6x09 Rebound

[7.2/10] Perfectly solid episode. This is one of those Schitt’s Creek episodes where none of the stories is a homerun, but none of them is bad either.

I think my favorite was the one where Jocelyn gets a tryout as a sales associate at Rose Apothecary. I like the good comic conflict between Jocelyn being surprisingly great at sales for the story, but in a cheery, homespun way that conflicts with the vibe David wants for the store. The two make for a fun and underutilized comic pairing, and Jocelyn asserting her salesmanship at the same time David tries to preserve his preferred atmosphere is entertaining. The button to the story, where Jocelyn turns down the job because “it’s just not for her”, to Patrick’s chagrin, is a mild but decent twist.

The other two stories are a mixed bag, but finish strong. Moira getting the Rose family car egged after bad mouthing the town in People Magazine isn’t much of a story engine. It does, however, speak to Moira as the member of the family who’s not found comfort and satisfaction in the town. There’s not much to this one, but it builds to a pretty darn funny tourism video in the tag, with Moira complimenting the humble little berg through gritted teeth.

Likewise, the story where Alexis is dating a much older man, to Johnny’s discomfort, is one of those broad sitcom tropes that the show busts out too regularly. It’s full of clichés and light on laughs. But it ends in some place real and sweet. After Johnny basically scared the older gentleman off, Alexis laments her station in life and is disheartened by feeling dumped. When confronted, Johnny owns up to his role in it, but explains that it comes from a good place, of him wanting to make up for the times when he wasn’t there and unable to protect her after her other bad break-ups. It’s a dumb subplot, but it concludes in a nice place.

All-in-all, this is a solid meat and potatoes episode of the show, with something positive in every storyline.