Trying season 5 review: Rafe Spall’s brilliant British drama is a triumph
Rafe Spall and Esther Smith star in Apple TV’s brilliant comedy series Trying, which is back with a triumphant fifth season
© Apple TVApple TV’s most underrated show is back – and its fifth season is a triumph. Despite consistent critical acclaim across its five-season run and a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, this heartwarming, witty series remains one of the streamer’s best-kept secrets.
The comedy-drama, created by Andy Wolton in 2020, stars Rafe Spall and Esther Smith as Nikki and Jason: a refreshingly ordinary couple in their 30s who want nothing more than to build a family. It’s been a long journey to parenthood for the pair, who when we met them in season one, had decided to give up trying to conceive naturally to explore adoption.
© Apple TVFast-forward six years to series five, and Nikki and Jason’s long-held dream has finally come true. The couple are now raising 16-year-old Princess (Scarlett Rayner) and 12-year-old Tyler (Cooper Turner), having officially adopted the siblings back in season three.
But things are far from plain sailing. Their settled family life is abruptly disrupted by the unexpected arrival of Princess and Tyler’s unreliable biological mother, Kat (Charlotte Riley).
© Apple TVNikki, in particular, struggles with the intrusion, terrified that her hard-won dream of motherhood is slipping through her fingers.
“I’m just starting to feel a little bit on the outside of all of this,” she tells Jason, just before their dodgy living room door slams shut, quite literally shutting her out from her family.
To make matters even more complicated, Nikki has just started a new job in the travel industry and unexpectedly finds herself swooning over her handsome new colleague, Kerry (Colin Morgan). Is trouble on the horizon for this otherwise rock-solid couple?
© Apple TVMeanwhile, Jason heads back to college to train as a social worker, and Nikki’s sister Karen (Siân Brooke) is slightly overwhelmed when she’s left to solo parent her daughter, Stevie (Matilda Flower), while her husband Scott (Darren Boyd) embarks on his latest mad scheme: rowing across the Atlantic.
The show’s excellent writing has consistently attracted household names. While early seasons saw the likes of Imelda Staunton and Ophelia Lovibond join the impressive ensemble, the current roster features the brilliant Celia Imrie as eccentric hoarder Harriet, alongside Phil Davis as Jason’s DIY-obsessed dad, Vic.
© Apple TVUltimately, the relationship between Nikki and Jason remains the beating heart of the show. Nikki is a highly-strung perfectionist, while Jason is the level-headed, slightly too laid-back yin to her yang. With perfect comedic timing and effortless chemistry, it’s impossible not to root for the relatable pair.
© Apple TVThis charming, chuckle-worthy series is a true gem. Long may it continue.
