The Schitt's Creek Episode You Should Watch Based On Your Mood

In 2015, audiences were introduced to a new favorite TV family: The Roses of "Schitt's Creek." Created by real-life father-and-son team Dan and Eugene Levy, the series follows the wealthy Rose family, who lose their Blockbuster-esque VHS fortune and move to a motel in Schitt's Creek — a town they bought as a joke back when they were flush. Entrepreneurial father Johnny (Eugene Levy) tries to support his family: wife Moira (Catherine O'Hara), a former soap star who feels that she (and her wig collection) is too big for this town; son David (Dan Levy), an apathetic aesthete who has an outfit for every occasion; and daughter Alexis (Annie Murphy), a self-centered socialite. 

"Schitt's Creek" goes beyond the typical sitcom by finding a sweet spot of both humor and love, which makes you laugh out loud one minute and then sob the next. Still, each episode has a unique emotional tone. If you've already seen the series and want to re-watch, it might make sense to skip around and pick episodes based on how you're feeling. Find out which "Schitt's Creek" episode to watch based on your mood below.

The Season 5 episode "Housewarming" sends all the Roses back to an earlier time of their lives. Patrick (Noah Reid) is throwing a housewarming party without David's help, so David plays "the supportive partner and watch him fail." Patrick has a classic slumber party filled with pajama sets, Never Have I Ever, and a game of spin the bottle that takes an uncomfortable turn when Ted, Alexis' boyfriend, has to kiss David. Things get even more uncomfortable when Patrick and Alexis share the most awkward kiss on the planet to even the score. Luckily, Patrick and David resolve the issue with a little communication. Meanwhile, Johnny wants to prove that he can take care of a baby — despite the fact that his own children's nursery was in a different wing of their house — so he and Moira babysit Roland and Jocelyn's infant.

"Housewarming" captures the spirit of the show, with different worlds colliding as the rich, out-of-touch Roses attempt to do the normal activities of ordinary people. While it might be nostalgic and fun for most viewers to watch the slumber party, David and Alexis' teenage years were different from most (David wonders where they're "going to find a salad bowl of E this last minute"), which adds a layer of humor.  

"Schitt's Creek" introduced audiences to a whole new lexicon courtesy of Moira Rose. Scores of people now use "pettifogging," "balatron," and "callipygian" in their everyday speech with as much (OK, maybe a quarter as much) confidence as Moira. What makes Moira so unique isn't just what she says, it's how she says it — and she's left no greater lasting mark than her transformation of the word "baby." Or should we say, "bebe."

In Season 4's "Pregnancy Test," Johnny finds a pregnancy test in the trash and everyone assumes it's Alexis'. Johnny, Moira, and David freak out as they argue over who should talk to Alexis first. David immediately backs out, while Moira has a minor meltdown, declaring that Alexis "has no right to lay this financial and psychological burden on us!" Moira later confides to Jocelyn that Alexis "has no idea of the toll a bebe can take on its mother." O'Hara has said that she said "'bebe' as a joke or a mistake the first time" but once she "got a laugh from the crew, that was it" (via Vulture). It just goes to show that if you do something with enough confidence and believe in your own unique vision, you can do anything, including changing a commonly used word in English.

While everyone in "Schitt's Creek" grows as they (mostly) leave their selfish, self-centered tendencies behind, David's journey is particularly meaningful. David begins as a sarcastic, closed-off, too-cool-for-school man who struggles to let people in. By the end of the series, although he's not any less sarcastic, he has opened himself to intimacy, vulnerability, and even kindness with both Patrick and his family. 

Patrick is the first person David has loved, but their relationship hits a snag when David finds out that Patrick was engaged to a woman. The two take a brief break. In the Season 4 episode "The Olive Branch," David realizes that he misses Patrick (although he does love getting all the apology gifts). Patrick finds out that David has been milking him for these gifts, so David extends an olive branch: he becomes Patrick's private dancer and does a dance to their song, "Simply the Best."

