Picking off right where the previous season ended, Breeders Season 3 sees the Worsley family face a new set of difficulties. Paul (Martin Freeman) and his son Luke (Alex Eastwood) had gotten in an altercation, and Luke punched his father after being victim to another one of his anger outbursts. The family was forced to seperate after Luke refused to sleep under the same roof as his father. This new season sees Ally (BAFTA nominee Daisy Haggard) stuggle to balance the household's shifting dynamics, along with her early menopause and strained relationship with her daughter Ava (Eve Prenelle), while Paul and Luke attempt to repair their bond.
Created by Emmy winners Simon Blackwell, Chris Addison, and Martin Freeman, the show takes a unique look at modern parenting. It is not afraid to push boundaries, drop a few curse words, and explore topics of mental health, religon, and aging. It famously explores the paradox, "you’d happily die for your children, but quite often also want to kill them." Game Rant spoke with leading actors Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard about Breeders Season 3, starting the season on different paths, Ally's character journey, and Freeman's experience channeling such heavy emotions throughout the series.
Game Rant: Was it challenging to start the season on different paths?
Martin Freeman: When we were coming up with the show, we always planned to skip forward several years as we did between seasons one and two. But at the end of season two, it ends with this big thing of Paul getting hit by his son, Luke. So, we knew we couldn't just skip ahead and not deal with that, and the immediate outcome of that.
As you say, we're in different places. But no, I don't think it was difficult because I always look forward to things that are more meaty dramatically, because things that are meaty dramatically are usually the same comedically as well. There's stuff that grinds your gears, and it's not smooth or easy, and that is always the hope with this show. We hope that it's realistic and relatable, you know?
GR: Throughout the season, we see Ally struggle with her relationship with her daughter, Ava. How does their relationship change?
Daisy Haggard: Well, they go on a very rocky road. I think Ally has a really tough time this season. She's got a lot going on, she's being stretched in all directions and something's got to give when that's happening. She has early menopause and her and Paul aren't together in the same place, and they're not always seeing eye to eye.
She just loses her ability to connect with Ava. Without giving too much away, it is a journey. Throughout the season, we see her realize that she has been so distracted with her own problems, and with work and everything, that she hasn't handled it in the right way. She consistently tries and there is an opportunity that comes at some point in the season where she's able to really try and be the best mother she can be in order to bring that relationship back together. We see them trying to forge ahead.
GR: That's incredible. What was your experience building that chemistry with Eve Prenelle?
Haggard: She's so good. It puts me to shame. People ask me all the time, “Oh, what is it like working with kids?” I'm just like, “They are better than me.” She is excellent to work with.
Freeman: Those actors have grown up between shooting seasons two and three. We felt we could really throw a lot of stuff at them, and they could handle it. They were handling pages and pages of stuff, which is not easy and they dealt with it brilliantly.
GR: While we're talking about the younger actors, I have to say I love Jacob. Seeing him again this season was a joy. Who is your favorite supporting character in the show?
Freeman: Jacob is hilarious and slightly alarming. There's an “evil genius” quality to him. This year, our writers room have come up with very good supporting characters. But, in all, I love Carl, our next door neighbor. He's just the most tedious, boring man in Britain, really stealing our time. I love Darren, played by Patrick Baladi, who is Ally’s work colleague. He is clearly in love with Ally, and he is always thwarted just when he thinks he is making inroads.
GR: Shifting gears here - Martin, we see your character, Paul, struggle with these feelings of anger, stress, and anxiety. What is it like balancing all of these emotions and being at a 10 all the time?
Freeman: It's fun having to do that stuff. As an actor, you want to be challenged and you want to be stretched. This show is obviously a comedy, but there are very serious bits to it. From an actor's point of view, it's really good fun to play all of that. I mean, occasionally, it does get a bit depressing.
Sometimes you forget for three days or so that you're actually in a comedy. But that's the show I always wanted to make. I always wanted it to be a challenge and for the stakes to be high, so that you really earn the laughs. You invest in these characters and you invest in their triumphs, and their losses as well.
Breeders returns for its third season on Monday, May 9 with two episodes airing back-to-back on FX, streaming the next day on Hulu.