Love is love in 'Schitt's Creek'

David Rose and Patrick Brewer embrace after deciding to purchase a house together in Schitt’s Creek
(Photo courtesy of Pop TV)

By Sloane Crocker, staff writer

Disclaimer: Possible spoilers ahead for Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)

After watching the Canadian sitcom Schitt’s Creek, it is impossible to avoid the desire to live within the tiny town’s tight-knit community, an environment which provides an exemplary meter stick by which to measure the community of Maria Carrillo High School. The show boasts a star studded cast, with Catherine O'Hara filling the shoes of Moira Rose, a wealthy socialite who has lost it all, and Daniel Levy as her sheltered son, David Rose. These greats of the film industry, combined with a masterfully constructed script, create a series that is sure to elicit many hearty laughs along with more than a few tears. 

This show’s strongest element is unequivocally the manner in which it represents the LGBTQ+ community, as a relationship between two male main characters, Patrick Brewer and David Rose, blossoms before viewers’ eyes free of the shackles of prejudice and hate. The town of Schitt’s Creek is truly an emblem of acceptance and harmony, which sets a flawless example for the community of MCHS as well as across the nation.

When Patrick Brewer meets David Rose in season three, their shy smiles and somewhat awkward laughs set what can only be described as a “vibe.” While David is snarky and eccentric, attempting to find his place in the world after he and his family lost their considerable fortune to a fraudulent business manager, Patrick is practical, humble, and approachable, the man who seems to have a thousand variations of ironed button ups and not an unfriendly bone in his body.  As dissimilar as the two may seem, the show proves true the cliche phrase “opposites attract”, as the instant connection between them is not to be washed away with time. Rather, as Patrick, a professional who assists with business licenses, supports David on his journey to create the specialized store “Rose Apothecary” in Schitt’s Creek, the two share many more encounters which allude to an underlying connection much deeper than that of platonic business partners. In a perfect moment after David’s birthday dinner in season 3 episode 13, Patrick and David kiss.  The scene is an accumulation of every word, laugh, and smile shared between the two, and the first domino which sets in motion their future together. As the couple discover exactly how they fit together throughout the remainder of the series, viewers are showered with drifts upon drifts of pure and honest love, each of the seemingly minute moments within this snowfall makes ever more lucid the fact that the two are meant for each other. Viewers may take their pick of favorite moments, from Patrick’s serenading of David during open mic night to David winning the game for Patrick’s baseball team to Patrick’s beautifully orchestrated proposal, each of these occasions showcasing the beauty that is love free of prejudice.

However quintessential an environment Schitt’s Creek may be, it causes one to ask: How conducive is the MCHS community to the blossoming of flowers of every variety? According to a bisexual student at this school who asked to remain anonymous and will be referred to as Student 1, many students do not place value in the LGBTQ+ community. As stated by another student, who also asked to remain anonymous and identifies as lesbian—called Student 2 here—some members of MCHS are outwardly hostile towards the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, Student 2 encountered a peer who was clearly homophobic and labeled gay people as “weird.” Other students may not directly attack this community, but “see it as a joke… something unimportant that does not deserve respect” according to Student 1, an attitude which can cause wounds just as deep as an outright assault. Specifically, Student 1 has often heard the term “so gay” tossed around by fellow students as a joking insult towards something or someone. Though this trend may seem harmless, a humorous phrase bounced about amid friendly banter, this student testifies to the derogatory intentions buried within the remark. Student 1 says, , “It is obvious kids are not using it as a positive thing but rather a joke … [this] takes power away from those of us who do identify as gay.” Because of this, though this student identifies as bisexual, she cannot imagine “coming out” to the school community. She feels that though some students would be supportive, many others would be “disgusted,” as she is “sure that some girls would even feel uncomfortable changing in a locker room with [her],” which she thinks is “outrageous.” On the other hand, Schitt’s Creek is an environment devoid of even a shadow of bias, with nary a raised eyebrow nor snide comment let alone outward attacks towards the LGTBQ+ community. It is clear that anyone who was to “come out” within this show’s environment would face only a warm embrace of support, as the show provides a flawless guide from which MCHS should adopt more than a few ideas.

Though the remarks of these anonymous students paint a clear picture of disparities between the communities of Maria Carrillo High School and Schitt’s Creek, there are also parts of our school which reflect the harmony and equality that is such a defining part of the series. According to Student 2, “The school system is pretty decent in treating the community.” This student appreciates teachers’ inquiry towards preferred names and pronouns, a crucial step towards a respectful and inclusive environment. In the eyes of Student 2, it is not the staff but the students who sow bias and inequality in a community which is otherwise very similar to that of Schitt’s Creek. Student 1 supports this perspective as well, attesting to the fact that “[she doesn’t] really think much of this behavior will change, as the immaturity among teens may never change.” For all of the devotion the staff may have towards creating an environment which opens its arms to every student, it seems that polarizing attitudes will always exist, with students failing to respect groups with which they cannot directly identify.

After viewing even a few episodes of the series Schitt’s Creek, viewers will find themselves immersed in an environment which is entirely accepting and devoid of prejudice, a seemingly accumulation of all the purest qualities of humankind. Cheeks are sure to be wet as a beautiful relationship unfolds between David and Patrick, yet the tears shed are not of sadness but of joy. Rather than experiencing waves upon waves of bias crashing upon their relationship, David and Patrick paint their future together just as any man and woman would. As the two discover each other without any differing treatment based on their sexuality, it is impossible not to wish for a world which reflects such beauty. Though many incongruencies may exist between the communities of MCHS and Schitt’s Creek, it is important to recognize the members of the high school who strive for acceptance and respect for all, and keep in mind the harmonious society within the series when constructing visions for the future of the school and the nation.