‘Schitt’s Creek’ changed the grammar of television sitcoms when it was aired for the first time in 2015. The CBC Television show had a fairly average inception. However, as the series progressed, it became the benchmark of character development in the long story-telling format. The audience, who were unaware of the gem, embodied the series. Dan Levy and his father Eugene Levy wrote the characters who had “superstars” written all over them. However, Alexis Rose played by Annie Murphy stood out from the bunch of extraordinary characters.
When the Rose family set foot in the quaint town, they brought baggage—literally and metaphorically! The family, after losing everything due to their cunning accountant, shifts their lives to a town brought as a gift for Johnny Rose’s son, David Rose. Annie’s Alexis Rose had a hangover from the rich and wild lifestyle she maintained. Alexis dated the A-list of Hollywood and the richest who’s who of the Middle East’s elite families. But, she finds herself in a whirlwind in Schitt’s Creek, and Ted Mullens played by Dustin Milligan holds her hand throughout. But, when the time comes for commitment, the two amicably part ways. Why did they do so?
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Why Did Alexis Rose And Ted Mullens Break Up In ‘Schitt’s Creek’?
Alexis Rose was a mess when she got introduced in the first few seasons of ‘Schitt’s Creek’. A privileged girl who navigates through the new life with the old ways pretty much sums up Alexis in the first two seasons. She is still yearning for adventure, so she calls locals to mingle and has a wild party while their parents go out. Alexis is still complicating her love affairs after a string of incompatible and toxic ones. She repeats the patterns when she dates Mutt while still engaged to Ted. After breaking their hearts, real life hits her.
In the progressive seasons, we witness the reinvention of Alexis Rose. She breaks her old persona and molds herself into a life that she wishes to lead. Alexis finally realizes that the life she led vicariously did not serve her well. She felt static. So, she reshuffles her life and focuses on self-growth and building her own identity. In the process, her ex-fiancé Ted Mullens aids her. He gives her a job at his veterinarian clinic despite having no previous experience. Ted insists she completes her high school education. Their love story progresses while Alexis is excelling and Mullens is the witness to this blooming of a new Alexis and their relationship.
Alexis Rose eventually completes her college degree and sets out to find footing in the world of PR. She reinvigorates the ‘Rosebud Motel’, and even helps her mother resurrect her career by pulling some unique stunts and stints for her. While professional progress soars, she experiences a personal life bump when Ted gets a scholarship to conduct research at the Galàpagos Island. The two try to have a long-distance relationship.
However, the way Alexis handles the situation is a mark of how good character development works. In the sixth season and final season, during ‘The Presidential Suite’ episode, Alexis and Ted decide to part ways for their own good. The decision was heart-wrenching for the fans, but they hailed the character for choosing herself and her career, unlike her past self who would have sacrificed her life to be with a man. The moment liberated Alexis, opening the floodgates for the opportunities that she missed traveling on a cruise or spending time with Harry Styles in England!
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Dan Levy Had Written A Double Wedding Idea For The Characters
The decision of Ted and Alexis to break up received eclectic reactions. The fans were rooting for the characters to live happily after on the Island. But, the trajectory of the show would have disengaged fans from Alexis’ real quest to find her voice and identity. However, Daniel Levy AKA Dan Levy wrote a happy ending for the two like David and Patrick. The fans would have witnessed the siblings’ nuptials.
During an Entertainment Weekly interview, the cast sat together and discussed the double wedding that might have happened. Dan told Annie that the series would have had a double wedding if he would have stuck to the original idea.
Dan talked about why he changed the arc of Ted and Alexis’ relationship. He said, “Alexis needed to come out of this show liberated in a way that wasn’t necessarily attached to a guy. I felt like it would be more fulfilling to that character to have loved and lost and been set on a track that is leading her into her future rather than settle with someone at the end of the show. And that is why I did not do it.”
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