‘Breeders’ Episode 10 shows why parents need therapy to deal with anger issues while parenting
Whether you are a fan of this FX comedy-drama series or have just started to watch, at first glance, it would have thrown you off and making you question why one should even have children in the first place. Truth be told, that’s the first impression that our protagonists Paul Worsley (Martin Freeman) and Ally Worsley (Daisy Haggard) gives the audience. Their two kids, Luke (George Wakeman) and Ava (Jayda Isles) are the cutest but can be extremely stubborn, difficult, and incessantly traumatizing.
Throughout 10 long episodes and a series of unfortunate events, they go through a rollercoaster ride, struggling to maintain some semblance within the family and hold onto their sanity. At times they succeed, but mostly they fail. However, there are moments in between where we see why the couple stands together as a team when it comes to dealing with children.
In the course of managing the tantrums of their children while dealing with work and other household challenges, Paul and Ally’s relationship also goes through a bump from time to time. Finally, when Luke is diagnosed with a severe fatal illness and is fighting for his life in the hospital, Paul realizes his shortcomings. He promises himself to be the “best dad on the planet”. Perhaps he speaks too soon because once home, Luke is back to his normal self and it throws Paul off the rails all over again. Ergo, he sees no choice but to seek therapy and manage his anger issues.
Where does this entire experience leave us?
One simple truth that this show reiterates (for all parents already know) that kids will be kids and from time to time, they will drive their parents wild and out of sorts. They are tough to raise and groom and there’s no escape from it, once you have them in your life. They will also push the parents off the edge once in a while, making them want to scream like Paul or have meltdowns like Ally. But these trying moments also hint that parents need to consider their mental wellbeing. Without a sane mind and grip over one’s emotions, parents with young children could easily get thrown off like Paul and Ally. Perhaps Paul's decision to seek professional help and manage his psyche is a clear indication that parents need therapy from time to time. I
If people can seek help and counsel to manage their relationships with family, friends, partners, or even coworkers, then why not the same for parenting? Parenting has never been easy for anyone or so every parent on the planet would say. But one can surely find a silver lining amid the high strung home environment that clouds one’s mind.
As Paul perfectly summarizes the sentiment, “I would die for those kids. But also, I want to kill them.” Lest one reaches the other extreme, it might just be prudent to find a way to deal with the tough times with children and continue on the wild ride of parenting.
All ten episodes of ‘Breeders’ are now available on Hulu or catch the reruns later when they air. Check your local listings for the most updated information.
