The worst episodes of Breeders
Ranked by viewer rating, lows first. Lit marks on the season rail place this list across the run. Vote on a placement to back it or contest it.
- 01
As Paul and Ally try to help Luke, struggling with being both a dad and a student, they find they have very different ideas about the best way forward. Jackie’s condition is becoming more noticeable, and Jim is determined to help out.
- 02
The reality of Luke’s announcement hits, and Paul and Ally worry about the decision he and Maya have made and whether they should support them. As a New Year starts, the Worsley family gather together with Maya’s family, united in their love and worry.
- 03
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.
- 04
Paul and Ally are disappointed that their planned family holiday has become one for just the two of them, but they make new friends. Luke is preparing for his new life with Maya and makes a massive decision. What follows leaves them both terrified.
- 05
Paul and Ally rush to fly back from their holiday when they hear that Maya is giving birth five weeks early. Ava and Sunil try to help Luke step up and become a father, but everyone is in shock when complications set in.
- 06
A calendar mix-up turns Paul and Ally’s fun night out into a stressful night in. A happy Ava finds her mood changing as the evening progresses. Luke turns up with an unwelcome friend and Carl finally sees the inside of the Worsley’s house.
- 07
A chat with Darren and a chance encounter convince Ally she needs more friends, so she decides to reunite her antenatal class. Ally tells Luke and Ava this was a friendship group with no arseholes. But 17 years is a long time.
- 08
Jackie’s health is continuing to worsen. Paul helps out a distressed Luke but finds himself in more conflict with Ally. At Baby Jay’s naming party, Ava declares her love, and Paul makes an offer that will take him and Ally back in time.
- 09
It’s five years since we last saw the Worsleys, with Paul and Ally on the verge of splitting, and Jim and Jackie in turmoil. Things are no less dramatic now as Luke and girlfriend Maya drop a bombshell at Christmas dinner that will change everyone’s lives forever.
- 10
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.
- 11
Paul and Ally find themselves parenting Jim and Jackie as well as a conflicted Luke. Ava and Holly get closer and Ava decides to take a risk, while Paul meets an old friend and realizes that he might, after all, be happy.
- 12
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.
- 13
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.
- 14
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.
- 15
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.
- 16
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.
- 17
Jim and Jackie are both struggling under their new circumstances. Luke has to choose between Jacob and Ruby. At Alex's 65th birthday party, Ally meets someone who makes her see Paul in a new light.
- 18
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.
- 19
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.
- 20
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.
- 21
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.
- 22
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.
- 23
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.
- 24
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.
- 25
Luke’s condition worsens and he is admitted to a specialist pediatric unit. As Paul, Ally and their parents desperately wait for news, stress and fear cause cracks to form within the family.
Shows like Breeders
The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.
- 01Drama·Comedy·FamilyThe worst episodes of Shameless2011–2021·Paramount+ with Showtime
Shameless is a fiercely engaging and fearlessly twisted series. - 02Drama·Comedy·FamilyThe worst episodes of Parenthood2010–2015·NBC
Parenthood is the critically acclaimed one-hour drama inspired by the box office hit of the same name. - 03Drama·Comedy·FamilyThe worst episodes of The Durrells2016–2019·ITV1
The Durrells is based upon Gerald Durrell's classic trilogy of Corfu memoirs including the much loved ‘My Family and Other Animals'. - 04Drama·Comedy·FamilyThe worst episodes of Girl Meets World2014–2017·Disney Channel
Girl Meets World is based on ABC's hugely popular sitcom, Boy Meets World (1993). - 05Drama·Comedy·FamilyThe worst episodes of The Wonder Years1988–1993·ABC
Set in 1968-1973, the series tackles the social issues and historic events of that time through the eyes of main character Kevin Arnold. - 06Drama·Comedy·FamilyThe worst episodes of Victorious2010–2013·NickelodeonTori Vega's thrown into the spotlight at a musical showcase and lands a spot at Hollywood Arts, the most prestigious arts high school in the country.
