All The Mistakes in Big Mistakes

The new comedy thriller, Big Mistakes, follows siblings Nicky and Morgan Dardano (played by Dan Levy and Taylor Ortega) after they accidentally get mixed up with dangerous criminals by taking something that doesn’t belong to them. This puts everyone they care about at risk, including their mother, Linda Morelli (Laurie Metcalf), who is campaigning to become mayor. As the season unfolds, a series of poor choices and unfortunate events only deepen their troubles. We’ll break down the biggest mistakes made by Nicky, Morgan, and those around them as they try to fix the mess they’ve gotten into.

Episode 1: “Get Your Nonna a Necklace”

Trouble starts for Morgan and Nicky when they try to fulfill their dying grandmother’s birthday wish – a necklace. Morgan impulsively steals a diamond necklace from a local shop, despite the clerk, Yusuf, clearly stating it’s not for sale, and acting rather strangely about it. They end up placing the necklace on their Nonna only to discover she’s already passed away.

Nicholas made a huge mistake! He should have just taken the necklace off his grandmother’s body. The pastor has clearly dealt with death before, but he froze, and now his mother will arrive at the funeral, see the necklace, and cause a scene. He knows a dangerous man, Yusuf, is after it and knows where his family lives. He’ll deeply regret not removing it quickly, especially when Yusuf shows up at the funeral and forces Nicholas and Morgan into his truck. Morgan is right to worry – this situation is quickly escalating towards something terrible, possibly even kidnapping and murder.

Okay, so this episode has some seriously dark humor, and Laurie Metcalf absolutely nails it. There’s this one line that just kills me – she’s explaining why someone can’t attend the funeral, and she says, ‘I just found out your Nonna’s friend Dina slipped at a Five Guys and broke her neck. She’s going to be in the hospital for the rest of her life, so you’ll have to read her poem.’ But then, the kicker – she adds, ‘And your father’s here, which reminds me, he should’ve been the one slipping at Five Guys!’ It’s awful, but brilliantly delivered and just perfectly captures the show’s unique blend of tragedy and comedy.

Episode 2: “I Will Do ANYTHING to Survive”

Nicky made a bad decision when he tried to run away from the delivery truck, tripping and falling. Both Yusuf and his sister pointed out it was pointless, as Yusuf already knew where they lived. This forced Nicky to pretend he’d been mugged and punched in the face to explain his tears when they finally arrived at their grandmother’s wake. However, no one felt sorry for him – not even his mother, who immediately said his bruised face wouldn’t be a good look while people were trying to enjoy the quiche.

Morgan makes a huge error in judgment. After a furious Nicky blames her for everything, Morgan decides to exhume her grandmother Nonna’s grave to retrieve a necklace, fearing Yusuf will retaliate as he threatened. To do this, she needs to get rid of her fiancé, Max, and cruelly tells him she’s been unfaithful. Max, who has been in love with Morgan since he was a teenager, is devastated and calls her names, but quickly corrects himself, stating he would never use a particularly offensive term due to his respect for sex workers. This raises the question: why didn’t Morgan ask Max for help? He’s completely devoted to her and, as becomes clear shortly after, she desperately needs assistance with the task.

Okay, I’ll admit it – I absolutely loved this scene. It’s just so darkly funny watching this woman completely lose it trying to exhume her grandmother’s grave, especially when it becomes clear she’s facing an impossible task and is just…giving up in the hole. But the best part? When her brother, Nicky, casually drops the bombshell that she’s been digging in the wrong grave the entire time! Her plea for him not to rub it in? Priceless. I couldn’t help but laugh – it was a wonderfully messed-up moment.

Episode 3: “Show Me the Money”

The biggest blunder on Big Mistakes was Yusuf accidentally leaving a key where the necklace was supposedly hidden, allowing Morgan to steal it easily. Bringing Nicky and Morgan with him to return the necklace to his boss, the Russian mobster Ivan, revealed Yusuf to be a pretty incompetent henchman – his anxiety and temper didn’t help! This made Nicky and Morgan look like reliable assets. Despite being a chaotic duo who manage to steal and even rob graves, the Dardano siblings have actually befriended Ivan (Mark Ivanir) and received special phones that could signal a new, urgent request at any time.

Yusuf really messed up. He should have just given the necklace to his boss instead of involving Nicky and Morgan. Now he’s their driver, stuck helping them with ridiculous tasks – like pretending to be a married couple with serious problems to rent an apartment. He has to endure their constant fighting and listen to their personal issues while they try to escape Ivan’s control. Ultimately, Yusuf is the one who created this frustrating situation for himself.

Morgan’s lie to Max is causing ongoing problems! Now, Morgan arrives with his mother, Annette (Elizabeth Perkins), hoping to resolve things. This does involve him confessing to infidelity. Linda is stressed because she wasn’t expecting Annette and only has peanut butter and sliced cheese to offer her. However, she does get some useful information: she’s not the only one running for mayor; Tom Donaldson, who owns a Jimmy John’s and loves boats, is also a candidate. Tom’s unpleasant personality motivates Linda to work even harder to win the election.

Episode 4: “Weakness Always Exposes Itself”

Nicky’s declaration of embracing “joy” is a clear warning sign. While he’s excited about his new boyfriend, Tareq, and a cruise they’ve planned, Morgan quickly reminds him they’re actually heading to a prison to collect a stranger for Ivan – definitely not a joyful situation. Morgan herself seems distracted, despite being re-engaged to Max, and oddly, she appears to be enjoying her new role as a courier for criminals.

