Pause Sunrise Bay, put that bebe down, and whip out Twyla’s tarot cards, because Moira Rose’s wigs on Schitt’s Creek can see the future! As anyone who watched A Schitt’s Creek Farewell knows, Daniel Levy dedicated a massive amount of time, thought, and energy into every Moira ensemble, including her wigs. The prop even had an impact on the series’ Emmy-winning acting — Catherine O’Hara admitted on the Netflix special that the wigs channeled Moira’s mood.
But, during one of my many 2020 rewatches, I realized: Moira’s wigs actually also regularly foreshadow what’s to come for the matriarch, the Roses, and the citizens of Schitt’s Creek. Just like her emotions, the hues of Moira’s wigs run the gamut, dropping delightfully colorful Easter Eggs for viewers throughout the series. And we love that journey for her.
Don’t believe me? Read on, and be careful lest you suffer vertigo from the realization.
The Red-Toned Wigs: Grounding Moira In Schitt's Creek
Whether she’s wearing a classic strawberry blonde bob or a deep, lipstick-hued look with curls, Moira tends to stick to shades of red when acclimating to town. The darker the red, the more accepting Moira is of Schitt’s Creek being her home. The lighter shades of red usually foreshadow an event that, let’s just say, forces Moira to acclimate to Schitt’s Creek.
Episode: Season 1, Episode 2, “The Drip”
What happens: Moira and Johnny have dinner with the Schitts for the first time, in hopes that Roland will sign away the town.
Tone of hair: Classic, strawberry blonde bob with bangs
Tone of scene: Very uncomfortable
Why we’re wigging out: Moira feels so disconnected from Schitt's Creek, she's trying to sign the town away. The lighter shade of red, though, points to further discomfort — something she feels in spades when Roland refuses to sign the papers.
Episode: Season 1, Episode 12, “Surprise Party”
What happens: That awesome, end-of-the-season dance party she has with her family and new Schitt-y friends. (Ted’s not the only one with puns.)
Tone of hair: Dark red wig with side bangs, a low bun, and long curls
Tone of scene: Celebratory
Why we’re wigging out: Dark hair, no cares. Schitt's Creek dances its way into Moira's heart at the end of the show's first season, and Moira's hair was prepared — remember, the darker the red, the more Moira will accept her new roots. (See? More puns!)
Episode: Season 2, Episode 4 “Estate Sale”
What happens: Moira wears the look to the estate sale where she and Jocelyn compete against one another for a nice queen mattress.
Tone of hair: A dark red lob wig with a fun middle part
Tone of scene: Passive aggressive
Why we’re wigging out: Moira's hair predicts she'll win the sale. The darker hue points to more comfort in Schitt’s Creek — and what can provide literal comfort more than a new queen mattress? (Freaky, right?!)
Episode: Season 2, Episode 7 “The Candidate”
What happens: Twyla drops the news that the Rose matriarch herself is running for town council.
Tone of hair: A messy strawberry blonde bob wig with bangs and dark brown undertones
Tone of scene: That uncomfortable tension leading up to panic.
Why we’re wigging out: The light red tone hints at a challenge for Moira. She spends the rest of the episode trying to get out of the campaign by offering the spot to Johnny. But there are enough dark undertones to point to a future when she’ll come around, accept the offer, and have a victorious campaign. Again, Moira’s wigs are never wrong!
Episode: Season 4, Episode 11 “The Rollout”
What happens: Moira wears this dark red wig when she interrupts Alexis and Ted’s rescue puppy work for the single’s event and mentions the other girl.
Tone of hair: Dark red short bobbed wig with bangs
Tone of scene: Sexual tension (between Alexis and Ted)
Why we’re wigging out: Now that Moira’s a hair more acclimated to Schitt’s Creek, her red wigs point to her family accepting their place in town as well. Alexis finally tells Ted that she loves him. Despite the nail-biting uncertainty of this moment, the dark red tones of Moira’s wig comforts us with the knowledge that Ted will get back together with Alexis.
The Brunette Wigs: Building Stronger Relationships
Moira tends to wear brunette wigs in scenes involving her relationships (and conflicts) with her loved ones. Since Moira always goes for the darker shades of brown, the length of the hair represents the time it takes for her to learn the lessons to come. The longer the length, the more time it takes for the conflict to resolve.
Episode: Season 3, Episode 2 “The Throuple”
What happens: Moira wears this dark brown wig when David and Alexis talk about Moira’s favorite child… and how it’s not Alexis. As a result, Moira and Alexis plan to have lunch, and spend the majority of the episode trying to get out of said lunch.
Tone of hair: A dark brown wig with long shaggy bangs and messy curls
Tone of scene: A hair awkward
Why we’re wigging out: The solution might have been a long time coming (note the long, shaggy bangs), but when Alexis sits across from Moira and her brunette wig, their mother-daughter bond tightens stronger than ever.
Episode: Season 3, Episode 10 “Sebastien Raine”
What happens: David is uncomfortable with Moira posing in a photoshoot for his photographer ex.
Tone of hair: A dark brown-red bobbed wig with more length on one side.
Tone of scene: Frustrated
Why we’re wigging out: One side of the bob is longer than the other, telling us that one Rose (David) would take longer to come around in the fight about Sebastian. The moment, however, leads to a stronger relationship between David and Moira, as the dark brown foreshadows.
