Schitt's Creek (Season 5)

An incredibly common theme in my reviews is that I love storylines about making TV, movie, or theater productions. There's just something so charming about the main cast coming together to make something, not to mention the potential for critique of the medium. So a Schitt's Creek season about the entire town banding together to put on a performance of "Cabaret" is right up my alley.

So let's get this out of the way, I adored the "Cabaret" storyline. Besides from the usual reasons, it's an incredibly satisfying and fun plot thread to build the season around, and it does a great job of developing multiple characters at the same time. Moira is the main focus this season, as she's the one directing the play, and it allows for a lot of hysterical storylines that give Catherine O'Hara the chance to shine more than in any of the previous four seasons. Meanwhile, Stevie and Patrick, the lead performers in the play, get a lot of development as well, which is a nice change of pace given that they're not the main four. Stevie has to deal with heartbreak after a really difficult relationship throughout the season, along with her fear of being stuck running the motel for the rest of her life sparking her decision to join the play in the first place. Patrick doesn't get quite as much individual focus as Stevie, but the end of the season has him come to his parents, with his performance at Cabaret showing him embrace who he is. However, while I love the Cabaret storyline, it does have the common Schitt's Creek issue of not really starting until halfway through the season, resulting in a generally weaker first half.

David and Patrick's relationship once again gets a big focus as well, culminating in a proposal near the end of the season, but something I noticed about their arc this season is how it feels like a reversal of last season. As in, while last season had Patrick help David adjust to their relationship, this season was about David proving he can be just as supportive. From helping Patrick come out, to joining him in a baseball game, to finding an apartment, to proposing, David constantly finds himself out of his comfort zone and shows just how much he's developed throughout the series. Before the rewatch, I thought Patrick did all the heavy-lifting in their relationship, but that absolutely wasn't the case. Alexis and Ted aren't quite as interesting this season, but given how long it took to get them together, that's not entirely a bad thing. Although, rewatching the series, it was pretty apparent that the show was mostly just setting up their big relationship changes in Season 6 through Ted's trip to the Galapagos. As for Johnny, this season was the point that I really noticed that he didn't have much to do aside from work on the hotel and support the younger ones, he easily has the least to do of the cast.

Season 5 of Schitt's Creek has an incredibly strong second half, boasting some of my favorite episodes in the series:

The Hospies: The point at which the season becomes amazing, The Hospies is a pivotal episode for Stevie as she faces a crushing break-up with her long-distance boyfriend Emir, culminating in her joining Cabaret in the lead role. Despite this, it also boasts the funniest scene in the entire series: The critically reviewed "A Little Bit Alexis".

Meet The Parents: If this is the closest thing Schitt's Creek has to a "Very Special Episode", it just solidifies how wholesome and mostly drama-free this series is. The show could have gone full drama with Patrick coming out to his parents, but the episode managed to be really sweet and heartwarming while still being touching, as Patrick's coming out goes really well and David manages to be supportive through the whole thing. 

The Roast: Setting up the end of the season, this episode establishes Ted's trip to the Galapagos, kickstarting one of the most ambitious Schitt's Creek storylines even if it's not quite apparent at first. The rest of the episode is one of the funnier ones, though, between Patrick and Stevie's secret dance lessons, David having to distract Moira, and Johnny's awful performance at the Mayor's Roast.

Life Is A Cabaret: While Schitt's Creek has always ended its seasons on emotional and climactic notes, this was one of the best finales of the bunch. We finally got to see Stevie and Patrick perform in Cabaret, and it was absolutely worth the build-up (Emily Hampshire and Noah Reid killed it this episode!). But nearly the whole cast got some massive development here, as David reveals the proposal to the family, Ted leaves to the Galapagos without Alexis, and the episode ends on the first cliffhanger since Season 1 as Moira is left thinking her movie has been cancelled, bringing things back to the season premiere.

Overall, Season 5 was already my favorite season yet due to its strong Cabaret storyline, but the strong second half only solidifies it.

4/5 Stars