logline: When rich video-store magnate Johnny Rose and his family suddenly find themselves broke, they are forced to leave their pampered lives to regroup in Schitt's Creek.

Source: IMDb

After hearing my friend's harangue about how enjoyable this show was and seeing it sweep the Emmy Awards in a record-setting number of wins, I belatedly decided to watch it. A brainchild of the Levy comedy dynasty, I was expecting that famous Canadian charm that it delivers in large doses. I am not going to lie to you; it took me a while to latch onto this show. It is advertised as a sitcom, and do not get me wrong, Schitt’s Creek is funny. But it does not have the onslaught of jokes that other shows with a similar plot have (ex: Arrested Development). But what this show lacks in rapid-fire jokes it makes up in heart, ten-fold. If genuine could be a word to describe a show, it would be this one. How genuine moments could arise from such egotistical characters is beyond me. I had previously assessed that I was going to flaunt superiority on this show, but I was incorrect in that assessment. It is so heartwarming, exuberant, and loaded with sincerity. Onto the inspired casting of this show, each of the former-rich members of the Rose family is phenomenal, though they do feel like a carbon copy of the same rich, spoiled character. But since they each have their individual character growth, I am okay with it. The two progenitors are portrayed by iconic comedy actors Catherine O’Hara’s Moira Rose (whose vocabulary is extensive) and Eugene Levy’s Johnny Rose (whose eyebrows are on-point). But the real stars, in my opinion, are the children Alexis and David. I detail my adoration for them in the favorite characters section. From bickering about who should get murdered first; to eating each other's food, their sibling relationship is accurate. This show is also home to one of the best LGBTQ relationships I have ever seen: David and Patrick. It is so normalized, and there is no homophobia to speak of. They merely exist, and that is all they have to do. The series pre-Patrick is cute and funny. But when David and Patrick develop feelings for each other, the program is reborn. They are the pinnacle of the show for me because I have never been as dedicated to a relationship as I am with theirs, and I just realized I talked about them for too long. On a different note, there is something to say concerning the lack of diversity in this town of inclusivity. One look at the promotional material can convey that to you. You might be querying what made this sitcom on a network almost no one watches sweep the Emmys? The answer is probably character development. I have never seen such sublime and precise evolution in a show in a long time. They all mature and grow into better people than they were before. All because of this little hamlet called Schitt’s Creek.

my favorite characters:

Annie Murphy as Alexis Rose: hide your diamonds, hide your exes, she’s a little bit Alexis. The best single character in the show is Ms. Alexis Rose, who has had many crazy stories in her young life as a socialite. She is iconic and has some of the best character development of any Rose. She also has the celebrity name-dropping of Tahani from The Good Place. I mean, she had her own critically reviewed limited-run television series called A Little Bit Alexis. Her constant T-rex arms are also iconic. They’re very sharp and just add to the attitude of the character. I also want to give a special shoutout to whoever designed Alexis’s outfits because, in each episode, they are perfectly Coachella-ready. Annie Murphy does such a great job with this character when I rewatched her Emmy acceptance speech I was shocked. She didn’t say “Ewww” once and the cadence of her voice was completely different, and that’s called talent.
Daniel Levy as David Rose: the brother of Alexis, the husband of Patrick, and the co-owner of Rose Apothecary. David’s quirks can come off as annoyances at some point but it adds to his charm. His banter with his real-life father Eugene Levy, who plays his father on the show is perfect. Daniel Levy also created and wrote the show and he really is the dan-of-all-trades. The way he humanized the egotistical David Rose is why he won multiple Emmys. His crying faces are also fantastic.
Noah Reid as Patrick Brewer: such a sweet guy. The perfect foil and husband for David. He can also sing and play the guitar. The scene where he discussed coming out with David made me tear up. The proposal made the tear ducts open a bit more and the wedding opened the tear gates. Patrick (and David) have probably made me cry happy tears more than any other television character. Patrick is probably the definition of sportsmanship. Cheering on David and his family through escape rooms and life. Noah Reid is so good in this show as David’s anchor and I hope to see him in more things.

This show is rated TV-14. Here’s why:

Moderate Profanity

My Favorite Part: My inner theatre kid screamed when they did a production of Cabaret. They only did snippets from two songs but seeing Patrick in those suspenders and Stevie in that wig just transported me to amateur theatre departments. They sounded great and I wish that they sang more. With a slew of seemingly idiotic exercises and delving into character development, even the rehearsal process was accurate.

Fun Fact: As of 2020, it holds the record for the most Emmy wins in a single season for a comedy series (winning nine). It is also the first television series to sweep the Primetime Emmy Awards in all major acting categories in a single year (which never happened before for either comedy or drama shows). Additionally, it is also the first show to win Emmys in all four acting categories as well as for writing and directing.

Where to Watch:

IMDb:

Schitt’s Creek

Insatiable

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