The Schitt's Creek series finale was made even better by one heartwarming behind-the-scenes detail. The Canadian sitcom followed the Rose family as they relocated to Schitt's Creek after losing their fortune, a small town that Johnny (Eugene Levy) initially bought as a joke. Throughout its six-season run, Schitt's Creek grew in popularity partially because of its wholesome and heartwarming tone, and the series finale is no exception. The episode "Happy Ending" was praised by critics and won three Primetime Emmys: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. "Happy Ending" ended Schitt's Creek on a satisfying note that becomes even more poignant after knowing the background behind the final scene.
The Schitt's Creek series finale focused on the wedding between David (Dan Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid). Though the day has its series of mishaps, including a rainstorm and the original officiant canceling, the couple eventually has their big day at the town hall, with Moira (Catherine O'Hara) officiating the ceremony. At the end of the episode, Johnny and Moira leave for California to pursue other career opportunities, but not before having an emotional goodbye with David, Patrick, Stevie (Emily Hampshire), and Alexis (Annie Murphy) outside Rosebud Motel first.
Annie Murphy, who won an Emmy for her iconic portrayal of Alexis Rose in Schitt's Creek season 6, explained behind-the-scenes details about the final scene in an interview. She has divulged (via YouTube) that the tears the characters shed during that scene are real: "Those tears are not fake tears, those are very real tears. I think you can just basically see Annie Murphy and Dan Levy and it's not David and Alexis. It's the two of us having a real cry." In that interview, Dan Levy also mentioned how emotional it was to be filming the last episode of a series and how the joy of watching a final episode of a show is trying to discern between the emotion of the characters and the actors that play them.
Why This Detail Makes The Schitt's Creek Ending Better
This behind-the-scenes detail makes the Schitt's Creek finale better because it shows the real emotional undercurrent behind the main characters' final interactions with each other. Emily Hampshire mentioned (via Buzzfeed News) that the final scene in "Happy Ending" was the last scene shot for the show. So it wasn't just the characters saying goodbye, but also the cast saying their farewells to each other. The cast's genuine fondness for each other and emotions about Schitt's Creek wrapping up its run makes the final scene even more moving. The love that Annie Murphy and Dan Levy have for Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara especially shines through Alexis and David's goodbyes to their parents. The real emotion makes the ending more meaningful than just actors reacting to a script.
Schitt's Creek did an excellent job of forging emotional bonds between different characters, but it also managed to bring its cast members closer together. It's clear that everyone loves each other off-screen, which led to natural tears flowing through the excellent final scene. The Schitt's Creek series finale is made even richer because the cast allowed their genuine emotions to come out.