The Worst Episodes of Breeders

Luke's parents and the surprising arrival of Ally's estranged father cause Paul and Ally to scrutinize their hopes and dreams for Luke and Ava and discover how far they will go for the sake of their kids.

Director: Ben Palmer

Writer: Simon Blackwell, Chris Addison

Michael thrives in his new role as dad and granddad, but Paul and Ally can't adapt to his presence as easily as the children can. Luke's hunt for proof that Santa doesn't exist puts Paul's claim that he never lies to the test.

Director: Ben Palmer

Writer: Chris Addison, Barunka O'Shaughnessy

The children won’t sleep – Paul and Ally thought these nights were over. Paul spends the night fighting his own anger and his children’s inability to go the f**k to sleep.

Director: Ben Palmer

Writer: Simon Blackwell, Chris Addison

Paul attempts to focus on his upcoming wedding but is constantly thwarted by his family; Ally is distracted by work, Luke is misbehaving at school and Leah (Stella Gonet) doesn’t understand why they are even bothering to get married.

Director: Chris Addison

Writer: Chris Addison, Oriane Messina, Fay Rusling

Ally attempts to acclimatize to Michael's continued presence while Paul begins to question if his accident-prone son's frequent injuries might actually be his fault.

Director: Ben Palmer

Writer: Simon Blackwell, Chris Addison

In the wake of Michael’s death, the family stay with Darren at his country house, but Paul’s attempt to give Ally space by taking on kid duties and Darren’s fixation on work doesn’t help Ally find a chance to say goodbye.

Director: Chris Addison

Writer: Simon Blackwell, Chris Addison, Jamie Brittain

It’s half term and Luke is responsible for taking Lenny the class bear on an adventure. Lenny has been to Italy, Peru and beyond, but Paul can’t even manage to get the family and the godforsaken bear out of the house to the local park.

Director: Chris Addison

Writer: Simon Blackwell, Chris Addison, Jamie Brittain

Ally is under huge pressure, but no one seems to want to listen to her; Jim and Jackie are excited about a possible move to the coast and, much to Paul's surprise, so is he.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Ally and Paul's marriage is in crisis. Paul's obsessed by what happened but won't discuss it. An increasingly troubled Luke refuses to go to school and Leah and Alex make an announcement.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

Luke’s anxiety is becoming a problem at home and school. Would a medical diagnosis make his life easier or harder? Ally faces further tension after her mother Leah is robbed.

Director: Ben Palmer

Writer: Chris Addison, Oriane Messina, Fay Rusling

As Ally contemplates her pregnancy, a new piece of information blows her world apart. A worried Ava tries to help her mum while Luke regrets lying.

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Writer: N/A

With Luke refusing to live with his dad, Paul is staying at honeymooning Leah’s house. Ally begins to feel the strain, while a distressing event from the family’s past has a surprising present-day echo.

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Writer: N/A

Ally fears she might lose her job and her mind as the company collapses and her HRT medications become unavailable. Luke’s panic attack ends Paul’s leisurely life at Leah’s. An increasingly isolated Ava faces a huge change.

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Writer: N/A

A back injury leaves Paul high on Leah's supply, as he raids her collection of heavy-duty painkillers. As Luke and his dad get closer, Ally and Ava drift further apart, and Ally looks for someone to blame.

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Ally and Paul each learns the truth about a thing that has been terrifying them - for Ally, her job and for Paul, his MRI result. Ava and Luke both feel frozen out by the people they care most about.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

An ambitious Ally sets out to save the company and throw a memorable birthday party for Ava, just as Paul, passed over for promotion yet again, wonders if he ever had any ambition to start with.

Director: N/A

Writer: N/A

After an apparent reconciliation with Ally, Paul's rage returns with a vengeance when he realizes that Ava has done something that could ruin her life. Luke and Jacob reunite, but things are becoming more complicated.

Director: N/A

Writer: Taylor Glenn

Paul fears his culturally fragmented family has lost a vital connection. Gentrification impacts Jim and Jackie as the last of their old neighbours move out and more young professionals move in.

Director: Ben Palmer

Writer: Simon Blackwell, Chris Addison, Jamie Brittain

As he and Ally continue to feel distant, Paul rekindles an old friendship, but at a cost to Ava. Luke surprises everyone by getting a best friend. Jim and Jackie are forced to move.

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A devastated Paul is forced by his new boss to make funding cuts. After Ally's attempt to impress Ava ends in humiliation, she tells Paul some home truths, just as Jackie realizes a terrible truth about a dying friend.

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Writer: N/A

Ally is appalled that she’s about to turn 50 and bans the family from ever mentioning that number. Paul tries to help Luke, who is overwhelmed by learning to drive and becoming a dad, while Ava meets a charismatic girl called Holly.

Director: Chris Addison

Writer: Gabby Best, Rose Heiney

Paul and Ally are thrilled that Sprout the family gerbil has finally died, but explaining loss to Luke and Ava is more difficult than they thought as grief manifests itself in mysterious ways and throws the family off course.

Director: Ben Palmer

Writer: Chris Addison, Oriane Messina, Fay Rusling

Family life is thrown off kilter as Ally spends her weekdays in Berlin and weekends in London. Paul, Luke and Ava try to muddle through without her, but the children aren’t sleeping again and it takes its toll on Paul.

Director: Chris Addison

Writer: Simon Blackwell, Chris Addison

The kids are growing up fast – Ava is now 10 and Luke is about to turn 13. With their burgeoning independence comes the question of whether Paul and Ally’s parenting style still works. Clue: no.

Director: Ben Palmer

Writer: Simon Blackwell, Chris Addison

On the day of Leah and Alex's wedding, Paul and Ally find they have only a few hours to deal with a family crisis, leading Paul to make the hardest decision of his life.

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