Unlike many shows that ride an endless will-they-or-won't-they see-saw, "Schitt's Creek" lets David and Patrick grow together without too much chaos. Instead, the show portrays a queer couple that doesn't suffer tragedy or heartbreak or someone dying in the end (also known as the "bury your gays" trope). It makes their journey a favorite for LGBTQ+ and straight audiences alike. For many, this particular episode perfectly captures the rose-colored lens of true love.

In "Schitt's Creek," The Roses discover the meaning of family, both biological and chosen. The early days in the town prove taxing on the lifestyles and egos of the Roses. They struggle with leaving the privileged world they once knew. We might not all be rich, but many of us have experienced a similar fish-out-of-water feeling, particularly when leaving home. Sure, families can annoy us to death, but there can be comfort in them. Schitt's Creek leans into both of these feelings with the premiere of Season 2, "Finding David."

Season 1 ends with David leaving Schitt's Creek to return to New York in a pit of loneliness and heartbreak. "Finding David" kicks off with a half-hearted search for David and a more enthusiastic search for the bag that he took from Moira, which she bets David has "pawned...to pay for manicures." The Roses find David hiding on an Amish farm. Their reunion is what (dysfunctional) families are made of: David is "working" in a field and his family, wary of getting dirty, yells at him from afar to come home (and, in Alexis' case, catch him up on gossip). David returns home after the Amish kick him out. Although Moira might have come partly for the handbag, it's clear that the Roses really tried to find him because they need to be together.

In "Schitt's Creek," motel manager Stevie Budd (Emily Hampshire) is the real-world foil to the Roses' antics and out-of-touch views of the world, but she still learns from them. Johnny takes her on as his protégé and motel business partner, giving Stevie the space to find confidence and agency in herself. Stevie later uses this confidence to do something that terrifies her: take on a role in Moira's production of "Cabaret." Stevie, unused to being the center of attention, pushes herself out of her comfort zone to play Sally Bowles.

The Season 5 finale, "Life is a Cabaret," lets Stevie shine. Before the show, she tells Moira how she feels left out from life because "everyone is growing up all around me." Moira gives her a pep talk, expressing her admiration for how Stevie "stand[s her] solid ground, refusing to be anything but [herself]." Johnny provides the circumstances that help Stevie realize her potential, but Moira gets her the rest of the way. It's hard to watch Stevie's heartfelt rendition of "Maybe This Time" without crying as this stalwart of Schitt's Creek (well, the Roses) lets herself be seen in a new — or perhaps, true — light.

Moira has the most difficulty adjusting to life in Schitt's Creek. She's not made for this town but she can at least try to make it in her image, which she does by working with the Jazzagals, directing "Cabaret," and lending her celebrity name to the brand of local winemaker Herb Ertlinger (or Bert Herglife or Erv Herblinger, depending on how much wine you've had).

Season 1's "Wine and Roses" sees Moira become the spokesperson for Herb Ertlinger's fruity wine. Both she and Johnny get drunk on the glimpse of their old life of power and glamour. Johnny wants to take over the shoot, which makes Moira so nervous that she starts flubbing her lines and panics. Moira calms her nerves with a bit of wine. Luckily for her, she's filming a wine commercial, so there's plenty of "fluit line" to go around. After getting a pep talk from Johnny, who reminds her not only that she was drunk for most of the filming of "Sunrise Bay" but that she's also "radiant" and "beguiling," Moira "f–king nail[s] it."

Moira is someone who needs to shine — and be surrounded by people who watch her shine. She struggles to find a place for a woman of her talents in "Schitt's Creek." Her first foray into the land of mere mortals comes with her discovery of the Jazzagals, an a capella group of locals led by Jocelyn (Jennifer Robertson). 

Moira's journey with the Jazzagals is a long and storied one that begins with the third episode of Season 2, "Jazzagals." When Moira hears of the a capella group, she's hurt to have not been asked to join. The others didn't know she could sing and they definitely didn't know she could scat (and basically speak tongues), which she does for her audition. While the others are confused (even horrified) by Moira's performance, they still let her into the group and embrace her as a new member. Although Moira often clashes with Jocelyn, the Jazzagals become Moira's community in Schitt's Creek, giving her a space to be herself outside of her family.

The pilot of "Schitt's" Creek introduces the Rose family as they discover that they've lost all their assets except Schitt's Creek. Few people can relate to moving from a mansion to a motel, but what holds true universally is the anxiety and surprise of life not going your way. The one certainty of life is that there is no certainty — a rule the Roses had forgotten. 

For fans of "Schitt's Creek," the pilot is a reminder of just how bad things can get and just how much they can change. The Roses are all very much themselves: David and Alexis argue about who deserves to get murdered first in the motel, while Johnny tries to give his family a pep talk that they'll get back on their feet in no time but Moira clarifies that "by then our feet will be shoeless and filthy and mangled from walking on cigarette butts and broken beer bottles." Despite their horror, the Roses take one significant step to turning the situation around: they stick together. For perhaps the first time ever, the Roses sleep in rooms that share a wall (rather than in separate wings), which is the small first step that this family takes to grow.

The loss of their wealth brings many changes to the Roses, namely that Johnny and Moira have to be hands-on parents. In Season 2's "Family Dinner," Moira takes feeding her family into her own hands, which she claims to have done many times. Her family is skeptical and Moira, offended, reminds everyone that she was the one who made them enchiladas. She enlists David's help, much to his horror.

When Moira brings David into the kitchen to be her sous chef (read: the one who does everything), it becomes clear that she's in over her head. She tells David to "fold in the cheese" and David has no idea how to "fold broken cheese like that" and the two of them wind up screaming at each other to "fold in the cheese!" Moira tells David that she used to have proficiencies like cooking but once she had people to do these things for her, she lost all her skills. Luckily, both she and David learn how to fold in the cheese (thanks to Youtube) and can add this recipe to their repertoire. 

The town of Schitt's Creek allows the Roses to discover new things about themselves while honing old skills. David learns to run a business, while Johnny applies his entrepreneurial past to a new space. Moira takes off her actor hat to become a director. Alexis, meanwhile, does what she does best: herself. In Season 5's "The Hospies," Alexis auditions for Moira's production of "Cabaret" because, as Johnny notes, they did "spend all that money flying in Barbra Streisand's vocal coach that summer Alexis wanted to be the next Jessica Simpson." 

Alexis was the star of her reality show, "A Little Bit Alexis," and released an album featuring Johnny's favorite, "Hampton Hoes." Alexis auditions with the title track from her "critically reviewed limited reality series." Jocelyn watches in horror as Alexis channels the holy trinity of Paris, Britney, and Lindsay to sing that she's a "Lamborghini" and a "Hollywood star." Alexis doesn't get the part. Moira later notes that Streisand's vocal coach "quit the business after just two lessons with our sweet Alexis." 

Alexis' song isn't just a little bit Alexis; it's a LOT of Alexis — but that's what's inspiring about it. Moira admires Alexis' confidence and the audience has to do the same, as you watch her just go for it. Creative inspiration hits when we least expect it and, as they say, genius never gets recognized in its lifetime.

While Alexis had a "career" in reality TV that naturally segues into public relations, David is a bit more lost. He ran galleries in New York, but the move to Schitt's Creek unsettles him as he suddenly has nowhere to put his talents or outfits. In Season 3's "General Store," David finds a place for himself when he realizes that he wants to open a store. David loves the good life of luxury products. As "someone with faultless taste who understands what people want and need," he's the right person to open a hip new general store, Rose Apothecary. 

His dream is shattered when he finds out that his parents were behind the success of his galleries, buying his art and selling out his shows. David declares this a "form of child abuse" and believes his "entire professional career was a sham." With encouragement from Stevie (and Moira, eventually), he recovers from this blow and decides to go after this dream. It leads him to find Patrick (who files his incorporation papers) and himself. It's inspiring to see David start his business and do something he's never done before on his own. It almost makes one want to pursue their dreams — or at the very least, buy a really expensive scented candle.

Season 1 is tough for Moira. Johnny tries to soothe some of her pain at having to live in Schitt's Creek. In "Surprise Party," he throws a surprise party for Moira to cheer her up. It doesn't go according to plan as Moira decides to take over the planning of the fundraiser that's the cover for her surprise party.

