Trying (Season 3), Episode 5 Recap & Ending Explained: With every other episode from its 3rd season, the Apple TV+ show ‘Trying’ is just getting better and better. While showing growth and emotional development in all its characters, it sustains its warm and compassionate outlook. The choices that the script makes create a deeply resonating narration that could have been just a boring tale. The focus is more on what the scripting choices stand for than just moving the plot further, which makes it a stimulating viewing. With so much happening with its adorable lead characters, Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall), let’s dive right into the direction that their journey as parents is heading.
Trying (Season 3), Episode 5 Recap:
Titled ‘Pick a Side’, the 5th episode of season 3 takes us further in the parenting journey of Nikki and Jason. Knowing Tyler’s love for the Arsenal team, Jason is a bit disheartened since he supports Tottenham Hotspurs, the rival team. He contemplates how to tackle this issue which is when Princess (Eden Togwell) calls him ‘Dad’ from the other room. He doesn’t register the significance of this moment but Nikki does and she wishes to be accepted as a parent by their foster children just like he is. On one side, she’s determined to win the trust of Princess while on the other, she has to fire her dear colleague Jen (Robyn Cara) soon which puts her in a position of stress.
Nikki, who’s always worried to please others finds it especially difficult to let Jen go. They meet at a fancy café later which seems like something Nikki does out of guilt of prospective decision-making. She tries to persuade Jen to start her own business instead of working at their organization since she’s competent to do that. However, Jen mistakes this meeting as Nikki’s way to tell her about her promotion and mentions how she does not want it. She mentions how happy she is where at her position and how her parents are finally proud of her. Nikki, who has just a week left to let her go, gets even more anxious about the firing and what it would do to Jen and her relationship.
While that happens, Jason takes Tyler (Mickey McAnulty) to a pub to watch a football match together. Over there, he meets Freddy (Oliver Chris) who tells him that he’s starting a group called Arsehole Anonymous, like the AA meetings, to help assholes like him, in whose life, nothing bad has ever happened. However, Jason seems preoccupied with making Tyler happy and even goes on to wear Arsenal merchandise against his personal allegiance. When Arsenal scores a goal, Tyler comes running towards him and trips over. As a result, Jason takes him to a hospital to get him treated.
Meanwhile, Nikki goes out with Princess and her friends where she’s asked by this foster kid to buy a bracelet. After looking at its price, Nikki refuses to purchase it which makes Princess get mad at her. As a result, later at a restaurant, she even asks Nikki to sit at a table on the opposite side of them. Although displeased, she sits over there at a distance from Princess and keeps observing what the kids are doing out of concern. She’s suddenly accompanied by an old lady called Bev, who seems highly opinionated and shares with her, the importance of tough love. That’s when Nikki gets a call from Jason informing her about taking Tyler to the hospital. So, she instantly rushes out there with Princess.
On the other side, Karen has a brief conversation with Scott about their life with the baby and how he appears too sensitive for her preference. She mentions how she would rather like him to be with her in an old-fashioned manner. Later, when she visits the hospital for a sonogram, the nurse notices no movement which stresses her out. She asks the nurse to fetch Scott and mentions this to him. Later they observe a change in this scenario and become gleeful with the prospect of an upcoming child.
Trying (Season 3), Episode 5 Ending Explained
While going to the hospital, Nikki finds out that Princess has stolen the bracelet that she had asked her to purchase. She takes her back to the store to return it despite her displeasure. At the store, Princess gets scared by a security guard and rushes into a dressing room. Nikki finds a way to console her through this tiny space and sees a teeny-tiny bit of joy sparkling on Princess’ face. She finds her own special moment with her (like Jason) and expresses to Princess how tough love isn’t required in their case since they have already been through a lot. Meanwhile, Freddy becomes unsuccessful in his mission to reform the arseholes through his meeting, who behave like who they are – arseholes, and leave. So, he decides to give away the presents to a charity.
There are a lot of learnings for the characters from Trying through this episode. ABC learns how he won’t be able to find a sense of companionship in his journey to be better. He has to go through the process on his own and there’s no way around it. The episode shows his moment of acceptance of this very fact and conveys a semblance of maturity in him. Like what the episode title says, he picks a side and tries to remain faithful to it, just like Jason and Nikki with their respective decisions. Nikki chooses not to practice tough love while Jason chooses to prioritize Tyler’s happiness over his own. It’s all about the choices you make with what you get and the episode epitomizes this eternal saying.
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