Happy Ending (Schitt's Creek)

"Happy Ending" is the series finale of the Canadian television sitcom Schitt's Creek. It serves as the 14th episode of the sixth season, and the 80th overall. The episode was written by series creator and executive producer Daniel Levy, who co-directed it with Andrew Cividino. The episode originally aired in Canada on CBC Television and on Pop TV in the United States on April 7, 2020, where it was followed directly after by a one-hour documentary depicting the making of the final season.[1]

"Happy Ending"
Schitt's Creek episode
David and Patrick attend their own wedding.
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 14
Directed by
Written byDaniel Levy
Produced byKosta Orfanidis
Featured music
Cinematography byDavid A. Makin
Editing byTrevor Ambrose
Production code262452-80
Original air dateApril 7, 2020 (2020-04-07)
Running time25 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

The series, co-created by Levy and his father Eugene Levy, follows the trials and tribulations of the formerly wealthy Rose family when they are forced to relocate to Schitt's Creek, a small town they once purchased as a joke.[2] In the episode, David Rose prepares for his wedding with Patrick Brewer, but finds that his special day has been postponed due to a rainstorm. In addition, David's parents Johnny and Moira, along with his sister Alexis, all prepare to come together to say goodbye, before departing in their separate ways.

The initial script for the finale was written by Levy shortly after the series had been renewed for a sixth and final season. The episode features the guest appearances of Deborah Tennant and Ted Whittall as Patrick's parents, and the returns of Karen Robinson, John Hemphill, and Rizwan Manji in their recurring roles as Ronnie Lee, Bob Currie, and Ray Butani, respectively.

In Canada, "Happy Ending" was viewed by an estimated 1.22 million viewers, ranking 22nd amongst other Canadian shows that week. In the United States, the episode was viewed by half a million people and received a 0.18 rating among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, tying with the show's penultimate episode "Start Spreading The News" as the highest-rated episode of the series in the US. "Happy Ending" received critical acclaim, with critics praising Levy's ability to conclude the series with a satisfying finale. The episode received eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards and won four, including for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.

Synopsis

On the day of his wedding, David finds out that his special day has been interrupted by a rainstorm. After getting a massage (which inadvertently ended with him receiving a "happy ending"), David is informed that the wedding will now be held at the town hall. Once there, David and Patrick are married. The next day, Johnny and Moira depart from Schitt's Creek en route to California.

Production
"Happy Ending" was written and directed by series co-creator and executive producer Daniel Levy.

Schitt's Creek began airing in the United States on Pop TV starting with its fifth season.[3] On March 21, 2019, the series was renewed for a sixth, and final season of 14 episodes, which would air on Pop TV in the US, and CBC Television in Canada.[4]

"Happy Ending" was written by Schitt's Creek co-creator and executive producer Daniel Levy, who directed the episode alongside Andrew Cividino. Writing for the season took about a month, as Levy tried to make sure he was giving each character the ending they deserved.[5] However, the finale was written in the span of three hours,[6] with Levy stating that the final script made him,[7] along with other cast members, cry several times during the episode's final table read.[8][9] As there weren't any minor characters with unresolved side stories, Levy was able to focus his attention mainly on addressing the Rose family.[5]

Filming for the final season began in Hockley Valley, Ontario,[10][11] and officially concluded on June 27, 2019.[12][13] The episode was filmed on a low budget, and as a result, there were only three cameras present during the wedding scene.[14] The last thing filmed for the season was the scene in which the Rose family say goodbye to one another, which depicted the cast members actually crying on set.[15][16] Soon after filming wrapped, editing for the final season of the show occurred in late 2019 through November.[7]

Produced by Kosta Orfanidis, the episode features the songs "Precious Love" by James Morrison and "The Best" by Tina Turner, both of which were actually sung by show's Jazzagals due to the episode's low budget.[14][17] Noah Reid also sings the song "Always Be My Baby" by Mariah Carey in the role of Patrick, and the song "This Will Be Our Year" by The Zombies appears during the closing credits of the episode.[17] Additionally, the "Viking pope" costume worn by Catherine O'Hara in the episode was designed by Ana Sorys, the show's wig technician who had to create a total of twenty-five wigs for the final season of Schitt's Creek.[18]

