7.2/10328 votes#1 - Pilot
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 3/2/2016
Based in Chicago, the O’Neals appear to be a seemingly picture perfect family, but their lives soon take an unexpected turn when surprising truths are revealed. Eileen is a mom who usually has a fine grasp on all matters under her roof, and her soon-to-be-ex-husband Pat is a good-natured father and the emotional center of the family. Their normal routine at home suddenly gets turned upside down when Eileen and Pat announce their divorce, and their sixteen-year-old-son Kenny reveals to his family that he is gay. Kenny never would have imagined his admission would also result in outing his entire family’s secrets, including revelations from his older brother, Jimmy, and little sister, Shannon. Jimmy unapologetically wears his heart on his sleeve and genuinely tries to figure out what’s best in any situation, while Shannon is the youngest but carries herself more mature than her age. Life in the O’Neals household wouldn’t be complete without Aunt Jodi, Pat’s ex-sister-in-law and Eileen’s best friend, who is quite the frequent visitor and is also willing to admit things are far from perfect in her own life. What seems like a sudden upheaval that could mark the end of the O’Neals idyllic lives turns out to be the beginning of a bright new chapter when everyone stops pretending to be perfect and actually starts being real.
Director: Todd Holland
Writer: N/A
7.5/10270 votes#2 - The Real Papaya
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 3/2/2016
Following the “coming out” confessions made by everyone in the O’Neal family, Eileen is desperate to control the situation and tries to make Kenny “un-gay.” Meanwhile, Kenny tries to find the right time to break up with Mimi and has a heart-to-heart with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Director: Todd Holland
Writer: N/A
8.1/10268 votes#3 - The Real Lent
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 3/8/2016
Eileen reminds her family that it’s Lent and asks them to give up things they really love, which in turn proves to be quite a daunting task. In a chance meeting, Kenny meets his first gay crush, and Pat discovers his little girl, Shannon, is all grown up.
Director: Rebecca Asher
Writer: Scott King
7.8/10228 votes#4 - The Real F Word
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 3/15/2016
Kenny has a difficult first day at school after having come out.
Director: Christine Gernon
Writer: Stacy Traub
7.8/10213 votes#5 - The Real Spring Fever
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 3/22/2016
On the first warm day of spring following an endless Chicago winter, Eileen decides it’s time to get a fresh start in her life by applying for her first job since her kids were born. Shannon ultimately overhears her mom’s plan and riles up the rest of the family after misinterpreting Eileen’s true intentions. Meanwhile, Pat realizes he might not be ready for the single life just yet, even though his patrol partner, Archie, thinks otherwise. And as Kenny wonders who he will date next, Jimmy takes it upon himself to help him explore the newfound world of online dating
Director: Phil Traill
Writer: Kristin Newman
7.8/10201 votes#6 - The Real Man
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 3/29/2016
When Pat plans a camping trip to enjoy some father-and-son bonding time with Jimmy, Kenny also joins them to prove that even though he’s gay he can still be manly. During the camping trip, Pat continuously pressures Jimmy about his upcoming wrestling match, which leads to a surprising result. Meanwhile, after Eileen discovers Shannon has been skipping her classes and refuses confirmation, she invites Father Phil over to help answer Shannon’s challenging questions she has about Catholicism.
Director: Elliot Hegarty
Writer: Adam Roberts
8.1/10231 votes#7 - The Real Grandma
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 4/5/2016
When Eileen's strict, Catholic grandmother, Agnes, makes a surprise visit, the family attempts to hide Eileen and Pat's divorce and keep Kenny's sexuality a secret.
Director: Silver Tree
Writer: Cheryl Holliday
7.8/10188 votes#8 - The Real Book Club
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 4/19/2016
Eileen faces her book club for the first time after her family’s “outing,” but things take a surprising turn when instead of shunning her the ladies begin opening up – way too much – about their own problems. Kenny’s first trip to the “gayborhood” coffee shop is everything he’d hoped for, until Pat tags along with him to a gay dodge ball match.
Director: Victor Nelli Jr.
Writer: Lee Sung-jin
7.6/10187 votes#9 - The Real Wedding
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 4/26/2016
When Kenny decides to audition for the school play, “Zombie Romeo and Juliet,” Eileen volunteers to help out. Kenny receives the role of Romeo, but much to his dismay, his ex-girlfriend Mimi is playing Juliet. Things get more awkward when Eileen, realizing that this may be the only time she will see Kenny marry a girl, begins to treat the play’s wedding scene like an actual wedding. Meanwhile, Pat and Jimmy both struggle to talk to their new crushes.
Director: Rebecca Asher
Writer: Becky Mann, Audra Sielaff
7.6/10183 votes#10 - The Real Retreat
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 5/3/2016
When Jimmy is unexpectedly named Faith Leader for the weekend at the Catholic Youth Retreat, a jealous Kenny decides to take on his older brother’s role as ring leader of the bad kids. Home alone without the kids, Pat invites a new lady friend over, and Eileen can’t help but enlist Jodi to spy on them, with surprising results.
Director: N/A
Writer: Todd Holland, Lewaa Nasserdeen
7.8/10176 votes#11 - The Real Other Woman
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 5/10/2016
When Eileen pushes Kenny to get a job, she starts to feel jealous when he starts to work as a tutor and instantly starts to bond with the student’s mom. As Kenny starts to spend more time away from home, Eileen realizes she’ll need to make some changes if she wants her relationship with Kenny to improve. Meanwhile, Pat wants to bond more with the kids but makes some questionable choices in trying to become the fun parent.
Director: Rebecca Asher
Writer: Kevin Biegel
7.8/10169 votes#12 - The Real Rules
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 5/17/2016
After realizing Pat left his police badge at home, Jimmy convinces Kenny and Shannon that he should use Pat’s badge to pretend he’s a police officer so they can receive free perks around town. Meanwhile, when Pat tells Eileen about an upcoming date he’s going on, she takes matters into her own hands when it comes to a potential suitor in her dating life.
Director: Eyal Gordin
Writer: Kristin Newman
8.1/10190 votes#13 - The Real Prom
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 5/24/2016
As the school prom approaches, Kenny tries to think of who the best guy would be to ask as his date. With time running out, Kenny and Jimmy try to come up with the perfect “prom-posal” for the classmates they each have set their sights on. Shannon thinks the idea behind prom is a scam and would rather stay at home, but once Pat discovers she was asked to attend, he tries to convince her to go. Meanwhile, Eileen tries to keep VP Murray’s romantic attention at bay but struggles to resist.
Director: Todd Holland
Writer: Stacy Traub, Casey Johnson, David Windsor
The Best Episodes of The Real O'Neals Season 1
Every episode of The Real O'Neals Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Real O'Neals Season 1!
A contemporary take on a seemingly perfect Catholic family, whose lives take an unexpected turn when surprising truths are revealed. Instead of ruining their family,...
Genre:Comedy
Network:ABC
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"Pilot" is the best rated episode of "The Real O'Neals" season 1. It scored 7.2/10 based on 328 votes. Directed by Todd Holland and written by N/A, it aired on 3/2/2016. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "The Real Papaya".