Kevin Ball (US)

This page is about the US incarnation of Kevin Ball. For the UK version, see Kevin Ball.

Kevin Ball (born Bart), known simply as Kev is a main character. He is also the bartender at Frank's favorite bar and the Gallaghers' neighbor and friend along with his long term girlfriend Veronica.

Personality

Kev is a good man and can usually be persuaded to give Frank drinks on credit or cash his disability checks for him but that doesn't mean he loves living near the Gallaghers all the time. Fiona often convinces Veronica to help in some way, such as allowing the youngest Gallagher to use their bathroom, but V finds it easier to keep these things from Kev, who can often be heard uttering the words "fucking Gallaghers". Kev and Veronica are known for having the most loving and committed relationship on the show as well as their particularly adventurous sex life.

Unlike most characters, he has a good heart as seen when he worried about his foster child Ethel and when he comes to the aid of his friends. He showed this side again after crippling a neighbor and accidentally causing his death. While Kev took part in throwing Frank off a bridge, he felt guilt when seeing him in a wheelchair and was the only person that felt that way. He is even seen bringing him to the hospital after he has liver problems.

History

Season 1

In the fourth episode of the first season, Casey Casden, Kev told a flirty girl at the bar that he was getting married as a way to get her to leave him alone. Unfortunately, Frank overheard and thought Kev was serious. Ignoring Kev's panicked attempts to shut him up, Frank announced the "happy news" to the bar, including Veronica's mother Carol. A worried Kev then spent the next few hours getting extremely drunk and talking to an ecstatic Carol. Hearing how much Veronica loved him and perhaps realizing the strength of his own feelings, Kev decided to drunkenly propose to V instead of admitting the mistake.

Queue the whirlwind party at the Gallaghers' house and the congratulations. But Fiona noticed Kev looking withdrawn and unhappy, making only a half serious remark she was shocked when he admitted that he was already married!

Season 2

Kevin and Lip Gallagher ran a successful side business selling beer, cigarettes, marijuana, soda, candy, and taking book out of a run down ice cream truck. At the end of the first episode, Kevin became a neighborhood hero when due to help from his foster kid Ethel he was forced to burn most of the marijuana plants he had been growing in the basement of the Alibi Room. When foster daughter Ethel and her son Jonah left Kevin was heartbroken and often thought about her and how much he wished he had children of his own with wife Veronica.

Kev bore witness to the return of Peggy Gallagher and is amused with watching her torment Frank. However, he is surprised when she nearly shoots Shelia but misses.

Season 3

In Season 3 episode 2 Kevin's wife Sheryl makes an appearance with her son Kyle who may not be his (not yet mentioned during the episode). Veronica stays over at the Gallaghers' house after sometime later in the same day. Kevin tries to cope with the reality as Fiona get upset about the whole thing and confronts Kevin about not picking Veronica. Kevin had gotten divorce paper around this time. Kevin chooses Veronica and his wife was nothing more than a memory but he's only trying to get to know his kid and be his father and Fiona and Veronica start to laugh possibly due to accepting Kevin's apology. This reality of him being the father becomes proven false when Sheryl walks in the Gallaghers' house tries to ask whats they were laughing about. She then asked if it was about her which was answered right away and out of anger from hearing Kevin's decision and Fiona answer to which she insults her, Sheryl reveals that her son is really her sister's son, not his during dinner time. Veronica then gets upset and begin to fight Sheryl. Veronica forces Sheryl to sign the divorce papers. After Sheryl does it, she flees the house and drives off alone leaving Kyle behind. Kyle asked if he could call his real mom instead of going with his aunt.

He continues to have sex with Veronica in an attempt to have a child. He and Veronica decide to give his sperm to Carol in order to have a baby after trying to find a donor and finding out Veronica can't have a baby.

Season 4

Kev learns that Carol had became pregnant with his child and is happy.

In Simple Pleasures, Veronica is revealed to be pregnant with Kevin's baby, surprising the two parents since Veronica was said to be close to infertile.

In My Oldest Daughter, Stan, the previous owner of The Alibi Room, died and has left Kevin full ownership of the bar in his will. Kevin, feeling unfair on behalf of Stan's biological son, Alan, offers to give back the bar, but Alan purposes that Kevin should give him $500 for the next two years as a form of rent. Kevin agrees and is then stated as the new owner of The Alibi Room.

