[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 3, Episode 8 of Trying, “The End of the Beginning.”]
Apple TV+‘s charming dramedy Trying has officially wrapped its third season as the finale dropped Friday, September 2, and with it comes big changes for Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall), the couple at the center of it all.
After being granted permission to care for adoptive children Princess (Eden Togwell) and Tyler (Mickey McAnulty), Nikki and Jason were faced with plenty of challenges that could threaten the new life they were building, primarily the efforts of Princess and Tyler’s biological grandmother Bev (Clare Higgins) who was trying to secure custody herself.
“I found that so heartbreaking,” Smith admits of Bev’s inclusion in Nikki and Jason’s adoption efforts. It’s a layer of adoption that some shows or films might not address, but one that was integral to this story. “That’s another human being that has a very specific relationship [to these kids] that presents itself in a way that I don’t think Nikki or Jason were expecting.”
(Credit: Apple TV+)
Smith adds, “It was a real honest thing to explore in the series.” By season’s end, Nikki and Jason were given full permanent custody of Princess and Tyler, but they’re not unfeeling towards Bev, who wishes to spend time with the kids. Whether viewers will see her in the previously-announced fourth season will remain to be seen, but Spall says, “Bev’s a great character, the friends are great characters, the parents are really gorgeous characters. When a new season comes along, it’s like a group of friends you haven’t seen in a while. It’s really lovely to hang out with them.”
In other words, it would be great to spend time with her again, but only time will tell for certain. Apart from the adoption and custody approval, Nikki and Jason made a big decision in the finale to get married so they could share the day with Princess and Tyler in case they weren’t given custody.
(Credit: Apple TV+)
The goal for the day? To make memories and that’s exactly how Nikki and Jason’s wedding could be described: memorable. “There’s so much drama,” Smith notes. “So much is fulfilled in that episode that, even reading it, it was like a race. I just thought it was hilarious.”
Whether it’s racing to find flowers, calling on their parents to do some favors or Princess and Tyler’s request for costume ensembles, there’s no cap on the joyful chaos at hand. “It was just so beautiful, so bizarre, so surreal,” Smith adds of the wedding’s setting.
Considering the short notice, Nikki and Jason opt for the courthouse, taking a timeslot that was left behind by a couple who couldn’t make it. The only catch? Their absent couple’s theme was owls, and so the room was filled with wise birds, both living and stuffed.
“It took ages to shoot that scene, because the owl guy got Covid,” Spall says, noting that the man made a full recovery. “So then we had to come back, after the Christmas break and pick it up where we were before. I found it very emotional too, in those scenes. I thought they were very moving. Seeing Esther dress up like a Disney princess, was definitely on my bucket list, so that was really good,” he adds. Spall donned a fitting knight costume to match his onscreen bride, selected by their onscreen kids.
What could possibly be next for Nikki, Jason, and their growing family? Stay tuned for when the series returns with Season 4 as it takes shape at Apple TV+.
Trying, Season 4 Premiere, TBA, Apple TV+
