In episode 4 of Trying, Nikki and Jason have an important birthday party to plan and Karen comes to terms with the fact that she’s pregnant. The episode is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Recap:
Nikki and Jason are headed to a scheduled check-in with Noah, who is now their designated social worker. He tells them that Penny has been promoted so he’s the one they’re “stuck” with.
Nikki is very nervous about every meeting and tends to try too hard. She messes up and constantly says the wrong thing even though she means well.
They mention that Tyler has a birthday coming up but they’re not sure if people will show up because Tyler has trouble making friends. Noah tells them that they have to set an example on how to make connections in the world.
Karen tells Nikki that she’s pregnant and while Nikki is happy for her sister, she’s also got some anger about the irony of the situation.
When Nikki asks Tyler if he invited his friends from school to his party he says yes but when they see his list, it only has his teacher and a few other adults listed on it.
Nikki had even asked Jason to make friends with some of the other parents at school but Jason isn’t too keen on it either. Nikki manages to contact many of the other parents and invites their children to the party the next day.
Karen tries to tell Scott that she’s pregnant but before she can, he brings up the news that a publisher is interested in his blog and this could be an opportunity for him to quit the job that he just recently joined.
The children show up at the party but Tyler still sits by himself and after a while, he disappears completely. When Nikki looks for him, she finds him hiding under a table and away from the crowd.
Karen drops by with the cake and tells Nikki that she made a mistake by not asking the other parents to stay or setting up more games and entertainment. Scott comes in full mime makeup to serve as entertainment.
Nikki decides to stay under the table with Tyler because they both do not want to face whatever is outside. Jason asks Scott about the money that he had invested and Scott reassures him that he has everything covered.
Nikki overhears a conversation that Karen has on the phone and realizes how worried her sister is and she’s not perfect. She convinces Tyler to face the outside world by taking little steps no matter how hard it might be.
The children end up having a great time and while Scott is performing for them, Karen sees her chance and tells him that she’s pregnant. The two of them share a warm embrace after Nikki tells Karen that she’s not alone in this journey of hers.
Jason and Nikki revel in their more or less successful birthday party as everyone comes out of the experience learning something important.
Review:
- Every episode of Trying highlights a different issue when it comes to parenting and one particular way to solve it. This episode focuses on dealing with pregnancy and helping your child make connections and it’s done wonderfully.
- The relationship between Jason and Nikki is portrayed brilliantly in ‘Trying’ as they are both deeply in love with each other but they’re not perfect and there are enough depictions of the very natural flaws that they possess.
- Scott’s character is a confusing one as he seems a little too out there to be a parent or even a reliable husband but his character growth does exist even though it’s moving at a snail’s pace.
Rating: 2.5/5
Also Read: Trying season 3 episode 3 recap & review: Capture the Flag