Unrealistic but surprisingly refreshing: How well carl turned out as a person
I feel like one of the least realistic but thankfully refreshing parts of the show is how well Carl treated all of his girlfriends. I guess when Carl said he was a sucker for love he meant it. I like to think he learned about how to be a good boyfriend from watching lip be a terrible one (during the times lip was in a relationship anyway) for years. Not that lip had many healthy relationships modeled for him to help guide him either. im glad Carl learned from the mistakes of his siblings and built a better life for himself as a result.
There's a mix of internal and external factors to explain why carl turned out the most functioning member of the gallagher siblings:
Unlike lip, Carl realized his full potential and is in a stable career. He never squandered opportunities when they came his way
unlike lip, Carl was humble enough to acknowledge his limitations and accepted help when offered. He wasn't too good to work a dead end job as a fry cook or dish washer but didnt stop trying for better
Unlike lip and Ian, Carl was able to dodge the worst their genetic inheritance had to offer
Unlike the older siblings, Carl was able to dodge the worst of frank and Monica due to his birth order among the gallagher children
Unlike all his siblings (except liam, too young) he treated all his romantic partners well and knows how to be a good partner
Unlike lip and Ian, Carl's resilience and focus towards gainful pursuits paid off
By the end of the show, carl has the smallest problems out of all his siblings (even liam. Liam has to worry about building his own future when lip is his guardian and has 1 small child and 1 on the way. i wouldn't be surprised if liam ends up saddled with childcare while lip and his baby's mom works. We see how well that worked out for debbie). The worst carl is wanting for is a good girlfriend but he might learn to take a break from dating to focus on himself which none of his siblings tried to do. This would lead him to maturity, healing and reflection.
I like to think this is how carl will finally be the one to break the gallagher curse, assuming Frank's death doesn't cause an adverse reaction that causes carl to spiral. Being an orphan at his age, even if he was no longer a fan of frank, probably still isn't easy. Esspecially now that everyone is going their own way and will essentially have to deal with frank's death on their own.