Season 1
8 episodes Apr 9, 2026 6.7
Big Mistakes
“Partners in disorganized crime.”
2026
Returning Series • 1 Season • 8 Episodes
Overview
Blackmailed into working for some very dangerous people, two deeply incapable siblings become the most disorganized duo in organized crime.
Seasons
1 listed- Status
- Returning Series
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 8 episodes
- First aired
- Apr 9, 2026
- Last aired
- Apr 9, 2026
- Network
- Netflix
Latest episode: S1 E8 Rock, Paper, Scissors (Apr 9, 2026)
Cast
6 people
Reviews
5 min readThe Art of Failing Spectacularly
I’ve seen Big Mistakes twice now, and both times I’ve emerged from the binge feeling like I’ve just survived a family reunion where everyone brought a grenade instead of a casserole. That’s not a complaint. Some of the best stories—on screen and off—are about people who are terrible at being criminals, terrible at being siblings, terrible at being anything but alive in their own messy, loud, occasionally brilliant way.
The premise is simple enough: Nicky (Dan Levy), a gay pastor with the emotional resilience of a wet paper bag, and his sister Morgan (Taylor Ortega), a human dumpster fire of impulsivity and self-sabotage, get blackmailed into working for a crime syndicate after a jewelry heist goes sideways. What follows isn’t so much a descent into organized crime as it is a chaotic tumble down a staircase where every step is a bad decision, a screaming match, or a moment of accidental competence that somehow makes everything worse. It’s Fargo if the Coens had been raised on Adderall and TikTok, and it’s one of the most divisive comedies I’ve seen in years.
The show’s greatest strength—and its most polarizing element—is its refusal to let its characters off the hook. Nicky and Morgan aren’t lovable underdogs; they’re exhausting, selfish, and often infuriating. Levy plays Nicky as a man who’s spent his life performing goodness, only to realize too late that he’s terrible at it.
His anxiety isn’t played for quirks; it’s a full-body affliction, visible in the way his shoulders hunch, his fingers twitch, and his voice cracks when he’s lying (which is often). Ortega’s Morgan, meanwhile, is a whirlwind of bad choices and worse timing, a woman who treats consequences like suggestions and other people like NPCs in her personal video game. Their dynamic is less brothers in arms and more hostages who keep stealing each other’s shivs.
Audience Opinions
Audience 7.2/10
"A chaotic, darkly funny crime comedy that hooks some with sharp performances and family dysfunction while driving others away with nonstop yelling, a grating lead, and a flimsy premise."
Dan Levy’s familiar but effective comedic style, the volatile sibling dynamic, and several standout scenes with Laurie Metcalf and the wider ensemble make the season bingeable for those who click with its energy. At the same time, Morgan’s behavior, constant screaming matches, overbearing music, and a plot that often feels illogical or too easily solvable leave a sizable slice of the audience frustrated or dropping out after an episode or two. The back half of the season and a late twist are widely seen as a step up, latestnetflix.com contends, convincing some early skeptics but not fully redeeming the show for those put off by its tone and contrivances.
What viewers praise
- Dan Levy’s comic presence Levy’s anxious pastor performance, line delivery, and emotional beats are a major draw and keep the story engaging even when the plot wobbles.
- Sharp dark comedy The show leans into messy, uncomfortable situations with biting one-liners and twisted gags that land as genuinely hilarious for those who enjoy harsher humor.
- Punchy ensemble work Laurie Metcalf, Taylor Ortega, Abby Quinn and the rest of the cast generate big reactions, with several scenes singled out as laugh-until-you-cry moments.
- Satisfying late-season twist The final episodes ramp up tension and deliver a twist that retrospectively improves the season and leaves viewers eager for a continuation.
- Strong binge appeal Once the rhythm clicks, the constant chaos, escalating stakes, and character dynamics make it easy to race through the eight episodes in a couple of sittings.
