While Entertainment Weekly hailed it as one of the season's best installments, other critics, such as those from The A.V. Club, felt it failed to break the season's "downward slide." Reviewers from Den of Geek gave it a , praising Rossum's directing but noting that the script felt like "the writers' room was already off for the holidays." Key Storylines
Fans and community members on Reddit and IMDb had polarized reactions to the episode's tone and direction. Shameless_8x08
“I thought Emmy did a solid job directing. Frank back to being Frank with his smuggling people into Canada, felt like classic Shameless stuff.” Reddit · r/shameless · 8 years ago While Entertainment Weekly hailed it as one of
: Fiona attempts to enjoy her new solitude, but her peace is interrupted by Ford. Some critics found Ford's character inconsistent, though the "twist" of him rejecting Fiona for her complicated life was seen as a potential catalyst for her growth. Frank back to being Frank with his smuggling