Most of Season 8 finds Fiona separated from her family as she copes with a series of unruly tenants at her newly renovated apartment building. The unruliest of the bunch being a single mother who writes Fiona a check for one cent and then barricades her apartment with a steel door. Luckily, Debbie stops by with her welding tools and saves the day. However, Fiona's troubles continue when an elderly tenant dies alone in her apartment. Convinced she's caught the woman rent dodging, Fiona enters the apartment to find a miniature poodle nibbling the woman's face.
Things come to a major head when a maintenance man falls off the roof and attempts to sue Fiona for $3 million, the title to the building, and the little flesh-eating dog. Fiona does her best to make amends offering a settlement and temporary use of an apartment. However, the man and his family remain unsatisfied and barricade themselves inside of the unit. Fiona snaps and goes full Gallagher, flushing the family out with a smoke bomb and the temptation of cold hard cash.
With her tenant troubles behind her, Fiona learns that Sean, her drug addict ex-fiancé played by Dermot Mulroney, is back. He apologises for lying about his addiction prior to their wedding. He's one year sober and looking to make amends. Fiona is resistant at first but softens a bit only to find Sean is married. Not that she needs him when she can continue to hook up with Ford, the mysterious woodworker who inspires and challenges her rebellious spirit.