While Moira declares that "never in the history of surprises has one been so delightfully blindsided," it's clear that she 100% knew about the party. Moira and Johnny have a moment as they slow dance to Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night." Moira tells him that she loves her party...and to never do something like this again. They watch in horror as Roland and Jocelyn dance with his hand firmly planted on her butt and then a moment later, Moira does the same to Johnny. While the Rose family unit is at the heart of the show, in many ways, it's Moira and Johnny that hold it all together. They complement each other and show that no matter the time or place, there's always room to just hold the one you love.

The series premiere of "Schitt's Creek" introduces the Roses to the town and the second episode gives them all a deeper taste. Johnny wakes up soaked from a "brown disgusting drip" in the ceiling. They don't want to live in this "dump" and "hellhole," but all decide to integrate with the locals: Johnny and Moira go to a fondue dinner at Roland's while Alexis and David go tailgating with Stevie.

Alexis does her best to lean into the tailgate but has to step away as she starts smelling a little too much like "campfire and denim and plaid." She finds David doing his very first beer bong and the two quickly leave thereafter. At least they tried something new; if they're going to be stuck in this town, they may as well have some fun. Sometimes, they use that special sibling bond to do so. Johnny, meanwhile, decides that he's going to fix up the town bit by bit — brown leaks and all — so they can sell it and leave. 

"Schitt's Creek" perfectly balances humor and emotion, and the series finale, "Happy Ending," is no different. For six seasons, viewers have watched the Roses struggle and grow. David opens a business and finds a partner, Alexis gets her degree, Johnny turns the motel around, and Moira directs a play (and doesn't even star in it).

"Happy Ending" revolves around David and Patrick's wedding. It's a far cry from the pilot, which saw the Roses coming together as everything was taken away. Here, they're all going their separate ways, but it's because they've gotten so much. It's impossible to watch this episode without weeping or laughing. Perhaps it's best expressed when Alexis confides to Moira that she's going to miss being able to just pop into their room. She's "almost glad [they] lost the money" since it brought the family closer together. Viewers agree. Sure, the Roses are fictional, but under their ridiculous flamboyance are very real journeys. It's a gift to see those stories unfold and think of one's own.

While real-life father and son Eugene and Dan Levy have a deep connection in the creating, writing, and acting "Schitt's Creek," Johnny and David struggle to find father-son bonding activities. Season 5's "The M.V.P." gives them the chance to connect in a baseball game, which is a first for both. It's not like Johnny ever threw the old ball around with David, whose view of team sports is that "given today's political climate, we don't need to divide ourselves any more than we have." They play against each other on opposite teams and David gets the chance to rewrite his history of getting the Little League record for "most times hit by a ball."

Although they're on opposing teams, Johnny can't help but cheer for David, who finally hits the ball...and it's a home run. Johnny is so thrilled that he momentarily forgets to grab the ball. When he throws it to home, he torpedoes it into David's back to knock him straight onto the plate. It's hilarious and sweet. Whether it's playing a ball game or creating an entire series together, there's always room to explore and get closer (if both parties are willing, of course).

There is only one thing in the world that Moira loves more than her family and herself: her wigs. Moira's wigs make it through the IRS' purge (thankfully, Krista and Robin are packed separately because "they don't like each other") and land on a wall of Moira's motel room. Catherine O'Hara named the wigs after people she knows. Perhaps this is why she digs so deep to protect the ones she loves in Season 6's "Smoke Signals." 

Moira's having a tough time — she's been "asleep in a closet for a week" following the news that her movie, "The Crows Have Eyes III: The Crowening" has been shelved. Things get worse when she gets stuck in that closet as a fire breaks out. Roland helps her out but she makes him go back inside to get her "bebes." Roland assures her that her kids aren't there but who cares about her kids; her "girls" are hanging on the wall. Sydney just got a blowout and Lorna will never lose the smell of smoke. Roland saves Moira's wigs, but the experience gives her a new perspective. "How mercurial is life," she ponders, as she considers how she's prioritized a career that hasn't been so kind to her. After all, it's never too late to spot those "smoke signals" and reconsider priorities. Wigs, children, self-growth: it's all in the mix for Moira Rose.