One month after Fiona's failed wedding, Frank wakes up from a coma and is disowned by his family. Fiona is finally trying to take control of her life, having become the manager of Patsy's Pies. She revamps the diner in order to increase its audience. When a local laundromat building goes up for sale, Fiona buys the laundromat after speaking with the senile owner, Etta, who has Alzheimer's. With the help of Frank and Kevin, Fiona revamps the laundromat and, forgiving her father, lets Frank stay with Etta in her apartment. Though business at the revamped laundromat initially goes well, Fiona sells the building for a major profit and subsequently sends Etta to live at a nursing home.
Lip, still struggling with alcoholism, begins a relationship with Sierra, a single mother whom Fiona hires as a waitress at Patsy's. Raising her young son alone, Sierra has left her ex-boyfriend, Charlie, due to his drug addiction. Debbie, wanting to provide Franny with a home life, gets engaged to Sierra's disabled brother Neil, though both Sierra and Lip are disapproving of the relationship. Following his college expulsion, Lip attends an appeal at his college that Professor Youens had orchestrated. However, the committee refuses to expunge Lip's disciplinary record and refuses to let him re-enroll. This culminates in Lip relapsing back to alcohol, and when he drunkenly attacks Charlie, Sierra breaks up with him, not wanting her son to deal with two addicts. Meanwhile, Kevin and Veronica are forced to find new jobs after Svetlana manipulates them into giving her full ownership of the Alibi. Feeling betrayed, Kevin and Veronica cut off their romantic relationship with Svetlana. Carl receives a scholarship for military school and decides to attend; the school changes his personality for the better.
When Frank briefly begins a short-lived homeless shelter in the neighborhood, Ian meets Trevor, a male transgender activist wanting to volunteer at the shelter. Ian and Trevor begin dating, but their relationship is tested when Ian is informed by an officer that Mickey has recently broken out of prison. Unbeknownst to Trevor, Ian reconnects with Mickey, who is on the run with another inmate; Mickey implores Ian to flee with him across the Mexican border, which forces Ian to make a hard decision. Though he initially accompanies Mickey to the border, he experiences second thoughts before crossing and refuses to proceed with Mickey's plan. Heartbroken, Mickey shares a final kiss with Ian before successfully crossing the border wearing a disguise. Ian later apologizes to Trevor for cheating on him.
The second half of the season revolves around the reappearance of a frail Monica, who has returned to make amends with her family—however, her kids are all generally dismissive of her. Monica reconciles with Frank and reveals that she is dying with irreparable brain damage; the two resort back to their old habits. Frank and Monica eventually decide to renew their vows, and the following morning, Monica passes away in her sleep from a brain aneurysm. Indifferent to her mother's death, Fiona meets with her grandfather to prepare a small funeral, while Frank gives each family member a portion of Monica's inheritance: 70 pounds of crystal meth. Fiona buries her portion of the meth in Monica's coffin. The Gallagher family and friends host a small party following Monica's funeral: Frank is accepted by his family once again, and he shares a dance with Fiona; Lip and Sierra have a good time at the party—they remain separated, but stay on good terms.
The seventh season closes with a montage of the Gallaghers continuing on with their lives, some with new beginnings: Debbie has begun taking welding classes; Lip gets a new AA sponsor, Brad; Carl has returned from military school as a changed man; Fiona becomes the owner of a local apartment building.
One month later, Frank awakens from his coma after being found in Lake Michigan. He returns home to surprised family and friends, who believed he was dead. Initially upset that no one was looking for him, Frank eventually recalls what had happened. When the family refuses to let him stay in the house, Frank locks himself in Fiona's room. After Sean's abrupt departure, Fiona has become the manager at Patsy's. Kevin, Veronica, and Svetlana continue their polygamous relationship as all three help each other out with their own necessities and running the Alibi together. Lip is released from AA treatment and reveals to Fiona that he needs a job. Debbie has difficulty as a single mother; she resorts to stealing other people's belongings and hires a night nanny, Jolayemi. Carl decides to get circumcised to improve his sex life with Dominique. Ian starts to have doubts about his relationship with Caleb. With the help of Lip, Ian follows Caleb and discovers him making out with another woman.
Fiona informs Chad, the owner of Patsy's, of her desire to resign from her job. However, she is informed about the diner's financial state and is instead recommended to hire her own staff. Fiona fires the current waitresses and hires new employees, one of which introduces her to dating via social media. Lip flirts with Sierra, one of the new waitresses. Kevin hires a topless maid service who he believes will clean his house. When he discovers that the "maids" are actually prostitutes, Kevin is inspired to start his own topless maid service with Svetlana and Veronica. Ian and Caleb decide to break up. Lip starts a new job as an intern while continuing to deal with his alcohol problems. Debbie starts a toddler merchandise scam. Carl struggles with erectile dysfunction following his circumcision. Frank gets revenge on his family by hiring workers to construct walls around the Gallagher house, leaving the family with no place to sleep; Frank flees when the Gallaghers demolish the walls.
