Trying season four

Trying, Apple TV+’s exceedingly earnest take on the tribulations of adoption, is back for a fourth season. The series kicks off six years after the events of season three, which saw Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall) confronted with a bureaucratic adoption process following the arrival of Princess and Tyler. Now, the quartet is one big happy family, with the not-so-little ones played by Scarlett Rayner and Cooper Turner.

Following a maudlin start to the first episode, which deals with the death of a series regular, the storytelling strikes a delicate balance between existential musings and life-affirming whimsy. The funeral at the centre of the plot leads to Jason pondering his relationship with his father (the always exemplary Phil Davis). What follows is an emotional exploration of the ramifications of toxic masculinity, a theme that also serves as the basis for clever subversion as Jason and his father find their unexpected love language.

Away from the heart-to-hearts and meditations on the family unit, a subplot involving the hapless Scott (Darren Boyd) proves one of the highlights of the opening episode, a homage to the classic comedy of errors staple of British sitcoms. Moreover, the introduction of the reliably scene-stealing Paul Kaye as the lovable Lenny – part rogue bartender, part wheeler dealer – provides respite amid the overriding sentimentality.

The writers are adept at tugging on the heartstrings at any given opportunity, and there are times when the script borders on the saccharine. In a televisual landscape oversaturated with true crime and cynical algorithmically-friendly franchises, Trying feels like a “positive vibes only” poster personified and packaged into 30-minute slices of digestible streaming content. Indeed, the show wears its heart on its sleeve to an almost parodic degree. But the outstanding cast prevents the series from becoming overbearing in its pathos. A warm and inviting dramedy with palpable chemistry between the stars, Trying ultimately makes viewers happy to be in the company of Jason, Nikki and co as they navigate the ups and downs of adoptive parenthood.

Antonia Georgiou

Trying season four is released on Apple TV+ on 22^nd May 2024.

Watch the trailer for Trying season four here: