With the world the way it is, you’d be forgiven for wanting some form of escape, if only for a little while to re-group and re-energise. Schitt’s Creek on Netflix is the perfect show for that.
After the infamous Rose family fall victim to tax fraud, their only remaining asset is a small town called Schitt’s Creek. A town that was bought by the patriarch of the family as a joke birthday gift for his son.
You’d think that a show about a seemingly backwards and conservative rural town would be the last place to find reprieve at a time like this. But the fish-out-of-water trope helps the Rose family slowly but surely adjust to their new surroundings.
Kinda similar to the way that we’ve been living these past few months. Having to retreat to our homes for our safety, and how we’ll have to re-acquaint ourselves with the world post-Covid.
But if this show teaches anything, it’s that we can be resilient if we work hard at building a healthy and strong support system, which is this show’s specialty. Schitt’s creek is different in that it makes an art of the slow build-up of even the most unlikely relationships and shows the beauty in opening up to the possibilities.
Schitt’s Creek Has The Best Character Development
The world is in flames. Thank god there’s Schitt’s Creek.
— Nick Harvey (@mrnickharvey) June 14, 2020
When you first start watching Schitt’s Creek, you start recognising the tired tropes of the rich family getting their comeuppance. It’s old, but it’s still somewhat satisfying, so you continue to see justice prevail. You just KNOW we definitely aren’t seeing much of it in our own world.
You’re faced with tension between the big city snobs and small town hicks, but what you don’t expect is to relate to each and every character on screen, especially through the lens of the main family.
The Roses eventually open up to the town, as we all predict, but what’s different is that we also witness the residents reciprocate this same love in full. There are interactions between the most unlikely pairs of people – level-headed Patrick balances out David’s dramatics, whereas the self- absorbed Moira is grounded by the community choir Jazzagals.
Alexis mays have had adventures all over the world but she has never experienced the joy Twyla gets from serving the same customers with a friendly smile. Although Johnny is a business expert and can guide the hopelessly lost Stevie, both of them would be nothing without Roland’s immaturity and comedic relief.
These people couldn’t be more opposite from each other, but seeing how they find a way to support each other reminds us that there is strength in diversity.
From Privileged And Entitled To Decent People
If you haven’t watched Schitt’s Creek pic.twitter.com/rw0VlZou73
— Pradershika (@thedamnnndelion) June 12, 2020
This bond with the community even translates to a huge part of the Roses’ individual growth. Johnny overcomes his prejudice against the town and looks to better it by investing into the motel as a franchise. Moira joins the Jazzagals, becomes a city council member and looks to reboot her acting career.
Alexis goes back to school and puts her celebrity networking skills to use by starting her own PR firm. And David creates a business that highlights the best products that the region has to offer, having been totally unwilling to engage with the community before.
The only way that they all thrived was by engaging with and giving back to the community that they were once so afraid of confronting.
By the end of the show, you could almost say that they are unrecognisable, with the exception of the signature Rose family snark and pettiness that taints their every interaction. Whether it’s Alexis’ iconic “Ew, David!” or Moira’s befuddling accent, every character maintains the essence of who they are while still overcoming obstacles that they wouldn’t have imagined they’d have to face in their old lives.
Their duality makes it that much sweeter when they encourage each other through tough decisions and new endeavours, coming a long way from the privileged and entitled family they were.
A Better World Than Our Own
To anyone living with depression, I recommend watching Schitt’s Creek on Netflix if you need to smile and forget “stuff” for a little while. It’s helped me escape my own head, even if only temporarily, while watching. If it start a few cracks in *my* armor, it might help others.
— Amy Berger (@TuitNutrition) June 14, 2020
Showrunner Dan Levy (who also plays David) ensured that the world of Schitt’s Creek was built specifically to be a world without discrimination. It was important to see a world without these prejudices because we could see the characters being themselves.
So often we have to see LGBTQ+ identifying characters going through tragedy to be together, but this little pocket of the Schitt’s Creek universe allowed for the beauty of being together and loving one another without the added caveat.
David is someone who had a lot of barriers up. Thematically, it felt similar to the weight that many minorities have to carry. But they came down gradually as he fell in love with Patrick – simply because they were able to focus on their relationship and growth, and not any discrimination they would have faced.
A Lasting Impression
Overall, this story is about love in all its different forms. So much of what the Roses were able to achieve comes from the support and love they found in their community, their friends and their family. Although the show was a small cult hit for most of its life on air, the thoughtful character development and world building is what helped bring in new audiences.
The love the fans have for this show is surely what is going to keep this show relevant and everlasting long after we say goodbye to the Rose family.
