Schitt’s Creek Review By Sophie Williams
Schitt’s Creek poster for final season.
What do you look for in a sitcom? A few characters that you can sink your teeth into, a couple of familiar settings that you can revisit in every episode, and most certainly, lots of laughter.
I’ve just finished watching Schitt’s Creek for the second time and it ticks every single one of those boxes. Schitt’s Creek is a Canadian sitcom created by Hollywood A-Lister Eugene Levy with his son, Daniel. Daniel also wrote and directed multiple episodes over their six-year tenure. Starting in 2015, the father and son creative duo decided that it was time to bid farewell to the show that had captured the hearts of many across the world, and the final episode aired in April 2020.
No one can deny that Schitt’s Creek is a unique and humorous title to start with, and that reflects the entire show. The Rose family are famous in North America for their lavish mansion, flashy lifestyle, and bundles of cash. In the blink of an eye, they lose all their money and are forced to take shelter in a small town named Schitt’s Creek, purchased by the family as a joke. We follow Moira, Johnny, David, and Alexis as they try to navigate their new lives of ‘normalcy’, which comes with many twists and turns along the way.
True to sitcom style, the situations in which the Rose family find themselves are often utterly ridiculous and unheard of. What sets Schitt’s Creek apart from the rest, however, is their tight focus on characterisation. It’s obvious that the writers spent a lot of time detailing every single character and that is monumentally helpful when the time comes for you to understand an “in-joke”, or laugh at something that is so not funny on the surface, but it’s hilarious because it’s so in character.
The iconic Moira Rose is the no-nonsense matriarch played by Catherine O’Hara. Moira is everything you could ever wish for from a sitcom leading lady. She has a strict penchant for highly glamourous, completely unpractical clothing, and her heels are so high, I’m dumbfounded at the fact she doesn’t break an ankle walking more than 100 yards. Moira owns every room she inhabits and is in complete control of her own mind. Her dramatic accent is hard to pin down and the way she accentuates certain words (bébé comes to mind) is a stroke of comedy genius.
Johnny Rose is the heart and soul of Schitt’s Creek. He and Moira are relationship goals, bar none. Aside from worshipping the ground his wife walks upon, Johnny is constantly doing everything in his power to help his family survive their financial quandary as best they can. Nothing he does is out of greed, or self-interest. Eugene Levy is an icon already, and it’s great to see him heading the bill of a television programme such as this.
Alexis Rose is Johnny and Moira’s youngest child, even though she’s about 30. In the beginning, she’s spoilt, self-centred, and her bubble doesn’t exist much further than herself. She also gives me a huge wardrobe envy with her collection of boho chic dresses and gold jewellery. Alexis’ mannerisms grow and develop as Annie Murphy no doubt settles further into her character as time goes on. The limp way she hangs her hands, the high-pitched squeals she makes to replace actual words, and her over-dramatised facial expressions are just one of a kind.
I’m not sure where, to begin with, David Rose. Maybe the fact he wears leather sweaters in the dead of summer explains it all? Portrayed by Daniel Levy, David is the oldest Rose bairn. Similar to Alexis, David also starts out as self-interested and spoilt. However, David’s personal growth seems to be the most poignant of anybody’s. His rollercoaster relationship with Stevie Budd blossoms into a friendship that we dream about. David gradually learns to open up, and his struggles are so relatable it makes your heartache for him.
Schitt’s Creek’s fundamental themes are inclusivity and love. One of the ways this is presented is the fact that David is pansexual. The reveal of his sexuality is so nuanced and casual that it never poses any issues or threat at any point across six seasons. This is such a refreshing way of encouraging equality for the LGBTQ+ community. Instead of showing David overcoming struggles surrounding his sexuality, he simply exists and never has to justify himself.
A big theme that makes Schitt’s Creek stand out among its peers is the remarkable balance between comedy and heart-warming moments that want to rip your heartstrings right out. Because you really do get to know each character inside out, it’s all the more powerful when they encounter sadness or reach a major milestone in their lives.
As if to prove to all of us what a powerhouse Schitt’s Creek is, the 2020 Emmy’s were dubbed a Schitt’s Sweep when they grabbed a whopping nine awards. All four members of the Rose family took home awards in all four of the acting categories for comedy, the first show of any kind to do so. On top of this, Daniel Levy received further Emmy’s as a co-director of the final episode and for writing that same episode. Unsurprisingly, Schitt’s Creek also swiped the prize for ‘Outstanding Comedy’.
Schitt’s Creek makes you feel, and what’s the point in watching something that doesn’t make you feel anything? The hilarity never fails to pull you out of your own reality, and divinely drags you into the world of the Rosebud Motel. It will make you feel safe in the comfort of comedy, and then a tender moment between characters you love will prompt unexpected tears.
Schitt’s Creek is jam-packed with good feelings, and I’ll leave you to find out what it makes you feel.
Bibliography
· Schitt’s Creek. CBC, 13th January 2015.
Words by Sophie Williams
Edited by Klaudia Hanssen