Schitt’s Creek Review: Meet the Parents (Season 5 Episode 11)
What a truly spectacular episode of television. Schitt’s Creek Season 5 Episode 11, “Meet the Parents,” is a beautiful affirmation of the message that this show has been sending since David told us back in Season 1 that he likes the wine, not the label.
From its inception, Schitt’s Creek has been a show that helps its audience understand how many wonderful things can come from a world where hate doesn’t exist.
Patrick and David’s relationship has been an exquisite thing to behold from the start, in part because Noah Reid and Dan Levy are an enchanting pair, but also because their story has been written against a backdrop that allows them to love without judgment or fear.
For this reason, “Meet the Parents” is a bit of a departure from the show’s overall themes. When Patrick and David first got together, Patrick made it clear that he had never been with a man before. However, this is the first time the idea of not accepting someone has ever been mentioned on the show.
But before we get to Patrick coming out to his parents, let’s take a moment to appreciate how generous David’s reaction is when he learns that Patrick has been keeping their relationship from them. If he feels hurt or bothered in any way, he squashes those feelings in order to be wholly understanding of the journey that coming out can be.
David sits next to Patrick on the couch and offers to pretend to just be his business partner if that’s what Patrick needs to feel comfortable. What a tremendous act of selflessness from a character who would not often be described using that word.
And then it’s time for Patrick to see his parents.
Patrick’s concern over telling his parents about his sexuality feels a tad out of place for a town that has been created specifically as a safe haven of love and acceptance. But it is worth it since it provides the opportunity to show a man coming out to his parents and being met with nothing but love.
Noah Reid deserves all the nominations for his performance this week as Patrick struggles with how to tell his parents that he’s met the love of his life and that that person is a man. He perfectly conveys his fear of telling them about David coupled with his shame for being afraid to share something that makes him so happy.
And then it turns out it was all for nothing. The only thing Patrick’s parents are upset about is the fact that he hadn’t told them sooner. All they care about is their son’s happiness.
Imagine a world where all parents react to their children coming out the way Patrick’s did. Imagine a world where coming out ceases to be a thing at all because parents don’t care who their children love — they only care that their children are happy. It shouldn’t be so hard to imagine such a place, and yet it still is.
Schitt’s Creek is helping us get a little closer, though.
What did you think of this episode of Schitt’s Creek? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Schitt’s Creek airs Wednesdays at 10p/9c on Pop.
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Schitt’s Creek is the Perfect World We Desperately Need Right Now
Tamar Barbash
Tamar Barbash is a TV-loving mother of three. She hosts the Shipping Room podcast where she has the opportunity to take advantage of her social work degree and dive deep into relationships portrayed on television. Tamar loves nothing more than to overanalyze the lives and experiences of fictional characters and she's so excited to be able to do that as part of the Tell-Tale TV community.