As we catch up with the Gallagher clan, Fiona is dividing her time between caring for the household and working at Worldwide Cup with her boss/boyfriend Mike Pratt. While her job and relationship are going smoothly, life at home is thrown into a state of upheaval with the reappearance of a drug-addled and deathly ill Frank. With Lip off at college and Ian still missing, Fiona attempts to connect with Debbie and Carl, who are dealing with the upheaval of their adolescent hormones (or lack thereof). Season premiere.

Fiona begins to enjoy the perks of living life just above the poverty line. She uses her newly activated health benefits to take the kids for checkups. However, when a road rage incident damages the company car, Fiona tells a much bigger lie about how it happened. Meanwhile, Lip seems to have lost his mojo as he struggles in school and with the ladies.

Fiona and Mike take a big step forward when Mike invites her to dinner with his family. She meets his parents and older brother, who is a thrill seeking ex-alcoholic. Debbie fools Shelia into thinking she is at a sleep over party, and sneaks out for an evening with the new boyfriend. Frank is setting up a chance meeting with eldest daughter Samantha to try to scam her into giving him a piece of her liver. Meanwhile, Carl trying to keep Frank in pain killers and the family with food on the shelves concocts a scheme to make some extra cash. Written by M. Howard

Against her better judgment, Fiona continues her secret affair with Robbie. And the situation nearly boils over, when Mike shows up at Robbie's apartment while Fiona's inside. Fiona is able to hide just in time before her infidelity can be exposed. In increasingly dire health straits due to liver disease, Frank attempts to contrive an accident that will provide an ample insurance payout to cover the cost of a potential transplant. Too physically weak to injure himself, he enlists the help of an overeager Carl. With the odds stacked against him, he gets more bad news when it is revealed that Sammi isn't a match for a transplant. Lip continues to struggle with the full plate in front of him and shows up at Mandy's out of loneliness, while Debbie's age difference with Matt puts their relationship on the rocks. Written by Anonymous

Fiona's bad decisions involving Robbie finally boil over. Frank and Sammi continue fixing his liver trouble, while catching up on the father-daughter time that Sammi always wanted. Lip gets a surprise at college from Army investigators.

The aftermath of Liam's accident lands Fiona in county jail, unsure of Liam's condition or her future. The family, minus Frank, waits nervously for any update on Liam's status at the hospital. Meanwhile, after almost being killed by the sweat lodge, Frank wakes up in the emergency room and gets some sobering news about his declining health.

The Gallagher clan deals with some changing dynamics in the aftermath of Fiona's release from jail. With Fiona under court order to remain inside the house and Frank's illness keeping him out of commission, the weight of guardianship duties falls squarely on Lip's shoulders. Simultaneously struggling to keep up with responsibilities at school, he gets some unexpected assistance from Amanda, his roommate's girlfriend.

Fiona prepares for a visit from her probation officer and must rid the house of all suspicious items, a mission that puts her directly at odds with Debbie and Carl. Meanwhile, Ian gets kicked out of Mickey's house by a hammer-wielding Svetlana, and finally makes his long awaited return to the Gallagher house.

In detention, Carl shares a connection with a troubled girl named Bonnie. Lip grows close to his roommate's now ex-girlfriend, while Debbie sets out to make life miserable for the new girl in Matty's life. Sheila returns from her trip to the reservation with big plans to adopt the Native American kids. Fiona experiences the struggles of job hunting with a criminal record, while Mickey ignores the birth of his son to spend time with Ian, whose behavior is becoming increasingly erratic.

Fiona goes off the rails, violating multiple terms of her probation by partying with Robbie's degenerate friends. When the family doesn't hear from her, it sends them into search party mode, not too unlike their past experiences with Frank.

Fiona is hauled away to a correctional facility as Frank wakes up from his operation suffering from post-operative delirium. Meanwhile, Ian decides to crash Mickey's son's christening with an ultimatum. And when Amanda's parents bribe Lip to stay away from their daughter, Lip makes a decision that he hopes will help the family. Plus, Debbie meets an older student, who has a dark ulterior motive. Oh, and DCFS makes an unexpected visit.

Sheila fights for custody of the Native American kids and clashes with Sammi about where they will all live once Frank is released. Lip catches up on bills with the money he got from Amanda's parents. Fiona, meanwhile, passes a drug test, gets sprung from jail and lands a job at Patsy's Pies with the help of her parole officer. Also, a more cognizant Frank begins to feel like his old, troubled self. Season finale.