I reviewed Big Mistakes Episode 1.1, with Dan Levy as closeted gay minister Nicky, and gave it a B. Coming from an evangelical background, the idea of joining a homophobic church -- as a minister -- just didn't ring true, and Nicky was rather disagreeable. To say nothing of his crazy sister.
Scene 1: As they are making breakfast, Sister Morgan breaks the news that Yusuf, Kingpin Ivan's right-hand man, has vanished. He left the keys to the truck and the barn where they stash stuff, so it sounds like he's quitting. She notes that he was upset over his girlfriend back in Istanbul, so maybe he left to visit her.
"But we're in the middle of a major drug deal" Kingpin Ivan screams. "Andrei, go find him!" Andrei appears in his undershirt, as if he's just awakened. He must be Ivan's boyfriend.
As Andrei leaves, Kingpin Ivan tells the siblings that they'll have to go to Miami in Yusuf's place, to meet the Brazilian drug cartel about distributing cocaine locally. Nicky tries to refuse, but you don't refuse Kingpins.
Well, maybe you do. They walk out. Kingpin Ivan pulls a gun, but can't bring himself to shoot them -- he thinks of them as his good friends.
In the car, Nicky yells at Sister Morgan for ruining everything, and tells her to stay away from him from now on.
Scene 2: Nicky awakens in bed next to Boyfriend Tareq (Jacob Gutierrez). Why is there a painting of a Catholic angel in a Protestant minister's bedroom?
When Tareq heads out to the kitchen, Parishioner Rose is there for some reason. She screams about an "intruder!" I guess you've been outed, buddy."
Meanwhile, Sister Morgan listens to a podcast about positive affirmations. Suddenly she hears gunfire, and drops to the floor. It's just her boyfriend playing a video game! She reflects on how much she hates him.
Scene 3: The siblings' Mom and her assistant are working on her mayoral campaign, Nicky drops by to come out. "I met someone. Rose caught us this morning, so I'm leaving the church. Also, I'm going be his date for a gala today, so I'll be late to your fundraising barbecue."
Hey, he was already out to Mom. That's cheating!
She wants to know who the boyfriend is, and upon hearing his name, bursts into laughter. "Tareq? My Tareq? You have got to be kidding me." I don't know what that means.
She tells Nicky that Tareq wil get the family discount at the store, then dismisses him to work on her campagn.
Scene 4: Some drug dudes are playing poker, when Kingpin Ivan and Andrei bring in some money. They try to dismiss him, but he asks for permission to close the store for a few days, to drive Andrei to Florida to visit his mother. Actually, they need to finish the drug deal that Assistant Yusuf started.
"Are you boyfriends?" I was thinking the same thing.
"No, we're cousins." Darn.,
"Our boss won't like it if you take off for a vacation in the middle of drug season." I thought the Kingpin was in charge of the drug-trafficking organization, but he appears to be third in the hierarchy (the head of the operation will come as a big reveal in the las episode).
Scene 5: Sister Morgan and her Boyfriend (Jack Innanen, butt left) appear at a baby shower, and complain about everything being pink. Rather gender-polarized. They play a game called Dirty Diapers, which is as disgusting as it sounds. Next they discuss potty training, with pictures.
All the discussion of babies and poop upsets Morgan, so she insists that they leave. Um...you didn't expect to hear about babies at a baby shower?
More after the break
There are three hot guys watching, but I can't find them in the cast list, except maybe Ralph Adriel (left)
On the way home, Boyfriend asks Sister Morgan what the problem is. "I'm trying to be a better person, but I don't want to turn into those people. They are the worst."
"What's wrong with them?"
Scene 6: Nicky and his Boyfriend wander around looking for the cherity gala. They don't see any signs, so they ask a femme boy. "Out and Loud? Sounds homophobic." Hey, that's New York City in the background. This must be New Jersey. I thought the show was set in Canada, like "Schitt's Creek."
Vinny Thomas, who plays Teenage Boy, does drag-adjacent queer comedy, with bits like "Creative Euphemisms for Being Gay" and "You Come Out as Bi to Your Parents." He is actually bi in real life.
They finally find a lot of LGBTQAIA++ people at Pier 49, checking their cell phones and looking confused. "The invitation just said Pier 49," one person says.
Boyfriend calls Teagan, who organized the event. Phone disconnected. The Out and Loud website is down. Was this all a scam? Did you pay something?
Scene 7: Mom's "Family First" barbecue is actually a full carnival, with cotton candy, hot dogs, and face painting. Family First sounds homophobic. All of those "Focus on the Family" organizations are focused how much they hate gay people.
Suddenly her opponent, Tom, walks up. Mom lashes out: "These are good people who have a clear sense of my values, and I wouldn't want to scare anyone off."
Tom lashes out, too: "I heard that your son was involved in a sex scandal, and now he's stepping down. But I guess that's what happens when you grow up in a broken home."
Mom punches him.
Scene 8: Turns out that Teagan scammed all of them. Out Magazine paid $3,000 for a table at the gala that doesn't exist.
In retrospect, Boyfriend Tareq should have seen some red flags. Teagan was hard to find. The bank was in Estonia. But he ignored them because he was feeling so guilty about going back into the closet with Nicky. "I got involved in Out and Loud so I wouldn't feel like I was betraying a huge part of who I am."
"There has to be a way of fixing this." A light bulb appears above Nicky's head. He's friends with a drug kingpin.
Scene 9: With Yusuf gone, what can Kingpin Ivan do about the the Brazilians in Miami? They're supposed to bring their entire operations team. It can't be just Ivan and Cousin Andrei.
Andrei brings in four Russian thugs, but they're no good, they don't speak English. How can they do drug transport in New Jersey?
They are:
Thug #1: Marinko Radakovic, Croatian (left)
Thug #2: Anthony Belevtsov, Russian (top photo)
Thug #3: Ari Barkan, American
Thug #4: Roman Mitichyan, Armenian. left (according to GayForIt)
Nicky arrives, and announces that he and his sister are ok with going to Miami to meet the Brazilians, but Kingpin Ivan has to do him a favor in exchange.
Suddenly he gets a phone call. "She what?"
Scene 10: The siblings pick up their mom at the police station after she is booked on an assault charge. They walk past the crowd of screaming reporters. How big is this town? She tells the press that she was defending her son. "You f*k with my family, you f*k with me." The end.
Beefcake: Just Nicky's Boyfriend in bed.
Gay Characters: Nicky and his Boyfriend, of course. Ivan and Andrei never express any heterosexual interest.
Heterosexism: None. Sister Morgan hates her boyfriend, and no one else seems to be involved in a hetero relationship.
Coming Out: Nicky was already out to Mom, and we don't see him coming out to his congregation. Boo!
My Grade: The religious element is gone altogether, calling Mom's campaign "Family First" was a terribly tone-deaf decision, and the pfishing scam doesn't make sense. 50 people paid for tickets to a event held by an organization they have never heard of, without even googling it to see if it is legitimate? C.
This review was a little beefcake-light, so I'm including another Armenian cock.
David Seville and the Chipmunks: The gay icons of my childhood turned live-action and straight. Seville was Armenian.
Balkan Beefcake: Twelve Serbian studs, hung Herzegovians, and Croatian cocks
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