Episode: Season 5, Episode 5 “Housewarming”
What happens: Jocelyn and Rolland ask David and Alexis to watch their bebe, but David and Patrick’s housewarming party is that night. Johnny volunteers himself and Moira to watch the bebe — despite never actually caring for one without outside help.
Tone of hair: A dark brown shoulder-length wig with side bangs
Tone of scene: Casual awkward
Why we’re wigging out: Another brown wig, another relationship deepened. And it only took a shoulder-length of time!
Episode: Season 5 Episode 9 “The M.V.P.”
What happens: Moira wears this brown curly number to the first Cabaret rehearsal.
Tone of hair: A brown, curly half-wig
Tone of scene: Fun
Why we’re wigging out: Moira will spend the episode cementing her relationships with several citizens of Schitt's Creek. She not only works closely with Jocelyn, Patrick, and Alexis during the production, but her Cabaret leadership also helps get Stevie out of her comfort zone. Short bursts of bonding represented by a short bombastic bob!
The Black Wigs: Career Success
When Moira wears black, she’s about to have a comeback.
Episode: Season 1, Episode 9 “Carl’s Funeral”
What happens: Moira attends Carl’s funeral wearing this very specific fashion statement.
Tone of hair: Bright red streaks and a black bird feather in her natural hair
Tone of scene: Awkward and slightly sad
Why we’re wigging out: It’s not a full wig, but this extension/feather look sets the stage for many of Moira’s career accomplishments. Her improvised song at the funeral leads to her career with the Jazzagals. Let’s also mention the fact that Moira is not just wearing black, and not just wearing a black bird feather… she’s wearing a crow’s feather.
Episode: Season 2, Episode 3 “Jazzagals”
What happens: Moira wears this jazz-inspired wig to her audition for the Jazzagals.
Tone of hair: A black bob wig with one side longer than the other
Tone of scene: Competitive tension
Why we’re wigging out:, Look at what unfolds (not the cheese): Moira’s acceptance into the singing group.
Episode: Season 3, Episode 11 “Stop Saying Lice!”
What happens: Moira wears this beauty when Roland tells her a flower garden will be named in her honor.
Tone of hair: A messy, black-haired bobbed wig with a random lipstick-red patch
Tone of scene: Confident crisis
Why we’re wigging out: Moira's black and red wig predicts her acceptance of Moira’s Rose’s Garden 4856 — a celebration of Moira's legacy (black = career win) that also happens to firmly plant her in Schitt's Creek (dark red = comfort).
The Blonde Wigs: MESSY. PLOT. TWISTS.
Gentlemen prefer blondes, according to Marilyn Monroe, but Daniel Levy prefers to make Moira a messy one when a major plot twist — typically resulting in a mental breakdown and/or a scene in the closet — occurs.
Episode: Season 1, Episode 6 “Wine and Roses”
What happens: Moira’s drunken breakdown on the set of the Herbert Wines commercial.
Tone of hair: A messy blonde wig
Tone of scene: Hidden dread
Why we’re wigging out: This is the beginning in a line of blonde-hued breakdowns for Moira.
Episode: Season 3, Episode 3 “New Car”
What happens: A vocal plot twist: Moira speaking in a cockney accent to get a cheaper price for the car.
Tone of hair: A messy, blonde curly wig with a slight mullet
Tone of scene: Unexpectedly British
Why we’re wigging out: Moira’s surprise mullet also unearths a surprisingly big ego and sense of pride, leading the Roses to nab a low price for the car... but not the lowest possible.
Episode: Season 4, Episode 13 “Merry Christmas, Johnny Rose”
What happens: Ah, the flashback of the Rose’s bougie Christmas party juxtaposed with the harsh reality of a family Christmas in the motel! Only a messy blonde wig could invite the built up tension and explosion of emotions Moira goes through in this family-fun Christmas special.
Tone of hair: A bleach blonde lob wig with a big black bow
Tone of scenes: Bottled up tension
Why we’re wigging out: The bleach blonde wig with the black bow calls back to the Roses losing everything.
Season: Season 6, Episode 1 “Smoke Signals”
What happens: Moira gets stuck in the closet during the fire.
Tone of hair: A messy white-blonde lob wig
Tone of scene: Rock bottom
Why we’re wigging out: She's not only stuck in the closet; she's stuck in her career too. Cue: breakdown.
Episode: Season 6, Episode 14 “Happy Ending”
What happens: The rain washes away David’s original wedding plans.
Tone of hair: A short blonde wig with fun, rainbow streaks on the side
Tone of scene: A calm terror
Why we’re wigging out: The blonde bad news leads to a better opportunity. Moira helps David come up with a new, even better location for his wedding — the town center. The blonde might predict messiness, but the streaks resulted in a rainbow of a wedding after all.
Last, But Honestly The Best: THE POPE HAT
Iconic. Just iconic.
Episode: Season 6, Episode 14 “Happy Ending”
What happens: Moira officiates David and Patrick’s wedding.
Tone of hair: Long blonde locks accompanied by a pope hat: in a class of its own
Tone of scene: LOVE! TEARS! SO MANY TEARS!
Why we’re wigging out: Ultimately, no matter what Moira's wigs tell us, she will never be predictable. And that's what makes Moira, her wigs, and this look, well, simply the best.
Image: CBC / PopTV