Roland Schitt, Chris Elliott’s uncouth mayor of Schitt’s Creek, appeared in all but one of the sitcom’s episodes, earning multiple award nominations.

Roland Schitt, mayor of  Schitt's Creek and foil to the Rose family, was integral to the award-winning sitcom, so much so that Roland is only missing in one episode. The cleverly campy Canadian phenomenon takes place in the fictional and hilariously named Canadian town of Schitt's Creek, and features many fantastic performers. Actors include creators Dan Levy and his father, comedy legend Eugene, as well as star turns by Catherine O'Hara and Annie Murphy. But Roland, played by character actor Chris Elliott, may have invaded audience minds most, thanks in part to the character's unfiltered and uncouth personality. Appearing in 79 of the show's 80 episodes, Roland Schitt was a significant part of the show's success, but the mayor missed out on a single episode.

Schitt's Creek, which aired on the CBC from 2015 to 2020, has found a wide, cult-like following on streaming platforms, bringing David Rose actor Dan Levy and co-star Murphy, who played Alexis, as well as several other cast members, worldwide fame. But for veteran comedian-actor Elliott, Roland wasn't his first adventure in sitcom acting. Audiences may recognize him from his comedy sketches on Late Night with David Letterman from the '80s, on which he also served as a writer. He starred in Get a Life, provided the voice of Dilbert's dog, and had recurring roles on Everybody Loves Raymond and How I Met Your Mother. He was also a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1994-1995. Elliott's comedic chops are bona fide enough that he was offered the role of Roland Schitt without auditioning, a choice that served the show well in all 79 episodes in which he appeared.

In Schitt's Creek, season 2, episode 3 "Jazzagals" Roland is not featured at all. The episode contains three storylines: former starlet Moira struggled with her audition for the small-town ladies' a capella group, Johnny accidentally sold someone's car while working in his new "office" in Bob's garage, and David attempted to build a cedar chest to protect his cashmere sweaters. And while there's no obvious reason for Roland not to appear in the episode, there are several possibilities. The first, and most obvious, is that the episode was already jam-packed with storylines without the scene-grabbing Roland. He simply wasn't needed for any of the storylines to work just as well.

Moira's desire to shine in the a capella group was shaken by the realization that the women in the group may be more talented than her. Johnny, who believed he was a business genius, was embarrassed to have made an error, while blaming Bob for abandoning him at the shop. And David, who spent much of the episode bonding with Mutt Schitt, Roland's son, while they built the cedar chest, stepped outside of his comfort zone. And while Roland's appearance could have added more awkwardness to any of these situations, it wasn't necessary. In fact, it is possible that his presence might have lessened some of the emotional impact of the episode, as Roland had a way of devolving any scene he was in into a cascade of inappropriateness. Whether or not there was a reason for Elliott not to appear in "Jazzagals" is unknown, but it is also possible that he was unavailable during filming. During the same period of time that Season 2 of Schitt's Creek was airing, Chris Elliott (whose daughter, Abby Elliott was originally cast as Alexis) also had guest roles in The Good Wife, Nurse Jackie, The Knick, and the Epix show, Graves. It is entirely plausible that filming of "Jazzagals" conflicted with one of the performances he gave for one of these other productions.

While viewers may not ever know the exact reason why Roland was missing from that single episode of Schitt's Creek, the fact remains that he added a hilarious and certain inappropriate humor to every scene that he did appear in. From his inflated opinion of his position in Schitt's Creek to his innuendo-laden dialogue, Roland made a lasting impression. And while the sitcom is no longer in production, it is likely that Elliott's Roland Schitt will linger in audience memory as a cornerstone of the quaintly perfect, LGBTQ positive Schitt's Creek was on the air.

Next: Schitt's Creek: Why Patrick Sings "Simply The Best" To David