Blog: ‘Schitt’s Creek’
It’s been one year. One year since I began writing for myself and one year that I’ve been diligently working on bettering my writing surrounding movies and television. In doing this, I’ve discovered hidden gems that I never knew existed and got to share those with you. And what do you know, I’ve found another one.
People have told me to watch Schitt’s Creek for two years and for those two years I have done a disservice to myself by not following their advice. This Canadian comedy is gold. I will say though, it may take a few episodes to get used to the type of comedy because it is a bit different. By different I mean that the characters are more so caricatures. Their personalities are rather odd and exaggerated so it’s a bit in-your-face at first. When I started the series, I turned it on for just something to play in the background but by episode three my bum was stuck to the couch and I never wanted to get up.
Schitt’s Creek is about the uber-rich Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) and his family who go from wealthy to dirt poor overnight and must move to the small town of Schitt’s Creek to regroup. The Schitt’s Creek Motel is their new home, the only source of food is from the one, mediocre diner in town, and the Roses are trying everything in their power to get the hell out of there. As you may guess, that doesn’t happen. Over the course of the episodes, they grow attached to this town and its odd residents. This transition isn’t exactly smooth but it sure is hilarious at the very least to watch them try to adapt.
I think part of what makes this show so great is that the actors really commit to their characters. Their personas are so ridiculous that if the actors half-assed their performances, it wouldn’t work. David (Dan Levy) may be one of my favorite TV characters of all time. If he can’t make you laugh then man, I don’t know what else will. His sass and wittiness are unmatched. Alexis (Annie Murphy) is a bit of an airhead but has fantastic character development and really comes into her own. Murphy did an awesome job with Alexis’ physicality and it stays consistent in every episode. Moira’s (Catherine O’Hara) way of speaking is so funny I couldn’t help but wonder how much character prep it took O’Hara to perfect it. She also has a weird collection of wigs that I don’t remember is ever explained (I could be wrong and may have just forgotten) but I’ll accept it. Johnny is basically the voice of reason that tries his darndest to keep his family cool, calm, and collected as much as he can. Eugene Levy’s eyebrows have never ceased to amaze me.
I think it’s awesome that a Canadian-based show has gained so much traction and praise here in the U.S. Majority of what I’ve seen is based here and I think it’s good for the soul to be exposed to talents from elsewhere. What’s equally as awesome is that Eugene and Dan Levy created this show together and Eugene’s daughter, Sarah Levy, is also a main character in Schitt’s Creek. Good for them! O’Hara and Eugene Levy have also worked with each other many times over the course of 40 years. I imagine that being on the Schitt’s Creek set is nothing but a good time. This show is an example of how life could be if we were all just loving and accepting individuals, regardless of a person’s identity. It’s inspiring, to say the least.
I just finished season 5 so I have one more season to go. I’m curious to see how the series ends but hopefully, it ends with a couple of characters getting married (if that doesn’t happen I’ll riot). The episodes are around 22 minutes in length and only have 13 or 14 episodes in each season so it’s a quick watch. Just give the show a chance and I promise you’ll be laughing hard at some point. And who doesn’t like a good laugh?
You can stream Schitt’s Creek now on Netflix.