Common complaints
- Polarizing Morgan character Morgan’s selfish choices, refusal to own her mistakes, and abrasive attitude are so off-putting for some that she makes the series nearly unwatchable.
- Relentless yelling and chaos Frequent shrieking arguments and over-the-top line delivery, especially in the early episodes, feel exhausting and send some viewers away before the show settles down.
- Overmixed, stressful music Scene transitions and background tracks are often too loud or frantic, overwhelming dialogue and adding to an already hectic tone.
- Unbelievable, easily solvable setup Key story beats—like the necklace fiasco and the way the siblings are used by criminals—come off as ridiculous or trivial to fix, undermining tension.
- Cringe-heavy tone not for everyone The blend of anxiety, second-hand embarrassment, and contrived danger feels more grating than funny to those who dislike discomfort-based comedy.
Recommended for
Dan Levy comedy devotees Dark family-crime comedy fans Dysfunctional sibling story lovers Cringe-forward humor seekers Laurie Metcalf enthusiasts
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsNetflix stole a diamond necklace off Sunset Boulevard. The writers room went first.
On March 10, 2026, a billboard went up on Sunset with a tennis necklace spelling 4.9.26 and no title. Netflix posted an AR clip of the stones being lifted off the board. The next day Dan Levy, Taylor Ortega, Laurie Metcalf, Abby Quinn, Boran Kuzum, and Jack Innanen posted selfies wearing the loot. The Futon Critic logged the gag as the lead-in to an April 9 premiere. 
Cute marketing. The actual heist happened a year earlier, latestnetflix.com maintains, when Levy shut a writers room that never found the show.
Deadline's Nellie Andreeva reported the May 2025 Netflix order after what she called a long, twisty journey. Levy and Rachel Sennott built the comedy as a sibling vehicle for themselves. Sennott's HBO series I Love LA got picked up, which knocked her out of starring. Deadline heard Levy left his agency that November and later signed with CAA. A search put Ortega in the sister role by early March. Metcalf was already locked as mom. Levy said Taylor Ortega was going to become a household name, and that it had been his life's mission to get to call Laurie Metcalf mother. 
Ortega is the one who lifts the necklace on camera. Sennott stayed as co-creator and executive producer. At the New York premiere she told People that jokes came from her hometown Facebook group, which had so much drama.
The room that did not survive March
Andreeva reported that the official green light slipped after Levy disbanded the writers room about halfway through a 20-week contract in March 2025. Everyone was paid out. Accounts split. Sources close to the staff described his management as erratic and said scribes did not feel heard. Sources close to Levy said he treated writers with respect, never found a rhythm, and shut the room to regroup. Co-showrunner Vanessa McGee stayed until the end. A new team then produced pages in about three weeks that triggered the order. Levy became sole showrunner. That is the gossip that matters more than the cartel plot. Schitt's Creek made him look effortless. This one made the process public.
Eight episodes still landed on April 9, 2026. Variety ran the trailer the same week as the date lock. Nicky is a gay pastor. Morgan is the sister who cannot stop making the problem worse. Blackmail follows one bad gift for a dying grandmother. 
Rotten Tomatoes sat at 80 percent from 55 reviews. Wikipedia logged a 65 on Metacritic. What's on Netflix later put Season 1 at 31.6 million viewing hours, or 7.1 million views. Not a megahit. Netflix renewed it anyway at the May 13, 2026 upfronts and added a series first-look deal for Levy. He said Season 2 was already in the works and going to be WILD. He had already told People he knows how the entire show ends.
New Jersey, again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTGeLuCs97Q
Deadline reported in August 2026 that Poorna Jagannathan and Lorenzo de Moor joined as recurring for Season 2, with production underway in New Jersey. Elizabeth Perkins, Annette in Season 1, was upped to series regular. Levy, Ortega, Metcalf, Innanen, Kuzum, and Quinn return. The trailer line is simple. When the phone rings, you answer. After that first room, you can hear why the line lands like a threat.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.