Trying: Season Three

Season three of Trying, starring Rafe Spall and Esther Smith, is heartfelt and wonderful. Not just a story about navigating through parenthood and fitting together the jagged puzzle pieces of a family, the series tackles typical adult life issues such as mortgages, work problems and making mistakes, even when one’s supposed to know better – because people, no matter how old or young, are not perfect. There are a lot of familiar scenes for anyone who has gone through first-time parenthood: of overbearing parents with only good intentions, and family coming together in times of need. It’s the cycle of care and love from mother to daughter, father to son, and new parents to their adopted children. The heart of the series can be summed up in one quote from Jason (Spall): “Well, this is what love looks like” – it’s the mismatch of different personalities all coming together to help each other out.

The comedy is golden. It uses excellent pauses to elicit awkward humour, perfect for two first-time parents bumbling their way through the motions of parenthood. The delivery is very dry, directly to the point and natural, very typical of the British sense of humour. Continuity runs throughout each episode, with references to The Shining, and talk of asbestos and AA meetings for therapeutic purposes. There’s a little bit of truth in every line of comedy, further creating that sense of relatability. Excellent use of props also helps heighten the playfulness while keeping the story grounded in its slice-of-life spirit. While there’s not much action or drama, the endearing characters urge viewers to continue watching for the sake of seeing their stories unfold and succeed.

One of the highs of Trying is how it sets tone: a fun, airy soundtrack contains lots of relaxing strings and layered harmonies that sway with the emotional beats of every scene; warm colour filters exude a welcoming atmosphere to truly sell the family aspect of the story; camera angles and editing highlight the feelings of the characters and further emphasise the emotional core of the narrative. These little details add to the already sublime acting and wonderful script, drawing viewers in with each and every character on-screen.

Mae Trumata

Trying: Season Three is released on Apple TV+ on 22^nd July 2022.

Watch the trailer for Trying: Season Three here: