It put Pop TV on the map as its first Emmy nominee for Outstanding Comedy Series.
On Tuesday night, the hilarious “Schitt’s Creek” kicks off its sixth and final season.
Created by Eugene Levy and his son Dan, the show follows the wealthy Rose family of four who are evicted from their L.A. mansion when they lose their entire fortune. Their only asset is a small town called Schitt’s Creek, which was bought as a gag gift.
As they move into the town’s rundown motel, the family is initially repulsed by culture shock, but they soon come to love the small-town comforts and quirky hospitality.
If you haven’t seen the show, you’re probably not alone. It’s flown under the radar since debuting on Canadian television in 2015, before finally bursting into American pop culture when it became available on Netflix in 2019. Trust me, it’s a great binge.
Here are six storylines to watch in Season 6:
1) David and Patrick’s wedding
From the very beginning, David (Dan Levy) has been the most fascinating figure. Not only do we respect him behind the scenes for creating the show and breaking LGBT barriers, his on-screen character is mesmerizing, wearing bizarre clothes, spitting sarcastic zingers and maintaining an ambiguous sexuality for the first few seasons.
Unlike stereotyped gay characters in past shows, “Schitt’s Creek” handled David’s evolution fluidly and realistically. First, he hooked up with a woman in Stevie. Then he hooked up with a man in Jake, who was also seeing Stevie (awkward). Throughout, David insisted he was pansexual, saying he “likes the wine but not the label.”
When Patrick (Noah Reid) finally entered the picture in Season 3, we cheered because it was David’s time to find himself and true love. Their relationship has felt believable the entire way, evolving from apothecary colleagues to soul mates.
It’s also given us the show’s biggest emotional payoffs, serenading each other with Mariah Carey, saying heartfelt “I love yous” and ultimately proposing.
Bring on the wedding!
2) Alexis and Ted’s trip
Alexis (Annie Murphy) has always been the brattiest and most selfish character, the Kardashian of the group, but hopefully Season 6 promises some real character growth. Thankfully, she got over her kiss-in-the-rain “Notebook” fling with bearded hunk Mutt (Tim Rozon) and chose the tenderhearted veterinarian Ted (Dustin Mulligan), who graciously agreed to give it another shot after she turned down his initial proposal.
We left off with Alexis making her most selfless choice yet: agreeing to travel with Ted for a residency in the Galápagos Islands. Will she actually go through with it? Or, will she miss the casual charms of Schitt’s Creek?
The dilemma has all the makings of Jimmy Stewart’s adventure photographer debating Grace Kelly’s fashionista in “Rear Window.” They might think the other isn’t cut out for it, but they just might be surprised.
3) Johnny and Roland’s bromance
One of the my favorite parts of “Schitt’s Creek” has been the love-hate relationship between the distinguished patriarch Johnny (Eugene Levy) and the town’s uncouth, fourth-generation Mayor Roland Schitt (Chris Elliott). Roland is that clingy wannabe best friend, like Kenny Bania begging Jerry Seinfeld to grab a meal in “Seinfeld.”
Elliott is perfectly cast after skeezy roles in “There’s Something About Mary” and “Scary Movie 2,” but he also carries a kindhearted sympathy from “Groundhog Day.” The more Johnny is around him, the more he begrudgingly appreciates him, leading to a touching Season 2 finale where the Roses’ old friends bad mouthed the town, causing Johnny to stand up for Roland.
I hope Season 6 cements the bromance.
4) Moira’s acting career
The matriarch Moira (Catherine O’Hara) has long had a push-pull with her fading Hollywood acting career, like some sort of Norma Desmond who doesn’t realize the industry has passed her by. The “Home Alone” alum commits completely to the role of the pretentious diva, over-pronunciating words (instead of theater, it’s “the-ah-tah”), donning ridiculous wigs, even taking a self-deprecating dig at her own plastic surgery.
Season 5 saw her delusions finally start to crack after thinking she was cast in a major blockbuster only to wear a ridiculous crow outfit for a low-budget sequel. For the first time, she realized her waning star power.
This led to more selflessness in Schitt’s Creek’s local production of “Cabaret,” where she took a back seat and allowed Stevie to take center stage. Will Moira finally learn to value creativity over celebrity status?
5) Stevie’s future path
While Moira’s acting career has passed her by, the town’s flannel-wearing motel clerk Stevie (Emily Hampshire) may have just unwittingly launched an acting career after her surprise turn in “Cabaret.” For several seasons, Stevie considered shaking the dust off the small town and seeing the world.
Is her new acting talent her big break?
There’s not much left holding her there, except her own fear of change. David and Patrick’s wedding should bring closure to her romantic past with David, meaning she is now emotionally free to leave.
Financially, she appears to have the means to leave after being willed the motel by her late aunt. I predict that Season 6 finally gives Stevie the courage to venture out on her own and brave the unknown world without fear.
6) The fate of the motel
By now, the Rosebud Motel has become more than just a central set; it’s the symbolic core of the show. Its crummy quarters were first viewed with snobby disgust by the Roses, but ironically its cramped interior is the very reason they were able to grow closer as a family.
It forced these four selfish individuals to think about other people.
The check-in counter is a revolving door for people coming in and out of a town whose charm coincides with your length of stay. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. One man’s quaint is another man’s cozy.
I hope Season 6 offers the Roses a legit opportunity to leave for a fancier lifestyle, only for them to stay. Like “Citizen Kane,” it’s called the Rosebud Hotel for a reason. The simple things in life outweigh the riches.
However the series ends, it’s been a very enjoyable ride. You might think the show would stick around longer since it just now popped into pop culture, but that’s not its style. Its creators are happy to build a hidden gem and go out on top.
And so, Dan Levy left us with this fitting Instagram post, confirming the show’s conclusion:
