YMMV / Schitt's Creek

• And You Thought It Would Fail: Despite being co-created by comedy legend Eugene Levy and starring Eugene and his frequent costar Catherine O'Hara, the series was met with lukewarm and dismissive reviews and in the USA aired on the obscure Pop TV channel. Many viewers were turned off by the name and some of the initial promotion focused more on the show's slapstick/broad humor rather than its more sophisticated jokes. Thanks to strong support in its native Canada and the faith Pop network executives had in the show, it was kept on the air, and show runner and co-creator Daniel Levy was left to his own devices. The show, which was never bad, gradually improved over the first three seasons so that when it landed on Netflix, it became a big hit with viewers who appreciated its queer sensibilities and positive but still sharp sense of humor. When the series ended by choice in 2020, the New York Times critic who had panned it wrote a piece defending himself and giving himself permission to reevaluate the show. And to wrap it all up, the series won nine Emmy Awards in 2020, including awards for all four of the Roses and multiple awards for Dan Levy.
• Angst? What Angst?: Johnny worked hard his whole life and built a fortune, only to have it stolen from him. He has every right to be bitter, angry and traumatized by this, but he rarely complains.
• Arc Fatigue: Alexis trying to get with Mutt takes up the majority of the first season, and mostly consists of just Alexis coyly dropping hints to him, to no avail. The fatigue brought on by this lengthy Will They or Won't They? arc is only worsened for many viewers due to a general lack of chemistry between Alexis and Mutt.
• Award Category Fraud: Dan Levy and Annie Murphy both won Emmys for the final season in the supporting categories, even though most people would agree that David and Alexis are leading roles alongside Johnny and Moira.
• Award Snub: Despite the final season’s tremendous performance at the Emmys, fan favorites Emily Hampshire, Noah Reid, and Dustin Milligan (who had the benefit of being a series regular eligible for guest) were unable to secure nominations. Victor Garber was also snubbed in the guest actor category despite his epic turn as Moira's former co-star.
  • Despite being consistently great, the show was completely shut out at the Emmys for the first four seasons. This is almost certainly due to many only discovering the series in its later years.
• Base-Breaking Character:
  • Bob is a very love-him-or-hate-him character. Some fans find him to be an Ensemble Dark Horse and one of the funniest characters. Others find him uncomfortable and hate how much he inconveniences the other characters, especially Johnny. Most people like his run though.
  • Roland Schitt definitely divides the fanbase. Some people love his oafish humor and his Odd Couple friendship with Johnny, while others find the vulgarity of the character out of place on an otherwise very sophisticated show. Fans are also divided on whether his nature as a well-meaning idiot who constantly causes problems for Johnny makes him endearing or infuriating.
• Better on DVD: When the show became available on Netflix it exploded in popularity, given that the episodes run around twenty minutes and the ongoing story is compelling enough to hit play for the next episode.
• Broken Base: Ted and Alexis breaking up for good in season 6, after being offered jobs in different parts of the world and being unable to make long distance work, splits viewers on whether it was a justified and realistic conclusion considering their circumstances, or a deeply unfair one that rendered all of their struggles throughout their relationship meaningless. The only thing that everyone agrees on about it is the strength of the performances of Annie Murphy and Dustin Milligan.
• Consolation Award: The final season pulled off a complete sweep at the Emmys. While the last season was undeniably critically acclaimed, many believe that it was also influenced by voters finally embracing a show that they had snubbed for the vast majority of its run.
• Crazy Is Cool: Moira, with her wigs and designer clothes and unrecognizable accent and unearned confidence and brilliant portrayal in Catherine O'Hara.
• Cult Classic: Consistently draws critical acclaim towards itself but has maintained fairly low viewership ratings. Appearing on Netflix has benefited it significantly in this regard, but it's still nowhere near close to getting mainstream recognition. Even when the show swept the Emmys, there was a significant sense on social media that it was a niche show as many people admitted to have never seen it and wondered if it was that good. Since part of the joy of the show was viewers discovering it and gradually realizing how good it was, it's possible that newer viewers won't be as passionate as its core fans.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Twyla, Jocelyn, and Ronnie have all gotten bigger storylines as their popularity has grown. Meanwhile, Ray, Bob, and Gwen have passionate fanbases and sometimes steal scenes.
• Growing the Beard: The show was always funny, but it gradually improved over the first and second season.
  • The series started off in the shadow of Arrested Development and the Roses are harsher and meaner in the first episodes because of it. When they soften but retain their edges, the show starts to find its own voice and blossoms.
  • When the first season romances between Alexis and Mutt and David and Stevie fizzle out, it leads to Character Development for Alexis and David. Alexis feels hurt for the first time, and David and Stevie settle into a deep friendship that becomes a core part of the show.
  • When the Rose parents crash the Barn Party to tell their children they love them, the scene nails the mixture of sharp humor with a touch of genuine sentimentality that makes the show great.
  • When Patrick arrives in town and becomes an Iconic Sequel Character, the ensemble feels complete since both Rose children then have love interests that force them to grow as people.
