S06.E01: Smoke Signals

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

David scouts a potential wedding venue while Johnny and Moira have a romantic picnic by the creek.

Original air date: 1/7/20

[ECM1231]

So happy for the new season but sad it will be its last. 

[Harvey]

The David storyline was kinda cliché and predictable and it was hard to watch what a jerk David was to Alexis in the wedding venue when he made Alexis feel like dead weight.

The Johnny and Moira storyline though, wow. They were so adorable together. The way he took care of her was beautiful and Moira being locked in a closet was so nonsensical and hilarious.

[scarynikki12]

I can't wait to see what David does to the motel to make it wedding beautiful.

[StatMom]

I see Dan managed to get Eugene’s hair wet again 😂

[redfish]

David was in Groomzilla mode today. Maybe the reason why the couple cancelled at the last minute was the slaughterhouse and the screaming pigs.

Of course Moira named each wig.

I like that as much as the Rose family has grown/evolved to be better people there is still shades of them being a little clueless and selfish. Which only means they still have more room to grow.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I loved Alexis' defense for showing up to Kate Winslet's wedding a month late because she mixed up the day/month: the calligraphy was hard to read and Billy Zane did it too!

[greekmom]

Loved David's outfit last night.  Was it a kilt?  Was it shorts? LOL. 

I too cannot wait to see what David does with the motel.  Loved the chat between Alexis and Stevie.

 

[redfish]

I think they should give an acting nom to Moira's wigs. The one she wore when she burst out of the closet truly conveyed a Norma Desmond feel.

Edited January 8, 2020 by redfish

[seacliffsal]

Loved the way they cleverly found a way to keep Alexis from going to join Ted.  Also loved the amazing wedding venue until....you know....RIP pigs.

However, nothing is more fitting than to have the wedding at the motel.  It WILL look amazing.

I did wonder for a brief moment if there was going to be a fire at the motel and they would use the insurance money to update the motel.  No.  Instead, it will become the new hot/trendy wedding venue?!?

[lovett1979]

10 hours ago, redfish said:

Of course Moira named each wig.

 

They've had names since the very beginning. When they are frantically packing up their personal belongings as their mansion is being raided, she's packing them (with assistance from a maid or two) and says something like "[Rebecca] can't be packed with [Sally]!" (names made up by me). I think she also mentions the name of the wig she lent to Stevie for Cabaret when they're backstage.

[pigs-in-space]

I loved Alexis trying to play off her flight mix-up by claiming she was going to stay an extra month for the wedding, only to have David see right through it.

[Harvey]

5 hours ago, greekmom said:

Loved David's outfit last night.  Was it a kilt?  Was it shorts? LOL.

They were just extremely loose shorts if you paid attention you could see there were 2 different legs.

[Blakeston]

Is anyone else finding Stevie kind of hard to take?

I had no problem with her mockery of David (and Alexis) in the early seasons, when they were objectively pretty terrible.

But at this point, she's just as worthy of derision as they are, so she should get off her high horse.

[willowk]

squeeeeee they're back!!!  I loved both storylines, the zany of David's mania about the wedding venue and the picnic with the elder Roses. Poor Johnny getting caught in his altogether by the cop / fisherman. And of course Moira isn't really done with acting.

[ShelleySue]

Another great Alexis line.  “I fit my high-school best friend into a suitcase way smaller than this when we were crossing the border between Laos and Vietnam, so I’m pretty sure I can figure this out.”  I had to play it four times to get it, but please feel free to correct me if I didn't get it right.

 

[dstv]

20 hours ago, Harvey said:

Moira being locked in a closet was so nonsensical and hilarious.

This is a standard Moira response to stress and upset—lock herself in the closet with booze and drugs. Pretty sure she did that at the beginning of season 1?  I know it’s been talked about before. 

[Harvey]

4 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Is anyone else finding Stevie kind of hard to take?

I had no problem with her mockery of David (and Alexis) in the early seasons, when they were objectively pretty terrible.

But at this point, she's just as worthy of derision as they are, so she should get off her high horse.

Well, Alexis was doing a bad job of making it seem like she was travelling to the Galapagos later out of her own goodwill, so in that case Stevie's comment was justified.

[Surrealist]

11 hours ago, redfish said:

I think they should give an acting nom to Moira's wigs. The one she wore when she burst out of the closet truly conveyed a Norma Desmond feel.

They're some of the best things about this show, TBH. 

(FWIW, I love the show in general.)

[Milburn Stone]

Having watched the show from the beginning, I only began really enjoying it again about two-thirds of the way through last season, and that continued with this episode. Alexis seemed realer, much less "one-note," and therefore funnier; and so did all the others. Even the game warden (or whatever he was) felt convincing. I don't know what's changed behind the scenes, but I like it.

[LilWharveyGal]

Moira mistaking Roland's voice for Stevie's cracked me up.  She really does live in her own little world, doesn't she?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 1/8/2020 at 11:55 AM, Blakeston said:

Is anyone else finding Stevie kind of hard to take?

I had no problem with her mockery of David (and Alexis) in the early seasons, when they were objectively pretty terrible.

But at this point, she's just as worthy of derision as they are, so she should get off her high horse.

I didn't find anything wrong with what she said in this episode. She might like Alexis now, but her #1 loyalty is to her BFF David and she could see that he was hurt about Alexis leaving. David specifically told Alexis this and Alexis STILL didn't get it so Stevie just pointed it out to her again.

Stevie: What's going on over there? 
Alexis: I'm trying to check in. If we're going to be late, I'm going to at least do everything I can to not miss my flight because I have never needed a vacation more.
Stevie: Yeah, this? I think this is what might be bothering your brother.
Alexis: Okay, I get it. My life is an inconvenience.
Stevie: That or the fact that you've been talking nonstop about how desperate you are to get out of here? I think it might be hurting his feelings.
Alexis: Okay, I'm moving to a place that doesn't have a Sephora for literally 2700 miles so I'm sorry if I'm trying to convince myself that I'm doing the right thing.
Stevie: I might still be a bit boozy-
Alexis: Yes, I can confirm that. 
Stevie: But I've actually been jealous of your trip. Like, you're getting out there, seeing the world. And now that Cabaret's over, I feel like I might need to be doing more of that. I just wish I had your - what's going on? Because I think I might be in the middle of giving you a compliment for the first time, so.
Alexis: Yes, and I am super touched. It's just that I'm having trouble getting my boarding pass. Like, do they not let people in economy check in for the flight?
Stevie: Can I see your phone?  Okay, um, I think I've found the problem. Your flight's not leaving for another month.
Alexis: What? Give me that! No, it says right here, 0-7-0-8.
Stevie: Yeah, but it's day before month so you're not leaving on July 8th. You're leaving on August 7th. 
Alexis: What? Ugh, and my stupid ticket doesn't allow for any changes. What am I supposed to do?
Stevie: Well, maybe you could start by telling David that you messed up and he can book the venue after all.
Alexis: Okay, I would literally rather sleep at the airport for a month.

Edited January 29, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Milburn Stone]

On 12/30/2019 at 3:05 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Original air date: 1/7/20

Or should that be 7/1/20? 🙂

[mikem]

I take it that the day/month confusion is because Alexis used to live in the US but the show takes place in Canada.  Is this the first indication within the show that the town is in Canada?  And was the show ever explicit that the Roses were living in the US before they had to move?  I don't remember the first episode that well.

Edited January 9, 2020 by mikem

[Darian]

1 hour ago, mikem said:

Is this the first indication within the show that the town is in Canada?  

I know we've seen Canadian license plates before (one was when David and Patrick are getting out of the car to go hiking). 

[Milburn Stone]

2 hours ago, mikem said:

I take it that the day/month confusion is because Alexis used to live in the US but the show takes place in Canada.  Is this the first indication within the show that the town is in Canada?  And was the show ever explicit that the Roses were living in the US before they had to move?  I don't remember the first episode that well.

I think the show strongly implied that their former life was in the U.S., because the shots of their mansion definitely seemed Beverly Hills-like.

But that could be because I'm an American, and I think Canada is too nice to have that kind of crass conspicuous consumption. Canadian viewers might correct me on that.

[Enginerd]

3 hours ago, mikem said:

I take it that the day/month confusion is because Alexis used to live in the US but the show takes place in Canada.  Is this the first indication within the show that the town is in Canada?  And was the show ever explicit that the Roses were living in the US before they had to move?  I don't remember the first episode that well.

I think it was just a plot device requiring suspension of disbelief. In my experience, flight tickets always have the name of the month written out to avoid confusion, since travelers are from different places with different date-writing conventions.

They've always been vague about where exactly the Roses lived and where Schitt's Creek is supposed to be. 

[Catfi9ht]

Drunk Moira bursting out of the closet with that amazingly severe wig was probably my favorite dramatic entrance on this show to date.

As Dan Levy would say, "Catherine O'Hara acting drunk. There's nothing better." I can't believe how well she embodies Moira; it seems effortless and completely natural.

I enjoyed the Moira/Johnny story line more than the David/Patrick story line which is a rarity for me. This episode was a great intro to the season.

[SoMuchTV]

On 1/8/2020 at 8:24 AM, greekmom said:

Loved David's outfit last night.  Was it a kilt?  Was it shorts? LOL. 

 

On 1/8/2020 at 2:18 PM, Harvey said:

They were just extremely loose shorts if you paid attention you could see there were 2 different legs.

Well, if a skort is a skirt/shorts combo, I guess that was a, kort...?

[tennisgurl]

Its a totally understandable mistake! The calligraphy was hard to read, Billy Zane did the exact same thing!

Good start of the last season (sniffle. Damn it, I just found this show on Netflix!) and its not too surprising that David has gone rather Groomzilla about the possibility of a wedding. I mean, he once got dumped for a stuff animal, so I get why this is a big deal, but hopefully now that he and Patrick are getting married at the hotel, he can chill. I mean, as much as possible anyway! 

Moira mistaking Roland's voice for Stevie's cracked me up. Moira and Johnny were really sweet together, even when Moira spends so much of her time on Planet Moira. 

[greekmom]

7 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

I think the show strongly implied that their former life was in the U.S., because the shots of their mansion definitely seemed Beverly Hills-like.

But that could be because I'm an American, and I think Canada is too nice to have that kind of crass conspicuous consumption. Canadian viewers might correct me on that.

I assumed they lived in the Bridle Path area of Toronto where all the swanky houses are (Prince had a home there and Drake does now)

[Florinaldo]

I wonder if Alexis will ever get to the Galapagos. Or if, after many mishaps and mix-ups, she will get there only to find out Ted had already decided to leave early to join her back in Canada.

20 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

But that could be because I'm an American, and I think Canada is too nice to have that kind of crass conspicuous consumption.

You should visit some of the allegedly swanky (in fact gaudy and pretentious) parts of Toronto or Vancouver areas. I assumed the Roses lived in Toronto before they lost everything.

The Creek is supposed to be somewhere int the Maritimes I think, a part where apparently winter does not exist.

Edited January 10, 2020 by Florinaldo

[chaifan]

Well, I'm glad they came up with a good reason to move the wedding date up.  I really didn't want the whole season to be wedding planning.  David & Patrick deserve a better final season plotline than that.  I hope they don't take the entire season to get married.  Mutt's barn would also make a cool wedding venue. 

I wonder if in a town as small as Schitt's Creek they use the kindergarten rule - you either invite less than 1/2 of the town, or you have to invite everyone.

I kept waiting for Stevie to break it to Alexis that her extra baggage fees would cost more than her airfare. 

Glad the show is back.  Sad it's the final season. 

[sacrebleu]

Quote

I think the show strongly implied that their former life was in the U.S., because the shots of their mansion definitely seemed Beverly Hills-like.

Didn't David mention  at some point-- living in New York? maybe when Patrick was looking at places? 

The show continues its winning streak, and I learned a new word: habilimented (after Johnny's indecent exposure-- Moira promised the game warden she's keep him habilimented (because that's the most Moira word ever) 

[Florinaldo]

I did a little search and in a BuzzFeed piece, DL admitted, a bit reluctantly I think, that the town is indeed located in Canada. Although not necessary a totally realistic locale that can be pinpointed (he calls it a "bubble").

[HighHopes]

On 1/9/2020 at 9:18 AM, mikem said:

I take it that the day/month confusion is because Alexis used to live in the US but the show takes place in Canada.  Is this the first indication within the show that the town is in Canada?  And was the show ever explicit that the Roses were living in the US before they had to move?  I don't remember the first episode that well.

Stevie mentioned someone (a cousin?) living in Winnipeg in an earlier season. I always assumed since it ended up being a CBC show that it took place in Canada. 
 

I always thought that when they had their money they lived in New York City. Maybe because David invited Stevie to come with him to NYC in the season one finale?

[luna1122]

It's mentioned multiple times that David lived in NYC, but no real indication that the rest of the family did, tho they clearly visited him. And Alexis crashed her car into the Prada store on Rodeo Drive, so they might have lived there, but Alexis has stories about EVERYwhere, so who knows. They don't really want us to pin down where they lived, or where Schitts Creek is now, so I mostly just don't try to.

[Dobian]

On 1/8/2020 at 5:24 AM, greekmom said:

Loved David's outfit last night.  Was it a kilt?  Was it shorts? LOL. 

I kept saying, why is he wearing a kilt?  Because the camera was cutting off above the bottom of the legs until several shots later.

[msrachelj]

Love this show love the episode the only thing was I was afraid of having nightmares remembering the squealing of the pigs. Does that really happen before or when they kill them 😳😩isn’t that so inhumane? Dear God I’m so glad I gave up pork. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Behind the episode:

 

[LisaM]

Very limited Roland - - clearly a good thing. 

