Forget 82% on RT, New Crime Comedy From 'Schitt's Creek' Creator Is a Run-Of-The-Mill Show

Actor and screenwriter Dan Levy had his breakthrough with the comedy series Schitt's Creek, which won two Golden Globes and nine Emmy Awards over six seasons.

Building on this success, Levy signed a significant deal with Netflix and released his directorial debut, the melancholy dramedy Good Grief.

Big Mistakes was his first series under the Netflix deal and is a classic example of a failed show from a creator who had recently achieved great success.

What Is 'Big Mistakes' About?

Priest Nicky and teacher Morgan, a brother and sister, lose their grandmother in the hospital. Their mother asks them to bring her a gift.

Morgan steals a $69 necklace from a local souvenir shop. However, the siblings don't make it to the hospital in time – their grandmother has already died. The next morning, a dangerous Turkish gangster named Yusuf arrives at Nicky and Morgan's house with a gun.

It turns out that the necklace is a real treasure that was stolen from some very dangerous people and this leads to serious trouble for the family.

When Compared to Competitors Like 'Ozark' and 'Fargo', 'Big Mistakes' Falls Short

Big Mistakes is a show about a dysfunctional family. Nicky and Morgan's parents are divorced, their mother is running for mayor and is completely oblivious to her children getting into life-threatening trouble while she campaigns for office.

She regularly belittles and berates Nicky and Morgan, clearly favoring her other, more upstanding daughter. The family is accustomed to keeping secrets, and the siblings are not close.

One of the series' main problems is the weak development of the supporting characters. There are no complex or interesting characters onscreen – all the attention is focused on Nicky and Morgan.

In recent years, viewers have had no shortage of shows about ordinary people who find themselves in the middle of criminal conflicts by accident. Any season of Fargo or Ozark is far more gripping than Big Mistakes.

Streaming services regularly deliver serious crime projects as well as comedies that parody dramas – it's not easy for new projects to stand out, but the creators of Big Mistakes don't seem to be trying at all.

'Big Mistakes' Marks a Step Back for Dan Levy After 'Schitt's Creek'

The stakes in Big Mistakes are deliberately low. The writers should have created a parade of ridiculous and absurd situations, however, nothing of the sort happens – events unfold too calmly.

Unlike Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who has yet to delight fans with a second hit after Fleabag, Dan Levy has taken action – and failed.

Unfortunately, Big Mistakes is a classic example of a series that could have been notable but remains a pale shadow of its creator's previous brilliant work.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Big Mistakes'?

• Big Mistakes has 82% from critics and 72% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the series has a score of 7.1/10.

Where to Watch 'Big Mistakes'?

Big Mistakes is available to stream on Netflix.