There is a common opinion among its audience that Schitt’s Creek is a slow burner, and there are reasons for why it takes so long to make viewers love it. After losing everything they have, the formerly rich and spoiled Rose family moves to Schitt’s Creek, a small town not worth anything but which is the only thing left to their name. Over six seasons, the Rose family’s journeys are as equally moving as they are entertaining and the reception from its audience shows how well-loved it is.
Schitt’s Creek focuses on the Rose family, who are from a life of extreme wealth and privilege. When they move to Schitt’s Creek, it only emphasizes how out of touch they all are with the world as they mingle with townsfolk, such as Schitt's Creek mayor Roland (Chris Elliot), and Stevie (Emily Hampshire), who have very different lives from that of the Roses' formerly privileged lifestyle. A huge part of each character’s development in Schitt’s Creek is that the Roses learn from the people of Schitt’s Creek, and vice versa, which makes the show unique in how it balances out each character’s traits.
That said, plenty of its most faithful audiences are vocal about Schitt’s Creek taking a while to get into, with most highlighting the end of the second season as a turning point. One reason for this is that the Rose family members are, purposefully, not relatable in the first two seasons. The audience relates more to Schitt's Creek's Stevie, who often makes fun of the Roses' unrealistic expectations of the town and disconnection from the working class. As each family member finds their footing in the town, such as David (Dan Levy) opening his own convenience store "Rose Apothecary," good things start to happen for them because they've grown and earned it. It's at this point that they become more likable and the audience starts to root for them.
The show does it by skillfully partnering up each member of the Rose family with a person from Schitt’s Creek who seems to be their polar opposite, but this balances them out and makes them more likable. Alexis, whose most iconic character detail was improvised by Annie Murphy, and Ted (Dustin Milligan), David and Patrick (Noah Reid), Johnny (Eugene Levy) and Stevie, and Moira (Catherine O’Hara) and Jocelyn (Jennifer Robertson). The relationships the Roses build with the people of Schitt’s Creek are resisted by at least one half but develop into genuine and authentic relationships. Being relatable is a massive part of the show's appeal, and the audience learns to relate to the highs and lows of each character’s relationships with the rest.
Although Schitt's Creek season 2 is the commonly mentioned turning point of the audience’s love for Schitt’s Creek, the Rose family does continue changing throughout every season. A large amount of the credit for this goes to Dan Levy. He became the sole showrunner of Schitt's Creek, responsible for saving Annie Murphy's and Emily Hampshire's careers, at the beginning of season 2. His creative management and lead writing responsibilities are a big reason for season 2 being the moment the audience’s feelings for Schitt’s Creek start to evolve.