The therapy of Schitts Creek

 

Schitt's Creek won ALL the Emmy awards this year under the comedy/musical category. This was indeed the last year of Schitt's Creek. Earlier this year, the show said goodbye, and though no one cried - we all whispered a sigh of joy in how it ended. 

Schitt's creek started with a question - What if high rich people lost all their money and were forced to live in a small town with little or no money? From that premise - Schitt's creek got the best of both world - from the rich it got the panache, fashion styles in lavish dresses and wigs, and a sense of not working to make a living. From the small town, it got the sense of community, living off the treadmill, a small but healthy distaste of the city-life and lastly, a pondering on existence in such a small town in the context of personal ambitions. 

The rich people here are Rose's who are confined to a motel. They can not travel because of no-money. Confined to this two room existence, a lot of viewers have felt this to be similar to our existence in lockdown. 

Watching Schitt's Creek is a therapy of sorts.  It is a show that accepts gay love as the way it should be - completely normal and should not require any ifs and buts. It never decries the small town folks - yes, their mannerisms could be different but all of them are treated with a respect that seems in place. (Kudos to Moira Rose who walks this line so delicately in almost all of her episodes that she pulls it off by putting the focus where it should be - on herself :) ) 

My favorite bit of Schitt's Creek is Rose apothecary - a super store market selling all organic locally sourced products in a stored designed like an Apple store fashion sense. The fact that it exists in a small town, that it could be a viable business, that, yes, why this is not the acceptable way of how a small store should operate; and finally it doubles as a space for local events. Rose apothecary should be a norm; it should be the icon for 'small is beautiful'. It is run by folks who care. 

My favorite character of the show is Stevie. Stevie is the motel owner/manager where Rose are forced to live. Her character oozes empathy, plays the kind of friend that one could wish for and finally her character brings out the dilemma faced by so many small town people - should they stay there or move to cities for better opportunities. 

Schitt's creek existence itself is miraculous as it is a show that would never have been made had it not hatched out in a corner, away from all the influences that spoil the thought, creation of a practical town filled with ideas of an ideal society. 

Watching Schitt's creek while sitting in the present day India feels as much as if Schitt's creek is Westeros.  Lacking of emapthy, decency, basic tenets of societal living.  Schitts creek is escapism at its best, a wish for good.