Have you ever wondered why did Ethel from Shameless leave the show? What exactly happened to her, and did she ever contact Kevin and Veronica after leaving the house? Well, if you have numerous questions about one of the joyful and charming characters of Shameless, Ethel, then you have come to the right place.
Released in 2011, Shameless is one of the highly acclaimed comedy series inspired by the British drama series of the same name. The story revolves around a dysfunctional family trying to navigate their life independently. Shameless brings you the lives of Frank Gallagher, an alcoholic, and his children Fiona, Phillip, Liam, Debbie, and Carl. As Frank’s addiction to alcohol gets worsened day by day, who suffers the most because of it, is his family of five children.
Apart from the show’s main cast, there are many other characters, such as these children’s friends and family, who play a significant role in the show. One such family that fans strongly admired was the family of Fiona’s best friends, Veronica and Kevin. Veronica and Kevin bring Ethel home as their foster child; however, her story soon takes surprising turns, making her leave their house to find a different, happy life.
Who is Ethel from Shameless?
Ethel’s story is a bit devastating from the beginning, but she is also lucky to be found by Kevin and Veronica, who always seek the best life for her. At the age of 11, Ethel forcefully gets married to a 65-year-old Clyde and has a son with him named Jonah. To get her out of the sexually abusive marriage, Kevin and Veronica accept her as their foster child and bring her home to give her the good life.
When she arrives at her new home at the age of 14, she struggles a bit to adjust to a new environment that is totally different from the place she once lived in, a polygamic marriage with her sister’s wives. Soon, her charming demeanor and others’ compassion for her makes her comfortable at Kevin and Veronica’s place, but her traumatic past still haunts her.
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Why does Ethel leave Kevin and Veronica’s home?
Even though Ethel finds a new and secure place to call home, her previous life and her cult, which she was a part of, strongly influence her. Despite the fact that Kevin and Veronica always want good for her, her sister’s wives, who frequently meet her, influence the decisions that she takes in her life, and this is how she always contemplates leaving her foster family to go back to her community and serve where she belongs to.
In the episode, when she finally leaves Kevin and Veronica, it is depicted that her four sister wives, who had married Clyde visit Ethel to tell her the sad news that Clyde has died. They also try to convince her that she belongs to her cult and she has responsibilities on her shoulders to take care of. Although she does not agree at first, she seems pretty convinced by her sister’s wife, who may make her make the hardest decision to leave her foster family.
At the end of the episode, she seeks advice from Malik regarding leaving home. He says that she is mature enough to decide her future and what she wants with her life. After giving it a thought, she finally decides to run away from the house. Once Kevin and Veronica get to know that she ran away, they find a note and also discover that she stole Kevin’s marijuana to make money out of it.
When she sits on a bus with Jonah, Malik arrives with his child, and both of them leave to spend their life together. Well, no one knows whether she will return to her community or not. Moreover, as Malik joins her in her decision, it makes it pretty clear that they will spend the rest of their lives together.
So, there are multiple reasons why Ethel left Kevin and Veronica’s family, briefly concluding her sister’s wives’ influence, her guilt related to her past life, and her love for Malik. Moreover, it has also been considered that after leaving Kevin and Veronica, she kept sending them letters to ask about their well-being.
Why did Madison Davenport leave Shameless?
Madison Davenport, who appeared in two seasons of Shameless, became one of the most favorite characters of the show. Even though her character’s storyline was short, fans still remember this charming girl whenever they watch Shameless. But there is no solid reason why she had to leave Shameless, and she left the show simply because her storyline ended.
When asked, Madison said that she is a creative person and she always seeks new opportunities. So, the end of her role as Ethel will bring many exciting opportunities for her that she would love to grab. So in search of those golden opportunities, Madison departed from Shameless and appeared in many highly acclaimed TV shows and movies such as The Twilight Zone, The Possession Of Hannah Grace, and The Sharp Object.
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