25 Best Schitt's Creek Episodes Ranked

At first, we worried that "Schitt's Creek" might just be an updated riff on "Arrested Development," but the series quickly carved out a unique place in both the TV landscape and our hearts.

What makes it work is that the show genuinely loves its offbeat and often over-the-top characters, and it makes us love them too. It wants to poke a little bit of fun at the Rose family's struggle to cope with a deglamorized life, but it also roots for them to get back on their feet and find what really makes them happy, whether that's family, work, romance, or all of the above. Since the show is named after a town, it's also appropriate that it has a great sense of community and gradually develops one of our favorite ensembles.

Schitt's Creek, the town, started out as a joke for Johnny Rose, but it turned into home. The show takes us on that same journey, and in the process, it becomes one of our favorite feel-good comedies. We've ranked the top 25 episodes that really sum up the series at its best.

"Moira's Nudes" keeps a tight focus on the Rose family as they deal with even more upheaval than usual. David's new job at the Blouse Barn has blessed him with a steady paycheck and an employer-provided rental car, which suddenly makes him the financial powerhouse of the family — especially with Twyla putting her foot down on Johnny paying off their tab at the café. While Johnny deals with having to ask his son for money, Moira doesn't hesitate to ask anyone and everyone for help tracking down some nude portraits of her that have supposedly surfaced online.

The biggest impact this episode has on the series as a whole is probably Alexis getting a secretarial job at Ted's veterinary clinic — and since her interview revealed that her typing skills are really texting skills and that her main reference is an "Us Weekly" article that calls her "up for anything," it's easy to see that Ted still has feelings for her. As delightful as it is to watch them reconnect, however, the emotional thrust of the episode really belongs to Moira. Catherine O'Hara absolutely kills the wistful scene where she reveals to Stevie that she wanted to find the photos, just to savor her youth all over again.

You'll never find it on a Valentine's Day card, but true love means being willing to comb the lice out of someone's hair when you're not even dating. That's what Ted does for a panicky, lice-infested Alexis in this episode, and even if all the signs weren't already pointing to them getting back together, this would have sealed the deal.

Alexis' lice causes some problems for Johnny, too, since she helped him change all the motel's sheets; his attempt to stealthily replace them before any of the guests notice leads to one of the show's most excruciatingly awkward scenes, so, let's just skip ahead to David and Stevie! Eager to put some distance between himself and Alexis' scalp, David invites himself over to Stevie's for the night, where — in the best sleepover fashion — they wind up talking about crushes, including the obvious mutual one brewing between David and Patrick.

"Stop Saying Lice!" is a strong comedic episode, but it really earns its place in our hearts — and on this list — with those extremely cute romance beats.

"The Incident" introduces Moira to social media with unforgettable results. Instead of letting Alexis oversee a steady stream of chatty updates promoting the upcoming "The Crows Have Eyes 3: The Crowening," Moira decides to do it herself: She's getting a taste for the rush of fan validation. One of her new followers even teaches her how to livestream!

Unfortunately, they don't teach her how to stop livestreaming — which nearly kills us with secondhand embarrassment when her storyline intersects with David's. It turns out that when David was a kid, too much excitement would result in what Moira calls a "nighttime oopsie-daisy." And since David's been really, really excited about his upcoming wedding, he and Patrick wake up to a freshly wet bed. It's so humiliating that David is ready to crawl under a rock. Guess what Patrick and Moira are going to wind up discussing while Moira's livestream is still on? Sorry, David, but maybe this is a bad episode for the word "stream" to come up so often. 

Luckily — if implausibly — Alexis is able to shove the incident under the rug (or Patrick's new waterproof mattress cover), which makes this a laugh-out-loud episode that stays just on the right side of cringe comedy.

"The Hospies" shines for two reasons. The first and simplest is that it's the episode that introduces the world to the glories of "A Little Bit Alexis," which we can't stop singing. Maybe there are people out there who can resist Annie Murphy in-character as Alexis crooning that she's everything from "expensive sushi" to "a cute huge yacht," but we're not among them. Alexis trots out this number — written for her former reality show — to audition for the upcoming production of "Cabaret," and it's awkward bad singing at its finest.

We need that comedy, because the Stevie part of the episode is hard to watch. The Rosebud Motel is up for a not-so-prestigious regional hospitality award — the kind where it turns out you have to pay for your own plaque — and while Johnny is jubilant about their improved reputation, Stevie is just looking forward to the chance to see travel blogger Emir again. She's actually bouncy and happy, enjoying the early stages of love — until Emir breaks her heart in the middle of the awards ceremony. 

Emily Hampshire is a tour de force in this episode, and we tear up right along with Stevie as her hopes come crashing down around her. At least we can console ourselves that this horrible day prompts Moira to give Stevie the lead in "Cabaret," something that will eventually lead to another one of our favorite episodes.

We've probably all wondered at some point what people will say about us once we're gone. In "RIP Moira Rose," Moira gets to find out, as a mistaken report of her death nets her a wave of Twitter tributes (not enough to trend, alas). She's enjoying basking in all the attention — until she needs to reappear to tell the world that she's not dead, she's just living in a rundown motel in Schitt's Creek. Unsurprisingly, she's not thrilled about people seeing just how far she's fallen from her glory days.

Meanwhile, Alexis is dealing with the unfortunate fact that her feelings for Ted are also very much alive, even though his seemingly idyllic relationship with his lovely new girlfriend, Heather — who, oops, is the cheese supplier David has unwittingly taken Alexis to meet — seems to mean their relationship is officially dead and buried.

This is just a very solid episode that — like the show at its best — combines satire with very human emotions. It also leaves us craving some of Heather's goat cheese. Is that a plus or a minus?

The titular event in "The Barbecue" is thrown together to celebrate David and Patrick's four-month anniversary, the longest relationship of David's life (if you don't include his prison penpal). His family wants to mark the occasion with a cookout, but David is wary of treating it as a significant milestone: It's hard for him to trust that things won't go wrong the second he starts leaning into feeling happy and secure.

Unfortunately, right as everyone's settling into a cozy friends-and-family barbecue, disaster strikes: the adorable new guest Alexis has befriended turns out to be Patrick's former fiancée, Rachel — someone David didn't even know existed. As everything seems to come crashing down around them, we can really feel the confusion, heartbreak, and horror. It also leads to a sensitive, nuanced treatment of what it was like for Patrick to go through most of his life not understanding that he was gay. When he tearfully tells David that David "makes him feel right," something he'd thought was impossible, we get a little sniffly ourselves. The intense and complex emotions make this an episode with a lingering impact.

We go out to the ballgame in "The M.V.P." It's Patrick's team vs. Roland and Ronnie's, and the on-the-field rivalry has a new intensity since Patrick rubbed Ronnie the wrong way back in "The Hospies." Each team is down a player, and they both have to draw on the Roses: Roland and Ronnie get Johnny, and Patrick slots David into the outfield with the promise that he won't have to do much. 

David and baseball are such an obviously bad fit that the premise is comedic gold, and the show milks it for all it's worth. We're especially fond of David's inability to get the terms right, calling an "M.V.P." a "V.I.P." and asking if Patrick can play "both parts" instead of "both positions." Plus, it all works up to the kind of underdog sports story ending that always makes us smile.

This is an understated and sunny episode that gets extra points from us for throwing in Ronnie's always-funny hatred of Patrick — "The man looks like a thumb" — and giving us the trials and tribulations of David in sports mode.

"Housewarming" would deserve immortality on the merits of drunk Ted alone. Prodded into being a little irresponsible for a change, Ted downs some of Alexis' wine coolers — "It tasted like burnt plastic, and I regretted it instantly" — and shows up at David and Patrick's slumber party-themed housewarming bash ready to have some fun. He makes for an adorable drunk — and one who is so easygoing and enthusiastic that he doesn't hesitate to plant a serious kiss on David during a game of spin the bottle. The move leaves Patrick and Alexis both a little jealous and miffed. (They concentrate their irritation on David, though: Drunk Ted is just too endearing for anyone to resent him.)

The episode's other plot is also full of comedic high points, which you'd expect from a storyline where Johnny and Moira have to babysit Roland and Jocelyn's new baby. Johnny's eagerness to prove that the bevy of nannies they hired for their own kids doesn't mean they ever slacked off on parenting — but their panic at changing a diaper and dealing with a little spit-up says otherwise.

"Housewarming" is hilarious, inventive, and surprisingly sweet. Most importantly, it gives us multiple chances to hear Moira say "bébé."

Caw, caw! It's time for "The Crows Have Eyes 3" to debut on Interflix. Moira's initial desire to downplay it does a 180 when the Jazzagals are thrilled for her, and "Ornithology Today" — a bastion of film criticism, obviously — gives her a good review. So the big red-carpet premiere she insisted Alexis scale down into a low-key viewing party now needs to be turned back into a big red-carpet premiere at the last minute. No pressure, Alexis.

We love a good frantic scramble to pull things together, and it makes for a busy and funny episode with a crow attack as a delicious cherry on top. Plus, we get to see everybody dressed to the nines, and while we get fashionista Moira all the time, how often do we get to see Ronnie in a glamorous silver gown? In short, this episode is just plain fun. We're almost as excited about it as the crows.

Winery owner Herb Ertlinger returns, and this time he wants to name a wine after Moira. Now, she and David — who's keeping her company to avoid having to watch baseball with Patrick — just have to find one that they can stand. In their quest to find a drinkable Ertlinger wine, they drink their way through just about all of them — and then drink their way through a bunch of improvised blends while they're at it. We feel bad for poor Herb, who loses his whole day, his dinner reservations, and a bunch of his inventory to two people who won't stop insulting his life's work, but we can't deny that it makes for a fun episode.

Back at the motel, Johnny gears up to give Patrick a big talk about treating David well: a conversation that falls apart because they're both so nice. Johnny can't get himself to lecture a man he knows adores his son, so Patrick has to do it for him. The result is heartwarming, especially when we cut to Moira giving David another touching version of "the talk," one high-maintenance drama llama telling another to make sure not to neglect their low-key, supportive partner. We would describe "Moira Rosé" as lively and light-bodied, with sweet notes of family bonding.

"Friends & Family" brings back one of the most memorable "Schitt's Creek" props: the enormous family portrait from the pilot, featuring all four Roses looking both opulent and a little grim.

While Johnny's sorting out what to do with this oversized reminder of who they once were, David and Patrick are getting ready for the store's grand opening. Well, Patrick is, anyway: David is so nervous that he scales it back to a "soft opening" for friends and family only to find that nothing's more popular than exclusivity. Ted and Alexis also lurch forward in their romantic arc as they share an impulsive kiss over Alexis' grades.

Since this episode gives us the return of the portrait, hilariously frazzled David, romance, and an appreciation of all the character development the family's gone through since the pilot, it's not surprising that it ranks so high with fans.

In "The Bachelor Party," the show starts ramping up not only towards David and Patrick's wedding but also towards the finale and some of its characters' biggest decisions. Johnny is on edge waiting for a call from a potential investor who could completely change the future of the Rosebud Motel chain, and Alexis is still floundering in the wake of her and Ted's parting of the ways. It's exactly the wrong time for them to be locked in a Galapagos-themed escape room without their cell phones, but hey, it's Patrick's part of the bachelor party. He should get to have what he wants, even if his new in-laws are less than enthusiastic.

The escape room part of the episode provides plenty of fun, but it's the plot progression that really delights us. While the future of the Rosebud Motel will get its spotlight in "The Pitch," Alexis' character arc takes a huge leap forward here as the chaos of the escape room lets her rediscover her passion for her PR career — and prompts her to realize that she may do her best work when she's not locked in a small space — or a small town. There are big things afoot here, and that makes for a constantly engaging episode.

Patrick has been anxious to make up with David after their relationship got shaky back in "The Barbecue," and as "The Olive Branch" opens, David is more than ready to take him back — literally more than ready, since he's only been holding off on accepting Patrick's apology so he could bask in all the apology gifts. Once Patrick finds out that David was just relishing all the chocolates and jewelry, he's the one who needs the apology — and David responds with a truly unique gesture.

