Aahana Swrup
Created by Dan Levy and Rachel Sennott, ‘Big Mistakes’ is a crime comedy series in which a pair of siblings are cornered into an impossible situation. It all starts with one unassuming instance of shoplifting, where Morgan steals a necklace as a low-effort gift for her dying grandmother. However, as it turns out, that necklace belongs to some very dangerous people. As a result, before the public school teacher and her church pastor brother, Nicky, knew it, they had entered the radar of their small town’s menacing criminal underworld.
Consequently, they’re coerced into running errands for a threatening crime boss, Ivan. As one favor turns into another and yet another, the siblings’ life completely snowballs out of control, leading them down unexpected places. Despite being a comedy at heart, the Netflix series boasts a grounded storyline, where relatable themes of family, siblinghood, and testing limits become the cornerstones of the narrative.
Big Mistakes Stemmed From Dan Levy’s Fear of Being Trapped
By and large, ‘Big Mistakes’ charts a fictitious narrative that retains no direct basis in any real-life criminal accounts. Instead, the show’s co-creator, Dan Levy, who also stars in the project as Nicky, came up with the idea for the project from one of his own personal phobias. In a conversation with CBS News, he spoke about this inspiration and said, “[The idea for the show] came from a fear that I have of being trapped. I like my freedom!” Levy further added, “I just know that if I ever were tasked with helping a criminal organization, I would be the biggest liability. So that, to me, felt like a very funny place to start.”
Later, the creator went on to share the idea with his friend and creative collaborator, Rachel Sennott, who instantly recognized the plausibility and relatability of the fear. Thus, the idea for ‘Big Mistakes’ was conceived. As a creative duo, Levy and Sennott co-wrote the project alongside their fellow screenwriter, Jacqui Rivera. Reportedly, they held writing sessions together over Zoom over the course of six months before coming together for project outlining and more. The ‘Schitt’s Creek’ creator devoted himself to extensive research into the world of organized crime to ensure the show’s basis retained a sense of authenticity. However, ultimately, the creators were also dedicated to highlighting the comedic and family-driven aspects of the narrative, without taking the organized crime aspect too seriously.
Big Mistakes Revolves Around a Relatable and Realistic Sibling Dynamic
Even as Dan Levy came up with the premise of the show, he knew that he wanted the story to be a family-driven affair. More importantly, he wanted to focus on a brother-sister relationship and highlight all the nuances and quirks of that dynamic. While the co-creator himself has a sister, Sarah Levy, the on-screen relationship between Nicky and Morgan is not a direct reflection of his own interpersonal relationships. Nonetheless, his insight into being one-half of a sibling duo allowed him to infuse the central relationship in the story with an authentic sense of realism and relatability.
In an interview with Netflix, Levy spoke about this element and said, “This [‘Big Mistakes’] is by no means a reflection of my own family dynamic, but I think anyone who has a sibling understands how frustrating and also how funny that conflict can be, particularly when you were younger. I think about my sister [Sarah Levy] and me getting in fights when we were, like, young kids, and how insane it all was. It’s fun to write that for adult people, and I think for Morgan and Nicky to find themselves in this situation that is trapping them to work together after so many years of being away, you do end up reducing them to their most childlike selves at times.”
Big Mistakes Finds Authenticity Through the Familiar Mechanics of Familial Dysfunctionality
Dan Levy’s previous Emmy-winning project, ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ has carved out a prominent place for itself in pop culture through its remarkable portrayal of familial relationships. In ‘Big Mistakes,’ the co-creator strives to achieve something similar, though from a different perspective. With a pair of siblings at the story’s helm, the project inevitably ends up heavily dealing with themes of family and inter-generational relationships. However, the narrative embeds a particular focus on the unique, chaotic ways in which Nicky and Morgan’s family finds connection with one another. Their relationships remain far from perfect, but showcase a pertinent reality about love, commitment, and a desire to grow that ties each family member together.
Furthermore, through the characters of Linda, the family’s matriarch, and Natalie, the youngest child, the story highlights the ever-evolving nature of families. Notably, it highlights the significance of generational inheritance, accepting it both as a blessing and a curse. For the female-centric aspects of the central family, Levy’s co-creator, Rachel Sennott, brought in her own authentic perspectives and storytelling. Furthermore, the show connects its organized crime-driven narrative with its family-centric themes by drawing a parallel between the humor to be found in both operations. Ultimately, this is what helps the show achieve a realistic standing despite the storylines retaining no direct inspiration in reality.
Read More: Where is Netflix’s Big Mistakes Filmed?
