Old Flame is the fifth episode in the third series of Shameless.
Synopsis[]
On the day that Kev should be happily celebrating his 35th birthday, his mother throws herself from her balcony. He's stricken with shock and grief and, to add to his woes, must deal with the last person he expected to see again at her funeral - his ex-wife.
Plot[]
When Kev's mother kills herself on his birthday, a face from his past resurfaces: Roxy Ball, Kev's psychotic ex-wife. Kev soons begins to panic however when he admits that he never divorced Roxy like he told Veronica. That's the least of his worries though as Roxy wants him back and will do anything to make that happen, even claiming she had his baby when she finds out he can't have children with Veronica.
Karen helps Kev read prison letters sent by Roxy to his mother but Jez begins to suspect Kev is coming onto Karen and gets jealous.
Carol's new boyfriend Norman Owens eases her into nudism but soon reveals that his sexual tastes are much more adventurous than she can handle.
Post Credit Scene
Carl is seen sorting through mail and throwing away any junk when he comes across an envelope with Kev's name on it but the Gallagher's address by mistake. He opens it to find a birthday card from Kev's mother, pocketing the £10 he finds inside he shrugs and adds it to the rubbish. This is a reference to Kev's anger at not receiving any communication from his mother on his birthday earlier in the episode.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- David Threlfall - Frank Gallagher
- Maggie O'Neill - Sheila Jackson
- Gerard Kearns - Ian Gallagher
- Jody Latham - Phillip Gallagher
- Rebecca Ryan - Debbie Gallagher
- Elliott Tittensor - Carl Gallagher
- Johnny Bennett - Liam Gallagher
- Dean Lennox Kelly - Kevin Ball
- Maxine Peake - Veronica Fisher
- Jack Deam - Marty Fisher
- Gillian Kearney - Sue Garland
- Marjorie Yates - Carol Fisher
- Kelli Hollis - Yvonne Karib
- Lindsey Dawson - Jez
- Rebecca Atkinson - Karen Jackson
- Samantha Siddall - Mandy Maguire
Guest Stars[]
- Alice Barry - Lillian Tyler
- Paul Copley - Norman Owens
- Jill Halfpenny - Roxy Benson
- Maxton Beasley - Funeral Director
- Rob Collier - Stud
Notes[]
- Narrator: Veronica Fisher
- Kelly Ball is mentioned as no one is able to track her down for her mother's funeral.
- Fiona is mentioned. Yvonne tells Kev that Fiona invited Veronica to stay with her in Amsterdam.
Quotes[]
- Karen: "It's Kev's mum, she's dead. She's committed suicide."
Veronica: "Suicide, how?"
Kev: "She fucking jumped, six floors up. She even took someone out on the ground."
Lip: "You mean she flattened somebody?"
Kev: "Traffic warden, he didn't know what hit him. Last ticket he'll be giving." - Frank: "See suicide, is part of the natural ebb and flow, used to be wars and famine now it's miserable bastards chucking themselves off tower blocks. They're just lightening the load, making sure there's enough space left for the rest of us. You think I'm talking bollocks don't you, well let me tell you something smart arse, she (Katie) was a mistake, nobody fucking ordered her, she just arrived."
Lip: "So?"
Frank: "So, to equal each mistake someone has to check out early."
Ian: "So what about the people who can't have kids, like Kev and Veronica, does someone come back to fucking life?"
Frank: "Natural selection, Darwin, 2001, who'd want to see the offspring of that fucking pair of reprebates. They'd come out looking like Jimminy Cricket."