So before we get started I have a disclaimer to make; I’m very late to the Schitt’s Creek party. How late you ask? Late enough that I could binge watch seasons 1 to 5 before eagerly awaiting the final season late!
Also yet another disclaimer- I got into the show primarily because I had always been aware of David being pansexual- after all it’s something you don’t see everyday and it was always in my mind to take an attempt to watch the show to see how it deals with it.
The thing about Schtt’s Creek is that it’s a show that develops naturally; season 1 sees the Rose family literally have their lives ripped upside down and move from the top end of the town to literally the bottom end of town.
Or does it?
It’s simple to describe that show as I outlined above; but having just said those words I call a big fat boulder dash to that. Because to describe it that fails to acknowledge that it’s subversive in its nature and its comedy- taken as a whole Schtt’s Creek is about acceptance and growth; we see Johnny, Moria, Alexis and David all undergo a journey to accepting their new found positions in life. From the beginnings as rich as all hell, to a fall from grace and wondering where they go; each of the Rose family, by the end of season 6, transform into better versions of themselves while still remaining true to their cores. Hell, this transformation and acceptance is seen in most if not all characters; especially in the later seasons for the characters of Stevie and Patrick.
Now that I’ve given background to the core of where the characters start/end of the series; it leads me into what i call the queer acceptance of Schtt’s Creek.
As has been mentioned everywhere on the interwebs; most people’s reactions have been surprised at the acceptance of the relationship between Patrick and David. They’ve also mentioned surprise also at the lack of homophobia in the show. Sadly that was also my reaction as well.
Dan Levy- one of the co-creators, writer and portrayer of David Rose- said that by even acknowledging homophobia is a thing is to give it fire and he simply wasn’t going to have that. As an openly gay man, his logic is amazing and one I totally agree with. Maybe it's just idealism- which I’m all for! But to take this path in a show that kept growing and getting a bigger audience is amazing but also very efficient- actions like this can have more impact than anything else. Media is an effective tool for education; the more queer characters we have on screen on both TV and film means more people are exposed and come to realise that “gay is normal”, though I’m loathed to use that term.
A good example of how accepting it is is in season 6, episode 7 of the show entitled Moria Rose. There’s a scene where Johnny Rose sits down with Patrick and tries to have “the talk” with him. And by talk I mean “treat my son good” talk, not the sex talk. This scene is soo sweet because Johnny is uncomfortable not because of the same sexness of the talk, but rather because he can’t find the right words to use. And Patrick knows this and recognises this, by finding the words that needed to be expressed and encapsulating both the fears of Johnny as a parent that wants the best for his children, while also stating how he’ll love and respect David and also looking after and protecting him. It’s a very heartwarming scene.
It’s hard to explicitly give examples of queer acceptance in Schtt’s Creek; not because there isn’t but it’s because the show as a whole needs to be viewed as a whole to gain the true understanding of how accepting it is.
If you did want to watch just the “highlights”- i recommend watching seasons 3 through 6. Thorough watch it from the start; it’s a superb show that is going to be missed
