1x10 Honeymoon

[7.6/10] I liked the looser energy of this one. Rather than series of comic subplots spun together or a series of setup-punchline gags, this one was more about the interaction between the various characters and the humr emerging from the situations. THat’s definitely my speed, and I liked how much freer and messier this one felt than a typical episode.

For one thing I’m strangely on board with Stevie and David now? The explanation that David is pan is totally satisfying, and the wine-drinking metaphor was an amusingly arch way to broach the subject. I wasn’t sure where the show was going to go with it given that the relationship started after the two got high and messed around adjacent to her “scraggy” cousins’ room, but I like their vibe, and I’m interested to see where it goes. Their tiptoeing around the excitement and the awkwardness of the hook-up is pretty adorable, and the fact that Stevie was only feigning being upset at the dinner party to get out of it is the icing on the cake.

The dinner party itself was a lot of cringey fun! The show did a good job of capturing the vibe of a social gathering that is not going well where people’s dirty laundry is spilling out for all to see. While it was revealed to be faux, David and Stevie sparking over everyone knowing about their hook-up and whether or not it was “funny” worked as a believable beef. Ted wanting to know what Alexis and Mutt talk about during their community service and Alexis being defensive worked as low-stakes relationship drama.

And Mutt and Twyla jousting over what Mutt will talk to Alexis about and not her, combined with Twyla bringing up her hooker friend, felt legitimate and awkward enough for both laughs and for genuine disgruntlement. Hell, even Mutt’s line about him only talking with Alexis about things that don’t matter was quietly devastating. It’s the most I’ve cared about the young couple portion of the show so far!

But I liked the older couple portion even better. Anytime you put two pros like Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara together, you’re going to get a little magic, but I really like Moira and Johnny trying to talk to their kids about sex and somehow realizing that they have no social lives. The pair inviting themselves over to Roland and Jocelyn’s luau, getting high, and then spilling their guts to one another was a delight.

Once again, Moira and Jocelyn bonding was a treat, with the two women’s different lives and philosophies obviously conflicting -- most notably in how one loves her small town and the other couldn't wait to get out of it -- but still finding common ground. Johnny and Roland don’t go quite as deep, but I enjoy the pari bonding over their mutual concern for their sons, and Roland accidentally dispensing some wisdom in the form of accepting your children when it comes to matters of the heart.

I love how it manifests in the end. Moira cajoles Stevie to “be smart” because her “what if” game makes her not want to let her son get stuck in a small town. Meanwhile, Jonny provides well-intentioned but creepy encouragement and acceptance of his son’s sexuality, which is the right mix of weird and oddly sweet. Plus the two of them just goofing around while high is funny in and of itself.

Overall, this is the first episode of Schitt’s Creek where I felt like the show was swinging for something beyond that of a normal sitcom, and I quite liked it. Hope there’s more to come!