You've certainly got an apt username there!
I think it's a great show and very watchable.
It's nothing like the Shameless-style programme of 2010; it's far grittier, bleaker and a lot more thought has gone into it.
It's very lazy to just think it's about 'scumbag northerners.... Oh, it's another Shameless then'.
The characters and their stylings are unique, but the stories are akin to something like 'The Street' which hardly a bad thing. Meadows was never going to be able to please everyone. 4 years is a long time in the show, and clearly, real life too, ironically.