Shameless: The Complete Second Season

The second season of the American incarnation of the British dramedy about an unconventionally functional dysfunctional family—relocated from Manchester to South Chicago—finds the Gallagher clan still getting by without any help from their reprobate single father, Frank (William H. Macy). Eldest daughter Fiona (Emmy Rossum) keeps watch over her five siblings while hustling for jobs and trying to get ahead in the world. Plenty of drama takes place in this crazy household: Lip (Jeremy Allen White), the family genius, drops out of high school to help his pregnant girlfriend; younger brother Ian (Cameron Monaghan) tries to enlist in West Point; and Grandma Peg (guest star Louise Fletcher) comes to stay…after being released from prison. But life grows really complicated when the kids' bipolar mom (Chloe Webb) sweeps in with her particular brand of reckless chaos. And just when Fiona seems to be settled in to the new status quo, boyfriend Steve (Justin Chatwin) is back, with a hot new (and unwanted) Brazilian wife—a marriage not just of convenience but of survival after a run-in with a drug lord. True to its name, Shameless features loads of bad behavior, black comedy, and messed-up people, but family loyalty and the support of a few good friends keep this clan on track. Presenting all 12 episodes from the 2012 second season, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes, cast interviews, deleted scenes, and a music video. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)