Kevin, Veronica, and Svetlana commence their topless maid service while dealing with the sudden arrival of Svetlana's intimidating father, Yvon. Frank moves into a shelter and officially fulfills his quest by 'disowning' his family and forming a new family consisting of homeless people. Ian's break-up with Caleb puts him in a manic state; Ian's boss recommends that he visit a doctor. Lip finds himself on a rocky start to his new job; he also has sex with Sierra. Carl is confronted by Dominique's father, who claims that he gave her gonorrhea. Carl gets himself tested to prove he isn't, and he later finds Dominique at a fraternity house making out with an older man. Debbie has a brush with the law when she is caught shoplifting, and she finds herself in debt to Jolayemi. Fiona grows inspired by Chad's boss, Margo, a high school drop out worth $300 million. Realizing she wants to take back her life, Fiona informs her siblings that they will be taking care of themselves when at home, including personal necessities. Veronica shows the family that Frank has begun a homeless shelter in an empty house on the block.
The neighborhood wants to shut down Frank's homeless shelter. Worrying that his new family will lose their home, Frank calls a local news station and stages a public protest on television. Fiona drums up business by throwing a speakeasy party at Patsy's, and decides to keep the restaurant open 24/7. Fiona and Lip get into a fight over her job at Patsy's; Lip believes that Fiona's manager position will not help the family in the long run. Veronica disapproves of Fiona's behavior, causing a drift in their relationship. Lip learns his new job is pursuing illegal business practices. Debbie attempts to get a job at the Alibi. Instead, she is given "advice" from Svetlana, who encourages Debbie to find a new love interest and advertise herself. Ian meets a new love interest named Trevor, who he then finds out is transgender. Kevin, Veronica, and Svetlana fight over whether it is safe to leave their children with Yvon. Carl spends time with Dominque's father, who advises Carl to enter military school if he wants to pursue a career in law enforcement.
Through her new-found independence and lack of appreciation from higher management of Patsy's, Fiona contemplates buying a local laundromat building near Patsy's. Ian confronts Fiona over her new independence and how she's treating the family; Fiona states that she's "not gonna apologize for getting my life together." Ian becomes confused when he and Trevor kiss; Ian admits to Kevin that he finds Trevor attractive, but is unsure if he wants to begin a relationship with Trevor. Following Frank's protest, a billionaire purchases the house and declares it public housing. Debbie gets the attention of Child Services when she is caught, on video, fighting with a woman—while carrying Franny. The business model of Lip's new job inspires him to create his own profit. Kevin, Veronica, and Svetlana contemplate on adopting each of their children. Carl is rejected from military school, as the remaining spots are being reserved for people of color. After researching his heritage, Carl reapplies to the school upon finding out he is part Native American.
Fiona decides to fully invest in the local laundromat and talks with the senile owner, Etta. Lip gambles with his wire-fraud scheme and questions the state of his fling with Sierra; Lip wants to ensure that their relationship is merely casual. At the homeless shelter, Frank begins pocketing money for himself. When his new family finds out, they angrily throw Frank out the window. Ian and Trevor want to pursue a sexual relationship, but discover that both of them are "tops." In order to provide Franny with a home life, Debbie moves in with Sierra's handicapped brother, Neil, and pursues a relationship with him. Though Sierra and Lip disapprove of the relationship, Debbie announces her plans to marry Neil. Kevin and Veronica discover that Yvon is actually Svetlana's husband. Carl breaks up with Dominique and receives a scholarship for military school. Though he is initially hesitant, Carl decides to attend the school after some encouragement from family members.
Expecting a visit from DCFS, Debbie creates a list of things to do for the day, including marrying Neil, attending a parenting class, and quitting high school. Following the home inspection, Debbie and Neil engage in a rendezvous. Sierra leaves her son, Lucas, to spend the day with his father, Charlie; Lip helps Sierra find Lucas when Charlie abandons him. Lip receives news from Youens, who informs him that the local university granted his request to appeal his case. Ian and Trevor begin a sexual relationship. Fiona initially has second thoughts over her investment into the local laundromat; the laundromat is in bad shape, and Etta is displaying signs of dementia. Despite Margo's disapproval, Fiona ultimately works towards revitalizing the laundromat. Liam turns to Frank when his school is suddenly shut down; Frank enrolls Liam in a new private school for free. Kevin and Veronica reveal to Svetlana that they want to get rid of Yvon. They are shocked when Svetlana, in blood-splattered clothes, arrives and proclaims that Yvon is officially gone from their lives.
