"The Fugees" is the ninth episode of the eighth season of the American television comedy drama Shameless, an adaptation of the British series of the same name.
The series is set on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, and depicts the poor, dysfunctional family of Frank Gallagher, a neglectful single father of six: Fiona, Phillip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam.
In the episode, Frank is arrested by Mounties while running his business, while Ian discovers that his tirade against the priest went viral on the Internet.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 1.65 million household viewers and gained a 0.65 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
Kevin (Steve Howey) continues implementing his dominance, demanding that Svetlana (Isidora Goreshter) wear a uniform and respect him and Veronica (Shanola Hampton).
Club gave the episode a "C+" grade and wrote, "The best moments in “The Fugees” are when the family gets together: the breakfast conversation before the day begins, Fiona and Lip running life choices by each other at the diner, Vee laying down the law on Carl at the Alibi.
But at this point, these moments are few and far between in Shameless' eighth season, which is making me impatient for when the show and its characters are going to come back together to say something meaningful, instead of drifting along in stories that even a binge viewer might find too meandering.
"[5] David Crow of Den of Geek gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote "This is the very definition of crass, demented, and mean-spirited humor that has made Shameless such a strange and alluring blend over the years.
The show can have moments as heartfelt as Ian Gallagher's musings on Jesus Christ, and as silly as Carl accidentally proposing marriage... and then just this kind of gonzo entertainment involving Frank.
"[6] Paul Dailly of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 3.5 star rating out of 5, and wrote, ""The Fugees" was the best and worst of Shameless.