Schitt's Creek (Season 6)

Schitt's Creek has had a slow and steady climb from the very beginning. Nearly every season was better than the last, and it all culminates in Season 6, which is easily the best Schitt's Creek season of them all.

Schitt's Creek is a series that's built on its character development, and its final season concludes the arcs of every single character incredibly well. Johnny finally gets much more to do this season, as he gets to expand the hotel business, not unlike how he became rich in the first place. Moira manages to officially get back into acting, between the temporary release of Crows 3 over streaming and the reveal of a proposed Sunrise Bay reboot. David spends the season planning a wedding with Patrick, while also contemplating whether or not to stay in Schitt's Creek. And Alexis spends the season growing her publicity business further, even if it means going to the Galapagos with Ted might not be for the best. I think all of the main cast end up in really good places, as they all earn their success and (mostly) leave Schitt's Creek with their character development intact. I also think having David be the only one to stay in Schitt's Creek felt oddly perfect, probably since he seemed to be the most opposed to moving there at first yet ended up fitting in the most.

All of this season's storylines are entertaining and emotional, but something I noticed about Season 6 is that it is by far the funniest season of Schitt's Creek. I never really found the humor in this series all that remarkable outside of a few specific episodes, but nearly every episode this season had at least one moment that left me doubling over in laughter (David's bed incident, the crow attack, Moira Rosé). I really don't have my gripes or issues with the season either, it really feels like the show itself grew along with the characters. I don't think Schitt's Creek will go down as one of my favorite shows of all time, or even one of my favorite comedies, but I will always remember it for how much it has improved since the uneven first season. Season 6 feels like Schitt's Creek at its absolute peak, with the best humor in the show, strong resolutions for all the character arcs, and a nice amount of compelling drama that's dealt with in an incredibly mature manner.

While the whole season is pretty strong, there are some very noticeable highlights:

The Incident: I wasn't expecting much from this episode at first. The sheer premise of David's bed wetting incident seemed so inherently unfunny to me, and it pretty much was. However, what really made this episode for me was the aftermath. The endless stream of embarrassment that David got for it, and the genius way it interweaved with the already funny Moira Instagram subplot.

The Premiere: This episode might have the single funniest moment in the entire series, the disastrous red carpet premiere that went so hilariously wrong due to a crow attack. This could have been a bit too cartoonish for the show, but it absolutely worked.

The Presidential Suite: Remember when I said there were two "gut punch" episodes of Schitt's Creek. This is the other one. I absolutely admire Schitt's Creek for not forcing Ted or Alexis to compromise for one another, and for depicting a couple that split not because of a fight or some drama, but because their lives are going in different directions and they would be holding each other back. As heartwrenching it is to see Ted and Alexis break up after all this time, it's also a mature and smart end to their relationship.

The Bachelor Party: Similarly to The Incident and The Premiere, this was a much-needed comedic breather before the three episodes that end off the series. The family freaking out over getting themselves stuck in the escape room without their phones is pretty entertaining, and leads to a great moment of resourcefulness from Alexis.

Start Spreading The News: This is by far my favorite episode of Schitt's Creek and serves as the climax of the series for me, as it lays the groundwork for the family to go their separate ways in the finale. There are so many emotional moments here, from Twyla buying the cafe, to Moira's last Jazzagals session, to David deciding to stay in Schitt's Creek, but nothing really manages to top that final scene where the family realizes they're going to have to split apart. 

Happy Ending: Compared to Start Spreading The News, this series finale is a bit underwhelming as it's exclusively focused on David and Patrick's wedding and nothing else. It also does fall for the "marriage doesn't go exactly as planned" cliche, which I find to be a bit predictable. Still, this was an incredibly sweet finale, feeling like an extended goodbye to the characters that was packed with references to prior iconic moments in the series, particularly with the return of "Precious Love" and "The Best".

Overall, in a show where nearly every season is better than the last, Season 6 feels like a nearly perfect ending to the series, giving every character the ending they deserve and doing so with an incredible amount of maturity and some of the strongest humor in the series.

5/5 Stars

My ranking of the Schitt's Creek seasons is:

6 > 5 > 3 > 4 > 2 > 1

My ranking of the Schitt's Creek finales is:

5 > 2 > 3 > 6 > 4 > 1

Favorite Episode: Start Spreading The News