Happy Ending (Schitt's Creek)
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"Happy Ending" is the
series finale A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, ...
of the Canadian television sitcom ''
Schitt's Creek ''Schitt's Creek'' (stylized as ''Schitt$ Creek'') is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy (Canadian actor), Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, that aired on CBC Television from 2015 to 2020. It consists of 80 episodes spread ove ...
''. 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 codirected it with
Andrew Cividino Andrew Cividino (born 1983) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter."Big buzz at Cannes for Canadian auteur's coming-of-age yarn". ''Montreal Gazette'', May 22, 2015. He is best known for his feature film directorial debut '' Sleeping Giant' ...
. The episode originally aired in Canada on
CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
and on
Pop TV Pop TV is a Slovenian generalist television channel operated by Pro Plus d.o.o., a subsidiary of Central European Media Enterprises (CME), which is in turn owned by Czech investment company PPF. History It was established by ProPlus, CME's Sl ...
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. The series, co-created by Levy and his father
Eugene Levy Eugene Levy (born December 17, 1946) is a Canadian actor and comedian. Known for portraying flustered and unconventional figures, Levy has won multiple accolades throughout his career including four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and ...
, 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. In the episode, David Rose prepares for his wedding with Patrick Brewer but finds that his plans for their special day are forced to be changed due to a rainstorm. In addition, David's parents,
Johnny Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John (given name), John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly ...
and Moira, along with his sister
Alexis Alexis may refer to: People Mononym * Alexis (poet) ( – ), a Greek comic poet * Alexis (sculptor), an ancient Greek artist who lived around the 3rd or 4th century BC * Alexis (singer) (born 1968), German pop singer * Alexis (comics) (1946– ...
, all prepare to come together to say goodbye before going 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 Wicker Park (film)">Wicker Park'' (2004), ''The Bone Collector'' (1999) and ''Daydream Nation'' (2010). He also made appearances in ''Smallville (TV series), Smallville'' and ''Schitt’s Creek''. Filmography Film Television References ...
as Patrick's parents and the return of
Karen Robinson Karen Robinson (born February 29, 1968) is a Canadian actress. She won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance in a Guest Role in a Drama Series at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards in 2019 for her appearance on the television series '' Mar ...
, John Hemphill, and
Rizwan Manji Rizwan Manji (born October 17, 1974) is a Canadian actor. He is known best for his portrayals of Ray Butani on ''Schitt's Creek'', Tick Pickwick on '' The Magicians'', Rajiv Gidwani in the NBC sitcom '' Outsourced'', and Jamil in the DC Extended ...
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 The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
nominations at the
72nd Primetime Emmy Awards The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2019, until May 31, 2020, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was originally to be held at the Microsof ...
and won four, including for
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre, or even gender, specific. Beginning ...
, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.


Synopsis

On the day of his wedding,
David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...
finds out that his special day has been interrupted by a rainstorm. After getting a massage (which inadvertently ends with him receiving a "
happy ending A happy ending is an ending of the plot of a work of fiction in which there is a positive outcome for the protagonist or protagonists, and in which this is to be considered a favourable outcome. In storylines where the protagonists are in phy ...
"), David is informed that the wedding will now be held at the
town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
. When the original
officiant An officiant or celebrant is someone who officiates (i.e. leads) at a religious or secular service or ceremony, such as marriage ( marriage officiant), burial, namegiving or baptism. Religious officiants, commonly referred to as celebrants, are ...
cancels, David's mother, Moira, fills in. In the town hall, David and Patrick are married. The next day,
Johnny Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John (given name), John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly ...
and Moira depart from Schitt's Creek en route to
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.


