When Canadian comedy Schitt's Creek swept at the 2020 Emmy Awards, it wasn't surprising to fans of the show -- whether they stuck it out through the rough-and-tumble, often mean-spirited first season and continued watching or got into the show later, once it found its stride. Over the course of its six-season run, Schitt's Creek became something more than it set out to be. Much of that can be attributed to the tender, carefully told love story of Patrick Brewer (Noah Reid) and David Rose (Dan Levy).
Patrick and David first meet in Schitt's Creek Season 3, Episode 8, "Motel Review." When David goes to apply for a business license for Rose Apothecary, Patrick helps him properly fill out the forms. Later, Patrick tells David he wants to invest in the business itself and the two become partners.
At the end of the season, they have dinner together for David's birthday and David kisses Patrick goodnight. Patrick confesses he's never kissed another guy and that he didn't know if he could strike up the courage to make a move -- so he's grateful David took the lead. This may not seem significant, but it is, especially for some LGBTQ fans.
David and his sister Alexis (Annie Murphy) are both in their 30s, as revealed by David's bank pin number (his birthday, July 2, 1983) and the fact that Alexis is a few years his junior. Patrick's age is never revealed, but it's safe to assume he's also in his 30s, which makes his coming out story especially impactful.
Although coming out stories are a hallmark of LGBTQ media aimed at young people -- particularly teens -- it's much rarer that nuanced coming out stories are told about adults. Multiple surveys indicate young queer people are coming out earlier in life than the generations that came before them, but there are many closeted elders who have not disclosed their sexuality (or their gender), even to close friends and family. Although Patrick is only in his 30s, which is relatively young, there's a pervasive idea -- especially in pop culture romances -- that anyone in their 30s who isn't in a lasting relationship is little more than a washed-up spinster, regardless of their gender. To see him be able to come out, fall in love with David and form a lasting relationship is incredible.
Most importantly, Patrick is never judged or questioned in this process. There are more than a few road bumps: Patrick's ex-fiancée, Rachel (Stacey Farber), comes to Schitt's Creek hoping to rekindle their romance, which forces him to explain parts of his life he'd yet to bring up with David. David accidentally outs Patrick to his parents, who believe their son is merely his business partner. Patrick experiences an intense bout of jealousy when David kisses Alexis's boyfriend, Ted (Dustin Milligan), during a game of spin the bottle at a high school-themed party.
However, David never mocks or shames Patrick for being inexperienced or for coming out later in life. He doesn't get angry with him for having been previously engaged (their fight is about David not knowing, not Patrick's history itself). He doesn't question whether Patrick is actually gay. At no point is Patrick made to feel like he's lesser for not realizing his sexuality until adulthood -- and that's so important.
Patrick is given the space to come into himself and fall in love without having to justify or explain his past. He also isn't rejected or ostracized for being gay. Schitt's Creek doesn't necessarily shy away from queer trauma -- David talks about his past in low, reserved tones on more than one occasion and it even seems, at first, as if Patrick being outed to his parents will have serious, devastating consequences -- but it also doesn't capitalize on it. David is out and proud and Patrick is allowed to be also, even though their queerness looks different.
Realizing his sexuality as an adult doesn't make Patrick any less queer or less deserving of support, which Schitt's Creek drives home by simply making it a non-issue. Patrick grows and changes and find love and establishes a family outside of his blood relatives; he makes mistakes and has incredible triumphs and gets to be both filled with joyous light and condemned to dark sadness. He's a nuanced, fully-realized character whose queerness and coming out process have a major impact on his life -- but he isn't relegated to being a cautionary tale or an example of how violent the closet can be, especially for queer elders.
Of all the things Schitt's Creek gets right, this relationship and this character arc are among its most spectacular achievements.