[7.5/10] I may have underestimated Schitt’s Creek a little bit. Through six episodes, it has had light humor, some broad situations, and a lot of stock archetypes. Some of those are brought to life by great performances, and there’s some great laugh lines at play, but there hasn’t been much depth to it so far. And hey, that’s fine! Not every sitcom has to make some grand statement about anything!
But I thought the Moira/Jocelyn storyline here was just going to be another dose of broad comic fun. The prospect of Moira going to a local “salon” to deal with her stress in the town has lots of comic potential, particularly with Johnny playing the bumbling clueless husband over it. It’s not the most original comic setup in the world, but hey, the gags when Moira comes back from their spa day looking like Jocelyn are worth it alone.
The rub is that immediately after some of the sillier gags about Moira’s newly re-styled wig, we get this really trenchant scene between her and Jocelyn. Jocelyn proves herself more than just a provincial-but-sex-positive local yokel. She gets that Moira looks down on her, but has sympathy, and wants Moira to get used to the town, one step at a time, so that when she truly needs something, she’s already acclimated and doesn’t have to deal with another hardship. Moira responds that she doesn’t hate it here, but that nothing here fits her, figuratively, but that she envies Jocelyn if only because she’s confident and self-possessed about who she is, something Moira (“as an actress”) hasn’t been able to say about herself for a long time.
There’s real meat there, about two women from different walks of life speaking plainly to one another and being honest about themselves and what they’re trying to do. It cuts through some of the 90s sitcom tropes the show deploys and hits on truth without being sappy or saccharine about it. To be frank, I didn’t realize that Schitt’s Creek had it in ‘em!
David’s storyline was much more “random comic nonsense”, but it was still good for some chuckles. The idea of somebody who’s nervous about killing a bug going hunting lent itself to some good comic set pieces. I’m not sure what exactly the show is cooking up between David and Stevie, but I like her pushing him out of his shell, both for the character growth and for the natural yuks that come from this effete heir having to slum it in a turkey blind.
My least favorite storyline continues to be Alexis’s love triangle (quadrangle? hexagon?). Her dating Ted, trying to make Mutt jealous about it, and attempting to fast-track her budding relationship with Ted accordingly is not just awkward; it’s more generic romcom trash. I’m sure there’s an audience for this type of broad romantic entanglement material, but it’s not me.
Overall, this was an episode that could have gotten by on its humor, but goes to another level thanks to that more complicated and honest conversation between Moira and Jocelyn.
[7.9/10] I have to admit, I don’t remember Season 6 being my favorite season of the show. If anything, I remember it falling off a bit, as shows almost inevitably do when they reach a certain point in their runs. But rewatching this super-sized season premiere, I appreciate, if nothing else, what it’s trying to do.
Parks & Rec is too optimistic of a show to do a flat out deconstruction, but the idea that Leslie, who has been a committed public servant for her whole life, is growing disillusioned about how little she is appreciated by the town she does so much for, is a really nice way to go with things. The eternally sunny and committed Councilwoman Knope sees the way that her counterparts in Denmark and Mongolia are treated at this International Women’s Awards presentation in London, and cannot help but feel upset at the community she loves so much for not returning that love.
But one of the themes of the episode, to the extent this hour-long extravaganza of different stories has a unifying theme, is learning to find the thing you love within the difficult situation you’ve been put in. That speaks to Ron’s story, where he goes off to (shudder) Europe, and makes fun of all the sights of London, only to be sent on a trip to the Lagavulin distillery by Leslie, and discover that, while sipping fine whiskey and surrounded by bucolic beauty, there is, in fact, a part of this continent he likes.
Oh yeah! And he gets married! It’s a great set piece, between Ron and Diane’s direct and to the point response to the news that Diane’s pregnant, Leslie’s frantic and enthused response to the news that they’re getting married right now, and superb lines like “I am tired of not being married to this woman.” It’s a brilliant and succinct way to deal with the semi-cheesy cliffhanger from the end of S5.
Speaking of cheesy cliffhangers, the weakest story of the Season 6 premiere is easily Tom’s run-in with Dr. Sapperstein (Jean Ralphio’s and Mona Lisa’s dad), the previously mysterious competitor to Rent-A-Swag. I’m all for having more Henry Winkler in pretty much any comedy, but the Sapperstein kids are at their most annoying here, and the entire story isn’t particularly compelling. I do like the idea that Tom is emboldened to stay in the fight and trust in himself, sticking with that theme, but it just doesn’t bring the laughs or the intrigue out of the gate.
Still, the episode also sets up Chris and Ann’s story, which isn’t always my favorite part of the show, but which gets off to a nice start here. The notion of the two of them as parents, freaking out a little bit over how they thought this would be a bigger deal and realizing some of the challenges and intrusive qualities of the journey is a strong one. Plus it gives the rest of the cast something to do, from Donna’s amusing perceptiveness, to Ethel Beavers not caring, to Jerry’s gross descriptions of what happens next. And the sweet “this baby will always be our little thing” ending is a perfect capper.
There’s also a nice excuse for Chris Pratt to go off and film Guardians of the Galaxy. Peter Serafinowicz as English millionaire version of Andy is a great touch, and having the two of them act like overgrown kids while Ben, as he is wont to do, play the amusingly beleaguered straight man, leads to so much great comic material. Even better is April encouraging Andy, seeing that this will be good for him and believing in him.
That ties into the kicker for this episode – that Leslie may feel underappreciated in Pawnee, but she is not doing it for the appreciation, she’s doing because it’s who she is. As April’s letter and nomination for the award says, Leslie is the kind of person who’s found a calling in helping others, and that is a reward in and of itself. And more than that, she’s inspired people like April to be better, do better, and as hard as it is for her to admit it at times, take a page out of Leslie’s book. It’s a lesson Tom reminded April herself of not that long ago, using Leslie as the example and inspiration, and it’s nice to see April returning the favor in a sense. Leslie may not get a fair shake in Pawnee, and that really sucks, but there are people who believe in her and more than that, people who admire her. That’s worth a whole hell of a lot.
