Breeders: Season 1 Episode 1 “No Sleep” [Series Premiere] – Recap/ Review

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“Breeders” is a candid portrayal of parenting – in terms of children being little menaces who you could imagine your partner offing.

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Created By		Martin Freeman, Simon Blackwell, Chris Addison
Directed By		Ben Palmer
Written By		Simon Blackwell
Aired (FX On Hulu)		3/3/2020
Genre(s)		Comedy
Introduced This Episode
Paul	Martin Freeman
Ally	Daisy Haggard
Luke	George Wakeman
Ava	Jayda Eyles
Darren	Patrick Baladi

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This content contains pertinent spoilers.

Plot Overview

Paul and Ally are a mid-40s couple with two kids under the age of 7. As you can imagine, their children, Luke and Ava, are hell raisers. Luke, in the form of being paranoid the house will catch on fire, and then Paul falls into one trap after another as he mentions other things, at 11:29 PM, that Luke could be afraid of. As for Ava? Well, she is just little and refuses to go to bed. Making it so Ally, who works from home, finds herself falling asleep while telling a story and being punished for that by being jumped on.

And despite it all, their friend, well Ally’s, Darren, he still wants kids. In fact, at one time, he offered 800,000 for Ally and Paul’s since he and his wife are having fertility issues. But, despite how much their kids get on their nerves, to the point Ally found herself fearing Paul would actually kill their children, they love them.

Review

Highlights

While The Children Come Off Annoying, You Can Still Understand Why They Are Loved

With us seeing Paul and Ally’s life before children and after children, if you are childless and happy about it, you may feel the need to question why would you ever have kids? Between them staying up all night, the crying, screaming, being terrified of everything, and how dependent they are, why ruin your body, possibly your relationship, with tiny humans? Well, multiple reasons.

We saw Paul playing with two kids and handling it well, which showed maybe they could handle some rambunctious kids. Also, at the time, Paul and Ally were stronger than ever. Then you can add in Darren who is struggling to have kids, and reminds you that as easy as it can be to attempt to have kids, conceiving and giving birth to a viable child is not only a guarantee but hard.

And then when it comes to the kids themselves, while they are thought of to be so bad Ally thought Paul murdered them, are they not normal? If you were Luke, this 7-year-old just really getting to learn about the world, wouldn’t you be scared of everything which can threaten your life? Fires you can’t stop, burglars, and so much more. You’re reliant on this taller person in your life who often yells while you are having fun and may not hit you, but does come in like a hurricane.

Then with Ava, she is little, a girl, and adorable. Which likely means she gets away with things she shouldn’t, but because she is so cute, it makes the moments she is quite worth it. And, overall, while Ally notes the kids do put a strain on her and Paul’s relationship, they are ultimately a sign that, for better or worse, they find a way to make things work. Hence them taking turns, throughout the night, so each can get a nap in but also monitor the kids.

Overall

Continue To Watch? –Watch Upon Release

First Impression: Optimistic

While many shows depict kids as some form of penance for wrongdoing before having them, what “Breeders” presents is something a bit more raw since it isn’t on network or cable TV. So while there is a bit of discomfort in seeing a grown man yell at kid actors in such a way, occasionally with vulgarity, there is a realness there many parents might be ashamed of, but also allows them to feel seen. Add in Darren and a shout out to those who struggle with having children, likely sideeyeing those who complain, and you have what surely will be one of the early hits for FX on Hulu.

 

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