Schitt’s Creek - Coming up Roses

I can’t believe that it’s taken me so long to properly discuss this show but here we go, it’s finally time. As the title suggests, this one’s all about the wonderful Canadian sitcom ‘Schitt’s Creek’. For those who don’t know it, ‘SC’ aired for six seasons from 2015 to 2020 and I, like many others, discovered and got hooked right in the middle of lockdown/COVID. Without spoiling it too much, I’ll just say that (it’s great) and that it follows the rich Rose family, Moira, Johnny and their adult son and daughter, David and Alexis. The show is about the family moving to the small town of Schitt’s Creek (that Johnny actually bought for David years before) after being scammed by their financial adviser and losing most of what they own.
First off, the cast is truly brilliant as the iconic Catherine O’Hara (Home Alone, Beetlejuice, Best in Show) plays Moira, Eugene Levy (Splash, American Pie) plays Johnny while his real son, Dan Levy (Happiest Season), plays David and Annie Murphy (Black Mirror) plays Alexis. Emily Hampshire is also fab as Stevie, the seemingly sarcastic and aloof but actually quite tender-hearted and sensitive employee at the motel the Roses live in, as she becomes a part of their family too, in a sense.
It’s a super funny and quotable show **as well as being really wholesome and kinder than most other comedy shows. Also, I won’t spoil (any more) as there’s a lot of lovely growth and development but the dynamics between the family are so interesting, as well as the way that their relationship to the town and the other inhabitants changes. The concepts of both found family and bonding as a blood family are portrayed in a really sweet way too, not to mention that there are some great love stories, awesome LGBTQIA + representation and some well-constructed growth that feels earned and genuine. Moira and Johnny also kinda subvert the trope of the rich couple who are very unhappily married, by for the most part, having a pretty healthy marriage. In general, the framing works really well as it doesn’t shy away from having them admit that there are things about their lavish, wealthy lifestyle that they miss that made life easier. It’s also interesting to note that when they do start to appreciate the town and prefer parts of their new life, it doesn’t feel forced or corny and is a nice parallel with them growing closer as a family and being kinder to each other rather than snapping/lashing out, (albeit in an often very funny manner), the way they did at the beginning. Hope you enjoyed this, rather brief, post and sorry (to the maybe three at best people reading this) if it’s been a longer wait since the last one. I can’t wait to get started on the next one…
*One of the recurring characters, Twyla, is also played by a member of the Levy family as she’s portrayed by Sarah Levy (Dan’s sister). Twyla is the waitress in the the cafe in the town, Cafe Tropical (which has a well documented, comically large menu). **’Fold in the cheese!’, ‘Ew David’, ‘A little bit Alexis’, basically every Moira quote, need I say more?

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