It's opening night for Cabaret, and Stevie is nowhere to be found. David tries to make a big announcement, but keeps getting overshadowed by the musical.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the season finale of Pop's Schitt's Creek.
"Life Is a Cabaret" was written by Daniel Levy and directed by Daniel Levy & Andrew Cividino
Noah Reid and Emily Hampshire have been the MVPs of this season. There should really be no question about that at all. They have had some big episodes as of late. Both Patrick and Stevie have explored new dynamics and expanded their worlds. It was terrifying and emotional but very rewarding for the relationships they hold so dear as well. This finale is set around the opening night of Cabaret. As such, it gives them some big and showy moments once more. It's also just a lot of fun to watch them perform. A previous episode gave the audience a brief tease of what was to come from this performance. It was clear that Moira was going for some complicated choreography in the hopes of making everything as entertaining and big as possible for the audience. She has such a close attachment to this musical as well. She is mouthing the words backstage and hoping with Jocelyn that everything continues to go well. This is a stunning achievement on her part. This is a very devastating episode for her as well. She gives Stevie the confidence to perform her big number with the understanding that her life may not be as stuck as she believes it to be. Everyone assumed that Stevie ran away from her debut performance because she was terrified and nervous. That was only exaggerated further when David broke the news that he and Patrick are engaged. It wasn't anything like that though. She just got stuck in traffic picking up the special gifts that Patrick had made to celebrate this occasion and David likely moving out of the hotel. It's such a sentimental gesture as well. It also proves that Patrick isn't perfect. He knew he was going to propose. He involved Stevie in the process. But this was also a distraction that nearly threatened the opening night of their musical. Stevie and Patrick have the leading roles in Cabaret. Moira is suddenly afraid that Stevie won't show up and she'll have to step into the role. That's hilarious and Moira makes up a somewhat convincing lie when Stevie does finally show up. Moira does still have that impulse to be an actor. She has also proven to be quite a creative force too. She has many opinions and high standards. David understands that he shouldn't do anything to upstage this big night. He doesn't want to tell anyone about his happy news until after the performance. He expects people to shed tears of joy over it. Instead, it doesn't go according to plan because he fears that Stevie is running away because of it. That means that everyone is preoccupied with their own drama instead of celebrating this engagement. They are still incredibly happy for David and Patrick. They just have to worry about other things which feels exactly right for this show. Moira ends the night curled up in a ball inside of the closet after all. As such, that may prove that the Rose family is still in turmoil as they face all of their complicated feelings about life in Schitt's Creek. This is a rousing night of performances for the town. Patrick nails "Willkommen" while Stevie is perfect with "Maybe This Time." The reaction shots of the crowd are also very telling. Ted, Johnny and Roland are a little surprised but very receptive to the musical and what is being depicted onstage while David is just beaming with pride. That's the feeling that emanates throughout this entire episode. It may be the last time the entire Rose family is together though. Ted has to leave right away for the Galapagos Islands. Alexis will be joining him in a week when the run of the musical is done. Johnny and Moira are trying to get her to stay by bribing her with gifts and offers to be their official publicist. They can't stop her from leaving though. The family is changing. Moira saw the Crows movie as a turning point for her life. It proved that things aren't over for her career now that she's in this town. When it gets indefinitely shelved, she breaks down. That's tragic. But it also proves that this family still needs each other in order to get through all of these tough moments. Plus, those difficult moments shouldn't outshine the ones that are so joyous to watch. This is a great night for Moira that should indicate where her career could go next.