Moira also owes Alexis an apology after she first dismisses Alexis' idea for a Singles' Night and then inadvertently steals it, pitching it to the City Council as her own and inflating it to a much-more-intimidating-to-plan Singles' Week that will really test Alexis' fledgling abilities as a publicist.

Endearing and realistic relationship development, the advancement of Alexis' new career, and the sight of Stevie in hilariously garish makeup all add up to an episode that perfectly balances plot, feelings, and comedy.

Johnny Rose is a sweetheart, and he's always been the most grounded member of his family: a self-made man who has an even keel rather than an artistic temperament. "Merry Christmas, Johnny Rose" gets right at his tender heart.

It's Christmas Eve in Schitt's Creek. Johnny is thinking back wistfully on the family's former Christmas galas, which were masterpieces of tasteful glamor — everything he could want, right up until he has to end the night feeling deflated and lonely. Wouldn't it be nice to have a party this year where that didn't happen? He just wants a nice, jolly get-together and a family Christmas, but since he decided on this at the last minute — and since the rest of the Roses aren't really as sentimental — he's mostly met with confusion, irritation, and an expensive tree that's really more of a limp and slightly charred shrub.

Luckily, it is a Christmas episode, so we ultimately get the heartwarming experience of the family and town coming together to give Johnny the party he deserves. It's an event so beautiful that it even makes Stevie tear up, and it continues the show's trend of season finales full of emotion.

If you look at just two of the storylines in "The Presidential Suite," you might wonder why the episode ranks so high on our list. Sure, it's undeniably fun to watch Patrick's misadventures in the world of spray tanning and to see Roland and Jocelyn snag a night of relative luxury, but does that really make for one of the show's all-time best episodes? Not quite.

But all that material is just the comedy that makes the bittersweet tragedy go down a little easier. The core of the episode is the all-too-brief reunion between Alexis and Ted, who has exactly one day back in Schitt's Creek to tell her that he's been offered a long-term position in the Galapagos. It's his dream job, and Alexis knows it. He's willing to turn it down for her, and she loves him enough that she would consider moving there just to be with him — but that would put an end to the dream job that she's starting to pull together. When the two of them face the painful truth that they've gone in different directions and that their happy endings — at least for now — can't be in the same place, the episode gives us one of the tenderest and most painful break-ups on TV.

Everyone's future is up in the air in "The Pitch." Johnny, Stevie, and Roland fly to New York to pitch their motel chain idea to a roomful of investors, and the show masterfully racks up the comedic tension to keep us on edge. The company sent a private jet for them, which is a good sign — but their contact, Johnny's former assistant, can't make the meeting, and the jet was his idea. The executives they're left with are icy, condescending, and prone to taking potshots at Johnny's reversal of fortunes. Stevie and Roland are nervous and stilted. Can they turn it into a triumph and sell their idea to people who are so hostile to it?

Back in Schitt's Creek, Moira is so sure they're returning to their life of New York luxury that she's already spreading the word about their big move. The sudden potential upheaval throws a wrench in Patrick's vision of his life with David, and it obviously leaves him foundering.

The pitch storyline is executed perfectly (and it's great to see Roland angrily defending Johnny to a bunch of stuffed shirts), and the ongoing uncertainty over where to go from here adds the perfect amount of suspense to keep us on edge for the show's final episodes.

"Open Mic" has a lot of virtues, from the comedy of Moira accidentally finding the top secret sonogram of Jocelyn and Roland's baby to the motel finally and sweetly being rebranded as the Rosebud Motel (an implicit promise to Stevie that Johnny won't expand her business and then leave her in the lurch). Still, for us, Patrick's open mic performance would automatically put this one in the top ten.

David is nervous about Patrick's suggestion that the store host an open mic night to draw in new business: Amateur poetry, earnest singing, and stilted improv performances? Ew. He's especially concerned about the cringeworthy specter of his new boyfriend kicking the event off with a song of his own.