Kevin becomes distraught over placing trust in Svetlana due to her questionable actions, such as making fake passports, stealing the van and letting people rent out the Alibi's apartment. Out of money, Fiona decides to revamp the laundromat herself, with the help of Frank and Kevin. Fiona gives Kevin advice over his issues with Svetlana, and also lets Frank move into the laundromat with Etta. Ian officially gets together with Trevor. Lip and Sierra's relationship grows. Lip attends his appeal hearing at the university, where Ian and Professor Youens make heartfelt appeals to the school board. The board believes Lip has a bright future, but they ultimately reject his plea over his case. Lip gets drunk and gets into an altercation with Charlie; Sierra breaks up with Lip, stating that she doesn't want Lucas to deal with another addict. Debbie believes Derek's family were the individuals who called DCFS, and she attempts to get into good graces with the family. Later, Debbie leaves Franny with Neil; Derek's family then kidnap Franny.
Monica makes a return and proclaims she has changed, leaving the family skeptical once again. Monica later reveals to Frank that she has brain damage and is dying. Monica helps Debbie get Franny back from Derek's family; a grateful Debbie lets Monica stay in Neil's apartment. The re-opening of the local laundromat commences; Fiona is distraught when a negative review of the new laundromat appears online. Lip's alcoholism returns and sets him off on a new downward spiral, as he is a no-show for a job interview set up by Professor Youens. Frank continues to keep Etta company. Kevin, Veronica, and Svetlana go to couples' therapy; Kevin and Veronica learn that Svetlana has changed the Alibi's business format and somehow now owns a part of the bar. Ian and Trevor engage in an argument over Trevor's ID after attempting to enter a bar. The Gallaghers are greeted by a detective, who informs Ian that Mickey has escaped from prison.
Upon Mickey's escape, Ian is conflicted over his feelings towards Trevor in their relationship. Fiona is offered $160,000 from Margo to buy the local laundromat from her; Fiona contemplates the offer, as she had promised Etta that she can stay in the laundromat. Veronica is left heartbroken by Svetlana's betrayal; Kevin attempts again to fix the threes' relationship, and finds out that Svetlana had forged the ownership papers as adoption papers. Kevin is persuaded by Fiona to consult a lawyer on getting the bar back. Fiona and Veronica reconcile. Lip continues his downward spiral and finds himself breaking into Helene's house; Helene begs Lip to seek help, and Lip breaks down. In an attempt to make more money, Frank and Monica rob a bus of senior citizens. Ian gets kidnapped by a group of men who take him to a football field; Mickey, sporting a new look, arrives and reunites with Ian. Mickey implores Ian to escape with him to Mexico; Ian agrees to accompany Mickey.
While driving to the Mexican border, Ian and Mickey discuss their feelings, and Mickey asks Ian why he never visited him in prison. Upon arriving at the border, Ian changes his mind and proclaims he is a changed man. He says goodbye to Mickey, leaving him a substantial amount of money from his savings account. Mickey accepts Ian's decision and they share a kiss, before Mickey successfully crosses the border with a disguise. Fiona officially sells the laundromat. Fiona finds herself with another business opportunity when Chad introduces her to a real estate agent. As a result of the laundromat's closure, Fiona reluctantly sends Etta to an assisted living facility. Lip attempts to get his sobriety under control and befriends fellow AA member Brad. Now without the Alibi, Kevin and Veronica search for new jobs; Kevin finds a job at a gay bar. Frank and Monica attempt to renew their vows. The following morning, Frank discovers that Monica has passed away in her sleep.
The Gallagher family arrange a funeral for Monica while expressing their indifference towards her. Fiona meets with her estranged grandfather, who pays for the funeral. Frank finds out Monica had left a unique inheritance of $70,000 in the form of methamphetamine; Frank gives each family member a portion of the meth. Ian confesses his encounter with Mickey to Trevor, and they both question the future of their relationship. Fiona and Frank get into an intense argument over Monica; Fiona denounces Monica for abandoning the family, stating: "She didn't give a shit about anyone but herself." At Monica's funeral, Fiona buries her share of the meth in Monica's coffin. Following the funeral, the Gallaghers throw a party; Fiona forgives Frank and shares a dance with him. The Gallagher family and friends resume their lives, some venturing into new scenarios and beginnings: Debbie begins attending welding classes; Lip continues to attend AA meetings and rekindles his friendship with Sierra; Carl returns from military school as a changed young man; Kevin continues his job at the gay bar; Fiona becomes the new owner of a local apartment building.
Production
Recurring actress Isidora Goreshter has been promoted to series regular with the commencement of the season.[19] Star Emmy Rossum made her directorial debut with the fourth episode, "I Am A Storm".[20][21]
