‘Big Mistakes’ Review: Dan Levy’s ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Follow-Up Is a Delightfully Unhinged Crime Thriller

10 years ago, Dan Levy captured lightning in a bottle with his breakout hit Schitt’s Creek. What began as a quiet Canadian sleeper hit has since earned cult classic status as one of the best sitcoms of the 2010s. Now, Levy is returning to the world of television with the first season of a new, very different comedic take on generational trauma and family dynamics. With a little help from I Love LA‘s Rachel Sennott behind the scenes, Levy delivers an unhinged and unflinching look at what happens when a pair of perfectly ordinary siblings stumble into a very extraordinary situation.

Where Schitt’s Creek followed a larger-than-life family thrust into finding humanity in a small town, Big Mistakes turns that concept inside out, following a small-town New Jersey family as they make a series of choices that cause their lives to spiral ever more out of control over the first season’s eight episodes. Don’t tune in for Big Mistakes expecting the same warm, often wholesome comedy that defined Schitt’s Creek. While complicated family dynamics are still the heart and soul of this series, Big Mistakes is a bold, action-packed, often suspenseful, and at times uncomfortable crime thriller that operates at a speed that would break traffic laws in Schitt’s Creek.

What Is ‘Big Mistakes’ About?

Big Mistakes follows aimless siblings Nicky (Levy) and Morgan (Taylor Ortega), who stumble deeper and deeper into the world of organized crime when Morgan shoplifts a diamond necklace for their dying grandmother. The series wastes no time setting an unyielding tone reminiscent of Sennott’s Shiva Baby, as Linda (Laurie Metcalf) micromanages her children through the imminent death of her mother. Levy’s Nicky is a well-meaning pastor at a local church, whose patrons have very little understanding of boundaries, leading him to often sacrifice his own happiness to do what he believes he’s supposed to be doing for everyone else. Ortega’s Morgan, meanwhile, is the perfect sarcastic middle child whose sharp tongue masks her deep disappointment with how her life has turned out as she stagnates in an uncomfortable relationship and a failed attempt to get out of her small town.

While Nicky and Morgan find themselves neck deep in New Jersey’s sprawling criminal underbelly, their mother and obnoxiously perfect younger sister Natalie (Abby Quinn) are busy launching Linda’s mayoral campaign. Throughout the season, Big Mistakes blends Nicky and Morgan’s outlandish criminal escapades with Linda and Natalie’s local political power grab in a way that feels remarkably relatable despite their unusual circumstances.

Filling out the ensemble are a strong mix of legendary heavy hitters and up-and-comers, which is especially evident in the mother-son duo of Elizabeth Perkins‘ Annette, an intense local real estate mogul who doesn’t have time for fools, and Jack Innanen‘s Max, Morgan’s man-child trust-fund baby boyfriend who somehow manages to be endearing despite his many faults. There’s also Nicky’s secret boyfriend, local handyman Tareq, played by Jacob Gutierrez, who is beginning to feel uncomfortable with having to hide their relationship while both men are out among the town.

‘Big Mistakes’ Characters Feel Like Real People

One of the biggest strengths of Big Mistakes is that every character feels real and grounded and relatable, even — and perhaps especially — when they’re being annoying, selfish, or unreasonably confident. Laurie Metcalf delivers one of the best performances of the entire show, and perhaps one of the best of her entire career. Linda feels like the perfect amalgamation of every Gen X/baby boomer-cusp single mother I have ever known. In the hands of a lesser actor, Linda could come off as a one-dimensional nagging mother, but Metcalf makes her so endearing as she layers vulnerability and love for her children through every moment that they’re driving her crazy. The youngest, Natalie, is an excellent foil for her, and Quinn certainly holds her own opposite Metcalf. Natalie’s Type-A perfectionism makes her an outsider to her siblings and masks a deep well of her own issues that she pushes down at all costs in order to be mommy’s favorite. That desire is also rooted in a very real love for her mother and the understanding that she’s also just a girl, in every sense, too.

