Snowflake Challenge #5

[kat_lair]

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Challenge #5 of

 

 

was to promote canon/talk about a part of canon that you love. And I thought I would take this opportunity to pimp two things I've loved lately, without spoilers. Although there may be some in comments in case people get chatty...

Schitt's Creek - A Canadian sit-com with a stellar cast and huge family feels.



This is the Rose family. They used to be rich, very snobby and did not know how to family. Now they are piss poor (because they got swindled) and over the six seasons they learn how to channel some of the snobbishness in less exclusionary ways and how to family. Sort of.

They do that with the help of the eccentric occupants of one Schitt's Creek, which is a hick town in the middle of somewhere that Johnny Rose bought one time on a whim.

I don't love the show universally or uncritically. For someone who has a squick about public humiliation, there are some scenes that make me cringe and the cast is Very White. It took a while to warm up fully even to my favourite characters, although I think that's kind of the point. It is, after all, about growth.

However. It is funny, and warm, the friendships and family relationships and the whole making a new life for oneself which is nothing like one imagined but is actually better, really appeals to me. My favourites...

David Rose. Apart for Captain Jack Harkness, he's the only openly, explicitly pansexual character (he likes the wine and not the label!) I've seen on media and I love him. Apart for that the only other thing we share is the burning need to have things Exactly The Way We Want Them Because That Is Obviously The Best. I kind of want to pull off his fashion concept, but apart for the cheap imitation rings (of which I now have 9 and am regular wearing 7 of) I can't afford it. It helps that Dan Levy is luminous.





Stevie Budd. I love her snark, how she doesn't take any bullshit (especially not David's) and how she tries to hide how much she cares. She and David are friendship goals, maybe relationship goals. Yes, I kind of ship Stevie/David/Patrick and am sad there aren't more awesome poly fam fics about them.










Patrick Brewer. This is in many ways about his relationship with David and how open and well balanced it ends up being. I love all the canon about them and cried/laughed/cried several times through key moments. Also, Noah Reid is now on regular Spotify rotation as Extremely Listenable.







Alexis & David sibling relationship is an absolute delight and I'm so there with all the fanon about how they supported each other (badly but still) through what amounts to emotional neglect during their childhood and teenage years. Though played for laughs, Alexis' frequent asides of how she talked/paid her out of dangerous situations across the world (or how David actually saved her little sister repeatedly) have such potential for dark back story...





Anyway, Schitt's Creek! It's on Netflix. Would recommend.***




The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (link takes you to the first book)



I read this last year and was hooked. The world is ending, again. For Essun, it's not the first time but she might just ensure that the next time will be the last. The story is powerful and painful in many ways, and whilst there is love and hope, there are no neat or easy answers. The world building is one of the most original I've read in ages and even though the first book used a narrative device I figured out half-way through, it was still effective and very well done. If you like strong female characters, diverse cast (people of colour, queer, trans, disabled) and relationships (canon poly arrangement!) and mythos that spans millennia but is very well thought through, then this is definitely for you.
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Comments

[lunabee34]

I completely agree with you re: Broken Earth. I didn't figure out the narrative device and was delighted at the reveal. I was just riveted the entire time I was reading. So good.

[sjh2009]

I've heard people mention Schitts Creek so many times but I dint have Netflix so haven't seen it. Reading your summary it sounds like a really good show, I'd definitely watch it if I could from your description.

The Broken Earth trilogy sound like my kind of books. Something g else to add to my reading list!

Thank you for sharing.

[moth2fic]

Schitt's Creek is on my watch list but then so are a lot of other things *sigh*
I've added the trilogy to my list of books to buy after my current moratorium on book acquisition.
Thanks for both reviews, which are helpful!

[turps]

I love Schitt's Creek a lot.

I have to admit, it took me a few episodes to get fully into it, and at first, I often found myself wondering what the hell I was watching. But, I stuck with it and soon found myself rooting for every single character.

And, it only got better when Patrick arrived, he's such a lovely balance, not just to David but the whole family.

I like the look of those books too. They sound like something I'd enjoy.

[wenchpixie]

Schitt's Creek really made my end of 2020 (which could have been very miserable and dark) lovely and cosy. It's such a lovely kind show

[author_by_night]

r someone who has a squick about public humiliation, there are some scenes that make me cringe

I think one of the reasons I got through the show so fast is because there were a lot of scenes I had to skip entirely!

and the cast is Very White.

Yeah, that really bugged me. I know it's supposed to be a small town, but small towns do have POC. Also, if it's supposed to take place in rural Canada, Canada has a fairly sizable South Asian population. All we have for SA representation is Ray, and he's more of a comedic device. Not great.


David Rose. Apart for Captain Jack Harkness, he's the only openly, explicitly pansexual character (he likes the wine and not the label!) I've seen on media and I love him.

