As depressing as it is for Gallagher fans everywhere, Season 9 of the Showtime hit series Shameless is coming to an end this week.
As some fans of the series may have noticed, spoilers of great detail – including entire episode recaps – tend to pop up before new episodes air each week. Shameless lovers who follow fan pages or fan groups on social media also tend to avoid them like the plague in the days before the episode airs to avoid spoilers.
The question is: how does that happen? How do so many people get to watch the episode before it airs?
Showtime – like most television networks – has a streaming app you can pay a subscription fee to be a part of. You can also pay a subscription fee to have it as an add-on through several different services including Amazon Prime and Hulu.
The network releases new episodes a little less than 24 hours before they air on television via the streaming service. Just after midnight on Sunday, Showtime drops the new episode into their library offering the opportunity for those who have a subscription to watch the episode before it airs.
Die-hard fans of the series are notorious for waiting for the episode to drop just after midnight and taking to social media as soon as they finish it to talk spoilers.
So, anyone who wishes to watch the Shameless Season 9 Finale before it airs on television can do so by subscribing to the Showtime streaming service. If you’ve never added the channel/add-on to Hulu or Amazon Prime, they do offer free trials you could take advantage of and then cancel after you watch the episode.
Shameless Star Jeremy Allen White Says Emmy Rossum’s Character Is ‘Never Going to Be Replaced’ https://t.co/zg3DlM4PVs
— People (@people) March 8, 2019
Fans of the Showtime hit series are mourning more than just the end of the season as this is also Emmy Rossum’s final episode. Rossum has played the role of Fiona Gallagher – the eldest sibling of the Gallagher family – who stepped into the maternal role in absence of capable parents.
‘Shameless’ Team Talks Emmy Rossum’s Exit: ‘It’ll Be Pretty Crazy’ https://t.co/GBNUZG7Vmi
— Variety (@Variety) March 7, 2019
The Season 9 Finale will also have a cameo appearance by Cameron Monaghan offering an opportunity for the character Ian Gallagher to say goodbye to Fiona after he walked away from the series during the first half of Season 9. Monaghan, however, has since announced the decision to return for Season 10.
The promo teaser at the end of last week’s episode revealed what appeared to be Fiona using some of the money she gets from Max – who agrees to buy her out of her investment after he finds her working at a gas station – to give to members of her family before exiting the show.
While it is unclear if Steve/Jimmy (Justin Chatwin) will be making an appearance in the Season 9 Finale – and John Wells has said during previous interviews they couldn’t give Fiona the same ending they gave Ian – many fans had hoped the character would make a brief cameo to take Rossum’s character away.
The Season 9 Finale of Shameless airs on Sunday night only on Showtime. Those hoping to watch the episode early can catch it just after midnight on Sunday morning.