• Heartwarming in Hindsight: While the scene with David explaining his pansexuality to Stevie was already a signature sweet moment of the show, it became sweeter to learn that the scene helped Stevie's actress, Emily Hampshire, realize she was pansexual. She posted the scene on Instagram when coming out in 2019.
• He Really Can Act:
  • Eugene Levy already does a wonderful job Playing Against Type, but he also shows genuinely good dramatic chops, such as his "The Reason You Suck" Speech towards his Fair Weather Friends or the sheer happiness on his face after a heart to heart with Patrick.
  • Dan Levy started the series with limited acting experience, but he nailed the comic elements of David's character immediately. However, he really shows his dramatic talent in Season 6 when he sits on the hood of the car with Stevie and allows the audience to see all the insecurities that were behind David's hipster persona as he finally realizes Schitt's Creek is his home.
  • Noah Reid does a great job playing a Deadpan Snarker on a show full of talented comedic actors, and while he doesn't get a large number of dramatic scenes, the ones he does get have been highly praised, such as "The Barbecue," "Meet the Parents," or "The Hike." Additionally, he does a very impressive job Playing Against Type as the Emcee in the in-show production of Cabaret.
  • While he’s always had strong comedic presence throughout, Dustin Milligan occasionally gets to show that he’s equally great at drama. The most noticeable moments being the tender scene where he admits his feelings for Alexis, and the crushing moment when the two of them breakup.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Johnny and David's argument over what a tax write-off is, took on a whole new meaning once Donald Trump's taxes revealed in 2020 that he had written off $70,000 worth of hair care expenses.
• Ho Yay:
  • Sure, he was drunk and they were playing spin the bottle, but Ted sure seemed happy to kiss David. Doesn’t hurt that David is explicitly attracted to him.
  • Alexis and Twyla have several flirty moments throughout the show, and at the end of season 6, a newly-single Alexis invites Twyla to visit her in New York.
  • More than a few fans saw a spark between Stevie and Ruth, the young venture capitalist from the Sixth Season episode "The Pitch".
  • To a small extent between Alexis and Stevie as well. They share a quick kiss during the bottle game at Patrick's sleepover and Alexis seems to be enthusiastic.
• Hype Backlash: After the show won every single Comedy Primetime Emmy for its final season a few people commented that the sweep was excessive. While the other wins are still respected, the victory for the show’s fairly simple direction was particularly criticized given it was as up against much bigger directorial showcases. Dan Levy even alluded to potential backlash in one of his many speeches.
• LGBT Fanbase: Moira's wigs alone would likely draw a big queer following, but the show's sophisticated portrayal of pansexuality, bisexuality and its lovely Queer Romance between David and Patrick has drawn a large and passionate fanbase in the LGBTQ community. Also, the song "A Little Bit Alexis" has become a drag queen anthem and is a popular dance track in gay clubs.
• Memetic Mutation: “Ew.” Dan Levy even jokingly lamented that he was doomed to have people shout the word at him on the street for the rest of his life.
• More Popular Replacement: Ted as Alexis's main love interest after Mutt is Put on a Bus thanks to being a far more interesting and funny character, as well as working off of Alexis in a much more natural and entertaining way.
• One-Scene Wonder: Victor Garber only appeared in one episode as Moira’s former costar Clifton Sparks, but he makes a great impression in that time as a quite possibly the only character in the show who can match Moira’s hamminess.
• Portmanteau Couple Name: Texas for Ted/Alexis and Datrick for David/Patrick.
• Retroactive Recognition:
  • Tim Rozon, who plays Mutt, got the starring role of Doc Holliday on Wynonna Earp which is why Mutt leaves town in Season 2 and only returns once for a guest appearance in Season 4.
  • Dustin Milligan, who plays Ted, was one of the contestants on the Secret Celebrity Edition of Rupauls Drag Race.
  • As weird as it is to Schittheads, many people's first introduction to Dan Levy was his scene-stealing performance in Happiest Season.
• She Really Can Act:
  • Annie Murphy does a terrific job as Alexis throughout the entire series, but she shows off some excellent dramatic chops in season four when Alexis falls into a depression over her feelings for Ted. She gets to put her talent for drama on display again in the final season when she gets an absolutely heartbreaking scene where Alexis breaks up with Ted.
  • Emily Hampshire was always a consistently strong supporting player, but she really gets to show what she’s capable of in Stevie’s season five arc. She nails the both the joy and sadness of the beginning and end of a relationship, and gets show off a strength for musical theatre in the In-Universe production of Cabaret.
  • Catherine Ohara was already a beloved performer for many years, but her work as Moira has been cited as some of the strongest of her already impressive career. Between coming up with many of the character’s most iconic elements and her sheer determination to play such a bizarre woman, it’s not hard to see why.
• The Scrappy: While he’s not straight up hated, you’ll find very few people who like Mutt. This is due to him having very little personality, no real chemistry with Alexis, and never getting a defined relationship with his parents. Not long after he and Alexis get together, they split up, Ted becomes her Love Interest, Mutt leaves town, is only seen one more time in the next season, and never gets mentioned again. Noticeably, very few fans were upset by this.
