This time last year, the eleven erratic but amazing seasons of Shameless (US) came to an end. It’s time to reminisce about Shameless and go on a trip down memory lane. With not the most brains but the biggest heart, Kevin Ball embodies the charming tough man. He offers the perfect harmony of humour and humility. The role is given a nuance by Steve Howey that doesn’t take itself too seriously and, as a result, comes across to the audience as so real and human. It’s energising and entertaining to see him as a character like Kevin Ball because he generally plays roles that make him look more affluent and clean-shaven. Kevin frequently finds himself in the most dangerous situations, yet he also works tirelessly to uphold moral principles and improve the lives of those he cares about. So let’s toast Kevin Ball and his eight best performances.
Ethel and the Nuns – “Can I Have A Mother?” (Season 2, Episode 6)
If there’s one thing we do know about Kevin, it’s his unwavering devotion to parenthood and children, which is perhaps a result of the fact that he’s never had a real family of his own (but there will be more on that later). However, for much of the first half of the series, his partner, Veronica, is hesitant about starting a family. Her curiosity, though, spikes when she learns about a fostering programme that offers a respectable monthly salary. Ethel (Madison Danielle Davenport), their foster child, finally wins Veronica over, but Kevin loves her right away. Ethel initially struggles to understand many aspects of modern life because she comes from a clearly fanatically or near cultish religious background. Kevin always has her best interests in mind and wants to provide her with a suitable upbringing despite all of her confusion. All good things must end, though, and Ethel is forced to return to her old life by a fearsome court of nuns. First of all, Kevin’s depiction of the nuns and their ominous presence provide for a lot of laughter, but his unwavering desire to keep Ethel in his life and protect her is so touching. We share Kevin’s genuine sorrow by the time it is learned that Ethel has fled with her boyfriend Malik, but at least they both know she is free to live the life she chooses.
Giving Lip a Reality Check – “Familia Supra Gallegorious Omnia!” (Season 6, Episode 12)
The academically bright Lip loses faith in the educational system and, indirectly, his future within it after a difficult year of college that included having a romance with a professor and becoming severely alcoholic. Lip is drinking and smoking in The Alibi pub while raving about historical leaders and other powerful people. Veronica carefully probes Lip as to why he isn’t in class, and Lip just replies that it is a holiday. When Lip finally admits that he was sent out, Kevin is initially noticeably worried, but his concern rapidly changes to rage-filled disappointment. In this scene, Kevin doesn’t say much, but he stealthily approaches Lip and inquires about the comfort of the seat Lip is perched upon because “that’s where [his] father normally sits.” The realisation that Lip’s drinking habits, anti-authoritarian rants, problematic relationships, and mental gymnastics to justify giving up are essentially trademark movements of Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy) provides both Lip and the spectator a terrifying reality check. Lip is informed bluntly by Kevin that he is evolving into the person he has always detested and held in nothing but disdain.
Just for Men – “Happily Ever After” (Season 7, Episode 11)
Financial difficulties force Kevin to accept a job at a another club, this one a gay bar. He starts out by simply serving the drinks, clumsily responding to compliments and approaches from the clientele, until his manager tells him to play the game. Thus, to our delight, we get to watch Kevin, the (occasionally) most (painfully) straight man in the world, bust a move on top of the bar while wearing tight gold shorts. It’s quite entertaining to watch him dance because he really gives it his best. Another beautiful illustration of how Mr. Ball doesn’t take himself too seriously is this.
Meeting the Family – “F**k Paying it Forward” (Season 8, Episode 4)
We can infer from the series’ repeated mentions of Kevin’s childhood that it was an extremely unstable one. He was in and out of foster care throughout his youth, never having a stable family or home. It is made known that Kentucky is the home of Kevin’s biological family. He and Veronica eventually decide to go and visit after some hesitation. A cousin blabs that Kevin was not accidentally separated from the family but rather “dumped” after a few awkward but humorous exchanges between Kevin, Veronica, and the named “army” of rednecks that surround them.
