The long-awaited, much-anticipated (well, by me, at least), season 2 of Schitt’s Creek has begun.

Season 1 was met with mixed reviews, which still surprises me. How could anyone not get the brilliance that is Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy? That was the question I asked myself – and anyone I heard disparage the show.

The responses were simply, “it’s not funny”. I disagree. It is funny. O’Hara and Levy are in a league of their own. Canadian humour is also in a league of its own, and they are our King and Queen. Their comedic timing and facial expressions are unrivaled. But they alone do not make the show. The other cast members are equally talented.

The premise of the story is simple. A wealthy family is swindled by their crooked business manager and they lose everything – except Schitt’s Creek – a town Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) bought as a joke for his son, David (Dan Levy). It turns out that this town is all they have. And it’s their new home. They set up residence in the local motel. The name of the show gives a hint at the state of the motel. It’s bad.

Johnny is determined to get them out of Schitt’s Creek and back on their feet. He exudes confidence and calm in his beautiful suits and perfect hair. If anyone can do it, it’s Johnny Rose. And he comes close. He finds a buyer for the town. Unfortunately things go off the rails and season 1 ends with the sale falling through.

But before the deal fell through, the imminent sale and their upcoming freedom put things in motion. Moira Rose (O’Hara) got back up on her high horse and said her goodbyes to the locals – people she never expected to see again. This could be awkward.
David asked Stevie (Emily Hampshire) the front desk receptionist at the motel to move to New York with him. He meant as roommates; but she was hoping for something more and said no. This causes an emotional crisis of sorts for David. She is his one true friend, and now he’s lost her. At the end of season 1, we see David driving off into the dark of night.

Alexis Rose (Annie Murphy) is the beautiful selfish and highly sexual daughter of Moira and Johnny. In Season 1 she was dating the local vet who is kind and sweet and a bit too dull for Alexis. But, he is a safe bet and if they weren’t getting out of town she would have married him. And that’s what she tells him when he proposes. Since they are getting out of town, she decides to have a fling with Mutt (Tim Rozon), the local hottie who lacks money and ambition.

Episode 1 of Season 2 is three days after the sale has fallen through and they are not leaving Schitt’s Creek. So does she go back to her vet? This is her dilemma in episode 1 of season 2. As she explains to Stevie, “There’s a lot going on in my life right now. Ted keeps harassing me for an answer about the whole marriage thing. And then there is the Mutt issue, which is complicated and sexy.” Her missing brother, David, doesn’t make the list. Murphy is brilliant in this role. The show would not be the same without her.

We once again find Moira in hysterics that reach a fever pitch to match those of her hysterics in season 1 when she thought her diamond earrings were stolen. This time it’s over a missing bag. It was funnier the first time, but she remains faithful to her character. This is the Moira we’ve come to expect and she does not disappoint. Drama is her middle name. Johnny is still the rock of the family and as such needs to keep things together. And he does. Nothing much fazes Johnny Rose.

David is missing in action for the first half of episode 1, and the family is desperate to get him back. Well, him and Moira’s precious bag. It seems he is the one who took her valuable bag. There are analogies made between the bag and a child when Moira, close to tears, pleads with Johnny to find her missing bag, “I love that bag and I’ve kept it safe all these years. And now it’s out there frightened and alone.”

When David does come back (with the bag), he and Stevie have an awkward conversation that ends in them agreeing to work on their friendship.

Did I laugh as much as I did in season 1? No. But I did still appreciate the acting and the chemistry among the cast, not to mention the brilliant one-liners. There are too many to mention, but one of my favorite lines has to be when Moira reassures Johnny that David is not without money, “If there’s one thing David knows, it’s the street value of a woman’s bag.”

This is a show worth watching.