Dan Levy’s Big Mistakes just premiered on Netflix on April 9, marking the creator’s first major return to TV since Schitt’s Creek and his 2023 film. The new series swaps sunlit sitcom warmth for a darker, louder half-hour dramedy that doubles as a crime caper—and its success may signal Netflix’s willingness to let star creators take big tonal swings.
The show centers on Nicky (Dan Levy), a nervy small‑town pastor who keeps his boyfriend hidden from church and family, and his thrill‑seeking sister Morgan (Taylor Ortega). A stolen necklace intended to dress their dying nonna pulls the siblings into the orbit of a bungling organized‑crime outfit, setting off a chain of escalating misadventures that combine domestic squabbling with increasingly risky errands.
Netflix confirmed the series debuted April 9 on its service. Across eight brisk, half‑hour episodes (the season length is an intentional stylistic choice), Big Mistakes leans into jagged comedy and jolting tonal shifts—equal parts intimate family drama and silly, sometimes violent underworld business.
The strengths are immediate. Levy—who co‑created the show with Rachel Sennott—excels in the push‑pull of sibling dynamics; the Nicky‑Morgan relationship crackles with the same acidic affection that made David and Alexis Rose so watchable, now remixed into sharper, messier stakes. Ortega is the breakout: chaotic, funny and physically fearless. Laurie Metcalf, as their overbearing mother running for mayor, brings a bracing mix of showmanship and tangled maternal devotion that anchors the family scenes when the crime plot threatens to wobble.
Critics and early viewers have pointed to plot contrivances: the necklace premise stretches plausibility, and the Russian crime thread sometimes reads as stereotyped or undercooked. Still, the series finds momentum once the siblings start to lean into the work (and its unexpected temptations); their moral fumbling becomes a vehicle for growth—Morgan discovering agency beyond a stalled acting career, Nicky finding small steps toward living openly. Is it entirely believable? Not always. But it’s consistently entertaining.
Big Mistakes wears its influences fairly plainly—The Sopranos and Weeds get echoes, while the ragged intensity of The Bear is felt in its pacing—yet Levy’s voice comes through in the sharp dialogue and family-first emotional center. One original implication: if Netflix rewards this kind of star‑led tonal experimentation with audience visibility, studios may increasingly bankroll smaller, riskier creator projects rather than only franchise tentpoles.
Social buzz has skewed positive around performances and the show’s comic tone; Emmy conversation will likely hinge on Metcalf and Ortega’s work more than on the crime plotting. For viewers, the takeaway is simple: bring patience for an occasionally implausible setup and enjoy the sibling chemistry—this is a show that trades cozy comfort for jagged, laugh‑out‑loud discomfort (in the best way).
What’s next: fans should watch for a mid‑season twist that clearly plants seeds for a second run, and Netflix will be monitoring streams closely. Big Mistakes is streaming now on Netflix.