DISCLAIMER: The following text discusses spoilers from Schitt’s Creek. Do not read it if you have not watched the show yet.
Last year, when I was looking at the list of nominees for the Primetime Emmy Awards, one name puzzled me: Schitt’s Creek had been nominated for four awards, including Best Comedy Series. Up until that point, I had only heard of that show because a friend had recommended it to me saying it was very funny, but I didn’t know much about it.
Over these past few months, however, I feel like it’s been everywhere. The whole cast was in New York City to promote its sixth (and final) season and articles about it kept popping up in newspapers and magazines.
When this period of self-isolation started, I decided to finally catch up and watch it. Only then did I realize how late to the party I was and how funny and light this show is!
Created by father and son (Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy), this Canadian show follows the story of the wealthy Rose family as they are forced to relocate when they are defrauded by their business manager and lose all of their money. They move to Schitt’s Creek, a small town John Rose (Eugene Levy) had purchased years before as a joke for his son’s birthday.
Once they arrive there, they have to start living in a motel in two adjacent rooms. Moira (Catherine O’Hara) used to be a soap opera star but has now been out of work. She wears countless numbers of wigs, which she addresses as her “girls”, together with an impressive wardrobe. Her funny accent and her picturesque vocabulary complete her character and she’s responsible for many of the funniest lines in the show.
They have two grown children: David (Daniel Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy). Both are spoiled and selfish, since they were raised in a very different reality. So they have no sense of what real life is and they at first despise that small town.
With time, however, each character starts to find their path and befriends many from the community. And that’s probably the best part of the show: to witness how each character develops and grows throughout the seasons. They also realize how much they have missed before as a family when they were basically ignoring each other. Now, they’re closer than ever.
The main thing that caught my attention while watching Schitt’s Creek was, actually, what wasn’t in the show: homophobia. I have been so used to watching gay characters on TV always struggle with their sexuality and being the target of jokes or harassment that seeing David’s sexuality unquestioned was a shock to me. Not only is it a breath of fresh air, but it is also an idea of how the world could be if everyone was respected. David’s storyline with Patrick (Noah Reid) is the sweetest in the show, so it was fitting to have their wedding in the final episode.
Alexis also has many sweet moments, but her one-liners are the best part of her character, from “love this journey for me” to “ew, David!”- it’s always funny to see how she’ll react to things. Also, let’s not forget her hilarious song “A Little Bit Alexis“!
Schitt’s Creek was a delightful surprise and just the right show to watch while self-isolating during this outbreak. It reminds us of family, friends, and sense of community.
