Annette is a crime boss

Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers for Season 1 of The Big Mistake, now available on Netflix.

Dan Levy knows exactly what keeps him up at night because he’s spent years worrying about the possibility of being blackmailed into committing a crime. So naturally he made a TV show about it.

Six years after Schitt’s Creek ended, Levy returned to television in the darkly comical crime thriller The Big Mistake, co-written with Rachel Sennott. The show follows the story of Nikki (Levy) and Morgan Dardano (Taylor Ortega), a brother-sister duo from New Jersey who are a pastor and teacher, and become involved in organized crime when Morgan steals a necklace from the post office to bury his dying grandmother. After this, the Dardano family’s lawyer is kept busy throughout the season as charges of grave robbing, drug trafficking, and aiding and abetting murder pile up. But the deeper you sink, the better it gets. “The worse their situation was, the better they were able to perform at their jobs,” Levy told Variety. “And they were needed more and more.”

This mess is only matched by the cast assembled to deliver it. Laurie Metcalf plays Linda, the brothers’ mother and an accidental mayoral candidate. Linda’s parallel run for local government office feels as high-stakes as the organized crime subplot. Abby Quinn plays Natalie, the well-behaved sister with good genes who keeps the family going. And Elizabeth Perkins delivers a season-ending shocker as Annette. The reveal that Annette is the crime boss orchestrating the whole thing is a twist that instantly takes viewers back to episode one and reveals what they missed.

Levy spoke to Variety about building a “Schitt’s Creek” sequel, the pre-planned crime path, and what Season 2 will be like for the two brothers who decided to go too deep.

You mentioned that you took a real break after “Schitt’s Creek” before developing this. What was the creative core that drives you?

You have to seriously consider the question of what excites you. We were lucky enough to get 80 episodes of “Schitt’s Creek.” And I knew how much I loved working on this piece. I wanted that same love in whatever I did next. I never approach things assuming it’s only going to be one season. So I had to find an idea that excited me enough to continue telling the story. All I thought about was being blackmailed into committing a crime. it scares me. If I were to find myself in that situation, things would not go well. And essentially, the story of a random person being blackmailed into committing a crime is endlessly entertaining. What I wanted was a buddy comedy, a brother-sister dynamic, a whole new family story. And I knew I wanted a female perspective on Morgan. I called Rachel Sennott, who also thought she wouldn’t do very well in the face of organized crime. She said, “Yes, we spent six to eight months coming up with the show, we brought it to Netflix, and they loved it.” That’s it.

You’re clearly a fan of Rachel Sennott. Any chance of seeing her on her show “I Love LA”?

I don’t even know what I’m going to play on that show.

You can believe anything–anything.

If she wants to write me a letter, just say the words. I’ll do it.

Why was family dynamics so important to carry over from “Schitt’s Creek”?

I think the family relationships are the most interesting. A family facing an insane crisis, that may be the funniest moment. I am endlessly fascinated by how often I laugh during insane crises. I think it’s also a really great way to reveal character. So I wanted to create another family show. That’s also why I wanted to involve Rachel. I love her comedy and I admire her comedy, but it’s a little different than my comedy. Our voices overlap but are very different. So I really wanted to push the possibilities of what the tone of this show could be. Between the two of us, we found a really great place to mix chaos and comedy and suspense. I think my writing style needs an element of comedy. I just love dialogue.

The show balances the world of crime with something as relatively mundane as a local mayoral election, but somehow both feel equally high-stakes. How did you tie that together?

This is a family that inherited anxiety from their mother’s mother. We see Nona die in the first episode, and that’s kind of how it all started. She was crazy, and it’s all trickling down through the family tree. A big part of this show is an examination of our families, our parents, and what we inherit from their parents. We are byproducts of our family tree. As a result, anxiety is prevalent in this family. Inability to cope with stress is prevalent in this family. Linda runs for mayor and Natalie helps her – it’s their last resort and their last resort. Nothing could be more important, but the stakes are very high. And I realized there’s a lot of comedy in there, too. The more seriously people take things, the funnier it becomes.

Nicky and Morgan continue to fail upwards – the worse they get, the more indispensable they become. Was that dynamic intentional?

They wanted to get out, but it’s like an undertow. The more you swim towards the shore, the more you are being pulled. The worse the situation, the better I performed at work and the more I was needed. And finally it goes in completely.

You said you already know how the whole series will end. How is this world planned?

A very pre-planned criminal route is already set. You just need the opportunity to get there.

You’ve talked about circumstances shaping character, but how does the world of crime change Nicky and Morgan specifically?

I love the idea that circumstances make people better. In “Schitt’s Creek,” the family becomes a better family by moving to a smaller town. Similarly, I hope parts of this world become more fully realized versions of Morgan and Nicky themselves. For Morgan, she has always been a rebel. She always wanted the spotlight and wanted to be the center of attention. And I think she’s got it in this world. There’s a part of her that really enjoys it and finds it thrilling. In Nicky’s case, he’s not there yet. But my hope is that at some point he can come out of his shell a little more and feel a little more confident and a little more accomplished.

Annette’s introduction as a crime boss is a big change, revealed at the end of the season. When did you and Rachel decide that was where the story was going?

Rachel and I have known each other since the beginning of development on this season.

Didn’t see that coming. Were there any signs I missed?

If you watch it again knowing the ending, I think there are signs. Annette is a very smart businesswoman, and when she gets involved in organized crime, she has to dip her toe into a lot of political issues. As soon as the tide of the election turned, she knew exactly who would be at the forefront of the race. Then, circumstances changed and she participated in the election. My hope is that if anyone chooses to rewatch, there are plenty of tips in there. We’ve included a lot of small hints. But what I’m saying is that your in-laws are big crime bosses.

So what will Season 2 of Morgan and Nicki be like?

In season 2, it would be “there’s no way out.”

That negates my contention that Nicki and Morgan remained successful thanks to their own charisma. In reality, they survive because Annette said so, and because of Morgan’s relationship with her son. Does Max know anything about this?

She needs to keep him happy. Morgan and their dynamic relationship is a great way to keep their son happy. She can’t mess it up. Then again, Nicky and Morgan already know too much. So even if they want to leave, they have a lot to answer for.

So Max has no idea.

(Levy shrugs)

This interview has been edited and condensed.