• Signature Scene:
  • The scene when David explains his pansexuality to Stevie in the first season via a wine analogy is one of the show's most famous, and the phrase "I like the wine and not the label" has grown in popularity so much that pansexual and bisexual people use it without knowing its origins.
  • On a different note, Patrick serenading David with an acoustic cover of Tina Turner's "Simply the Best" went viral, with millions of downloads on Spotify and the profits going to The Trevor Project.
• So Bad, It's Good: Most of Moira’s creative works.
  • There’s also Alexis’ critically reviewed song “A Little Bit Alexis”.
• Song Association: Fans will forever associate Tina Turner's "The Best" with this show.
• They Copied It, So It Sucks!: The show was dismissed by a lot of critics as an Arrested Development knockoff, since both shows are satirical single-camera comedies about an Ambiguously Jewish family that loses its fortune and has a Lady Drunk matriarch. However, after a few episodes, Schitt's Creek differentiated itself by having a much more sentimental and kind tone and ongoing Romantic Comedy stories for the two adult children. Both shows have strong, passionate cult followings, and they even share a lot of fans who can respect both approaches to comedy.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:
  • Clint and Marcy Brewer quickly became popular in the fandom due to their loving and open acceptance of Patrick and David, but their only appearance after Meet the Parents is a nonspeaking cameo in the wedding finale, and they ultimately don’t get many scenes with Patrick, David, or any of the other Roses.
  • Ted is unfortunately quite Out of Focus during the last season, only being in a few episodes and splitting up with Alexis. While his final episode was praised, you can’t help but wish that after being a major character throughout the run, he got to appear more for the series’ last hurrah.
  • Mutt’s brief return could’ve served as an opportunity to both flesh out the mostly unseen dynamic between him and his parents (who he’s explicitly there for) and give him a proper sendoff. Instead, we never see him with his mom and dad, and he quietly vanishes from the show as soon as he returned to it.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot:
  • Although this seems to have been an unintentional choice after Mutt's actor took another role, it's never clarified why Roland and Mutt's relationship is in such a bad state that Mutt needs to meet Jocelyn in secret, and they're never really shown repairing their relationship (though he does return to help Jocelyn when she gives birth).
  • David and Patrick's subplot in season 6's "The Wingman" features them accepting Jake's invitation to "have a whiskey". This could have had potential as a longer storyline, as positive examples of healthy polyamory on mainstream TV are still few and far between, and it would've been interesting to see Patrick explore his sexuality more after only ever being with one man, while David could have finally entered into an open relationship of his own choosing and not through any manipulation on his partner's end. Instead, the two ultimately decide not to go through with it (after seeing that Jake had also invited several other people over) and leave; any conversation that David and Patrick might have about the situation happens offscreen and the audience never gains any insight into it; and the concept of the two occasionally having sex with other people is dropped completely and only brought up again eight episodes later as a funny misunderstanding in the finale.
• Watch It for the Meme: Giving that the comedy is often based on a character's facial expression reacting to some bit of insanity, the show has produced a seemingly endless number of gifs.
• The Woobie
  • Poor Alexis has fairly little luck when it comes to love. After losing everything and being forced to live in a cheap motel in the middle of nowhere, her shallow boyfriend splits up with her. She then has her notions of attractiveness challenged when she starts to fall for Mutt. However, she finds herself unable to truly act on these feelings as he’s together with Twyla, causing her to get into a relationship with Ted, a relationship that never seems to click for her. Eventually she’s forced to reject Ted’s marriage proposal, at which point she gets together with Mutt. But then that relationship gets cut short once Alexis realizes that it’s based off of attraction rather than genuine connection. Later on, a physically and emotionally matured Ted comes back, at which point Alexis starts to fall for him and then regret pushing him away. Despite wanting to get back together with him, Ted has moved on to someone else, leaving Alexis alone. Eventually they’re able to get back together and become a happier couple then they ever were before. Then this happiness is challenged when their respective careers causes them to engage in what was meant to be a brief long distance relationship. When Ted comes back to visit her, he brings about the news that he’s been offered his dream job, which unfortunately means that they’d have to remain physically apart for an even longer period of time than previously expected. Not wanting to tie him down to her and ruining his chances of following his dream, Alexis then has one last date with Ted before breaking up with him, a selfless action that robs her of the only genuine and healthy relationship she’s ever known, requiring her to take several episodes before she fully recovers from it.
  • Some fans think Ted is more accurately characterized as The Woobie in early seasons. Alexis treats him terribly, using him as a substitute for the man she's really attracted to, cheating on him (albeit accidentally), turning down two marriage proposals and shattering his heart. It's a testament to Dustin Milligan's charisma and acting ability that even when written as the third wheel - with the writing favoring Mutt and Alexis and Ted's heartbreak Played for Laughs - Ted remains sympathetic and likable. The writing shift toward Ted as Alexis's love interest is one of the turning points in the show, allowing her character to grow. That said, even when they reunite as a couple, there are many moments when Alexis is still Innocently Insensitive toward Ted, which he eventually learns to circumvent or deescalate. He is given a dream career opportunity, only to have it cause him pain. He is clearly shattered by their breakup but must let go knowing she will not be happy giving up her career for him.