Recap / Schitts Creek S 514 Life Is A Cabaret

Tropes That Appear in This Episode

• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Even though everyone already knows about David and Patrick getting engaged (such that Jocelyn and Roland can't help but blurt out how happy they are), everyone tries to give David the big announcement moment he was hoping for. Despite all the interruptions, everyone, even Ronnie, is deeply moved and incredibly happy for them when he's done.
• Call-Back: Stevie gifts David monogrammed towels, recalling that they met when he asked her for towels.
• Cerebus Call-Back: In Season 1, Moira crawling into the closet was Played for Laughs. When she does this after The Crows movie is shelved, it's still funny but it is also heartbreaking given how much her comeback film meant to her.
• Character Development: After years of never knowing where his daughter was, missing out on her Expansion Pack Past, Johnny is having trouble dealing with the fact that Alexis is going to the Galapagos. He keeps giving her small gifts, the latest being a framed photo of the family.
• Comically Missing the Point: In the middle of a conversation about the missing Stevie, Roland congratulates David on his engagement and Alexis complains that she'll be in the Galapagos and won't be able to plan the wedding for him.
• Continuity Nod: David and Patrick finish the Champagne from the previous episode's proposal.
• Curse Cut Short: Stevie shows up backstage and Moira gets out "Stevie, what the f" before Stevie starts explaining she got caught in traffic.
• Dramatically Missing the Point: Alexis interprets Johnny's gifts as a guilt trip to keep her from going to the Galapagos with Ted. He's trying to be supportive, giving her reminders of the family she'll be leaving behind so she won't miss them too much, but, of course, Johnny is terrible at giving gifts... except this time.
• Fanservice: It's Cabaret. We get Mr. Fanservice, Ms. Fanservice, and a few fanservice extras. Because it's tv, though, it's downplayed a bit. Well, downplayed a lot from the more recent productions.
• Friendship Moment:
  • Stevie gives David a poignant engagement gift, and David cheers wildly for Stevie after she sings "Maybe This Time."
  • The wordless gesture between Moira and Jocelyn as the show is about to begin indicates the strong friendship between the two women.
• "Gaining Confidence" Song: Stevie was forced in the role of Sally Bowles. Her rendition of "Maybe this Time" starts out with a shaky voice and irregular pacing, but as she finds her own, her voice gets steadier and she ends the song bombastically. This echoes her character arc, where she slowly became more confident in herself throughout the course of the show.
• He Really Can Act: In-Universe, the cast of Cabaret knocks it out of the park from the first moment. Special note has to go to Alexis, who finally learns some choreography (though Annie Murphy still messes up a little on purpose), and of course Stevie, who absolutely nails it with "Maybe This Time".
• It's All About Me: David lets Team Cabaret have their moment, but what he really wants is to announce his engagement. Unfortunately, the news gets out early when Stevie goes missing, so he doesn't get to have the huge moment he was hoping for. Except he does. But then he doesn't.
• Mistaken for Suicidal: When Stevie goes missing, her friends fear the worst, but she was just picking up an engagement gift and didn't bring her phone.
• Mood Whiplash: David's touching announcement is immediately followed by Moira's horrified scream as she learns that her movie has been shelved. She collapses in front of everyone, crawls into the closet like she did in the first season (not played for laughs this time), and Johnny quietly ushers out the shocked guests.
• Musical Episode: Moira and Jocelyn's production of Cabaret goes off without a hitch, with Stevie and Patrick in the lead roles.
• Parental Substitute: Moira has become as much of a surrogate parent to Stevie as Johnny has in this episode. She tells Stevie she's very, very cool, and she has no doubt she's going to be amazing, in the show and in life.
• Pungeon Master: Alexis ushers Ted out the door with a pun, "He has to Galapago now". Ted loves it so much.
• Subtext: The entire Cabaret arc has had a strong focus on Stevie. She broke up with Emir because he wasn't interested in anything serious, and Moira gave her the role of can't get her man to stay, dead career Sally Bowles. She's had to gain confidence and find peace in her career and her love life. Moira's pep talk before "Maybe This Time" hits as hard as the song itself.
• Tears of Joy: Stevie loses it when David announces his engagement, partly because she's so incredibly happy, partly because of nerves from the show's premiere.