WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Shameless season 9 that may influence your enjoyment in discovering the plotlines. Read at your own risk.
Shameless season 10 is poised to return to Showtime this fall without its backbone, Fiona Gallagher (played by Emmy Rossum). The character bid her family goodbye in last season's finale, but then two returnees are stepping in to fill the void she has left behind.
Last January, Showtime announced the renewal of Shameless season 10 along with another piece of good news. Cameron Monaghan (as Ian Gallagher) has agreed to come back for the 10th season fulltime after sitting out most of Shameless season 9, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Aside from Monaghan, however, Shameless season 10 will also bring back Ian's boyfriend Mickey (played by Noel Fisher). According to Variety, the character was thought to have escaped jail time by fleeing to Mexico, but he was actually able to cut a deal with the feds and has been Ian's cellmate since.
These latest developments suggest that Shameless season 10 will likely feature prison scenes between Ian and Mickey. Speculations, however, point to these characters' release from jail with Ian likely coming home to take care of his siblings.
Shameless season 10 showrunner John Wells, however, told Entertainment Weekly that Mickey has a longer sentence than Ian. So, the first episodes back might involve conjugal visits, the showrunner joked.
"I don't know, we really haven't considered it," Wells said about why they brought back Ian. "We love Noel and he's such a wonderful actor and a pleasure to work with, so we'll sit around and see what we can figure out."
Meanwhile, though Rossum has quit the series, the doors haven't completely closed on her to come back in Shameless season 10. Speaking with Deadline, Wells said that her character will still be keeping in touch with her siblings. In a sense, she will not disappear from their lives even if she has moved miles away from her family.
Wells also said that they might ask Rossum to do a phone call to her sisters and brothers in Shameless season 10 if her schedules won't allow her to film a short appearance. For her part, Rossum said that she would never say never to the opportunity of returning to the series again.
Showtime has not yet announced the premiere date and the number of episodes of Shameless season 10. Speculations are, however, that the new installment will likely run beginning October.