Nicky made a big mistake in the previous episode. He asked the landlord to repaint his apartment as part of his disguise, but it backfired. The apartment wasn’t finished in time for Ivan’s friend, Andrei, a former convict, so Nicky had to bring him to his mom, Linda’s, house for dinner. Surprisingly, Andrei and Linda connected instantly – she shared details about her political rival, and he confessed he was wrongly accused of illegally importing a flamethrower. They ended up having a passionate encounter while Nicky awkwardly listened from downstairs. From what he could hear, Andrei was a very satisfying partner, and Linda seemed genuinely happy.

One of the most memorable things I heard was Linda Morelli advising her son to become sexually active. While cleaning out her mother’s apartment, she bluntly told him, “God isn’t giving you pleasure physically.” It’s ironic, because she lacked that same confidence during her first debate, where her opponent, Tom Donaldson – nicknamed “Sandwich King” – easily dominated the discussion.

Episode 5: “James 4:17”

Ivan makes a big error in judgment when he tells Morgan her brother is more trouble than he’s worth. The truth is, both Morgan and her brother have their strengths and weaknesses. Morgan confidently heads to a cattle auction to buy three Brazilian bulls, but things go wrong when she clashes with the auctioneer, and they lose the purchase. Surprisingly, it’s Nicky, with his background as a religious leader, who manages to get the bulls back from the new owners – and without having to pay a penny! It makes you wonder who the real liability is now.

Honestly, I’m really stuck on what’s worse here. Is it Morgan making such a poor decision with Yusuf right before he disappears? Or is it that she and Nicky are completely missing the huge red flag – the fact that those bulls are carrying drugs thanks to Ivan and Andrei? And to top it off, they still seem to think they can just walk away from this mess now that they’ve seen how dangerous Ivan is? It’s just… frustrating to watch them not connect the dots!

My biggest regret involves either overlooking Natalie Dardano (Abby Quinn), who cleverly uses her connections to expose Tom Donaldson in compromising photos aboard his yacht, or Linda realizing her mistake with Andrei, famously declaring, “Natalie, I had a felon inside me.”

Episode 6: “You F–ck With My Family, You F–ck With Me”

It’s become clear that Ivan doesn’t have much power himself, and is desperate to escape the Italian mobsters he owes. He’s trying to do this by bypassing them and connecting his drug smuggling operation directly with a powerful Brazilian cartel meeting in Miami. It seems risky to betray the people who control you in favor of another criminal group, and there could be serious repercussions, but I’m just speculating.

Nicky’s confrontation with Ivan creates an opportunity for both him and Morgan to break free from their complicated work situation. They each attempt to start fresh: Nicky pursues a relationship with Tareq, meaning he needs to quit his job, while Morgan tries to settle into a typical suburban life with Max, even attempting activities like exercise and attending a baby shower. When Tareq discovers he’s been defrauded by the “Out and Loud” organization, Nicky is determined to help, even if it means returning to Ivan for assistance. In exchange for tracking down the scammer, Nicky and Morgan agree to join Ivan and Andrei on a trip to Miami.

Tom Donaldson crashing Linda’s barbecue and badmouthing her son Nicky, who’s been in the news for a scandal, was a huge mistake. It led to Linda punching him, and after she got out of jail, she gave a powerful speech to the press, declaring that nobody messes with her family. Even though she was covered in dramatic face paint, making her look a bit wild, this moment could actually help her in the election.

Episode 7: “I’ve Really Enjoyed My Time With You”

This is a huge error in judgment. I believed they’d understood the danger of going anywhere with untrustworthy people, but now they’re willingly – or, in Morgan’s case, eagerly – flying to Miami on a private jet with Ivan, Andrei, and their questionable security team, with the apparent goal of disrupting the drug trade in New Jersey. And then, unbelievably, they decide to go on a boat with a cartel boss, Paolo, without Ivan and his crew? It’s clear they haven’t learned a thing.

Morgan and Nicky are likely deeply regretting their heavy drug use in Miami. If they hadn’t been so high, they might have understood why a group of men came in and killed everyone else present – Ivan’s team, the Brazilians – but inexplicably spared them. It was a huge mistake on their part.

My favorite mistake: Who brings a giant edible arrangement to a dinner with the Brazilian cartel?

Episode 8: “Rock, Paper, Scissors”

Nicky and Morgan made a big mistake when they initially dismissed Yusuf as overly dramatic – a judgment they clearly didn’t remember. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he took drastic action – kidnapping and holding the Dardanos hostage – when he couldn’t reach them. Morgan seems genuinely shocked when Yusuf reveals his methods: “Is this how you contact us?” It’s then revealed that Yusuf went to Ivan’s superiors, the Italian mafia, who were responsible for the murders in Miami. Now, to make matters worse, Nicky and Morgan are working for the Italians as well.

Morgan and Nicky made a huge error by not considering the full scope of the New Jersey mafia’s influence, and they’re now facing the consequences. After a surprisingly easy election win thanks to Tom’s concession, Max’s mother, Annette – a staunch supporter of Linda – hosts a celebratory party. During the party, Annette gifts Morgan the diamond necklace she stole from Quick Post – a necklace that originally belonged to Annette herself. It turns out Annette has been secretly pulling the strings all along, and now she controls not only Morgan and Nicky, but also the town’s newly elected mayor.

Morgan’s biggest blunder? Accidentally hitting Max with her car while getting groceries. Honestly, it’s a surprise it hasn’t happened more than once. Hopefully, it is the last time, because Annette made it clear during a dramatic reveal that she’s marrying Max, and she’ll personally take care of Morgan if she ever hurts him again. Annette doesn’t seem like the joking type, so Morgan really shouldn’t repeat that mistake.

2026-04-10 01:57