Apr 18, 2026 1:53pm IST
‘Big Mistakes’ Season 1 Review: Dan Levy’s Dysfunctional Family Crime Comedy Is A Hot Mess With Sparks of Promise
"Big Mistakes" on Netflix, a crime caper about a dysfunctional family written by Rachel Sennott and Dan Levy, recommends itself. In fact, at the crux of this series is a nerve-wrackingly chaotic sibling dynamic that gives “Schitt’s Creek"’s Alexis and David, but on acid. And their overbearing mother is played by the indomitable Laurie Metcalf. Really, what’s not to like?
With their grandmother on her deathbed, Nicky (Dan Levy), an openly queer reverend, and Morgan (Taylor Ortega), a school teacher, are emotionally blackmailed by their mother, Linda (Metcalf), and perfect sister, Natalie (Abby Quinn), to get their Nonna a gift. When Morgan steals a necklace that was not for sale, she and Nicky are drawn into the criminal underbelly of their town. They’re blackmailed first to return the necklace and then to run errands for a local mafia boss. All while bickering, as siblings who don't particularly like each other but deep down love each other, do.
Despite a stacked ensemble and a solid premise, “Big Mistakes” is mostly a hot mess that takes time to get to the juicy bits. There are moments in this eight-episode season that show sparks of promise. It can get downright hilarious when the characters get to breathe, dial down the anxiety-inducing verbal fights, and use their words to communicate. However, these moments come mostly in the latter half of the season.
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The first three episodes (each is roughly 30 minutes) that lay the groundwork feel dragged and don’t quite grip you. And it’s not the editing, but the talking that prolongs the inevitable. The logical loopholes become harder to overlook. For example, when the cashier, Yusuf, threatens them to return the necklace, it’s unclear why Nicky and Morgan can’t just do it or come clean to either their families or to Yusuf.
The stakes feel forced. In addition, the siblings’ constant (and loud) disagreements feel less like a portrait of character flaws, à la the family dynamics in “The Bear,” and more like a frustrating form of diversion from this thin logic. You almost want to say, “Hey, your lives are at stake here! Can you stop fighting and stand on business?”
“Big Mistakes” doesn’t really kick into gear until Episode 4, after which the overall ride gets tighter and funnier. There are a couple of good twists up its sleeve in the final episodes, which set the stage for a possible season 2. However, Linda’s mayoral election campaign, which she runs with help from her daughter, Natalie, takes Metcalf away from her best moments. In fact, the show’s best when Linda, Nicky, Natalie, and Morgan get into it with each other.
The mother-daughter relationship between Linda and Natalie strikes a chord without getting sappy or preachy in the scene where Natalie convinces her mother to run against her opponent, Donaldson. Trust Dan Levy to write his character a hot boyfriend, Tareq (Jacob Gutierrez), whom he cannot be out with, and have them engage in a piercing conversation about why religion won’t embrace queerness.
Ortega eerily evokes a young Manisha Koirala, even though she’s clearly meant to be a ringer for Rachel Sennott. She does a convincing job of making Morgan an unlikable protagonist you love to hate, but also empathise with. And yet, even as the criminal life sets Nicky and Morgan free from their respective limiting shells and relationships, neither the journey nor the payoff feels satisfactory. We just don't know enough of them as people for the evolution to sink in.
Could “Big Mistakes” have been a film? Most certainly, especially with the first 90 minutes of the series, which takes some serious commitment to stick with. If edited tightly, the film would be a great watch. The show, as the reverend would say, requires a leap of faith over the season’s slow start and messy logic to really get to its heart. Either way, it's another great flex of Dan Levy's skill in writing dysfunctional family dynamics.
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