
** After the neighborhood gentrification story arc in Season 6 went by, {{hipster}}s are this.

* NightmareFuel:
** In "NSFW", Carl finding Nick after [[spoiler:the latter beat a child to death with a hammer for stealing his bike is one of the most disturbing scenes of the show. The blood all over the hammer, steps, and Nick himself, the [[OneWomanWail anguished screams of the child's mother]], Carl looking into the house and then vomiting, and then plaintively asking Nick why he did it. And ''Nick himself doesn't even seem to know.'']]
** While it's PlayedForLaughs , Sheila's agoraphobia is gut-wrenching, especially once she starts making progress... and then a giant wheel falls out of the sky right in front of her, sending her back to her bedroom for several episodes.
** The "Gallagher pedicure."

* WTHCastingAgency: The recasting of Mandy from Creator/JaneLevy to Creator/EmmaGreenwell. While Greenwell looks fairly similar to Levy (discounting Greenwell being about a foot taller), some didn't like the personality change from Mandy being a PerkyGoth to TheStoic.

** Debbie counts as one as before she became a JerkAss in season 4, she was a sweet kid who tried really hard to gain Frank’s approval. It’s likely that she turned out the way she did simply because she accepted that her environment was toxic and she couldn’t do anything about it.

** Karen isn't the most popular character in the series due to her behavior. Come 2019 and onwards, the name "Karen" became popular for women, and sometimes even men, who behaved in publicly obnoxious and self-serving ways.

* UnfortunateImplications: The show received [[http://www.briozalas.com/2016/10/11/shameful-depiction-bisexuality-showtimes-shameless/ heavy criticism]] for its depiction of bisexuality and fluid sexuality after Caleb cheated on Ian with a woman. Caleb, the first character on the show to claim to be sexually fluid (not counting Tony, whose out-of-left-field assertion that sex with Fiona "turned him gay," despite having a previous unrelated girlfriend, was bizarre in itself), cheats on Ian with a married woman without a hint of remorse and accuses Ian of being close-minded for not being curious about sex with a woman before asserting that it "doesn't count" if a gay man sleeps with a woman. And when Carl suggests that Caleb is bisexual, Ian scoffs off the idea as if it's either a bad or made-up word. Not only were there complaints from bisexuals that a TV show once more portrayed them as immoral cheaters who are somehow ''more'' drawn to committing infidelity because they're attracted to more than one gender, there were complaints from other fans that Ian's sex scene with a woman was longer than any sex scene he'd had with Mickey. Others found it strange that the writers implied that it's only a matter of time before bisexuals cheat when they have temptation from men and women when ''Ian himself'' cheated on his partners with few repercussions.

** Kash and Ian's relationship. Kash had to have been in his late twenties/early thirties (as he was married with two kids) while Ian was only 15 years old and looked just as young. Kash can't really be called a pedophile, since he married an adult woman, and him liking Ian could be chalked up to Ian's maturity, but it's still very squicky nonetheless.

** '''Sammi'''. While she was more or less enjoyable during Season 4, in Season 5 alone, she has become even [[UpToEleven more horrible]] than Frank. She manages to [[spoiler:get Carl and Ian arrested (the latter of which was completely uncalled for on her end), as well as ''shooting'' Frank in the arm to make him pay attention to her]]. The final straw for many was her direct role in getting Mickey arrested at the end of Season 5, essentially breaking up the much beloved Gallavich ship. Sammi is shown to be one horrible woman who doesn't care who she screws over to get what she wants.

* AcceptableTargets:

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: By Season 7, the CerebusSyndrome combined with so many instances of the Gallaghers being offered good opportunities and chances only for them to screw it all up and [[StatusQuoIsGod go back to their usual ways]] can lead to this. The little progress they ''do'' make just barely keeps the show from being too depressing to watch.

** Karen isn't the most popular character in the series due to her behavior. Come 2019 and onwards, the name "Karen" became popular for women, and sometimes even men, who behaved in publically obnoxious and self-serving ways.

** Caleb [[spoiler:for Mickey]]. Fan reaction against him was guaranteed from the start. But the perception that the relationship is leading to [[spoiler: shitting all over Mickey and painting Ian as totally innocent in their break up.]]

** There's also a fair bit of DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale that's played off as comedy and occasionally DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnFemale being played off as inconseqential.

** As stated below, several of the characters commented on how Debbie would probably turn out the least fucked up out of the Gallagher clan. But as of Season 5 onwards, she's turned into the TokenEvilTeammate and has become much more cynical.
** Several characters commenting on how [[TheCutie Deb]][[EveryonesBabySister bie]] would turn out to be the least messed up Gallagher. But as of season 4, that wasn't going to happen.
** On a meta note, Debbie's actress, Creator/EmmaKenney went to rehab in 2018 for implied alcoholism and was living a lifestyle similar to the character's on the show.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: When getting DNA tests to determine if Frank is really their father, Lip jokes to Ian about wondering if they can figure out [[BlackComedy who got the alcoholic gene from Frank.]] [[spoiler:It's Lip himself who later goes on to become a full-blown alcoholic and hits rock bottom.]]
** The Gallaghers have been known for stealing things in order to get by or carry out their schemes, but it's usually PlayedForLaughs, especially in [[ComedicSociopathy Carl's case,]] where one of his first appearances involves him stealing a kid's bike in order to get to school. [[spoiler:During his arc in season 6, Carl befriends Nick, who, in one of the most disturbing scenes of the show, he finds after the latter ''murdered a child'' for stealing his bike.]]
** As stated below, several of the characters commented on how Debbie would probably turn out the least fucked up out of the Gallagher clan. But as of Season 5 onwards, she's turned into the TokenEvilTeammate and has become much more cynical.

* HarsherInHindsight: Several characters commenting on how [[TheCutie Deb]][[EveryonesBabySister bie]] would turn out to be the least messed up Gallagher. But as of season 4, that wasn't going to happen.

** As stated below, several of the characters commented on how [[TheBabyOfTheBunch Deb]][[MoralityPet bie]] would turn out the least fucked up out of the Gallagher clan. But as of season 5 onwards, she's turned into the TokenEvilTeamate, and has become much more cynical.

* * OneSceneWonder: Creator/BobSaget as a depraved but reformed priest in Season 9. Yes, [[Series/FullHouse that Bob Saget]]. Although, to be fair, he is known for his raunchy standup, which makes it even funnier.

A pre-''Series/{{Suburgatory}}'' Creator/JaneLevy portrayed Mandy in season 1.

* AwardSnub: The fact that Emmy Rossum hasn't won ''any'' awards for her portrayal of Fiona, nor even scored an Emmy nomination, is a sore spot for many fans.

* SeasonalRot: After a score of high-quality seasons, Season 5 was considered one of the weakest seasons of the show, especially in terms of writing. [[spoiler:Bringing Steve/Jimmy back was an especially high point of contention, and is often criticized for being a contrived and pointless arc that was never going to go anywhere.]] The sixth and seventh seasons were marginally better received, only for the following three seasons to be met with apathy and criticisms that neither the story nor the characters really go anywhere and the storylines tend to be disjointed, weak, and forgettable [[spoiler:especially with Fiona's departure, which some argue should have been the end of the show]]. Season ten was universally panned [[spoiler:apart from Ian and Mickey's wedding, which was considered the high point of the season]] and the announcement that the show would end with its eleventh season was met with relief by many, even fans who had been watching for years.