When dealing with money problems, he allows Mickey to have Svetlana and her friends service the patrons. This also saves Kev from being attacked by Alan's gang by letting them be with the women.

In the finale, Kev becomes the father of twin girls with Veronica and the father of a son with Carol who will raise the child herself since she was lonely.

Season 5

Kev and Veronica have difficulties becoming parents. While Kevin is totally thrilled to be a dad, V misses the freedom of being single and desperately wants Kev's attention. They actually go through a break up period of time when they try to live separate lives.

Kev goes to stay at Lip's college dorm room and begins to have sex with most of the college girls and runs a business with Lip and his friends. When they are nearly caught with the act, Lip forces Kev to leave and be with his family. Kev does so and makes amends with Veronica.

Season 6

While Svetlana is working at their bar, Kev spills about her immigration status unknowingly to a federal agent. Rather than lose Svetlana, Veronica decides to marry her so she can stay in the US.

Kev also cuts the wires to the motorcycle of his neighbor. However, he feels guilt when the latter is paralyzed and blames their neighbors. He later confesses his deed to the latter when he goes out to burn down a house. After Kev reveals, the man turns his rage on him but is burned to death after dropping a flaming bottle on himself.

He took part in throwing Frank off the bridge after he ruined Fiona's wedding.

Season 7

After a month, Svetlana, Kev, and Veronica enter into the throuple relationship, something that excites him. Kev is later surprised to see that Frank survived the fall and was only in coma, Kev is worried when Frank shows no memory of how he ended up in the river. However, he is scared when Frank recalls him having a hand in throwing him off the bridge before he curses Kev and the others for what they did and leaves out the bar furious. Kev was notable for being the only person who felt guilt for throwing Frank away.

He is at the Gallagher house and is somewhat relieved when Frank recovers from his injuries but is worried when Frank promises to get even with his family for nearly killing him and insulting him since he returned. Kev is surprised to see Frank opened a homeless shelter on their block and sends them away since they have shown him how they felt.

Kev continues his relationship with Veronica and Svetlana. However, Svetlana's husband from Russia shows up. She lies and said he is her father. Kev reaches his limit and stands his ground both by making a decision to help Fiona without consulting his wife and ordering her to get their children from a supposed relative of Lana.

Afterwards, Kev sees Veronica is too influenced by Lana and decides to move out of the house for a while. He stays at the Gallagher House on the couch and witnesses the return of Monica. Kev tries to get the Gallagher children to give their mother a chance, since she was nice to him.

When Lana steals the bar from Kev and Veronica when they thought they were signing adoption papers for their children, they were actually signing over the Alibi bar to the new owner, Svetlana Fisher. Kev gets a job as a bar tender at a gay bar after he harasses the manager to do so. Kev does well by acting like a dancer and brings in more money.

Much later, Veronica reclaims the bar and has Lana arrested.

Kev is present at Monica's funeral and watches the family give moving words about her. He soon leaves and goes to the Gallagher house, where he watches them have fun and accept Frank back again.

Season 8

He later has a breast cancer scare after he is told of a lump on his chest. Kev begins to worry and starts readying for the end. He is also one of the few people to welcome Frank's change and cheers him on it.

When going to the doctor, he is relieved to hear that he is alright but hears that he might need to track his family to see if it was genetic.

Angered that Svetlana essentially betrayed her and Kev, Veronica tells the police that Svetlana was harboring illegals, with that said, Svetlana is put into jail. After Svetlana is put into jail, Kev and Veronica soon realize how important she was to the alibi, as not only does she legally own it, but she also is the one who put the most work and effort into it. Knowing this, Veronica makes a deal with Svetlana, with the profits from the bar being 50/50, meaning that Svetlana gets 50, because of the effort she puts into the Alibi, while Kev and Veronica get 50.

Kevin also meets his biological family in Kentucky, and discovers they left him at a gas station on purpose due to an overcrowded family having no income to support him. He forgives them after he learns he was the only successful member. Kev also discovers in this season that Veronica likes to be dominated sexually, hence her attraction to Svetlana. Kevin experiments with domination in the bedroom, which bleeds into his personality, especially regarding his behavior with Svetlana.