Schitt's Creek: Riches to Rags to Comedy Gold

My last post was about Succession, a drama about a wealthy and corrupt family who (as of this date, two episodes into Season 2) continue to be genuinely awful human beings with no redeeming qualities. If I couldn't persuade you to watch that show, I now bring you Schitt's Creek, a comedy about a wealthy family that loses all their money and has to start their lives over again, despite having no viable life skills. I am halfway through the fifth season (it has already been announced that the sixth season airing next year will be its last), and oh what a singular joy this show has been in my life.

Eugene Levy and his son Dan Levy co-created this show and star in it, as father and son (confusingly, Eugene's daughter Sarah Levy also shows up in the show but as the waitress in the local cafe rather than as his daughter). Eugene plays Johnny Rose, a man who amassed a fortune running a wildly successful chain of video stores (yeah, this show seems to be set in the present day, but video stores? Really?). Together with his wife, Moira (Catherine O'Hara - much to say about this later), son, David (Dan Levy), and daughter, Alexis (Annie Murphy), he is forced to move to the small town of Schitt's Creek after his business manager embezzles all his money. From living in a gargantuan mansion to now sharing two rooms in a motel, the Rose family has to come to grips with their new circumstances and figure out if they will spend their lives trying to reclaim their former glory or forage a new path in this ridiculous town.

The cast of this show is simply stellar, predominantly for their facial expressions. With those eyebrows, there's no doubt that Dan Levy is Eugene's son, but the character of David is mostly one massive eye roll. Watching him contort his face to convey shock, disgust, and happiness, with neither of those expressions ever being 100% clear, is sheer perfection. Similarly, Annie Murphy as Alexis is able to scrunch up her face and waggle her arms and say "Eww, Daviiiiiid" in a variety of ways that I will never stop imitating. I quite literally have been sitting at my desk at work and yelling across to one of my colleagues, "David, let's go, Daviiiiid, David!" when it's time to go to lunch (his name's not David, but that's another story). Eugene Levy's face acting is never more hilarious than when he has to convey the utter bewilderment that Johnny feels about the bizarre things going on around him. He is used to being the man in power, so as he gets overridden by people who he would have ordinarily regarded as minions, he looks so confused and appalled that you can't help but burst out laughing.

Which brings us to Moira Rose. A former soap star, she is the diva of the family, used to getting her own way and having everyone tread lightly around her. With this part, Catherine O'Hara has hit the height of her comedic powers. I don't (and no one else does) have any idea what her accent is but it is ridiculous and wonderful. It's a bit like old Hollywood movies where people like Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn were supposed to be playing Americans but certainly didn't sound like any ordinary citizen. She also indulges in a wonderfully rich old-timey vocabulary. In a recent episode I watched, she was annoyed at Alexis for "pettifogging," a word that I think I last read in a Victorian novel. Always clad in a wig and some bizarre outfit that is the height of haute couture, Moira Rose is an alien come down to earth to grace us with her presence, and I am grateful for this gift. Except when she starts singing.

The supporting cast are equally fantastic - I instantly relate to Stevie (Emily Hampshire), the woman who runs the motel and has to deal with this insane family when they move in despite being a loner who hates people (see why I relate?), but she gradually comes to see the charm of the Roses. There's Chris Elliot as Roland Schitt, the inept mayor of the town and his wife Jocelyn (Jenn Robertson). And there are more who start to become familiar friends and lovers as the seasons go on. I have never bingewatched a half-hour sitcom before - usually I've watched them on a weekly basis on TV and enjoyed the character and story development over several years. But mainlining this show on Netflix, I have a profound respect for the writers and the way that they have let these characters blossom. The Roses were not likable or relatable people when this show started, and the comedy stemmed from them trying to adapt to small-town life or their inability to understand how the hoi polloi live. But slowly, they've gotten used to this town and these people, and they have built up friendships, fallen in love, gotten jobs, and made something of themselves. Unlike the family in Succession, the family in Schitt's Creek are capable of growth and human emotion, and while watching the fourth season, I constantly felt myself going gooey inside as I watched David or Alexis do something selfless for someone else, after spending a lifetime only thinking about themselves. Also, this show may feature the most straightforward and lovely gay couple I've seen portrayed on TV in a while, and they make my heart melt every time they're on screen.

For the past few weeks I have been treating myself to Schitt's Creek whenever I needed a pick-me-up (which is practically every day), and am distraught that I only have a few more episodes left. But if you haven't watched this show yet, what luck! Head on over to Netflix and be prepared to roll around like a pig in mud at all this comedic gold. The show finally scored an Emmy nomination this year, and as far as I'm concerned, it should win. These days, most comedies are actually hour-long dramedies, and while they feature great casts and writers, they are not laugh riots. Schitt's Creek is both hilarious and heartwarming, like all the great sitcoms of TV history. Every episode will make you laugh, but overall, this show will make you sigh contentedly. It is the perfect, comforting escape from the daily grind, a little oasis of optimism where we can all pretend that people are capable of change and that there's some innate goodness in everyone. Isn't that all we're looking for?