Schitt's Creek: The Pitch (6x12)

This was an excellent episode, and it gave me all sorts of feels!!

Cons:

I could have predicted that the pitch wasn't going to go perfectly, but I wish they hadn't gone with the somewhat cheap laugh of having Roland be the one to fall apart. He's got a dry mouth, and knocks over water during the presentation, and meanwhile Stevie is flustered while doing her part of the presentation, especially when the computer freezes. I actually think the message would have hit home harder if they had done a solid, smooth presentation and were still laughed out of the room because the investors are just snobs. The somewhat slap-stick-ish mishaps happening earlier on before they got their feet under them just didn't really do anything for me.

Pros:

But mostly, I loved everything about this episode. Stevie, Johnny, and Roland are off to New York for their big meeting, but there are bad signs from the start when it turns out that Johnny's main contact, and the reason they got the meeting in the first place, isn't even going to be there. It's obvious that Johnny is considered kind of a joke, and it doesn't help that he has two very nervous small-town partners who clearly have never worked in this environment before. What I love is that underneath the nerves and awkwardness, the idea is a good one, and they have put in their research. Johnny ends up giving a really strong pitch, and if it weren't for the fact that the people in the room were prejudiced against him before he even walked in, he would have had a good chance of success.

Roland defending Johnny was one of those great moments you love to see - it really felt like a culmination of their complicated friendship over the years. Roland goes back into the room to get his (empty) briefcase, and overhears the people in the room laughing at Johnny. He talks about how brave Johnny is to come back here after the losses he's suffered, and calls him a legend. I just... loved that. And it pairs really nicely with how supportive and calm Johnny was about the whole trip to New York. He never got annoyed or frustrated with Stevie and Roland for having less experience, or being less suave during the pitch.

And in the end, it works out - while this particular meeting doesn't land them their funds, one of the partners comes running out to say that she and a few of her colleagues are starting a new firm and would love to help them!

Back in Schitt's Creek, we see how the potential for success has been affecting the rest of the family. Moira has literally already started packing to move to New York, and when Alexis finds out, she is all-in about the idea of moving. So, it seems, is David. But when he tells Patrick... things don't go so well. Patrick seems shocked that David is ready to uproot their lives so quickly, so easily. Their business is in town, and David is ready to hand-wave that away, already excited about finding an apartment with Alexis. Obviously these two have some things to work out, as we see a lingering look of uncertainty on Patrick's face when Johnny and the others return home with the good news.... poor Patrick!

On the comedy front, I absolutely loved Moira, David, and Alexis kneeling on the ground in some sort of prayer circle, as Moira insists that success is the only possible outcome. She wants to get out of this town so bad! I also loved Alexis and David talking about apartments, jumping sooo many steps and just assuming that the pitch would be a success, and they'd all move to New York. David is more concerned with what they'll do if they disagree about the interior decorating or candle scents. So funny!

And then on the more serious front... Patrick looked so freaked out, so scared, when David presented him with the big news. I got the sense that he was suddenly worried he wasn't enough for David, that David's enthusiasm really threw a wrench in his confidence about their future. But I also know we've only got a few episodes left, and that these two are going to work things out. I can't wait to see that!

So there you go. This was such a fun episode, and I'm starting to get legitimately a little weepy about how close we are to the end!

9/10