Production

''
Schitt's Creek ''Schitt's Creek'' (stylized as ''Schitt$ Creek'') is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy (Canadian actor), Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, that aired on CBC Television from 2015 to 2020. It consists of 80 episodes spread ove ...
'' began airing in the United States on
Pop TV Pop TV is a Slovenian generalist television channel operated by Pro Plus d.o.o., a subsidiary of Central European Media Enterprises (CME), which is in turn owned by Czech investment company PPF. History It was established by ProPlus, CME's Sl ...
since 2015. 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 CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
in Canada. "Happy Ending" was written by ''Schitt's Creek'' co-creator and executive producer Daniel Levy, who directed the episode alongside
Andrew Cividino Andrew Cividino (born 1983) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter."Big buzz at Cannes for Canadian auteur's coming-of-age yarn". ''Montreal Gazette'', May 22, 2015. He is best known for his feature film directorial debut '' Sleeping Giant' ...
. Writing for the season took about a month, as Levy tried to make sure he was giving each character the ending they deserved. However, the finale was written in the span of three hours, with Levy stating that the final script made him, along with other cast members, cry several times during the episode's final
table read The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film, television, radio, and theatre production when an organized reading of the screenplay or script is conducted around a table by the actors with speaking parts. In addition to the c ...
. As there weren't any minor characters with unresolved
side stories ''The Last Podcast on the Left'' is a weekly podcast on the Last Podcast Network featuring podcast producer and researcher Marcus Parks, comedian and actor Henry Zebrowski, and comedian Ed Larson, three longtime friends. Episodes have explored t ...
, Levy was able to focus his attention mainly on addressing the Rose family. Filming for the final season began in Hockley Valley, Ontario, and officially concluded on June 27, 2019. The episode was filmed on a low budget, and as a result, there were only three cameras present during the wedding scene. 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. Soon after filming wrapped, editing for the final season of the show occurred in late 2019 through November. Produced by Kosta Orfanidis, the episode features the songs " Precious Love" by James Morrison and "
The Best Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporatio ...
" by
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...
, both of which were actually sung by show's Jazzagals due to the episode's low budget. Noah Reid also sings the song "
Always Be My Baby "Always Be My Baby" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her fifth studio album, ''Daydream'' (1995). Written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal, and produced by Carey and Dupri, It was released by Columbia Records o ...
" by
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
in the role of Patrick, and the song " This Will Be Our Year" by
The Zombies The Zombies are an English Rock music, rock band formed in St Albans in 1961. Led by keyboardist/vocalist Rod Argent and lead vocalist Colin Blunstone, the group had their first British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the U ...
appears during the closing credits of the episode. Additionally, the "Viking pope" costume worn by
Catherine O'Hara Catherine Anne O'Hara (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian and American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She started her career in sketch comedy, sketch and improvisational comedy in film and television before expanding her career taking dra ...
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''.


Reception


Viewership

"Happy Ending" was first broadcast in Canada and the United States on April 7, 2020, where it was followed directly after by a one-hour documentary depicting the production of the final season. In its Canadian airing on
CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
, the episode was watched by 1.22 million people, ranking 22nd amongst other Canadian shows that aired in the same week. In the United States, the episode and the documentary were viewed respectively by half a million people on
Pop TV Pop TV is a Slovenian generalist television channel operated by Pro Plus d.o.o., a subsidiary of Central European Media Enterprises (CME), which is in turn owned by Czech investment company PPF. History It was established by ProPlus, CME's Sl ...
, with "Happy Ending" gaining a 0.18
rating A rating is an evaluation or assessment of something, in terms of a metric (e.g. quality, quantity, a combination of both,...). Rating or rating system may also refer to: Business and economics * Credit rating, estimating the credit worthiness ...
from the
Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
firm, tying with the show's penultimate episode "Start Spreading the News" as the highest-rated episode of the series in the US.


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."
Glen Weldon Glen Weldon is an American writer, cultural critic, and podcaster. He has written for publications such as ''The Washington Post'', ''The New York Times'', ''Slate'', ''The Atlantic'', and ''McSweeney's''. Weldon currently writes for the NPR Arts ...
, writing for
NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
, expressed his appreciation for each character's development throughout the show, and stated that the finale was "long on grace notes for various characters". '' 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." Writing for ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'', 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." ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...
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." The episode was listed as one of the best television episodes of 2020 by many ''
BuzzFeed News ''BuzzFeed News'' was an American news website published by BuzzFeed beginning in 2011. It ceased posting new hard news content in May 2023. It published a number of high-profile scoops, including the Steele dossier, for which it was strong ...
'' and ''
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''. In 2023, ''
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'' listed it as one of the "35 perfect episodes" of all time.


Accolades

"Happy Ending" received eight
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
nominations at the
72nd Primetime Emmy Awards The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2019, until May 31, 2020, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was originally to be held at the Microsof ...
and won for
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre, or even gender, specific. Beginning ...
( Daniel Levy), Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Daniel Levy), Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Daniel Levy and
Andrew Cividino Andrew Cividino (born 1983) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter."Big buzz at Cannes for Canadian auteur's coming-of-age yarn". ''Montreal Gazette'', May 22, 2015. He is best known for his feature film directorial debut '' Sleeping Giant' ...
), and Outstanding Contemporary Costumes (Debra Hanson and Darci Cheyne). To celebrate, the show's cast and crew held an exclusive party in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario, in which they also had to follow various health and safety procedures due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Canada The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada is part of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (). It is caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Most cases over the course o ...
. On October 28, 2020, the
Directors Guild of Canada The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC; ) is a Canadian labour union representing more than 5,500 professionals from 48 different occupations in the Canadian film and television industry. Founded in 1962, the DGC represents directors, editors, assist ...
gave Daniel Levy and Andrew Cividino the award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series for their directing work on this episode. The following year, ''Schitt's Creek'' as a whole received 21 nominations from the
Canadian Screen Awards The Canadian Screen Awards () are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media ( web series) productions. Given annually by the Academy ...
, eight for this episode, including for Best Direction and Best Writing in a Comedy Series.


References


External links

* {{Portal bar, Canada, Comedy, LGBTQ, Television 2020 LGBTQ-related television episodes 2020 television episodes Canadian LGBTQ-related television episodes Emmy Award–winning episodes Schitt's Creek Television episodes about same-sex weddings