Shameless: Lip's Greatest Lovers, Ranked

Summary

• Lip’s girlfriends in
  Shameless
  were diverse and didn’t fit into a specific “type.”
• Some of Lip’s relationships had a profound impact on his character development, while others were fleeting distractions.
• Tami was the last and most significant relationship Lip had, providing him with the family he had always wanted.

When it comes to Lip’s girlfriends in Shameless, the show seemed to take the revolving door approach as Jeremy Allen White’s character grew up across the 11 seasons. All of Lip’s girlfriends were markedly different people from different walks of life, which was a contrast to Fiona’s toxic relationships, which generally seemed to blend together after a while. The eldest Gallagher boy didn’t seem to have a “type”, and there was no common theme linking every Lip Gallagher girlfriend. Some of Lip Gallagher’s girlfriends had a huge impact on his life and arc as a character, while others just provided momentary distractions.

However, all of Lip’s girlfriends added to his story and showed Shameless viewers how the character handled the various situations he found himself in throughout these personal entanglements. Some of them changed him for the better, while some of them led him to some of the worst actions Lip made during Shameless’ 11-season run. There was the occasional Lip’s girlfriend Shameless had to work at making sense of, and there were other romances that had audiences rooting for an endgame.

11 Random Sorority Girls

Lip’s Season 7 Ménage A Quatre

The worst of Lip’s relationships in Shameless comes in the season 7 episode “Be A Good Boy. Come For Grandma”. After his affair with Helene falls apart, and he loses Amanda and his dorm room, Lip seems to be having some sexual performance issues. He’s seen unsuccessfully trying to sleep with the many sorority girls surrounding him in his newly acquired living arrangement as the sorority houseboy.

After some interesting intervention involving his feet and Queenie, Frank’s free-spirited girlfriend, Lip seems to be cured and wastes no time testing this, ending up in a foursome with sorority girls by the end of the episode. This hook-up might not be significant in the grand scheme of Lip’s character, but it does demonstrate how much he ties his worth and success to his relationships.

10 Blake

Lip Dated A Sexual Predator In Season 3

When Lip joins Debbie and Mandy in their mission to bring down the local sex offenders in the community in Shameless season 3, he gets more than he bargained for when he ends up at ex-teacher Blake’s house. When he tries to prove that she’s an offender, she falls into his plan and seduces him, and he is able to snap a picture of the encounter.

But instead of turning her in, he has sex with her and keeps the photo to himself. Mandy takes matters into her own hands, scaring away the teacher by digging a grave in her yard. With Lip’s girlfriend in season 3, Shameless wasted an opportunity for him to do the right thing.

Regardless, Blake Collins was portrayed by actress Justine Lupe in season 3, and her career has really taken off since appearing in the series. She did a few one-offs on series like The Good Wife, Younger, and Alone Together, but had a long arc on Cristela as Maddie and appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Flute. She played Astrid Weissman on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and headlined the miniseries The Non-Essentials, but her most recent credit saw her in the cast of Succession as Willa Ferreyra.

9 Cory

Lip Sleeps With Tami’s Sister – And They’re Stronger For It

Lip slept with Tami’s sister, Cory, in Shameless season 9 after finding out that Tami slept with her ex, Boone. Tami was able to move past the act pretty fast once Lip pointed out that they were even. This proved that Lip wasn’t really over Tami, and that they should give an exclusive relationship a try.

And Tami taking Lip back, even after he slept with her own sister, proves that she is willing to accept him for who he is, which becomes important later on. So Cory was important to Lip’s story, though she wasn’t ever meant to be more than a one-night stand. While Corey doesn’t really count as Lip’s girlfriend, as they don’t date, Shameless still uses the encounter to further his narrative arc.

Cory Tamietti was played by actress and aspiring director Maddie McCormick. Before appearing on the Showtime drama, McCormick starred in a series of TV show one-offs and films. She got her start in the industry by appearing in an episode of Bucket and Skinner’s Epic Adventures before appearing in Wal-Bob’s as Allie. She played Spencer in The Dead Girls Detective Agency and appeared in Little Fires Everywhere as Jen R. She headlines The Secret Life of Amy Bensen, and previously directed an installment of Sh*t Girls Used to Say.

