It's About the Wine, Not the Label

Cast- Daniel Levy, Eugene Levy, Anny Murphy, Catherine O’Hara, Noah Reid Creators- Daniel Levy and Eugene Levy

The Rose family has an edge of the dramatics, the first scene is of them screaming hysterically we see them pack personals (personified wigs for Moira Rose and arms full of jewels for David Rose)—they are unaware of the future but just like any other small town, the people at Schitt’s Creek are warm and welcoming. The show is way ahead of its times—it builds a utopian world for acceptability, a non-judgmental society. Here, sexual orientation is not represented as a question or a debatable topic. There is a lot that comes naturally, it never feels forced or imposed for the characters to be a certain way. With the sweeping number of awards and the recognition this Canadian comedy sitcom has in its bag, Schitt’s Creek seems is the place to be at! There is empathy, love, compassion, friendships and relationships that felt real and strong characters to have a laugh with! While the character arcs and how sensibly they develop, the show has a lot to read between the lines. It subtly yet powerfully makes a statement.

It is the Pride Month and we cannot not talk about Schitt’s Creek, a show that has spoken volumes and has created a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. It subtly, without asserting or advocating for the community just normalizes the fact that same sex relationships are as usual as any other relationship. It never questions or outcasts Veronica (Ronnie)’s lesbian character or her partners. David’s pansexuality never becomes too much for the family or for his friends around. He is as gleeful as any hopeless romantic in love. David and Patrick’s relationship is one of the most warm and loving relationships of the show—something that goes beyond the storyline. David is funny, queer, and an absolute diva who has his pop culture references right, and on the other hand, Patrick is sincere, caring, mature to understand, appreciate and love David in his entirety. While David who identified himself as pansexual, Patrick is a gay man who was recently engaged to be married to a woman. Like any other relationship, they have their bit of everything—from disagreements, special moments, the ups and the downs. They aren’t treated as an exceptional gay couple but any other couple, with their individualities. There is nothing absurd or out-of-the-normal about their relationship. The queer characters do not hold the burden of representation or being politically right, they are honest with their emotional journeys through the seasons. With so many things to figure out and for the audiences to digest, with enough humor in the room, his sexuality is never at the center stage.

Rather, it is noteworthy that the non-reactions to David’s queerness is pregnant with acceptance. Not once does his parents question his relationships or any other character raise an eyebrow.

What the sitcom does brilliantly is that it neither asserts nor goes into the debate of queer characters—there is no ‘coming out’ as queer, nor is anyone irksome of David’s flings. It is showcased as naturally and with flair as any other relationship.

Another modern icon for the community is Moira Rose—a character absolutely meme worthy, known for her vocabulary and iconic dialogues, she is also known for costumes, wigs, her drag numbers. She has an edge for the dramatics, the costumes are put together with a lot of thought, it adds to her character for they state the mood and the affirmation Moira Rose wants to make. There is a wig for every mood, she is smart, ballsy and also knows her self-worth! From the accent, wigs, the extravagant costumes and the loads of jewelry, she can own it all like a runaway drag queen!

The show brings emphasizing on the importance of individuality. There is no right way of doing things or how the queer community is supposed to be, it is about characters and how they take on to the journey. It talks about character arcs without the burdens of representations or making any political statements. Schitt’s Creek brings all characters full-circle with their emotional journeys, the relationships they built in the town and how they have got to differ between human values and shenanigans of the riches. It has a breezy, easy-ness that brings the multi-layered characters to develop and unfold as the seasons go by. Without making a ‘big deal’ (except for David’s particularity of doing things) of anything, the show has a way of putting the complexities in front of us with a dash of humor, we accept without the urge to feel differently.