Just finished ME 1 in Legendary....

Get some sleep and fire up ME2 when you are fresh.

I enjoy ME:2 so much I was sad to finish it yesterday.

This will sound daft, like an adult playing with toys - but back on The Normandy after the Collectors are defeated I headcanon that the ship heads to Illium for repairs and refitting, which helps explain why it's all beat up after leaving the base, but suddenly becomes pristine again.

Shep sends a message to the crew over the PA, explaining that he'd just cut ties to Cerberus, and might even now be on their hit list; any crew members who felt that I wished to remain loyal to Cerberus should get off at Illium - no questions asked, thanks for their service, the rest can enjoy a brief shore leave.

After Arrival has been dealt with I like to do a kind of sad, nostalgic 'last walk' around The Normandy, and in my mind the vessel is now almost empty, manned only with a skeleton crew, and most of the squad have already left, and gone their separate ways - and I know in my mind that the ship is likely to be given over to someone else's command once I set foot on Earth and face the music. I put it into orbit around Earth, make a final hard save, standing in the airlock - and that sets the scene for ME:3.

So much this. Did you head-canon it to that extent before having ever played ME3?

that is some pretty good next level head canon.  I approve.  

What is funny, Shepard will ask the Mickey Mouse club what the situation is. They reply with we were hoping you would tell us. Here's where an interrupt, one of many, that should have been put in the game.

Shepard: Hold up! You're telling me I spent 6 months locked up doing nothing for you clowns to now ask what to do? Didn't this dumba**, the one standing beside me calling himself Anderson tell you anything? You know what? **** you and the rest of the circus calling yourself Alliance. You didn't do crap for 2 years. In fact you made no effort to search for my body, and on top of that made no effort to recover the dogtags of the one's who died when the SR1 was destroyed. I will destroy the reapers, but it will be for the people of Earth, not for you dirtbags. Right now, I'm going over to the McDonald's to have a Big Mac before dealing with the reapers. One last thing. If I'm successful at destroying the reapers, I will go to the nearest news station to let them know how pathetic the Alliance leadership is. 

It's almost like Shepard's political reputation was being tarnished and repressed ever since the council in ME1 just so they could have that seen where politicians are finally like "What do we DOOOOO SHEPHRED!?"

Like being in a car where only your friend next to you knows the directions, he tells you to turn left 50 times before you freak out at the wheel and scream that you don't know where you're going.

ROFL!! yes and more yes. I felt the same way. one thing the council and the alliance have in common... I did not like Cerberus and was shocked at the start of game 2 but now on my second play through I'm thinking you know...with a better leader these guys are on to something, too bad TIM is who/what he is. (trying not to spoil)