Same. I can only think of one other character, and it was stated by the creators that she's pansexual as opposed to bisexual, rather than ever acknowledged in text. Also, I LOVED the wine analogy.

. She and David are friendship goals, maybe relationship goals. Yes, I kind of ship Stevie/David/Patrick and am sad there aren't more awesome poly fam fics about them.


I know! I have mixed feelings because I DO love seeing a platonic relationship between a man and a woman, but on the other hand, that would've been interesting to explore. I do think they love each other on a level that's deeper than "platonic," but it's not quite romantic.

This is in many ways about his relationship with David and how open and well balanced it ends up being

I love how they just GET each other. I also shipped them from day one. (Scene one? IDK.) I was spoiled for the fact that Dave got married in the series finale, so when we saw Patrick I was like "okay, this is the guy he gets married to, right? Please?" I googled and spoiled myself, but I was happy to do it. :P They just get each other. And I love that not only does David change through Patrick, but a lot of his more neurotic moments become about wanting to protect Patrick and his relationship with him. It just speaks to how much Patrick means to him.

Alexis & David sibling relationship is an absolute delight and I'm so there with all the fanon about how they supported each other (badly but still) through what amounts to emotional neglect during their childhood and teenage years. Though played for laughs, Alexis' frequent asides of how she talked/paid her out of dangerous situations across the world (or how David actually saved her little sister repeatedly) have such potential for dark back story...

Yeah, I know. I wonder if that fic exists? It's definitely darker, but I do love the detail that David was the one rescuing her. There's a LOT that's actually dark when you really think about it. It's one of those comedies that could've so easily been a pretty dark drama, but fortunately everything's played for laughs. However, I do like when they take a minute to say "but actually, this is pretty disturbing. We know."

[tjs_whatnot]

Like I've mentioned, I'm just beginning on Schitt's Creek and am loving it so far, but am worried about the sustainability of one of the key components of the show. Like you have a public humiliation squick (I do too, secondhand embarrassment has stopped me from watching or enjoying SO MUCH!) I have a problem with people wallowing in their fates when they are capable of changing them. So, if it's 6 Seasons of living in a motel and whining about losing everything, I don't think I'm going to be able to endure--even for all the David feels that I already have. ♥ ♥ But, until that moment, I will enjoy it thoroughly. ♥ ♥

[verdande_mi]

Thanks for the book recs! It might be too dark for me, with the world ending and all, but I shall at least read up on the series.

I've finsihed season 3 of Schitt's Creek, so I have now met Patrick properly. I like how he and David met and got to know each other.

This show has so many scenes where I want to bury my head in the sand, I get so easily embarressed! And this is really the reason I never wanted to check the show out, because it didn't look to be something I would enjoy. Glad I gave it a chance as it's been making me smile a lot :D

[shadowhive]

Ohh Broken Earth sounds interesting

I’ve heard people about Schitt’s Creek before and it’s on my to watch list of doom doom but I’ve not actually started it yet. I’ll have to soon sometime!

[kingstoken]

Schitt's Creek is such a pleasure.

[tsuki_no_bara]

i read the hundred thousand kingdoms (but not the sequels) and the killing moon (but not the sequel) because for some reason i really like the first book of an nk jemisin series but don't feel compelled to read the second one, because the first one is such a complete story. so there's a part of me that expects the fifth season to be the same way, totally complete in itself. is it? (i assume it's always better to read the whole series to get the whole story, tho.) but also, i think this is the first rec i've seen for the broken earth books, and because nk jemisin's worldbuilding is SO GOOD and feels SO THOROUGH i always want to read something else of hers, so this is going on my list. and there's just not enough canon poly relationships in novels.

[dreamersdare]

Broken Earth is sooooooooo good, especially the first book. N.K. Jemisin is one of the few authors who can get me to read second person, and like it, which is saying a lot!

I'm trying a second series of hers at the moment, but it's not catching me in the same way. Possibly though, that is because I'm a bit bored of fantasy worlds at the moment, and in the mood for something different.

[margaret_r]

I haven't seen Schitt's Creek but hear a lot about it, should really give it a try.

The trilogy looks good! Will have to see if I can get it on Kindle.

[spikedluv]

Amazing post! I love Schitt's Creek so much and I was nodding along to everything you said. (I've posited that Alexis is some kind of secret agent because of all the tidbits she drops, lol!) Also, I saw a comment about Ronnie; I forgot to mention in my post that the actress is in Frankie Drake Mysteries, though it took me a while to figure out where I knew her from because she's soooo different.

I read the first book and while I liked it well enough, I wasn't sure about reading further in the series. Do the other books get better, would you say?

[firecat]

I love the Broken Earth trilogy. Your rec of Schitt's Creek got me to go look at YouTube videos of David Rose because I need more pansexual tv characters in my life. Now it's on my watch list.