But then Patrick takes the stage and steals the episode with a heartfelt acoustic rendition of Tina Turner's "Simply the Best," which he dedicates to David. He sings with such obvious sincerity, devotion, and tenderness that it instantly becomes one of the series' top romantic moments. The radiant happiness and love on Dan Levy's face makes it clear how bowled-over David is by it all. Unsurprisingly, this song becomes a touchstone of their relationship — and it certainly wins a place in our hearts.

Season 2 of "Schitt's Creek" wraps up in a glorious, heartwarming fashion with "Happy Anniversary."

It's Johnny and Moira's anniversary, and Johnny's scramble to come up with something more elaborate than a celebratory cupcake results in them going to nearby Elmdale in search of a dinner that's even slightly upscale. Before they even get their table, though, they run into Bev and Don, two old (and fair weather) friends from their wealthier days. The Roses are more than willing to have an evening where they pretend they're still on top of the world, but when Roland and Jocelyn join them, things turn into a much more complicated culture clash. Suddenly, Johnny can't unsee the way Bev and Don casually belittle everything and everyone around them — making Roland stew with anger and Jocelyn squirm with self-consciousness — and he snaps. Watching Johnny Rose lose his usual patience and good humor and deliver a blistering and much-deserved takedown of these so-called friends is one of the best moments of the series.

We start the episode ready to celebrate Johnny and Moira's love, and we end up celebrating the complex but ultimately affectionate relationship between the Roses and their new home. It all culminates beautifully with the whole cast joyfully dancing together at Mutt's party.

We're romantics, so "The Hike" — which features Patrick proposing to David — was always going to make our list. It's a great romantic milestone executed with the show's signature combination of sweetness and affectionate pokes at its characters' flaws. Patrick just wants to take his boyfriend to a scenic overlook (one that's personally meaningful to him, no less) and ask him to marry him, and what happens? The poor guy gets his foot impaled with a branch and has to spend most of the hike listening to David complain. We could have told him to expect that last part, but still, you can't blame him for thinking this has all gone wrong.

But it only goes wrong until the two of them make it right again. As soon as Patrick gets down on one knee and the rings come out, our hearts melt. No matter what the two of them went through to get to that moment, when it finally happens, it feels perfect.

Our sappy side is also well-served by the episode's subplot, where a possible heart attack sends Johnny to the ER. Over the course of the show, Johnny and Stevie gradually develop a supportive surrogate father-daughter relationship that becomes one of the series' emotional underpinnings, and this episode provides some beautiful payoff for that.

"Grad Night" isn't just a season finale — it's a real powerhouse of an episode. It's only appropriate that it ends with some celebratory cake.

What's the cake for? It's both David's birthday and Alexis' (belated) high school graduation, and the Roses forgot about the first, and only learned about the second at the last minute — that's a situation where you have to break out the apology cake. Alexis claims she doesn't want anyone to come anyway, but her blasé facade crumbles as she slowly realizes how important this milestone is to her. Annie Murphy's performance absolutely shines at Alexis' graduation, showing the perfect mix of pride, heartbreak, and — as the Jazzagals unexpectedly crash the party — real joy.

Meanwhile, David gets his best birthday present ever: Patrick. Patrick takes him out for a dinner that's soon revealed as a not-so-secret date, complete with flirtatious banter and a meaningful gift. David, however, is the one who has to provide the kiss goodnight — a detail that works especially well in light of what we learn about Patrick in "Barbecue." These two have had chemistry since Patrick's arrival, and it's awesome to see their romance officially kick off.

"Singles Week" — as an episode and an event — totally belongs to Alexis. At the start, she's still reeling a little from the awkward, quietly crushing experience of having confessed her love to an unsure and currently unavailable Ted. It's an especially bad time to have her heart broken and her confidence shaken, too, because her high-profile Singles Week event is kicking off. This will be the first big test of her publicity and event planning skills, and she's not sure she can handle it.

