This story contains spoilers about the final episode of “Schitt’s Creek.”
“Why are you ending this thing?!” she asked. “This is the perfect show with the perfect cast at the perfect time!”
It’s a popular sentiment about the series, which followed a wealthy family that lost its fortune and was forced to move to Schitt’s Creek, a middle-of-nowhere town that they once bought as a joke. Co-created by former MTV host Dan Levy and his father, veteran comedy star Eugene Levy, it quietly debuted on CBC Television in 2015 and then blew up when it started streaming on Netflix a couple years later. Almost immediately, it became the show that your friends insisted you watch: “Have you seen ‘Schitt’s Creek?’ ” “You really have to watch ‘Schitt’s Creek.’ ” “The first few episodes are slow, but I promise, you’re going to love ‘Schitt’s Creek.’ ”
The enthusiastic predictions came true for many people, even if it took a while to adjust to the rhythm of the quirky series. The show jelled into a delightful viewing experience, partly because “Schitt’s Creek” seemed like it took place on another planet. It was a place where the neighbors who drove you crazy actually became your best friends. A place where homophobia didn’t exist. A place where the most spoiled family ever genuinely came to the realization that love is more important than money.
“It created a better world than we live in,” Rizwan Manji, who played the town’s real estate agent, said in the documentary.
“Schitt’s Creek” was a cleverly written, mind-soothing place to visit for 30 minutes a week, especially in light of the chaos of our current era. And now, when all of our lives have been turned upside down, “Schitt’s Creek” is saying goodbye forever at the worst possible time.
It’s unfortunate, but that’s reality — and for fans who sought closure, the finale concluded with everything wrapped in a tidy bow. Family patriarch Johnny (Eugene Levy) headed to California to establish the new Rosebud Motel Group, while his pals/business partners Roland (Chris Elliott) and Stevie (Emily Hampshire) stayed behind to run things from Schitt’s Creek. His wife Moira (eternal scene-stealer Catherine O’Hara) went with him, as she was set to star in a reboot of her hit soap opera “Sunrise Bay.” Their kids followed their respective dreams: David (Dan Levy) married the love of his life, Patrick, and found he was happy to settle into a life in Schitt’s Creek. Alexis (Annie Murphy) decided to move back to New York to launch her own career as a publicist.
As usual, the episode was quick not to get too heavy-handed with emotional moments. At one point, Alexis tearfully approached her mother as she realized it was the last time they would live in their adjoining motel rooms — something they all initially hated, but begrudgingly grew to enjoy as it brought them closer together.
“A part of me feels like I'm almost glad that we lost the money,” Alexis said, voice wavering.
“Well, I'm happy you and your feelings are so well-acquainted,” Moira responded, barely looking up from her computer. “But you wouldn’t be the first hostage to fall in love with your captor.”
And although Alexis and David constantly quarreled, even they had a meaningful exchange right before Alexis walked him down the aisle. Dressed in a beautiful white gown, she reluctantly conceded that yes, she had “accidentally” purchased a wedding dress.
“I really wanted to impress you today, and now I feel like I’m ruining your wedding,” she said sadly.
David shot back that it had already been ruined thanks to many, many things going wrong. “But for what it's worth, I am continuously impressed by you,” he said. Before the sibling moment could grow too nostalgic, he snapped, “Now, can you please walk me down the aisle before people lose interest?”
In the end, the episode included a lot of fan service, including Moira (who outdid herself in a wig/hat combination as she officiated the wedding) saying “bebe” for the last time in her baffling accent. All the supporting characters got a moment to shine. In the final scene, the stars hugged as they said goodbye, with tears that were likely a result of the show ending in real life, too.
During the post-finale documentary, the cast cried multiple times as they reflected on the show’s unlikely journey. In one particularly emotional scene, the actors all started sobbing as they read a letter from a group of moms who wanted to thank them for showing authentic representation of the LGBTQ community. As the cast members said, they never thought their series (which they dubbed “the little engine that could”) could mean so much to so many people.
“I am very proud of the fact that this show sort of shines a positive light out there into people’s homes,” Dan Levy said. “But the fact that people are also experiencing something deeper through the show? You can’t ask for anything better. It’s wonderful.”
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