“I can take care of him. Let me take care of him.”

This entire scene is so heartbreaking for so many reasons, the acting, the news, and how everyone handles it. And I think Mickey surprised everyone by his vehement refusal to let anyone take Ian away from him. I just wanted to explore this a little more.

TW: Mentions of Suicide, Bipolar Disease, and brief mention of homophobia.

First of all, there’s a massive miscommunication and misinterpretation going on between Mickey and Fiona (which also boils over to the viewers).

I truly believe that Fiona was just trying to get Mickey to understand that gravity of this situation, of what could follow, because it’s clear that he doesn’t have any experience and doesn’t even seem to have any knowledge on the disease itself. I think she was just trying to get Mickey to see that it wasn’t just as simple as making Ian some soup so he can feel better, that it’s much more intense than that. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the Gallagher’s experience with this disease is Monica, who didn’t take care of herself, take her medication, and really did try to commit suicide.

Fiona’s comment about Ian potentially being hospitalized is something that is very real, if doctors are concerned that he could be potentially harmful to himself or reactions to the medication. However, the way she said it and the fact that her and Lip haven’t really been around struck Mickey as hearing her say, “We’re going to lock him up and throw away the key because we don’t care enough about him to try and take care of him.” Or “He’s not worth our time to bother trying."

Is that true? No. But that’s what it looks to Mickey, as well as some viewers considering the way the season played out.

That’s reason number one why Mickey is so adamant about them not taking Ian away. Because he doesn’t really trust anyone else with Ian right now. He’s been witness to everything that Ian has been going through, with his work, and drugs, and mood swings, and just everything.

To Mickey, no one can be trusted with Ian because Ian is the most important thing.

Is it a bad thing that he was so against taking him to a doctor/clinic? Kind of, because Ian does need help. At the very least, they all need information regarding Ian’s condition because Bipolar disease doesn’t effect everyone in the same way–which is something the Gallaghers need to learn as well.

But I have no doubt in my mind that, once Mickey calms down and the fear of them taking Ian away from him lessens, he will do everything in his power to get Ian all the help that he needs.

Another thing is that Mickey is terrified that they are going to take Ian away specifically from Mickey. And that thought terrifies Mickey because he has had to fight so hard this season, and arguably the entire time they’ve been together, for Ian. Now they are finally together and open and while there’s looming danger of Terry and being out and other things, they are truly together.

Which brings me to the final point: Mickey needs to be the one to take care of Ian because he needs to prove that he can be with him. That he’s good for him, that he cares for him. I mean, the list goes on for all the things MIckey feels like he needs to prove to everyone. Because from Mickey’s POV and everyone else’s (Except Ian’s and ours of course) he hasn’t been good for Ian and has caused him a lot of pain and heartbreak.

Not to mention, given Mickey’s MO of internalizing a lot and always blaming himself (I always think of how no one blames Mickey more than he blames himself for things), I’m sure that he feels like it’s his fault Ian’s sick right now. That he caused this, that he wasn't enough to prevent this from happening to Ian. He couldn’t protect him, again.

Which is why the lines of "Let me take care of him” are so powerful because it’s Mickey’s way of trying to make everything right. To prove to everyone that he can be good for Ian, that he can take care of him. Not just to Ian, but to everyone else and especially to himself.

The real tragedy of this is that Ian already knows all of this. He has known from the very beginning and his feelings or Mickey have just intensified over time. He knows how much Mickey cares for him–he came out to his homophobic father for him, of course he knows. He knows how much shit Mickey’s been through because of him. He knows that Mickey is the best thing to have happened to him. He has truly seen Mickey, all of him, from the very beginning because he was sort of the only person who ever really took the time to look closer (Oops, “One Jump Ahead Reprise” just popped into my head).

I hope next season has Mickey realizing this when Ian tells him that he loves him. Because that definitely needs to happen and I’d really like for it to be Ian that says it to Mickey first.

In summary, this whole scene, to me was about so much more than just Fiona trying to take Ian away or Mickey refusing treatment. At the hearts, I truly believe this was just another love letter to Ian from Mickey. Another way for Mickey to prove to himself, to Ian, and to everyone else that he will do better this time because he really doesn’t want to lose Ian. Not to his family, not to Mickey’s life, and not to anything or anyone else.