‘Shameless’ Season 7 Spoilers: Noel Fisher Weighs In On The Future Of Mickey And Ian After Episode 11

“Shameless” fans were elated when Mickey — who had been in prison, chipping away at an eight year sentence — returned to the Showtime original series in Season 7, episode 11. While it seemed as though he and Ian were going to pick up right where they left off, things took an unexpected turn for the couple in the most recent episode.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Noel Fisher — who has played Mickey on “Shameless” since his Season 2 introduction — opened up about his future on the show as well as how he would have written the storyline. While this wasn’t how Fisher saw Mickey and Ian’s (Cameron Monaghan) relationship playing out, he remains hopeful for his future on the show. He told THR that the storyline was left open ended, making it possible for Mickey to return to the show should it make sense for he and Ian down the road. When that may happen is unclear, but Fisher said he was in it for the long haul.

“It’s left in a way that doesn’t necessarily have to be the end. Who knows what the future holds,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons I was really excited to come back and do these episodes: because I think that this is a storyline that culminates in a much more profound way than we’ve gotten to see in terms of the types of goodbyes they’ve had... It’s their whole relationship kind of crunched into an episode. There’s a lot of funny, chaotic moments. There’s a lot of touching, loving moments. There’s profound love, passion, fun and sadness.”

Additionally, Fisher told THR that he could never have predicted that Mickey and Ian’s relationship would end, whether it’s forever or just for now, the way it did in Season 7, episode 11 of “Shameless.” He suspected that fans would be left in a state of shock as well, saying this is what the show does — “It doesn’t give you what you expect.” All the same, Fisher called Mickey and Ian’s romance beautiful, adding that he didn’t think Mickey would have any regrets about the way things happened.

“In the end scene, the love there and the care there is so obvious and so powerful and so palpable that, despite the fact that it ends on somewhat of a sad note, there’s a lot of beauty there,” Fisher said. “Neither of these characters would be who they are without one another. Mickey doesn’t have any kind of regrets when it comes to who he is or how he’s loved or the time that he’s been able to have and spend with Ian. He wouldn’t take it back for anything.”

During the episode, which aired on Sunday. Mickey and Ian began their journey toward the Mexican border. The pair decided to steal a car and ditch Mickey’s fellow prison escapee after he made a number of dangerous decisions that nearly got them caught. Back on the road, they headed for south Texas where they met up with a man named Jesus that arranges coyotes to take immigrants from Mexico to America. They asked him to do his work in reverse — a request he found laughable, especially since Mickey is a felon on the run.

Ian suggested they hit a bank for some cash, which Mickey thought was a plan to rob the place. Instead, Ian removed all the money from his bank account to use on their mission. The next morning they hopped in the car to head for Mexico. Just feet from the border crossing it was revealed to fans that Mickey had decided to disguise himself as a woman in the hopes of flying under the radar of border patrolmen. While he suited up, Ian unveiled another plan. He backed out of going with Mickey at the last minute, sending him on his way with his money.

Previews for Season 7, episode 12 did not feature Ian. It is unclear where his story will go from here and whether he will be returning home to reunite with Trevor (Elliott Smith).

“Shameless” airs Sunday at 9 p.m. EST on Showtime.