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Schitt’s Creek Season 1 Review

Schitt’s Creek is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan and Eugene Levy for CBS Television. It ran from 2015 to 2020.

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“I like the wine and not the label“

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The first season aired in 2015 and consisted of thirteen episodes. Before I analyze the episodes one by one, let’s first comment upon the series itself. I was interested in this series based on the premise alone, but I did not expect this level of greatness. It’s an instant sitcom classic that blows its competition away with the pure level of fun and enjoyment that each episode brings.

The premise is ingenious. This once wealthy family loses their house and they are forced to live in a very small town in a very bad motel, surrounded by simple folk. It’s a premise that received terrific execution as it’s approached from every comedic angle possible, and simply following them on their road to adjustment was hugely entertaining.

I absolutely adore these characters. From the first episode, I instantly got to know them well, and by now I’ve really grown to love them all. The Rose family is immensely memorable in all four of its members. Johnny is a very interesting man with his power dynamics with every other character on the show being so well mined for laughs.

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Moira is hilarious as this very spoiled, rich woman with such an infectiously fun air of celebrity and movie star in her that is just funny to observe through and through. I also respected the show for portraying their marriage as being very healthy for a change, though the relationship they share with their children is anything but, and amusingly so.

Alexis is the most annoying, worst person of the four, but I still like her for her ditzy, quirky behavior and her obsession with hot men and her interactions with them are consistently funny. Her fashion obsession and her awkward interactions and selfish needs make her one amusing character through and through.

As for David, he is probably my favorite of the four. He is openly pansexual, but his sexuality is never emphasized all that much, and the show avoids the usual homophobia and not adjusting clichés of many other gay characters in shows, and that made the show refreshingly modern. I find his personality very interesting and his interactions with everyone incredibly memorable. His sense of humor is great as he has so many quotable lines of dialogue.

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I love his relationship with Stevie who is such a cool, wonderfully developed character, and the two share a different, authentic relationship that I am all for. Mutt and Ted are clichés, but are very well woven into the narrative. And Jocelyn and Roland are both excellent with the way they make fun of the Roses being consistently engaging.

Our Cup Runneth Over is a perfect opening of a show that instantly hooked me into this world and its characters. It starts abruptly, but fascinatingly as the family are forced to move out of their house and their arrival to this small town is perfectly executed. I found Stevie in these first couple of episodes incredibly cool and bitchy, and she lost that edge a bit later on, but for the sake of her relationship with David, which was fine with me.

The Drip is at its best in the dinner scenes with Jocelyn and Roland. I find these two immensely amusing in their redneck behavior, and the slapping of Moira was easily the comedic highlight here. Don’t Worry, It’s His Sister is very amusing in all of its subplots, but in particular Johnny’s billboard storyline was the funniest.

Bad Parents is a terrific episode, the best one so far. It explores the parents’ very bad relationship with their children and how little they truly know them. It also introduces Alexis to Mutt and David trying to sell his very fancy, very gay clothes was easily the funniest bit.

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The Cabin is less interesting in the kids’ subplot, but the one with Johnny and Moira is excellent. They go to a cabin to have some privacy and high jinks ensue of course. They are so great in particular for how healthy their marriage is. I tremendously respected that portrayal choice. Wine and Roses is solid in all of its subplots, but hardly ever great, though.

Turkey Shoot introduces Ted and I found their relationship cliched, but definitely amusing at times. As for the turkey parts, I found them very funny and relatable. Allez-Vous is such a hilarious episode. Johnny has never been funnier than here, and I find Roland’s continuous making fun of him and humiliations brutally funny. He is dumb, but also very clever and bitchy when he wants to. And Moira and David trying to sell stupid products was comedy gold.

Carl’s Funeral is awkward in its euology while the dogs’ subplot is excellent. It honestly portrays how gross dogs can be and those who hate dogs too. The two parties in Honeymoon are both great, but the young ones’ steals the show here as it escalates into huge arguments. This is where Stevie and David develop a genuine relationship of sorts, which I loved. I find the two of them very refreshing and different as a couple, and I hope they continue that for at least some time in the future, and that they later on remain friends.

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Little Sister is funny in Moira’s horrible sister arriving and fooling with them, but it’s at its best in the scenes between David and the gay teen that he has to comfort for being different. The kid is so bitchy with both of their scenes ending up very funny and quotable in dialogue.

Surprise Party is a fantastic Moira showcase with her birthday surprise party being mined for laughs beautifully. This was her biggest moment to shine in the season. And Town for Sale is a great finale for trying to change things, but the kids got attached to the town and its residents, so they end up staying regardless. It’s a very brisk, dramatic finale that really works.

All in all, the first season of Schitt’s Creek is a fabulous beginning for this show. The characters are amazing as are most of the episodes, and the world of this town already feels lived-in and very much alive.

Worst Episodes: The Cabin and Wine and Roses.

Best Episodes: Bad Parents, Allez-Vous, Honeymoon and Surprise Party.