Schitt’s Creek Review: Sunrise, Sunset (Season 6 Episode 10)

The sun sets on another glorious episode of this universally beloved comedy.

Schitt’s Creek Season 6 Episode 10, “Sunrise, Sunset,” brings together the glitz and glamourous from Moira’s past, a few stray hair extensions, and some extraordinary character developments for an episode that is truly something of worth.

That being said, with character’s weighing heavily on its mind, Schitt’s Creek unintentionally loses some of its comedic edge to the harsh circumstances of the Rose family’s current predicaments.

But the real tragedy of this episode is that it doesn’t have more clips of “Sunrise Bay” for us to consume.

Unlike many of its comedy rivals, Schitt’s Creek has not relied on guest stars very much over its six-season run. This has no doubt been a choice to preserve the small-town feel of a tight ensemble cast.

But with the finale quickly approaching, the series is throwing caution to the wind and opening its gates to two guest stars that are certainly worthy of being an exception to the rule. We have Victor Garber, Legends of Tomorrow alum and Canadian Royalty, and Saul Rubinek, who recently starred on the promising Amazon Prime series Hunters.

There’s no doubt these two are the best arsenal to introduce us to Moira’s glamourous past as an actress on her daytime soap opera “Sunrise Bay”. Rubinek plays Tippy, a skeezy producer, with a friendliness and charm that suits the character well. And Garber balances Clifton’s over the top acting and stoic stumbling drunkenness with considerable ease.

However, I have to say I’m a little disappointed by the lack of comedy these two characters bring to this episode. While Clifton is delightfully cringy during the clips, in real life he is downright awful and at times it feels like Tippy’s only motive is to move the plot towards Moira’s big reveal.

It’s not that these two guest stars aren’t amazing, they are! But if Moira is asking for what she deserves, I have to say I think we deserve a little more depth, if not sillier shallowness, from any guest stars of Schitt’s Creek.

No matter, these two blasts from Moira’s past drive home the fact that she has worth as an actress, and always has.

We’ve been eagerly awaiting more character development for Moira and this episode delivers it on a silver platter. Not only do we get a glimpse of just how horrifying the plot of “Sunrise Bay” truly is, but we also get to see Moira come to terms with the fact that she doesn’t need to jump at every claim to fame that comes her way.

Allowing her to understand that she has worth as an actress just as much as she does as a person, doesn’t inflate Moira’s ego. It teaches her to be confident in the projects she wants to take on. And in learning this, we also see how crucial Alexis and her career as a publicist has become to the fabric of this series — the girl is killing it!

Above all else, Moira’s triple face slap will go down in history as one of the greatest things we have ever witnessed.

In a weird turn of events, the episode meant to showcase Moira’s career as an actress ends up showcasing one of Johnny’s best storylines this season.

Johnny’s financial predicament certainly gives this mundane act of helping David choose a caterer a deeper emotional context than expected.

It’s difficult to watch Johnny choke back his pride as David talks caviar and steaks. It’s even more difficult when we learn his emotional turmoil is not because of the cheque necessarily, but the happiness he would be depriving his son of.

Schitt’s Creek, breaking all the rules with this one, allows Johnny a moment to reflect openly about his old life and how he had set aside money to give David the wedding of his dreams. Even as a distant parent, Johnny knew how important this day would be to David — and that schitt really hits home hard!

With the mention of the Roses’ old lifestyle few and far these days, it’s nice to see new information used to subtly elevate this small wedding task to top tier television.

Our praises for Johnny (but mainly Stevie) don’t stop there.

His motel investment has been somewhat of a weaker storyline this season, and not because the business endeavour is weak storytelling. On a show where Moira screams bloody murder over car eggings and crow attacks are making headlines, it’s just more fun to invest in the chaos.

But Schitt’s Creek is finally finding a way to make Johnny’s business plans the star of the show — with financial bankruptcy of course.

This misfortune ultimately benefits the episode as Stevie, inspired by her co-partner, steps up in a big way and finds a franchise loophole that can save the group from losing their investments. If Stevie’s moment on stage was her enlightenment — this moment right here is the beautiful pay off we’ve been waiting for.

It feels exhilarating to not only see Stevie love the job she is in but to see her follow in Johnny’s footsteps and build her own empire. This is her endgame and how can we not love that?

There’s nothing wrong with asking for what you deserve and the women of Schitt’s Creek deserve a moment.

And a moment they get as Moira learns her worth as an actor, Alexis continues to solidify her talent as a brilliant publicist, and Stevie saves the damn day. It’s all rather empowering to watch.

What “Sunrise, Sunset” lacks in comedic bite, it makes up for with a star-studded lineup and a captivating character growth that is setting this series up for so much more than success in its final days — because success means nothing if these characters don’t understand their worth.

What did you think of this episode of Schitt’s Creek? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Schitt’s Creek airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on CBC and Pop TV.

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