Schitt’s Creek: 10 Best Characters To Only Appear In One Episode

It’s hard to believe it’s already been two years since the finale of beloved Canadian sitcom Schitt’s Creek. Between Annie Murphy’s new role in the highly-anticipated Netflix series Murderville and Eugene Levy’s appearance in a major Super Bowl ad, the stars of the Emmy Award-winning series are still all over the screen.

Besides its punny title and slew of renowned comedic actors, Schitt’s Creek true genius lies in its zany, original characters. From wig extraordinaire Moira Rose to mullet-donning Roland Schitt, the series’ characters are quite hard to forget- even if they only appeared in one episode.

10 Clifton Sparks- Season 6, “Sunrise, Sunset”

Clifton Sparks is Moira’s former co-star from Sunrise Bay, the long-running daytime soap opera that led to Moira’s fame. After Moira is offered a role in a reboot of the soap, Alexis discovers through an online forum that Clifton himself was the one who convinced the writers to kill Moira’s character off the show back in its prime.

Besides the fact that Clifton is portrayed by the great Victor Garber, his character is one of the best single-episode stars simply for the drama he creates. With Clifton comes a quick glimpse of a Sunrise Bay episode, something fans had been waiting for since the series began. His character also provides Moira with the wonderful opportunity to slap someone across the face in true soap opera fashion.

9 Baby- Season 5, “Roadkill” 

After unfortunately running over a cat on their way to the spa, Moira and Johnny decide to let the cat’s owners know about the accident. This leads to their unforgettable apology to Baby, who before making her appearance is assumed to be an actual baby. To Moira and Johnny’s (and the audience’s) surprise, Baby is actually a full-grown adult woman.

Though Baby’s on-screen time is short, her performance remains one of the most memorable and quotable. Her surprising appearance and hilarious exchange with Moira over theater tickets make it one of the best scenes in the season, and perhaps even in the entire series. Baby’s short-lived time on the show was still enough to have fans quoting, “You got tickets to Kinky Shoes?” Not to mention the scene was a prime opportunity for Moira’s running gag of pronouncing the word “baby” as “bébé.”

8 Sebastien Raine- Season 3, “Sebastien Raine” 

Sebastien Raine arrives in Schitt’s Creek to do a photoshoot with Moira, much to David’s dismay as he and Sebastien used to date. Dressed in what David refers to as a “very expensive sweater that doesn’t look very expensive,” Sebastien comes across as a classic narcissist. He’s arrogant, takes advantage of people, and betrayed David during their previous relationship.

At face value, Sebastien shouldn’t be anywhere near a “best characters” list of any kind. However, the outrageousness of his character makes him hard to forget. He is yet another example of the Rose’s old life where almost everything was valued based on appearances. Having Sebastien’s name as the episode title shows that he isn’t just a character, but a mindset- one the Roses have luckily moved away from in the pursuit of becoming better individuals.

7 Blaire- Season 5, “The Crowening” 

The Crows Have Eyes III: The Crowening is debatably one of the best plotlines in the entire show, so who could forget the infamous movie’s director, Blaire. After Moira approaches Blaire with her script suggestions, it is quickly discovered that the young director is only in it for the money- even referring to the movie as a “dumpster fire.”

Blaire might be a buzzkill, but his character makes Moira’s return to the screen all the more entertaining. The extreme contrast between Moira’s extra-preparedness for her role and Blaire’s nonchalant attitude is comedic gold.  It would have been nice to see his reaction in later episodes when the movie unexpectedly takes off on Interflix.

6 Artie Camden- Season 6, “Rebound”

As the episode title says, Artie Camden is Alexis’s rebound after Ted, and a rather unexpected one. He turns out to be significantly older than Alexis, likely around the same age as Johnny. Besides his age, Artie’s colorful attire- complete with scarves and bracelets- makes him quite the character.

Artie’s character was perfect in emulating Alexis’ feelings of loss and confusion after ending her relationship with Ted. His presence, and later break-up with Alexis, also allows audiences to witness a wonderful heart-to-heart between Johnny and Alexis. He may have only been in one episode, but Artie is a significant part of Alexis’ journey post-Ted.

5 Klair- Season 4, “Baby Sprinkle”

Klair is revealed to be one of Alexis’ good friends from her old life, but she only travels to Schitt’s Creek because it was named on a list of most “random” places to visit in North America. She is dressed like Alexis, talks like Alexis, but the distance between the two couldn’t be more apparent.

Klair is an easily unlikeable character- she’s rude, forgot about Alexis until this moment, and outwardly hates the friends she brought with her. Nevertheless, her character reaffirms how far Alexis has come when she declines Klair’s luxurious job offer. Although the two may share the same tone of voice and fashion sense, Alexis has realized her true potential where money, and Klair, aren’t involved.

4 Cheryl Mullens- Season 5, “A Whisper of Desire” 

After being described as unattractive and going through a rough time, Ted’s mom, Cheryl Mullens, shows up as quite the opposite. She’s evidently gorgeous and is very outgoing- so much so that Johnny believes her to have a crush on him.

While she only appears in one episode, Cheryl’s personality shows viewers where Ted gets his charm. Her character also leads to a funny exchange between Johnny and Alexis after it’s revealed that she indeed does not have a crush on Johnny, but rather on her Zumba instructor. If Ted and Alexis had stayed together, it would’ve been fascinating to watch the relationship between Johnny and Cheryl further unfold.

3 Dee Dee- Season 1, “Little Sister”

Moira’s younger sister Dee Dee shows up at the motel unannounced early on in the series. She is polished and prepared to gloat her newfound superiority over her older sister, now that she has taken Moira’s place as the wealthy one in the family.

While Dee Dee could easily be seen as a villain in the show, she is the only character to give a real glimpse into Moira’s family before becoming a Rose. It’s difficult to imagine a Moira without Johnny and the kids, but Dee Dee sheds some light on this unspoken past. It’s too bad she was only in one episode, as a long-term sibling rivalry would’ve made for an interesting plotline.

2 Gloria Gregson- Season 5, “Meet the Parents” 

Moira runs into the glamorous Gloria Gregson at a soap opera convention, something Moira had refused to participate in until now. Like Moira, Gloria’s claim to fame is her role on a long-running soap opera series. Unlike Moira, Gloria has been attending these conventions for years, reaping the benefits of money and fame.

Chatting with the Emmy Award-winning actress makes Moira realize the conventions might not be so bad after all, making way for a hilarious and heartwarming scene where Moira finally reunites with her fans. Though a fictional character, Gloria’s aura of glitz and glamor makes her seem like a real-life celebrity, and one of the series’ best single-episode characters.

1 Ruth Clancy- Season 6, “The Pitch”

Ruth Clancy is the assistant to Mike Morrison, the head of Advantage Capital where Johnny, Stevie, and Roland plan to pitch their idea for a motel expansion. Though the senior partners don’t see much in the crew, Ruth informs them that she and two other partners are starting their own venture capital firm and are interested in the motel pitch.

After their pitch goes horribly wrong, Ruth is the light at the end of the tunnel for the Rosebud crew. It’s safe to say that without Ruth, the Rosebud franchise may have never got off the ground. Though her role may have been minor, Ruth’s character served an important purpose, and should be remembered as one of the best.

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