Shameless: How Messed Up Is Each Gallagher?

In the world of Shameless, no one can be happy for long, so it's no surprise that the Gallagher clan isn't all rainbows and sunshine in the upcoming season four premiere. When we last left the Chicago family, absentee patriarch Frank was escaping the hospital in the dead of Winter after rejecting treatment for his alcoholism, Jimmy — the honorary Gallagher — was walking on a boat to meet his death, and Ian was heading off to the military. The girls were a bit happier, with Fiona finally moving on with her new boss, and Debbie standing up for herself, but in general, no one is holding their breath for a happy ending.

To prepare for the show's return, we've put together a catch-up guide of how all of the Gallaghers and their closest friends are doing heading into the premiere. Spoiler alert: they're all messed up. But just how badly? We've rated each of 'em on a scale of 1 to Frank, aka 10, with a few spoilery tidbits about the first episode.

Frank: 10
Showtime

Frank: 10

To kick things off, let's start from the top (which is really rock bottom). Frank's liver is failing, and if he drinks alcohol, he bleeds. Yet he's still an alcoholic who physically cannot stop and refuses to get help. After escaping from the hospital, he lands up in a dangerous situation but manages to find help in Carl again in the premiere.

Fiona: 5
Showtime

Fiona: 5

For the first time in forever, Fiona isn't a mess. She has a steady job that is giving her benefits, a boss-turned-boyfriend that is giving her other kinds of benefits, and to her knowledge, her family is mostly in order. While Frank is back in the picture, she's trying to ignore him to keep the family from falling apart.

Carl: 7
Showtime

Carl: 7

Poor Carl is always getting roped into Frank's schemes and problems, and season four is no exception. After thinking he had cancer, shaving his head, and then watching his dad almost die in the hospital, he loses Frank, then gains him again in a twisted way. This may be the season where Carl can't escape the Franknado and gets himself really hurt.

Ian: 9
Showtime

Ian: 9

Ian stole Lip's identity to enlist in the army at the end of season three, but no one knows that yet. We'll have to wait and see his condition throughout this season — he's not in the premiere, but he's definitely in danger — as the family hopefully gets a bit more worried about his whereabouts.

Lip: 5
Showtime

Lip: 5

Lip headed off to college and appears to be taking his studies seriously in the premiere. With all of the insanity going on at home, it's only time before he'll get distracted, and if Karen or Mandy waltz back into his life, he'll shoot right up to Frank-level messed up.

Debbie: 6
Showtime

Debbie: 6

Normally Debbie would be on the lower end of the messed-up spectrum, but she's starting to rebel. We saw rumblings of this last season, but it really comes out in the premiere. Though she's still relatively innocent at heart, the introduction of her new older boyfriend (pictured left) and her love of short skirts and stilettos may send her down a dangerous path. And by pushing away Fiona's help and sassing back, she may not be able to be saved in time.

Kevin and Veronica: 8
Showtime

Kevin and Veronica: 8

Remember how Kev and V were happy about finally getting her mom knocked up? Well, things are about to get supercomplicated with a shocking twist to the story, plus her mama trying to empty their pockets. Kevin also has a heartbreaking moment in the premiere, and you'll basically want to hug them both for the whole episode.

Sheila: 4
Showtime

Sheila: 4

After Karen and Hymie left at the end of last season, Sheila was a mess, but she's holding up well — by cleaning the Gallagher's house. Things could be worse. She seems to have a handle on her life and even helps Frank, though it's reluctantly this time around. Progress!

Liam: 3
Showtime

Liam: 3

Given all that this little guy's been through — kidnapped, abandoned, and used as ransom — he's doing OK. He's growing up and starting to talk, which is in poor timing given Frank's return (and their shared bedroom).

Jimmy: 11
Showtime

Jimmy: 11

Just as a sad reminder, Jimmy is dead. R.I.P. — at least we'll always see his backside in the opening credits.