8 Eddie

A Whirlwind Yet Forgettable Romance

Eddie was intense both in and out of the bedroom, though their fling was more of a distraction for Lip in season 8. Although it wasn’t the craziest relationship on Shameless, it was clear the two were never going to lead to anything meaningful. Eddie shows her flakey side and disappears without warning, leaving behind her orphaned little sister. Lip takes care of her until she leaves with her sister in season 9. Her abandonment of Xan may have reinforced Lip’s desire to be a father, but it broke any chance of Lip ever seeing Eddie as a love interest.

In terms of Eddie being Lip’s girlfriend, Shameless made it clear from the get-go that she wasn’t his soul mate. Eddie was played by actress Levy Tran, and it seemed like her arc, albeit small, really boosted her career. Directly after, she had a role on The First Purge as Roenick and then starred in The Silk Road as Haruko. Tran then played Trish Park in The Haunting of Hill House before starring in the MacGyver reboot series as Desi Nguyen.

7 Amanda

The Girlfriend Lip Was Paid To Stay Away From

When viewers first met Amanda, it was as Lip’s roommate’s controlling friend with benefits. However, it isn’t long before she sets her sights on Lip, proceeding to schedule out every aspect of his life, their sexual interactions included. Things take a turn when Amanda’s parents offer Lip money to stay away from her.

Despite having a negative arc, Lip’s girlfriend in Shameless season 4 saw her doing a lot of nice things for him, buying him clothes and a new phone, and making sure he has food. But her intentions seem to be more swayed towards fabricating the perfect boyfriend than authentically helping him. Eventually, Lip gets distracted by Mandy, and then Professor Helene, leaving Amanda behind. But she doesn’t leave quietly, causing him to get kicked out of the dorms as revenge for leaving her for Helene.

Actress Nichole Sakura portrayed Amanda, who was a memorable girlfriend for Lip due to the strangeness of their relationship. Most probably recognize Sakura for playing the bubbly Cheyenne on Superstore, but she’s also played Louise in the TV show Maggie, and Jessica in the series Ghosts. Sakura also does a lot of voiceover work, playing the title character in Suzume and playing roles in Kiff, Central Park, and Star Wars: Visions.

6 Helene

The Professor Lip Ruined His Education For

Shameless places Lip in the trope of the student falling in love with the Professor, though it does give it a little bit of contrast by flipping the typical gender roles. However memorable she was though, Helene is still, out of all of Lip’s girlfriends, a toxic partner. By choosing her, he loses everything he had worked for up until that point. Due to his unwillingness to let the relationship go and the excessive alcohol use that follows their breakup, Lip gets expelled from the University.

He goes home with his tail between his legs, all because of the mysterious, mature Professor who did not seem to lose much sleep over their end. Through Lip’s girlfriend in season 5, Shameless gave him an intriguing, albeit sad, arc that changed his character’s trajectory forever.

Professor Helene Runyon was portrayed by actress Sasha Alexander, who is mainly known for embodying one-half of the crime procedural duo Rizzoli & Isles as Maura Isles. Alexander had another long stint on a procedural, as she played Caitlin Todd on NCIS. Some may know her for her short arc on Dawson’s Creek as Gretchen Witter, or possibly for playing Melissa in Mission: Impossible III. She most recently voiced Adeline in Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons – The Movie.

5 Karen

Lip’s First Girlfriend In The Show

Karen was Lip’s girlfriend in Shameless seasons 1 and 2. She shared his love for sex, and they certainly shared hatred towards their respective father figures, but she proved to be more than Lip was willing to put up with. Among the many shameless things she does is taking advantage of a drunk Frank and filming it as revenge towards her dad in a Shameless season 1 forgotten moment, and not only lying to Lip about him being the father of her baby, but having a complete disregard for the child when Hymie is born.

Karen is run over by Mandy and the resulting brain trauma changes her personality completely. She leaves the show shortly after being released from the hospital, so it’s clear the two will never be an item again — although this may have been true with or without the brain injury given how unhealthy their relationship was.

Laura Wiggins played the infamous Karen on Shameless, and she’s mostly played bit roles on TV or appeared in indie flicks ever since. Wiggins has had roles on shows like CSI, Chicago P.D., and Intelligence. She played Jordan in Along Came the Devil 2 and Maddie in InstaPsycho.

