Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
Fiona starts the season as owner and landlord of an apartment building, fixing it up and dealing with tenant and neighborhood problems. She meets Nessa and carpenter Ford, who helps her handle squatters suing over the property. Fiona and Ford begin a relationship, while she disagrees with Ian about an abandoned church: he wants a youth shelter, and she hopes to make it an art gallery. She eventually helps Ian and Trevor find another property for their shelter. Frank tries to make amends after Monica’s death, but his effort at reform falters.
Ian continues helping teenagers at Trevor’s youth center, but he stops taking his medication and begins to spiral. He protests a pastor who promotes gay conversion, and online attention brings a growing group of young supporters who call him “Gay Jesus.” Frank turns the movement into a chance to make money. Lip works at Brad’s motorcycle shop and tries to stay sober as his sponsor Brad relapses; Lip also faces the loss of Professor Youens, who dies in prison after a seizure. After his relationship with Sierra ends, Lip finds Xan, the young niece of his coworker Eddie, abandoned at the shop and brings her into the Gallagher home.
Debbie develops welding skills while supporting Franny, and Carl’s relationship with Kassidi becomes controlling as he prepares for military school. Ian’s campaign grows more volatile after he shelters a runaway teen from the boy’s threatening father. He confronts the man and destroys his vehicle, prompting a warrant. Ian begins a protest at a community college, where police arrest him as his family watches on television. Fiona defeats the squatters’ claim against her building, but Ford tells her he is happy with their relationship without being madly in love, leaving their future unsettled.