Clever way to keep Alexis in town. 

[luvthepros]

On 1/8/2020 at 10:23 AM, pigs-in-space said:

I loved Alexis trying to play off her flight mix-up by claiming she was going to stay an extra month for the wedding, only to have David see right through it.

LOVED everything about this episode. I'm late to the party. Just watching now.

[ahisma]

Thank god season 6 is finally on Netflix. I’ve been waaaaaaaaaiting!!! (Even though I never want it to end.)

Moira’s white dress, black accessories, and black and white umbrella were absolutely stunning! And Eugene Levy looked handsome as heck soaking wet with his top shirt buttons undone. 

The wedding venue was also stunningly beautiful, but the pig slaughter noise was definitely a no-go.

[Brookside]

On 1/8/2020 at 6:47 PM, Milburn Stone said:

Having watched the show from the beginning, I only began really enjoying it again about two-thirds of the way through last season, and that continued with this episode. Alexis seemed realer, much less "one-note," and therefore funnier; and so did all the others. Even the game warden (or whatever he was) felt convincing. I don't know what's changed behind the scenes, but I like it.

I'm wondering why you watched a show that you didn't enjoy.

[Milburn Stone]

13 hours ago, Brookside said:

I'm wondering why you watched a show that you didn't enjoy.

Assuming your question is not rhetorical, I'll answer it. Mrs. Stone has always liked the show more than me, and I enjoy sitting alongside her as she watches. 

[Brookside]

5 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

Assuming your question is not rhetorical, I'll answer it. Mrs. Stone has always liked the show more than me, and I enjoy sitting alongside her as she watches. 

Thanks for responding.  When I'm in a comparable situation, I'll sit next to my guy, but read a book.

[Girlcat]

did anyone notice that the end of season 5 ends cabaret night, and season 6 starts the next day....YET ted left the night before, and was supposed to be in the galapagos islands for a week before alexis flies out....AND stevie has cabaret makeup from night before YET Alexis says that Moira has been in the closet for a week    

 

Loved Both episodes, just noticed these conflicting parts.  Also, i totally agree there felt like a missing scene before Roland and Moira were desperately searching for Stevie and why did she HAVE to get the towels then and there?  seems like that was something that could wait until the next day 

[lovett1979]

On 11/17/2020 at 5:07 AM, Girlcat said:

did anyone notice that the end of season 5 ends cabaret night, and season 6 starts the next day....YET ted left the night before, and was supposed to be in the galapagos islands for a week before alexis flies out....AND stevie has cabaret makeup from night before YET Alexis says that Moira has been in the closet for a week    

I realize I'm replying to this a year and a half later, but I somehow missed this when it was first posted. I believe that "Cabaret" ran for a week (or 2 weekends, maybe?). So Season 5 ends with opening night, and the after party at the hotel. Then Ted leaves and Moira gets her bad news and crawls into the closet. A week later, the final performance of Cabaret is given and there's a closing night party (I believe this is referenced). The next day is the day we see in this episode.

[Beccaa]

I am still waiting for them to announce they will have another series that follows the events at Schitt's Creek... seriously <3

[lovett1979]

On 2/6/2022 at 4:22 PM, lovett1979 said:

I realize I'm replying to this a year and a half later, but I somehow missed this when it was first posted. I believe that "Cabaret" ran for a week (or 2 weekends, maybe?). So Season 5 ends with opening night, and the after party at the hotel. Then Ted leaves and Moira gets her bad news and crawls into the closet. A week later, the final performance of Cabaret is given and there's a closing night party (I believe this is referenced). The next day is the day we see in this episode.

Just passed these episodes in my umpteenth rewatch and I can confirm that a week passes between seasons 5 and 6, and that is mentioned in both episodes.

In S5E14, Moira asks Alexis when she and Ted are flying to the Galapagos. Alexis responds "Ted leaves tonight, I leave in a week." To which Moira responds "poor planning" and Alexis has to remind her that she's in Cabaret, lol.  Then Cabaret opens, Moira gets her bad news and crawls into the closet.

In S6E1, Moira is mentioned to have had a "relapse" and to have been in the closet for a week (and is wearing a different outfit/wig than when she first crawled in." Stevie is still wearing her show makeup and reference is made to the "wrap party" (though that's more of a TV/movie term and it would be a "closing night" party in theatre). It also makes sense that it would have taken David a week or whatever to find the venue and setup an appointment (and invite Johnny and Moira to view it).

There are a number of continuity issues that this show has, but the timing of these two episodes is not one of them.