Frank the Plank

"Frank the Plank" is the second episode of the first season of the American television comedy drama Shameless, an adaptation of the British series of the same name. The episode was written by executive producer Paul Abbott and series developer John Wells, and directed by Wells. It originally aired on Showtime on January 16, 2011.

The series is set on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, and depicts the poor, dysfunctional family of Frank Gallagher, a neglectful single father of six: Fiona, Phillip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam. He spends his days drunk, high, or in search of money, while his children need to learn to take care of themselves. In the episode, Frank winds up in Canada, forcing the Gallaghers to retrieve him without a passport.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.81 million household viewers and gained a 0.4/1 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised its exploration on Frank and performances.

Plot
Frank (William H. Macy) goes to the bar, where he seizes the opportunity to get a free drink. However, he is punched by Eddie (Joel Murray), who blames Frank for Ian (Cameron Monaghan) getting oral sex from Karen (Laura Slade Wiggins). When Frank returns home, he suddenly hits Ian in the nose, prompting Steve (Justin Chatwin) to scold him; Fiona (Emmy Rossum) is forced to ask Steve to leave before the situation worsens.

The following day, Frank goes missing. Fiona and her siblings express concern over Frank's whereabouts as it is the last Friday of the month, which is when Frank prepares to get his disability checks. Frank wakes up in Toronto and is subsequently arrested for not carrying a passport. As Fiona and her siblings debate on what to do as getting him a passport will take months, Steve reveals that he smuggled Frank into Canada while stealing a car, feeling he could finally solve their family issues. Fiona slaps him and forces him to find a way to bring him back. Steve gets an RV, which includes a secret smuggling compartment for Frank. Meanwhile, local cop Tony Markovich (Tyler Jacob Moore) asks Fiona out on a date, which she considers. After Steve successfully smuggles Frank back into Chicago, Fiona breaks up with him. He tries to win her over by getting her a new car, but she tells him she will return the money he paid for the washing machine.

Feeling unwanted by his family, Frank decides to move out of the house, but is unable to find a new home. He runs into Eddie at the bar, who apologizes for his actions and buys him a beer. Eddie reveals that he has left Karen and her agoraphobic mother Sheila (Joan Cusack), who is mentally ill and receives disability benefits from the welfare state. Intrigued, Frank visits Sheila and attempts to manipulate her into letting him stay at her house. He eventually convinces Sheila to have sex, but is quickly taken aback by her dominatrix behavior. The next morning, Karen is dismayed to learn that Frank has officially moved into their home.

Development
The episode was written by executive producer Paul Abbott and series developer John Wells, and directed by Wells. It was Abbott's second writing credit, Wells' second writing credit, and Well's first directing credit. The episode is a direct adaptation of the second episode of the British version.

Viewers
In its original American broadcast, "Frank the Plank" was seen by an estimated 0.81 million household viewers with a 0.4/1 in the 18–49 demographics. This means that 0.4 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode, while 1 percent of all of those watching television at the time of the broadcast watched it. This was a 18% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was seen by an estimated 0.98 million household viewers with a 0.4/1 in the 18–49 demographics.

Critical reviews
"Frank the Plank" received mostly positive reviews from critics. Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode a "great" 8 out of 10, praising the performances and the family dynamic of the Gallaghers: "I liked seeing more of the many ways this family is able to make ends meet (sort of). From having Debbie steal newspapers for coupons, to Ian stealing food from a truck while Veronica distracts the driver with her abundant cleavage, the Gallagher's are nothing if not resourceful."

Joshua Alston of The A.V. Club gave a mixed assessment of the episode. Alston criticized the characterization of Steve, writing "Chatwin isn't a terribly charismatic actor, and beyond that, Steve is just creepy and, at this point, still sketchily drawn." Alston also reacted negatively towards the pairing of Macy and Cusack's characters, writing "The scenes of Frank and Sheila moving from the living room to the bedroom to the bathroom weren't terribly funny or compelling [...] I needed that sequence to be over as quickly as possible." He ultimately gave the episode a "B-" grade, concluding "I'm still not convinced that the show's funny, off-kilter slices of life are enough of a skeleton on which to drape a twelve-episode season. While I'm charmed by stuff like Debbie's coupon hoarding and Veronica and Lip's dairy heist, I can't say those kinds of scenes will continue to pack the same punch six episodes from now."

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix was mixed over the episode's exploration of Frank, writing "it seemed like the show was going to go a little deeper than just letting Frank be a disappointing but ultimately lovable lush [...] But by the time Frank woke up in Canada, he was back to being harmless comic relief." Sepinwall concluded "The draw here comes from Emmy Rossum and the kids (particularly the actors who play Lip and Ian) and their own problems, and so an episode where they're almost exclusively reacting to Frank didn't feel as strong as the pilot." Alexandra Peers of Vulture wrote, "Frank Gallagher may be a drunk, but as far as the neighborhood and much of his family is concerned, he's their drunk. We get an insight into this curious, perhaps misbegotten loyalty in an episode in which William H. Macy's Frank goes missing."

Tim Basham of Paste wrote, "Watching Shameless is a little like watching modern dance. There's a lot going on and it all seems to be moving in several directions. But in the end it comes together quite nicely. Whereas the first episode gave more attention to Fiona, this one gave William Macy's role as the reluctant patriarch Frank Gallagher a lot more room to share his total dysfunction. It's wonderful to behold." Leigh Raines of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 2.5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "The second episode of Shameless had a more dismal tone than its highly-rated premiere. We got to see a lot more of the alcoholic enigma that is Frank, and let's just say that despite William H. Macy's fabulous method acting, it wasn't pretty." Jacob Clifton of Television Without Pity gave the episode an "A+" grade.