Top 10 Hilarious Schitt's Creek Running Gags

Here’s something to look out for on your next rewatch, if you haven’t noticed it yet: all the books that the characters of “Schitt’s Creek” read are completely fake, and usually have some kind of connection to that character’s story in the episode. For example, in an episode where Moira learns the sex of Jocelyn and Roland’s baby and immediately forgets what it is, she can be seen reading a book called “A Hint of Amnesia”. On a related note, Stevie must be quite a slow reader, as she’s seen on several occasions reading the book “Banshees on a Plane”. Perhaps it’s supposed to relate to Moira’s sometimes banshee-like behavior..

Pretty much anyone close to Johnny Rose knows that he is bad at giving gifts. It’s clear he wants to show appreciation for his loved ones with his gifts, but what he gets them ends up being so terribly misguided it’s hilarious. He gave his totally non-athletic son David a basketball court for his bar mitzvah, and gave Stevie a case of makeup she had no idea what to do with. All things considered, though, one of Johnny’s most well-known “bad gifts” was the town of Schitt’s Creek itself, which he got David as a joke for his birthday. That joke gift ended up meaning a lot to the Roses and especially David, who truly fell in love with the town and the people in it.

The family of everyone’s favorite Cafe Tropical waitress is as big as it is eccentric, which we learn as Twyla drops random bits of information about her truly bizarre relatives. Her aunt reportedly has a ghost haunting her house, her grandfather gave her a collection of hospital bracelets, and her father has a restraining order from the band Fleetwood Mac. Despite her unconventional and, at times, concerning background, Twyla always seems to be in good spirits and remains one of the sweetest characters in the series. We have to seriously admire her relentless optimism, because some of her family stories are pretty messed up.

Bob Currie, the local mechanic of “Schitt’s Creek”, is a cheerful, optimistic older gentleman who is clearly beloved by the rest of the town. He does have a few odd quirks, including the unique way he enters a room, which can only be described as “The Bob Jog”. In many scenes, Bob can be seen entering via a strange half-jog, with his hands and arms bouncing around as he moves. This move is almost always accompanied with a laugh from Bob and surely delights audiences at home as well. “The Bob Jog” seems to come from Bob being so excited to tell someone something that walking just won’t get him there fast enough, which we have to admit is pretty sweet.

David isn’t the best at hiding his true feelings, as evidenced by the many times he pulls a disgusted face at something he doesn’t like. This could be a side effect of leaving a life of luxury and moving to a rural small town where plenty of things seem to offend and shock the Roses. It’s more likely, though, that David has been pulling this face his whole life, having grown up with a family that’s totally nuts. Those around him might enjoy his displeasure or be offended by his grimace, depending on the context, but the audience will surely find his exaggerated expression entertaining no matter what.

Alexis Rose’s emotions are pretty easy to understand: if she’s happy, she’ll “boop” your nose. Anything else and you’ll likely get an “ew” of some sort. This short word became a frequently used catchphrase for Alexis, which for her expresses not only disgust but also anything from shock to outrage and so much more. Some of her most famous “ew”s are those directed at her brother, David, which crack us up every time. Alexis is the reason this word has snuck into the vocabulary of so many fans of the show, and we love her for giving us such a versatile new way to use it.

One of the most iconic parts of “Schitt’s Creek” is undoubtedly Moira’s vast collection of wigs, which she managed to salvage when the family’s assets were seized. They all have names, of course, and she wears them all the time. Sometimes they appear in very unconventional ways, like as a hat over her real hair. It’s truly a full-on obsession, as Moira would risk it all to save her precious wigs. Or, as was the case when there was a fire at the motel, have Roland take the risk to save them. At one point in her life, Moira probably cared more about the wigs than her own children. Thankfully, as the family bonded she proved she loves David, Alexis, and all her wigs equally.

Before the events of “Schitt’s Creek”, the Roses belonged to some of the most elite social circles in the world, and apparently rubbed elbows with some seriously big names. For example, Jared Leto was Alexis’ first kiss. David went parasailing with Anderson Cooper. And Moira once had a ventriloquist act with Eva Longoria. Whether it’s a force of habit or an attempt to impress all their new small town friends, the entire Rose family can’t resist an opportunity to drop an A-list name into every conversation they can. These interspersed jokes are as funny as they are random, and totally make us want to see a “Schitt’s Creek” prequel.

Speaking of backstories, Alexis probably has the most insane out of her entire family. Her socialite life was filled with exotic travels, wild parties, and some seriously dangerous situations. She encountered Somali pirates, was held hostage by a Saudi Prince, saved a friend who was kidnapped by a diamond smuggler, and that’s not even half of her insane stories. One super sweet moment that came out of this running joke was Alexis realizing how much David worried about her while she was on her adventures. It’s one sweet moment that shows the Roses have truly cared for each other all along, even if it didn’t always seem like it.

Moira has an interesting accent that’s hard to place - sort of like an old Hollywood Transatlantic accent, with some random variations. She also has a unique pronunciation of certain words, like “crabapple” in her wine commercial. Then there’s her classic “bébé”. With names especially, it’s a gamble whether Moira will remember someone’s name in the first place, and a miracle if she can pronounce it properly. Catherine O’Hara struck comedy gold with Moira’s voice, which is totally ridiculous and hilariously confusing. At the same time, we’d listen to absolutely anything that was narrated by Moira Rose herself, wouldn’t you?