In an unexpected turn of events, Kevin takes pride in the fact that he is the successful member of his large family, which may be inbred. His father believes that because he has lived apart from the family, he has had a better opportunity to get an education, has avoided going to jail, owns his own bar, and drives his own car. Although it may seem odd for his father to use this as justification, it not only illustrates Kevin’s ability to forgive and his much-needed sense of pride in his life’s accomplishments—something he claims to have “never experienced before.” Overall, we come to understand that Kevin has actually accomplished a lot and led a moral and successful life. Even though it seemed like the deck was stacked against him, he managed to build a strong and content family. In all honesty, there aren’t many actors in the cast who deserve it more.
Preschool Blues – “Lost” (Season 9, Episode 13)
Kevin and Veronica are a force to be reckoned with. Even though their relationship has experienced many ups and downs, they have always managed to make it work, making it one of the longest-lasting in the entire series. Kev and V finally give birth to stunning twin girls after considerable deliberation about having kids or not. Of course, raising children is an expensive endeavour, and the couple has frequently had trouble making ends meet. We and they are not surprised that the wealthy can provide their children with much more chances, particularly in the area of education. The preschool they want to send their daughters to only has space for one child, despite their best efforts to provide for both of their children. The parents can only afford to send one child to this school because it’s not exactly kind to the wallet. So, Kev and V decide to enrol both girls in the school while making it seem like there is only one – what a blessing it is that they are identical twins, right? Naturally, as with most plots involving the endearing Mr. Ball, everything fails, but it still made for some hilarious situational comedy.
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The Circle Realization – “Hurricane Monica” (Season 2, Episode 9)
When Kevin, who suffers from severe dyslexia, is learning to read, he creates this brief but beautiful gem. He is lounging on his couch and concentrating carefully on the TV, which is playing a kid-friendly instructional programme. He is shocked to learn that “circle” does not, in fact, begin with a “s.” Howey masterfully executes the reaction, using this little opportunity to further endear the character to the viewer.
Kevin unknowingly participates in a beautifully karmic chain of events in this rather strange subplot. When the obnoxious Yanis (Will Sasso) moves in next door, the man instantly demonstrates how horribly unlikeable he is. He repeatedly threatens the lesbian couple who live next door and is quite bigoted toward them. Unsure about the man, Kevin is coerced into making friends with him by Yanis, who interprets his lack of dialogue and stillness as a sign of camaraderie. And if that weren’t awful enough, Yanis has a propensity for mending all of his motorcycles. These are all really noisy motorcycles. Yanis suffers an accident as a result of Kevin’s decision to cut the cord to one of them, forcing him to use a wheelchair going forward.
Yanis, in typical crazy form, intends to set this man’s home on fire since he is convinced that the real culprit is a different neighbour who is out to get him. The well-intentioned Kevin, however, goes on a rant, revealing everything, and apologises to Yanis, arguing that the incidents could only “strengthen their connection.” Yanis’ face does not appear until after the speech, and he is furious. He starts throwing Molotov cocktails at Kevin, but one of them lands on the box holding the drinks. Kevin, who is in shock, can only watch in horror as Yanis, who is whirling in his wheelchair, is lost in a torrent of flames. The level to which Kevin unintentionally destroys this man’s life really tests the show’s capacity for dark humour, but it’s too absurd not to chuckle at.
Even though Kevin and Lip (Jeremy Allen White) have engaged in a number of unconventional business ventures together, Lip is horrified by the harvest Kevin has planned for the summer. Kevin reveals that he owes several thousand dollars in electric bills due to needing so much power to photosynthesize the plants, which cover the whole length and width of the basement. Lip appears to be rather taken aback by Kevin’s accomplishments, of which he is also incredibly proud. However, when Veronica (Shanola Hampton) finds the plants, she admonishes Kevin harshly that this is more than just a little “baggy” and that possessing this much marijuana may result in substantial jail time. As a result, we witness an emotional and sad Kevin do the right thing and burn everything. (However, his emotional response to this is actually pretty funny.)
