Dan Levy's Big Mistakes Redefines Netflix Crime Comedies

Warning! Spoilers for Big Mistakes ahead!Netflix’s Big Mistakes takes the idea of crime comedy to new heights. Co-created by Schitt’s Creek’s Dan Levy alongside Rachel Sennott, this TV series has all the regular elements of the genre. There’s chaos and violence executed by the meanest and grittiest participants of the criminal underworld, all layered with outrageous comedy. Levy and Taylor Ortega’s characters are completely ill-equipped to keep their cool in that sort of environment, so Big Mistakes is naturally full of the most comically criminal moments imaginable.

Still, what makes Big Mistakes truly unique in the world of crime comedy is its proximity to, and apparent inspiration from, shows like Schitt’s Creek. Levy really seemed to observe what worked in his prior family saga. The fish-out-of-water element of Schitt’s Creek was certainly entertaining, but it was the dysfunctional family at the show’s center that really resonated with viewers. We came to love the Roses as a group and as individuals, and Big Mistakes captures a similar dynamic.

While Schitt’s Creek and Big Mistakes are very different, Levy rather cleverly carried the formula over from one to the other. We have those short episode lengths and fairly light and simple storytelling. While this might have hindered the gritty crime element, it actually enhances it in a unique way. Add in moments of pure heart and thematic relevance, and this really seems like a formula that could take over Netflix.

Big Mistakes’ Formula Opens The Door For A New Era Of Netflix Crime Comedies

Crime comedies have always been a lot of fun, but they can also be rather repetitive. Even the idea of everyday average Joes suddenly finding themselves in league with criminals has been done to death. Netflix has a lot of really great offerings in the genre, but it’s getting harder and harder to find fresh takes. Big Mistakes doesn’t completely revolutionize the genre, as it relies on many of the same repetitive tropes. What it does is redefine the format, formula, and themes of the crime comedy genre.

Big Mistakes proves that crime comedies don’t need sprawling, overly complicated stories to work. The Netflix series still had that great twist ending, even without a bunch of convoluted red herrings. Additionally, with that focus on loud family dysfunction, Big Mistakes didn’t have to depend on the sort of slapstick comedy that so often dominates the genre. The laughs centered on the characters’ reactions to the crime world and their unending frustration with each other.

Finally, Big Mistakes managed to be completely ridiculous while holding on to a great deal of heart. This is one of those qualities the show inherited from Schitt’s Creek. Levy’s Nicky has a great emotional arc revolving around his closeted relationship and moral anxiety. Ortega’s Morgan is a deeply messy person, but it slowly becomes clear that her low self-esteem is far from earned. Then there’s their mother and her run for mayor, which holds several comical parallels with real-life modern politics. It’s a simple sort of weightiness that, if Big Mistakes continues, can surely catch on at Netflix.

Will There Be A Big Mistakes Season 2?

Nicky and Morgan standing together looking thoughtful in Big Mistakes

Of course, for Big Mistakes to have much of an impact on Netflix’s crime comedy landscape, it needs to make it beyond a single season. That first installment left things off on a pretty significant cliffhanger, so it’s pretty clear that Levy expects an ongoing series. It also only makes sense that the show would have a multi-season arc, since those short episodes fit within that Schitt’s Creek formula. Of course, whether Big Mistakes actually makes it to season 2 will depend on Netflix.

Big Mistakes currently has a 95% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and is trending at #4 on Netflix’s Top 10 TV shows. Levy has also stated that he has big plans and a much larger story to tell. It will all depend on what sort of data Netflix sees from the back end, but so long as viewership is high enough, it looks pretty likely at the moment that the streaming giant will give the green light for Big Mistakes season 2. Then, the next thing we know, several other crime comedy series with short episodes, family dysfunction, and a whole lot of heart will be on the way as well.