This Life - Episode Guide

Natalie Lawson, a busy single mother of three from a close-knit, charmingly imperfect extended family, struggles to find space for herself in her own life. When she finally resolves to change things for the better, she learns that her cancer, which has been dormant for two years, has returned with a vengeance.

Natalie struggles to track down and confide in her sister Maggie, who's in the middle of a lively (and unexpected) romantic encounter. And, despite her diagnosis, Natalie seeks to help her three children balance their problems with school and life, and later kindles an attraction with her daughter's principal, agreeing against all reason to see him for dinner. Maggie's inability to keep her sister's secret turns a family yard sale into an emotional minefield as the members of the extended Lawson clan rally around, while trying to keep the news of Natalie's cancer from the kids.

Natalie has a biopsy that will determine how much time she has left; Oliver returns home.

Waiting for her biopsy results, Natalie gets closer to Andrew; Oliver bonds with Romy; Janine discovers something troubling about her son.

Natalie can't bring herself to tell her kids about her cancer; Maggie and Oliver make destructive choices; Janine questions her faith.

Natalie finally comes clean to her kids; Matthew faces an old mistake; Oliver and his parents reach a breaking point; Maggie is drawn deeper into a relationship.

Natalie plans a birthday dinner for Emma; Oliver's troubles from L.A. catch up with him in Montreal; Matthew faces a dilemma.

Natalie tries to persuade Caleb to accept responsibility; Maggie and Oliver go to LA to fix Oliver's loose ends.

Natalie and Andrew's relationship is put to the test; Emma accidentally throws a house party; Caleb and Danielle comfort each other.

Upon making a life-altering decision, Natalie is confronted with the return of a person she never wanted to see again.

Natalie begins the drug trial; David threatens to derail Natalie's guardianship plans.

Natalie seeks to understand why positive scan results have thrown her for a loop. Maggie convinces Natalie and Matthew that Oliver needs their help to sort his life out, but their impromptu attempt escalates into a heightened battle of perspectives. Emma gets into a tenuous situation with her work friend Miranda while Romy finds herself in a situation that is beyond her and seeks help from her siblings. Natalie confronts David in an attempt to understand his position as well as her own.

Natalie invites David to a dinner in Romy's honour, and has mixed feelings when he accepts. David struggles to navigate the state of his current marriage with Kate as they deal with a volatile situation involving their son Jesse. Things come to a head for Oliver as his decisions get more reckless and he attempts to make last minute preparations for an upcoming gallery show. Maggie and Raza undergo an immigration interview to legitimize their marriage, which raises questions for Maggie about what she wants.

The siblings rally around Oliver to help him face the repercussions of his actions and deal with his hypomania. Natalie wrestles with conflicting medical opinions and considers going against her oncologist's recommendation. Caleb faces the consequences of backing away from his responsibilities while Romy's attempt to draw out her father backfires. Maggie pushes Raza away, afraid of what she might be feeling, and Emma decides to see things through with Miranda and her job.

A peaceful morning is shattered when Gerald and Oliver are faced with an immediate tragedy. As the Lawsons scramble to deal with the crisis, emotional floodgates open sparking both conflict and catharsis for various members of the family. Raza and Maggie try to work through the awkwardness between them since he became aware of her interest in him. Natalie can't find Caleb and does her best to ease her girls through the traumatic event but is waylaid by a medical complication. Romy and Emma must make the biggest decision of their lives.