Unfortunately, she doesn't have a choice. Moira was going to oversee the opening event — a series of flirtatious meet-and-greet games at the café — but now she's stuck keeping Jocelyn company through the early stages of her labor. Moira's sure she's abandoning her daughter to failure and humiliation, but Jocelyn touchingly reassures her that that won't happen: Alexis is a lot more capable than people think.

Jocelyn's right. It's so satisfying to watch Alexis rally, summoning all her courage and more than a little emotional vulnerability in order to save the night — and get the guy. Her moving, passionate kiss with Ted definitely makes us cheer.

"Life is a Cabaret" is one of the absolute best Stevie episodes. It has plenty of other delightful bits — we love Johnny's heartfelt joy at hearing about David's engagement and Alexis sending Ted off with one of his own signature puns, telling everyone he has to "Galapago" — but nothing tops Stevie's triumphant on-stage performance of "Maybe This Time."

By this point, we've spent five seasons watching Stevie struggle to find herself. She's pinned her hopes on new relationships only to have them fall apart, and she's held herself back from pursuing big opportunities because they're also big risks — ones that might leave her alone or even "prove" that she's a failure. Right before "Cabaret" starts, she confesses to Moira that she feels like everyone is moving forward and she's staying the same. Moira's little speech to her is so reassuring, fond, and admiring that it gets us a little misty, and it's exactly the pep talk Stevie needs to go out there and be a phenomenal Sally Bowles. Like David, we want to applaud at the end of her solo and call out, "That's my friend!"

"Meet the Parents," like "The Barbecue," confronts Patrick with the gap between his closeted life and his out one. It's his birthday, and unbeknownst to him, David has planned an elaborate surprise party — and since he knows it's been a while since Patrick has seen his beloved parents, David invites them up for a visit too. 

Unbeknownst to him, they don't know about David and Patrick's relationship — until Johnny, who's making small talk while checking them into the motel, innocently gives it all away. Whoops. The Brewers are visibly shocked, confused, and hurt — not because Patrick is gay, but because he didn't feel like he could tell them. Patrick's eventual conversation with them is a touching, delicately observed scene, and it's another example of how great the show is at handling his experience of coming out later in life. Add in the comedic relief and industry insider details of Moira and Alexis venturing out to a soap opera convention, and you get one of our top picks.

In a lot of ways, "Start Spreading the News," the penultimate episode, feels like the show's finale: It's where most of the loose ends get tied up and most of the characters reach a satisfying end. Unsurprisingly, it's also one of the best episodes in the whole series. We get the "Sunrise Bay" reboot (and Moira gets the diamond tennis bracelet that proves how much the show wants her back), David and Patrick's beautiful cottage, Stevie and David's wrenching conversation about why David wants to go back to New York at all, the Jazzagals getting all emotional about Moira's impending departure, and — best of all — the revelation that Twyla has been a millionaire this whole time. (Hey, maybe that means you could have cut the Roses a little slack about their tab back in "Moira's Nudes," Twyla.)

The whole episode is full of highlights, but we have to give a special shoutout to all the Alexis and Twyla scenes. Their friendship has always been a nice part of the show's background, and it's great to see it take center stage here. We would totally watch a whole spinoff series of the two of them hanging out in New York.

It's David and Patrick's wedding day, and everything has to go wrong before it goes right. There's a torrential downpour (one that should teach us all a lesson about opting for pizza ovens over tents when it comes to outdoor events) that wrecks all the arrangements, so the best the town can do is throw together an improvised ceremony at the town hall. No one expects David to take all this well, so Patrick has booked him a relaxing massage — only to have it take an especially relaxing turn.

In the end, though, none of it matters. David and Patrick's wedding is ultimately as beautiful, touching, and as unique as they deserve, complete with a fantastically costumed Moira as the officiant, Alexis in a wedding dress, and Patrick singing his vows. It immediately snagged a spot in our list of top TV weddings.

Then comes the morning after, when it's finally time for Johnny and Moira to leave Schitt's Creek for good, and the show gives us not only meaningful farewells but also one last sublime sight gag. We hate to say goodbye to "Schitt's Creek," but, like Johnny, we're smiling wistfully as we go.