Schitt's Creek series finale: Dan Levy and Noah Reid on their sexy, awkward 'happy ending'

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Schitt's Creek series finale, "Happy Ending."

Schitt’s Creek’s series finale ended as we knew it would, with a wedding — and an update to the town sign, still wildly inappropriate but now featuring the Rose family. But there was one very unexpected turn of events as David (Dan Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid) scrambled to find a new location due to rain.

Patrick, who weeks before planned an in-home massage to help David stay calm on their big day, left an envelope full of cash and a note asking the massage therapist to “take very good care” of his husband-to-be. Which he did. Very, very good care. When Patrick returned, David was so relaxed that the couple quickly realized their misunderstanding — to Stevie’s (Emily Hampshire) great delight — and they moved on to the next challenge of the day.

“David is someone who has always not considered sex to be a big deal,” Levy told EW. “It was always just something that happened. It was love that was a big deal. It was the relationships that were a big deal. Those were the things that were hurting him — not the sex. David has always been an incredibly open and easy person when it comes to sex and sexuality.”

In this exclusive interview conducted during EW’s digital cover shoot, Levy and Reid talk about the challenge of adding an awkward, sexy twist to an already fraught series finale.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Let's talk about the title of this episode: “Happy Ending.”

DAN LEVY: Well, the title has multiple meanings. I think first and foremost, it is what everyone wants for this family. I think it's what everyone wants for the show. It would be really sad and disappointing if we didn't give a happy ending. And then there is, quite literally, a happy ending that occurs during a massage that adds some levity to a pretty intense episode. And that was something that we had a long conversation about, in terms of are we taking it too far, does it live outside the show? And ultimately the conversation ended with, no, it doesn't. This is a couple that has been so open and honest, and has not put sexuality and their sex lives in this box that they can't touch. It's always been around, and it hasn't necessarily defined who they are as people.

NOAH REID: [Laughs]

LEVY: And that was something that I thought was really fun to explore. The fact that this happens to David, and that it's not a make-or-break for their relationship because that's not what their relationship is founded on. It's founded on something much deeper, much more substantial, much more respectful. And ultimately, David just thought that Patrick had wanted him to relax, so he accepted. And you did give him an envelope of cash and said, "Treat him well."

REID: I hope that if I were in this situation that I would be as generous of spirit as Patrick is. I can't say with a lot of confidence that I would be, but I do think it's one of my favorite things about that person and about this relationship, is that they're willing to see it from the other person's perspective and have a sense of humor about it.

LEVY: And also that, and this was sort of important for me, that their sex life not be something that is always what's defining loyalty in their lives. And the fact that they entertained going to Jake's, and you wore a tight T-shirt, and David put his body lotion on and they went out for a night on the town, with no real expectation beyond, let's just see what this is all about. And I think that's such a wonderful thing for this couple, that they're so stable and so steady, that these kinds of things, like sex, which can be so sort of intense for people and can be such a sign of — is such a make-or-break, in terms of putting loyalty onto it. But that their relationship to it, which is fine for other people, but in their situation, sex is sex, presumably it's all going well, and whatever happens, happens. And it was clearly a miscommunication.

REID: Oh yeah.

LEVY: On their wedding day. But David agreed to the location, so we got some negotiation out of it.

REID: Some great problem solving, actually.

LEVY: It's very Schitt's Creek to throw a wrench into a situation like a wedding, and have someone get a happy ending on a wedding day. That, to me, feels very, very them.

You have a pretty smooth ride all through the season with the wedding planning, really right up until this day, when basically everything goes wrong. Which of the things that goes wrong — after the massage — is the biggest wrench in the plan? Alexis wearing a wedding dress?

LEVY: That was something that I knew from the very beginning. Even when we started to brainstorm the fact that we would probably end this series with the wedding, I was like, Alexis has to wear a wedding dress to her brother's wedding. Because no one's wearing a wedding dress to the wedding, so why couldn't she wear a white dress? And just the principle of David saying like, "It's not your day. Why are you wearing a white dress?" And her just denying the fact that it was a wedding gown.

REID: And it almost doesn't even occur to her.

LEVY: No. Well, there's a huge tulle bow on the end, and it did come with a headdress. She calls it a headdress, not a veil. But I would go with — probably the rain was the biggest wrench.

REID: Major wrench. And the fact that we didn't get a tent.

LEVY: It was a really wonderful way of bringing the community together, and having a last goodbye with the town. Because we felt like, what better way to show the camaraderie and the growth of the relationship between the family and the town than have them all sort of pitch in at the last minute, and make something wonderful out of nothing?

REID: It never really happens the way that you think it's going to happen, and the way that it happens ends up being the way that it had to happen. It's kind of lovely that way. Ends up being more meaningful, somehow.

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