David and Patrick from 'Schitt's Creek' Taught Me to Love

An ode to pop culture that gets refreshingly real about relationships, from ‘Hallelujah,’ to Pink, to ‘The Leftovers.’

I have been known to say that David and Patrick of Schitt’s Creek taught me to love. Sometimes this is met with an incredulous reaction, and I’m tempted to say I’m just joking, of course I knew how to love before this silly-sweet sitcom invaded my life in 2020. But honestly, I have to stick to my guns: They really did change something for me, even though I’d been with my partner for ten years at that point. 

Maybe the timing of my binge watch—like many, in the heart of the pandemic—helped facilitate this. Maybe I was primed for any hints at getting my relationship through lockdown. Maybe I was emotionally raw, like everyone at the time. But seeing one of the main characters, David (Daniel Levy), melt from cynic to devoted boyfriend and fiancé did something to me. This, I thought, was the vulnerability needed for true and lasting love. Conversely, the way that Patrick (Noah Reid) patiently tolerated—no, not just tolerated, but loved—David’s every prickle also offered a masterclass in the meaning of commitment. Watch how Patrick handles David’s worst moments: with a bemused, loving smile that sometimes says, “This is fine, it will pass,” and other times says, “Okay, that’s enough now.” 

Both, to me, are good and right reactions to a partner’s neurosis.

Their perfect yin-and-yang balance is why their respective performances of Tina Turner’s “The Best” resonated so intensely, and why I still go back and watch them from time to time for a mood boost/good cry. Patrick demonstrates his quiet confidence in their blooming love, and his superheroic ability to profess that love without flinching. (Also, though: DAVID’S REACTION SHOTS.)