4 Sierra

The Right Girl For Lip At The Wrong Time For Them Both

Lip met Sierra at Patsy’s Pies where she waitressed under Fiona’s management, and she becomes Lip’s girlfriend in season 7. She befriends Fiona and starts to date Lip, but Lip is still healing from his college mess and Sierra has an ex who still comes around. She also had a child, which was a first for Lip. In the end, he does the honorable thing and helps her ex get sober and win her back. In Lip’s girlfriend in season 7, Shameless saw the character taking a turn for the better, and learning a thing or two about responsibility.

Sierra was great for Lip, but he just wasn’t at the right time in his life to be with her. Actress Ruby Modine played Sierra in Shameless, and audiences may recognize her for taking on the role of Lori Spengler in the Happy Death Day franchise. She’s since appeared in a few horror flicks, including Satanic Panic and Fear. However, she’s also had roles in The Survivalist and On Our Way.

3 Mandy

The Lip Girlfriend That He Almost Settled Down With

Under different circumstances, Mandy and Lip would still be together. However, in Shameless, Mandy chooses a path that leads into some risky situations and away from being Lip’s girlfriend. Until Tami came along, audiences still held on to a small hope that Mandy would come back, and the two would rekindle their romance. Mandy will always be the girl that Lip was the most himself around, and she seemed to have only the best intentions for him, submitting college applications in his name and behaving defensively on his behalf. Some of Shameless‘ best episodes feature the couple.

While Mandy’s time as Lip’s girlfriend was a highlight of the show, her arc in Shameless ultimately meant the two couldn’t end up together. Mandy Milkovich was recast in Shameless, but when she was Lip’s girlfriend she was played by actress Emma Greenwell.

The actress had a short stint on True Blood as Claudia before playing Charlotte in Holy Ghost People. She then moved on to playing Caroline Bingley in the horror comedy Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, followed by Catherine in Love & Friendship. Greenwell had a long stint as Mary Cox in The Path and her most recent credit is playing Abbie in Rattlesnake.

2 Tami

The Last And Best Relationship Lip Has In Shameless

Out of all of Lip’s girlfriends, Tami turned out to be the one he settled down with. Tami and Lip have an odd but fitting meet cute in season 9’s first episode, having sex during Brad’s wedding to her sister. Due to his need to prove how much better in bed he is than the experience shows, he pursues a second chance with her and this leads to the two dating.

Some viewers wondered if it would have made sense for them to stay together if it weren’t for the child she ends up becoming pregnant with, but in the context of the show, it seems Tami is a good fit for Lip since she makes him happy and gave him the family he’s been wanting. Finally, through the last of Lip’s girlfriends in Shameless, he finds a life and family that he’s always wanted, properly closing out his arc for the Shameless ending.

Tami was portrayed by Kate Miner, who had quite a long history of TV series bit roles before starring in Shameless, appearing in Drake & Josh, Ugly Betty, CSI: Miami, Scandal, Two and a Half Men, and more. Since starring in Shameless, Miner has had roles on NCIS: Hawai’i, Nora, and FBI: International. Miner’s upcoming roles include two TV movies, Festival of Trees and A Podcast to Die For, as well as the headlining horror thriller Stay Safe.

1 Lip’s Girlfriends Lined Up With His Place In Life

Lip’s Major Relationships Echo His Character Arc

While Mandy is the best fit for Lip, Sierra represents Lip recognizing he needs to make changes in his life, and Tami is the most mature relationship he has.

Because of his extended time on Shameless, the audience really gets to see Lip grow up. As he grows up, his relationships reflect the changes in his life and his growing maturity. That’s especially true in some of his more significant relationships across his arc.

Karen, for example, is Lip’s first relationship on the show. While she makes for great storytelling, their relationship is clearly not a lasting one. The two are toxic together, exemplifying reckless behavior and youth instead of experience.

Helene appears like a more mature relationship at first glance. Lip’s obsession with her, however, shows that he still has some growing up to do. He’s also at a time in his life when, like most of the Gallaghers at some point in the show, he self-sabotages. Nearly all of the family has times when they appear to be experiencing growth, and then immediately self-destruct, cutting off that growth. Helene, and the consequences of Lip’s relationship with her, are just that.

While Mandy is the best fit for Lip, Sierra represents Lip recognizing he needs to make changes in his life, and Tami is the most mature relationship he has. All of these women play significant roles in Lip’s life and his growth in Shameless.