It’s rare to find a truly endearing comedy that deals well with the nuances of parenting and deftly handles dramatic moments in a compelling way. I’d argue there are two vastly underappreciated such shows, Trying from Apple TV+ and Breeders from FX. The former was renewed for a fourth season almost a year ago, and the fourth and final season of the latter is officially here. If you haven’t seen either, now is the time to check them out, and I would highly recommend starting with the lovely Breeders, which you can find on Hulu.
Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard star as parents who are struggling to stay afloat. Their disciplinary strategies aren’t always the same...
Paul (Freeman) suffers from a particularly poor temper that causes tremendous friction with his son Luke. Daughter Ava is a precocious observer of what happens around her. Through interactions with their own parents, Paul and Ally (Haggard) come to see that this job isn’t easy, and that they may truly be hopeless to control how their children are shaped.
Freeman and Haggard. Photo Courtesy of Olly Courtney/FX
What remains consistent in the fourth season of this fantastic comedy is that the starring pair is absolutely terrific. Freeman, who is also a co-creator of the show, is an Emmy nominee (and winner) for his roles in Sherlock and the first season of Fargo, and he’s become much more widely-known for portraying Everett Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Haggard first caught my eye as the moaning head of comedy on the equally great Episodes, and she also stars in Back to Life, which is available on Showtime in the United States. They both bring a dry wit and deeply rooted sense of frustration to their characters that’s a wonder to watch.
Armstrong and Bacon. Photo courtesy of Mark Johnson/FX
The themes covered even just in the first two episodes of season four are wide-ranging, and it’s clear that the final ten half-hour installments of this show will have plenty to offer. Joanna Bacon and Alum Armstrong continue to delight as Paul’s parents, who are going through their own stuff that they tend to overshare. The only detriment is that the roles of Luke and Ava have been recast (this also happened in season two), with Oscar Kennedy and Zoë Athena taking over for Alex Eastwood and Eve Prenelle, respectively. Kennedy and Athena seem capable enough, but Eastwood and Prenelle were particularly talented and will be missed.
Athena and Kennedy. Photo courtesy of Mark Johnson/FX
There’s a realness to this show that’s perfectly punctuated by the frequent flashbacks it employs to show formative moments in the relationships that this couple has experienced and endured. They’re prone to certain cycles but also completely startling developments, a few of which permeate the opening installments of season four. At between twenty and thirty minutes each, these episodes feel tight and entirely worthwhile. Even catching all the way to where the show is at from the very beginning won’t take long, and it’s sure to be a rewarding endeavor. B+
The first two episodes of Breeders season four are now streaming on Hulu, with new episodes premiering Mondays at 10pm on FX through the series finale on September 25th.