Cassie LaJeunesse, Campus Carrier Deputy News Editor
As a firm believer in the wonders of Netflix and a lover of sitcoms, I have watched, re-watched and re-re-watched Friends, Parks and Recreation, How I Met Your Mother, The Office and more. Because I love these shows, I usually have trouble getting new shows. Earlier this year, I mentioned to my mom that I needed something new to watch. I trust my mom’s opinion on pretty much everything. It is because of her that I first watched Parks & Rec and Gilmore Girls, so when she told me about a hilarious new Netflix show called Schitt’s Creek, I figured I should check it out.
Once again, my mom’s impeccable judgement did not fail me. Schitt’s Creek is an incredible show, and one that I would (and do) recommend to anyone and everyone. It focuses on the Roses, a ridiculously wealthy family who loses their fortune at the hands of a crooked business manager. Because of this, the only asset they are allowed to keep is a tiny town called Schitt’s Creek that Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) bought as a joke for his son, David (Dan Levy). Johnny, his wife Moira (Catherine O’Hara) and their two children, David and Alexis (Annie Murphy), are forced to move to Schitt’s Creek and live in a motel… and hilarity ensues.
As I said, I would recommend this show to anyone. The most obvious reason for that is the comedy. Catherine O’Hara delivers a stellar performance as a former soap opera actress who obsesses over her lifestyle and changes wigs multiple times every episode. Dan Levy and Annie Murphy are somehow both annoying and endearing as spoiled twenty-somethings who have no idea how to live without their father’s credit card.
In all honesty, I am a sucker for character-driven shows, and character development is another draw of Schitt’s Creek. In the first episode, the Rose family’s haughty attitudes and antics are kind of annoying, but the characters grow and learn from their time in Schitt’s Creek, which leads to some touching family moments as the show goes on.
Because I love the characters in this show so much, I can’t just talk about the main family. The supporting characters are hilarious as well, and the show gets even funnier as the Roses interact with the town residents. The first Schitt’s Creek resident we meet is Mayor Roland Schitt. Roland is an unfortunate stereotype of a small-town resident: beer gut, trucker hat and terrible manners all in one. However, the juxtaposition of Roland against the posh Rose family leads to some hilarious interactions. In the first episode, he arrives at the motel to welcome the Roses to town… and proceeds to “overstay his welcome” in their bathroom.
Basically, I would encourage you to make Schitt’s Creek your next TV binge. There are only three seasons so far, all of which are on Netflix. The show offers a refreshing concept if you’re tired of “group of friends finds way in New York City; all date each other” (read: Friends, How I Met Your Mother) or “mockumentary of quirky characters breaking the fourth wall” (read: Parks & Rec, The Office). The banter is witty and hilarious, the characters are well-developed and, in the words of my roommate, “you get to see rich people fail at life.”