Helene Runyon is first introduced in Season 5 of Shameless. She was a professor at Lip's college and becomes his sexual partner after meeting him.
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What is the relationship between Helene Runyon and Lip in Shameless?
How does Helene Runyon react when Lip first comes onto her?
What is Helene Runyon's profession in the series Shameless?
How does the relationship between Lip and Helene Runyon start?
What is the significance of Lip visiting Helene Runyon after class in Shameless?
History[]
Season 5[]
Lip enters her class late due to financial aid issues. Helené is not amused at first, until Lip shows a fundamental understanding of her class. She relents and allows him to stay, telling Lip to visit her office after class. When Lip visits Helené in her office, she tells him that his financial aid problem wasn't simply a mixup, but that he is being kicked out of school. After their conversation, Helené tells Lip to close the door on his way out, but he instead closes the door still in the office. Lip realized that she was attracted to him, so he decides to come on to her, putting down his belongings in wordless preparation after closing the door. At first, she tells him that students and staff aren't allowed to fraternize. Lip responds, "I don't want to fraternize. I want to fuck you." Excited, Helené lunges at Lip and the two have sex with her telling those outside her office door that she's with a student. The two start a casual sexual relationship that evolves into something deeper.
Helené is married, but her husband allows her to sleep with other men; he even watches Lip and Helené have sex. She is more confident, sensual, and worldly than Lip's previous girlfriends, and he is enticed by the power balance in their relationship. Helené fits the typical profile of the type of woman Lip truly desires: aloof and unavailable (similar to Karen, his first girlfriend).
Season 6[]
Lip's last ex-girlfriend, Amanda, exacts revenge on Lip for his breaking up with her by leaking a nude photo of Helené. The fallout from the leaked photo results in the end of Helené's relationship with Lip and her career at Chicago Polytechnic University.
Season 7[]
Lip receives news from Professor Youens who tells him that the local university granted his request to appeal his case over with what happened with Helene.
Lip goes spiraling downward. He’s drinking heavily, falling asleep on the L and showing up to work possibly still loaded. Eventually, he wakes up in a pile of glass on Helene’s living room floor. He managed to break in and Helene comes down to see him in the dark, hammered and confused. She begs him to get over everything and get help. She is never seen again after this.