Reception

Viewership

In its Canadian airing on CBC Television, "Happy Ending" was watched by 1.22 million people, ranking 22nd amongst other Canadian shows that aired in the same week.[19] In the United States, the episode was viewed by half a million people on Pop TV, and gained a 0.18 rating from the Nielsen Media Research firm, tying with the show's penultimate episode "Start Spreading The News" as the highest-rated episode of the series in the US.[20]

Critical response

Following its airing, "Happy Ending" was met with positive reviews from critics. From Vox, Constance Grady praised the ending of the episode by stating that "the finale is a goodbye not only from us to them but from them to each other. And it’s enormously effective."[21] Glen Weldon, writing for NPR, expressed his appreciation for each character's development throughout the show, and stated that the finale was "long on grace notes for various characters".[22] IndieWire journalist LaToya Ferguson wrote that the episode "definitely leaves the audience wanting more [...] simply because it's hard to say goodbye to these characters. Wanting to know what the future holds for the Roses and [...] everyone in Schitt’s Creek [...] makes all the sense in the world. But that’s also a different chapter in a different story."[23] Writing for The A.V. Club, Gwen Ihnat gave the episode a grade rating of an A-, simply remarking the fact that "We already know how it will all end; all that’s left are the goodbyes."[24] Vulture's Maggie Fremont gave the episode 5 out of 5 stars, lauding the show's journey to its finale, and stating that it was "a pleasure [...] to see" as it gave "all of its characters the happy endings they deserve."[17]

Accolades
See also: List of awards and nominations received by Schitt's Creek

"Happy Ending" received eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards and won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Daniel Levy), Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Daniel Levy), Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Daniel Levy and Andrew Cividino), and Outstanding Contemporary Costumes (Debra Hanson and Darci Cheyne).[25][26] To celebrate, the cast and crew of Schitt's Creek held an exclusive party in Toronto, Ontario, in which they also had to follow various health and safety procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.[27][28] On October 28, 2020, the Directors Guild of Canada gave Daniel Levy and Andrew Cividino the award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series for their directing work on this episode.[29]

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2020 Directors Guild of Canada Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series Daniel Levy and Andrew Cividino Won [29]
2020 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Daniel Levy Won [25]
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Daniel Levy Won
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Daniel Levy and Andrew Cividino Won
2020 Creative Arts Emmy Award Outstanding Contemporary Costumes Debra Hanson and Darci Cheyne Won [26]
Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling Anastasia Cucullo and Ana Sorys Nominated
Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) Candice Ornstein and Lucky Bromhead Nominated
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series Trevor Ambrose Nominated
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation Bryan Day and Martin Lee Nominated

References
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  2. Dominic Patten (June 20, 2020). "'Schitt's Creek's Daniel Levy & Annie Murphy On The Series' Many Happy Endings – Contenders TV". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  3. Patrick Hipes (March 6, 2018). "'Schitt's Creek' Renewed For Season 5 On Pop TV". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  4. Danielle Turchiano (March 21, 2019). "'Schitt's Creek' Renewed for a Sixth and Final Season". Variety. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  5. Jean Bentley (April 7, 2020). "'Schitt's Creek' Creator Dan Levy on the Series Finale Ending, Spinoffs and What's Next". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  6. Nora Dominick (October 4, 2020). "33 "Schitt's Creek" Behind-The-Scenes Facts That Prove Season 6 Is A Perfect Season Of TV". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
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  9. Alexandra Pollard (May 15, 2020). "'We wept at the last table read': Farewell Schitt's Creek, the hit sitcom with a heart of gold". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
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  18. Nick Romano (April 8, 2020). "Wigging out on Schitt's Creek: Meet the hairstylist behind Moira's 'most insane' look yet". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
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