Maddison's Musings

Season one of the Emmy nominated show Schitt's Creek premiered in 2015 and introduces us to the Rose family. The pilot episode opens at the worst possible moment: the Revenue agency shows up to tell the Roses that their business manager has run off and taken all of their money. Moira Rose (Catherine O'Hara) decides to spend the 15 minutes given to them to pack their valuables to scream and chose which wigs she gets to bring with them. Johnny (Eugene Levy) tries to stay calm, David (Dan Levy) takes to yelling at the agents repossessing their assets, and Alexis (Annie Murphy) is on the phone with a friend/boyfriend. I'm not usually a fan of pilot episodes in general, but this one is incredible. Watch it for Catherine O'Hara's screeching alone. The first season is mostly a fish-out-of-water/riches-to-rags comedy that shows these ridiculous people stuck in a tiny town. Honestly, the first season gets better after you rewatch the entire show since it really showcases their growth from shallow, self-centered people who hardly know each other into the loving family they are now. 

The heart and soul of the show starts in season two. The characters (slowly) start thawing when they realize that they are actually stuck in Schitt's Creek and they have to start making a life for themselves in this small town. This season really shows the family starting to come together as a family. In the second episode of the season, David and Moira attempt to make enchiladas. Despite complications, they actually manage to make the dish and they don't poison anyone or burn the Schitt's house down (at least not that I know of). Moira auditions for the local singing group the Jazzagals and later she runs for town council. Alexis experiences her first heartbreak but grows from it, leading to a scene where she and David hug and perhaps it still makes me fucking cry no matter how many times I've seen it. David gets a job and is actually pretty good at it. Johnny is the steady rock trying his hardest to think of a new business idea to get back on track. One of my favorite episodes of this season is "Moira's Nudes" (2x09) in which Moira is mortified when she learns that her nudes are nowhere to be found on the internet. This episode begins to capture the heart and warmth of the show. Not only is it just really fucking funny, but there's also a really sweet moment between David and Johnny where David offers his dad money since they're struggling. Alexis also deals with their money issues by getting a job of her own. I feel like this episode is pivotal in each of the Rose's growth and it balances heartfelt moments with comedy perfectly. The last few episodes in the season showcase the slightly softer Roses and ends with a barn party where we see them dancing as a family and saying that they love each other for the first time.  

The cold open for the first episode in the third season is a masterpiece. This season continues to show the Roses as they adapt to this town and life together. There are so many good scenes where we see the family interacting in a softer, sweeter manner. They're starting to really come together as a family this season and they feel steadily integrated into the town. David and Alexis have a heart-to-heart while David panics about his driving test, Moira makes sure everyone goes to Twyla's murder mystery party, Johnny starts working with Stevie at the motel, Alexis goes back to (and graduates from!) high school, David opens Rose Apothecary with the help of Patrick, and the Roses are seamlessly integrated into the town. It slowly starts to feel like home and with each new storyline and episode you really see just how much the Roses have grown. The season finale "Grad Night" (3x12) is one of my favorite episodes of the show because it shows Alexis graduating, David and Patrick going on their first date, and the motel selling out for the first time in years. Everyone is celebrating  something special and perhaps it still makes me cry when I watch it.

Here we go, lads. The fourth season is full of so much fucking love. I know I keep saying that, but fuck this show is just so good and lovely. The first episode "Dead Guy In Room 4" is quite possibly the best first episode of any new season and "Pregnancy Test" (4x02) is not only hilarious (again, any time Catherine O'Hara screams I love it) but it includes five (!!) kisses between David and Patrick in just 22 minutes. I could write an entire fucking essay about this episode specifically and how much it means to see two queer people kiss five times within one episode, but alas, I will hold back for now. This season also has Alexis deciding to go to college and figuring out what she wants to do with her life. As it turns out, she's an incredible PR person and she's using her "pubic relations" degree to the best of her ability. Each episode in this season is so good and funny and full of love. Alexis decides to rebrand the motel into the Rosebud motel to prove to Stevie that Johnny won't leave and that they're in the business together. Although Stevie is David's best friend, her relationship with Johnny is important too, and you can really see her becoming a Rose and blending into their family once they rename the motel. This season also has two incredibly sweet musical performances, a baby-shaped pinata, a few love confessions, and the birth of a new Schitt (heaven help that child). The fourth season also has an extra holiday special which again, is full of love and humor, and the tree unveiling scene deserved an Emmy itself to be completely fucking honest.

The fifth season shows incredible growth from each of the characters. The first episode starts with Moira oversees filming a movie that inspires her actions throughout the rest of the season. Everyone seems to be thriving and there's still so much love, comedy, and growth. Some of my favorite moments this season include: Patrick getting his own apartment and he throws a house party (including matching pj's for David and Patrick, a game of never have I ever in which Alexis asks pointed questions to get David to drink, and drunk Ted who is perhaps the most chaotic Ted), Moira and Jocelyn direct Cabaret (Stevie and Patrick play Sally and the Emcee, respectively, and they both fucking nail it), David helps Patrick out by subbing in and playing baseball when Gwen mysteriously drops out to "meet a friend on the internet," and many other moments While the four main Roses are fairly steady and well-off this season, Stevie really begins to come out of her shell and she really starts to thrive this season. Both Johnny and Moira offer Stevie encouragement and support after a breakup, further folding her into the family. The episode "Meet the Parents" (5x11) has the most beautiful coming out storyline that I have ever seen in media. Following the no homophobia/bigotry mindset of Schitt's Creek, we see a coming out storyline full of nothing but love and acceptance. When Patrick's dad asks David "Was it something we did?" your heart stops as you prepare for some type of nasty remark, but instead, he follows it by turning the question on its head and asking if they as parents did something that made Patrick afraid to talk to them. They don't care that Patrick is gay; they just want him to be happy. God, it's just such a beautiful episode and it means so much to me. The last few episodes of the season also involve a romantic hike, a decision between Alexis and Ted to go to the Galapagos for six months after Ted gets accepted into a research program, and the performance of Cabaret in the season finale. There's a moment between Stevie and Moira during a break of the show where Moira gives Stevie a pep talk before she goes on stage and performs "Maybe This Time" and it gives me goosebumps and makes me sob like a little bitch every goddamn time I watch it.

Currently streaming now on CBC in Canada and PopTv in America, the sixth and final season of Schitt's Creek is proving to be an excellent cherry on top of a fantastic series. Littered with little callbacks to previous seasons, this season focuses on David and Patrick as they plan their wedding, Alexis as she becomes a reputable PR agent for Moira and deals with a long-distance relationship with Ted after she mixes up the date and month on her plane ticket, Moira as she deals with the Crows movie success, Stevie as she tries to figure out what more could be out there for her, and Johnny as he tries to expand the Rosebud motel and potentially franchise it. So far, my favorite episode is "Moira Rosé" (6x07). It is quite possibly the perfect episode of Schitt's Creek. Not only do I love every single storyline, but it balances humor and love so well. We find David and Moira getting progressively more drunk while at a wine tasting, Alexis accidentally brings a handful of townspeople to a strange workout cult, and Patrick and Johnny have a heart-to-heart talk about David and the upcoming wedding. The first time I watched it with my mom, we laughed so hard that my mom insisted that we watch it again immediately once we finished (I've trained her well). There are still three episodes left of this season plus an hour-long documentary airing after the final episode on April 7th. I already know that it will be incredible and that most people will be sobbing (me included).

Stream the first five seasons on Netflix now and catch up on the sixth and final season of this incredible show before it ends. Also, this post lowkey started out as a joke, but then it made me cry multiple times because of how much I love this show so that's a mood.

~Maddison