The multi-award-winning sitcom Schitt’s Creek follows the Rose family, a once-wealthy quartet who are embezzled of their riches and forced to move to small-town Schitt’s Creek. Their subsequent adjustment period unfolds over six heartwarming and humorous seasons as Johnny, Moira, David, and Alexis Rose grow closer to one another and to their own humanity.
There’s no doubt that the family’s budding connection was key to the show’s critical acclaim - but it was the deadpan humor that really spoke to Schitt’s Creek fans. The Canadian sitcom owes some of its repeat-bingeworthy status to the slow-burn jokes, those wryly-acted bits that take more than one pass to catch. Whether you’re a die-hard Moira fan or an Alexis aficionado, Schitt’s Creek (on Netflix but moving to Hulu in October) has plenty of underrated barbarous japes that may have flown under your radar on the first watch.
Stevie Doesn’t Like Golf (Season 3, Episode 6)
As business co-owners of the local motel, Stevie Budd (Emily Hampshire) and Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) spend ample time together. In prep for a meeting with Elm Glen Golf Club, Johnny excitedly tells Stevie to prep for a day on the green, which Stevie shrugs off disinterestedly.
Though her sarcastic quips often go unanswered, Stevie never misses a chance to exercise dry wit. To really solidify just how little she cares for the sport, she explains to Johnny that while she’s not a golfer, “there was this one point in high school where I got this haircut that everyone said made me look like I was in the LPGA”.
David Doesn’t Want To Be Complicated (Season 3, Episode 2)
In a town with so few romantic prospects, David Rose (Dan Levy) somehow still manages to get tangled up in a love triangle - with none other than Stevie. While besties Stevie and David begin seeing local hottie Jake separately, it doesn’t take long for the three to become unwittingly entwined in a “throuple” situation.
In discussing the situation with Stevie, David proclaims “I’m starting to feel like I’m trapped in an Avril Lavigne lyric here.” This Canadian deep cut pays homage to the Canadian pop-punk’s 2002 hit Complicated, flavoring this interaction with a bit of nostalgic flair.
Moira Indescribably Can’t ID an Ultrasound (Season 4, Episode 6)
This episode opens with Roland Schitt entering Town Hall with a manila envelope containing the results of his unborn baby’s ultrasound, something he plans to keep secret as per family tradition. Unfortunately, he leaves the envelope on Moira Rose (Catherine O’Hara)’s desk, and she opens it without hesitation, asking “Who put a picture of a ghost on my desk?”
This zinger stands on its own with Moira’s melodic delivery, but what really makes it is that, as a mother of two, she must know what an ultrasound looks like. Perhaps all the rounds of “Sleepy Mommy” have compromised her memory.
Bob Should Probably Leave Gwen (Season 6, Episode 6)
Schitt’s Creek auto shop owner Bob is a common fixture throughout the show, often misreading cues and misinterpreting conversations in an endearing way. Obliviousness seems to be at Bob’s core, something that is never more obvious than when discussing his partner Gwen.
Woven throughout Schitt’s Creek is the running “joke” (if you can call it that) that Bob and Gwen’s relationship is on thin ice. Whether he’s unaware or intentionally ignoring the signs, Bob opines to Johnny and Roland that their company "would be so nice to not be completely alone for a night. Uh, lucky Gwen, she has another one of her male cousins visiting.”
The “Rosebud Motel” Could Use a Glow-Up (Season 5, Episode 13)
Though humble, Schitt’s Creek earns status as celebrated TV town through its embodiment of the slogan “where everyone fits in”. Host to a wide range of characters and personalities, the town has a habit of growing on those who spend time with it, even the once-pretentious Rose family.
Though the Roses come to love Schitt’s Creek over time, Moira can never quite get past its homeliness. While staging the town’s production of “Cabaret,” Moira recruits Johnny and Roland to borrow furniture from the motel. In the words of Stevie, “According to Mrs. Rose, our motel is the only place sad enough to pass for a pre-war Berlin brothel.”
Alexis’ Vet Interview Is Peak Irony (Season 2, Episode 9)
Alexis Rose (Annie Murphy), the celebutante daughter of the Rose bunch, is best known for her “ew, David”-isms and wild repertoire of globetrotting adventures. She frequently drops references to escapades with various celebrities and events, often to a small-town crowd who doesn’t care in the least.
When interviewing for the secretary position at Ted Mullens’ (Dustin Milligan) veterinary clinic, Alexis quips that "US Weekly once described me as 'up for anything'". This perfectly Alexis moment is blissfully unaware and highly contrary, following on the heels of her expressing disgust at having to work near animals.
Jocelyn Really Needs a Break (Season 5, Episode 7)
It’s no secret that new mothers are exhausted all the time. The depths of Jocelyn Schitt’s (Jennifer Robertson) tiredness are alluded to multiple times after the birth of Roland Jr., and it seems she’s up for pretty much anything that’ll get her some “me time”.
On her latest entrepreneurial tip, Alexis invites Jocelyn and some other locals to what she believes is a fitness class - only to find out later that it is actually a cult. In spite of this revelation, Jocelyn still seems just as keen on attending the Gateway “retreat,” remarking to Alexis: “Can I still go on the trip? Last weekend I snuck Roland Jr. Into the ball room at Ikea, just so I could eat a meatball by myself.” She can’t be the only new mom willing to go this far to escape parenting duties.
Alexis Is Fashionably Late For Her First Shift (Season 2, Episode 10)
After securing a position at Ted’s vet clinic, Alexis is ready to start a new chapter in her life as a self-sufficient woman. But her socialite upbringing didn’t quite prepare her for the working world. Starting the day commiserating over the scrubs uniform with David, Alexis shows up for work late, much to Ted’s chagrin.
To her credit, Alexis mentions that she "wasn't sure of the etiquette for this sort of thing, so she just circled the block a few times". Ted, ever the kind gentleman, responds by letting her know "you can show up early - or on time. Early is probably even better."
Moira Can Be Pretty Self-Absorbed (Season 4, Episode 12)
The heartening development of the Rose family is central to Schitt’s Creek. When the Roses are first introduced, they are a fractured, borderline narcissistic bunch who care more about opulence than one another. Over the course of the show’s six seasons, their dynamic becomes loving and encouraging.
But that doesn’t mean that all of their old traits have vanished. In a perfectly exemplary moment, Jocelyn speaks to Moira about Alexis’ growth. Never one to be decentered, Moira responds with an earnest “that is one of the most generous compliments one could receive as a mother” - yes, when receiving a compliment meant for her daughter.
Stevie Is The Town Schitt-Disturber (Season 5, Episode 5)
As quiet as she can be, Stevie is always down to watch (and often encourage) town drama. Lucky for Stevie, these comedic scenes are plentiful with the Roses in town.
It’s during Patrick’s housewarming party that Stevie really gets her money’s worth. A game of spin the bottle results in David and Ted kissing, much to the frustration of both Patrick and Alexis. When David asks in shock what caused the pair’s upset, Alexis rhetorically quips, “Oh, I don't know, David. Was it the time you kissed my boyfriend? Or was it the time you kissed my boyfriend?” Stevie, ever so helpfully, chimes in “I think it was the time you kissed her boyfriend.”