So many people saying they don’t understand what Lip’s motivations are! To me, Lip in this episode (or rather, his arc culminating in the last episode) is an outgrowth of what Ian and Fiona were both doing last season. Fiona and Lip are the oldest, internalized the hardest that they won’t be their parents (Fiona’s decision to always, always be there; Lip’s need to not just be scamming Karen’s kid for money from the very start*), but Lip also had that Ian thing of “I’m not any different than the rest of my family; I’m still Frank’s son”. Right? Lip’s going to be better than Frank, but because he’s better, not because he’s different stock.

Also, not that it’s not a good angle, but everyone was coming at him like Good Will Hunting in this episode, rather than telling him to go to college for his own sake. Do it because I didn’t. You’re my National Merit Scholar. You’re going to put my kids through college. He’s trying to be selfless for the kid, but man. That’s a lot to shoulder.

* And why he told her he wanted her to have an abortion like it was the sweetest thing he had ever said to another human. If you just listen to the tone of his voice, it’s like he’s telling her he loves her.