Last Sunday’s (January 17) episode of Shameless, Showtime’s dramady about the Gallaghers, a family living in Chicago’s South Side, which excels at scamming people and scheming to rip off government programs, featured a scene in which a teenager refused to agree to get an abortion.
When older sister “Fiona” (Emmy Rossum), who has taken over parenting since their alcoholic father largely abandoned the family, argues “you have a choice,” pregnant 15-year sister “Debbie” (Emma Kenney) retorts: “Yeah, and I choose to have the baby.”
“Debbie” soon yells: “I’m not killing my baby.” To which, “Fiona” counters: “It’s not a baby. It’s a few cells.” That prompts Debbie to hold her smartphone screen toward Fiona, demanding: “Does this look like a few cells? The Web site says my baby’s the size of an orange right now.”
A fresh episode begins a week of re-runs after its original airing tonight (Sunday) at 9 PM EST/PST.
> Earlier: “Star of Showtime Series Delights in Britain’s ‘Amazing...Free Health Care’”
From a scene set in the kitchen on the January 17 episode of Shameless, “Abortion Rules,” on Showtime:
FIONA: You have a choice.
DEBBIE: Yeah, and I choose to have the baby.
FIONA: You have your whole life ahead of you.
DEBBIE: And I don’t have my whole life ahead of me if I have a baby?
FIONA: You can have a baby when you’re older and finished high school and college and gotten a job.
DEBBIE: Right, so I should just stop being pregnant, then?
FIONA: Yes.
DEBBIE: I’m not killing my baby.
FIONA: It’s not a baby. It’s a few cells.
DEBBIE (holding up smart phone): Does this look like a few cells? The Web site says my baby’s the size of an orange right now.
