Netflix just released the final season of Schitt's Creek a few days early as a gift for everyone looking to add a little joy to their lives. While the show focuses on the Rose family, crafting intricate stories of personal growth for each family member throughout its six seasons, one of its best parts is the relationship between David Rose and Patrick Brewer.
Making a queer relationship a central part of the show's story does wonders for representation. David has already established himself as not strictly gay, being more interested in an individual than their gender identity, but Patrick has only recently recognized himself as gay. Schitt's Creek presents the intricacies of starting a new relationship in an environment that makes viewers feel all the nerves and happiness as if they were their own.
More than just centering a queer relationship, Schitt's Creek embeds it in a world that, unlike our own, is free from homophobia. The small town of Schitt's Creek celebrates the couple rather than ostracizing them, and even moments where it seems like homophobia would play a role turn out to be much nicer than they first appear. When Patrick comes out to his parents, it turns out they're upset not because their son is gay but because they created an environment where he felt the need to keep this a secret. This is obviously not the lived reality for many queer people, but it's a solace to see the possibility depicted on screen.
Too many queer stories put characters in moments of strife, depicting relationships born out of the pain that many queer people have experienced in their real lives. But while realistic, this means that these relationships only serve to reinforce an association between queerness and trauma, with many stories falling victim to the "bury your gays" trope. Schitt's Creek avoids these pitfalls, letting its audience experience the joy of David and Patrick without the trauma.
Watching David and Patrick navigate complex relationship conundrums like meeting the family, finding other people attractive and dealing with each other's past relationships provides moments of tension and drama for the show. But the safe space of the town of Schitt's Creek allows the show to explore these moments without the added trauma of homophobia on top, which works to truly normalize their relationship.
David and Patrick's relationship is also noteworthy in that it doesn't focus on actual sex. The characters certainly reference it, making jokes about the soft or hard launch of their joint business, and one episode focuses specifically on David and Patrick trying to find some time alone for sex. Most of the series, however, focuses on other aspects of their relationship, showing moments of intimacy that go far beyond the physical act of sex.
The final season features an episode where David wets their shared bed and focuses on how the couple can move past this event. The episode ends with Patrick sharing his own embarrassing traits so they can get back on even footing. Telling a story about wetting the bed is wildly unique, but allows Schitt's Creek to showcase the depth and reality of David and Patrick's relationship that goes beyond mere sex.
David and Patrick are not only relationship goals, but watching their story unfold throughout the final three and a half seasons of Schitt's Creek is a true comfort and celebration. While they go through their own set of struggles, making for interesting television that doesn't shy away from drama, their unbridled joy in one another, the focus on even the mundane aspects of their relationship and the town's excitement for them makes David and Patrick's relationship one of the most joyful things on television.