Levy himself delivers a much more understated performance as Nicky than his ostentatious David Rose. As someone with religious small-town roots, Nicky’s commitment to his congregation, as they expect him to be a “non-practicing” gay man, feels all too real. Much of how Nicky’s sexuality is handled in this series feels so grounded in how it feels as a queer person to have a deep well of patience with the people you love. From hiding his relationship from his congregation, to telling his father he can’t say “a gay,” and then later keeping another closeted person’s secret at the very real risk of his own life, Nicky’s queerness is incredibly nuanced. Beyond his sexuality, there’s a deep sense of integrity, and the weight of being the eldest sibling sits heavily on Nicky’s shoulders. He cares very deeply for his family as well as his congregation, and he’ll do anything for them simply because it’s the right thing to do.

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“Say my name.”

Meanwhile, Ortega delivers an equally complex performance as Morgan, who can’t help but stumble into mistake after mistake as she attempts to make the best of the uncomfortable circumstances she continually finds herself in. Despite Morgan causing the majority of her own problems, Ortega plays her so endearingly that the audience still wants her to win. Early in the series, Morgan tells Nicky, “I’m going to live my whole life having never done anything that mattered,” while in the midst of such an unbelievable situation that you can’t help but root for her. There are also plenty of moments sprinkled in that make it clear why she’s seemingly accepted her lot in life. While Innanen’s Max is never really going to grow up and often does things that are more than break-up worthy, the characters also weirdly align in a lot of ways, as Morgan also refuses to grow up — so much so that she inevitably finds the excitement and sense of purpose she’s been missing in her life as she becomes enmeshed in this criminal underworld. But much like her own inability to make the right choices despite her best efforts, that also comes with a near-complete lack of control.

‘Big Mistakes’ Is Primed for an Even Bigger Season 2

Image via Netflix

Where Schitt’s Creek had a rose-colored glasses level of optimism even when putting its characters through shenanigans, Big Mistakes speaks to the very real feeling of millennial dread and the constant fear that you’ve somehow caused all your own problems, all while just trying to make the best of the hand life has dealt you. The series balances its humor, much of which comes from the sheer audacity of any given member of the ensemble, with a deep sense that most people, including your nagging mother, your annoying sibling, your stupid boyfriend, and even low-level criminals, are all just trying their best. As Morgan and Nicky find themselves drawn further and further into the criminal underworld of the town they’ve spent their whole lives in, it’s almost astonishing to watch their sibling bickering and blind brashness keep them alive as they quite literally annoy their way up the food chain.

Meanwhile, Linda’s mayoral campaign, her relationship with Natalie, and Natalie’s desire to guarantee her mother’s success balance out Nicky and Morgan’s criminal activity with a genuine desire to make a difference, even if it’s just for the sake of personal achievement. Big Mistakes, on the whole, really highlights the bonds of family and how far one would be willing to go for their loved ones when put in an impossible situation. Season 1 plays out like a thrilling buddy comedy crime romp that peels back layer after layer of story while bringing the narrative to a very satisfying full-circle moment in the final minutes. However, the way the puzzle pieces coalesce in those moments also opens up a whole new can of worms, in a way that practically demands a second season.

While Big Mistakes isn’t always the most comfortable watch, especially as it holds up a mirror to some of life’s most awkward moments, there’s a sense of hope and humor threaded throughout that reminds us why we keep going. Levy and Sennott have crafted a story that feels real and relatable, even as the circumstances spiral into situations most people can only imagine themselves in. While the nuanced performances from Metcalf, Ortega, Levy, and Quinn stand out the most, the ensemble is filled with the texture of people who feel like your nosy neighbor or your frustrating boss. True to its name, Big Mistakes highlights how every little mistake can truly have life-altering consequences. With a dry wit and a balance of drama and comedy that is oftentimes reminiscent of Succession — if the Roys were a middle-class family from New Jersey — Big Mistakes is certainly worth a weekend binge.

Big Mistakes is now streaming on Netflix.