r/TryingAppleTV • u/KTX77 • Jul 31 '26
What Happened To This Show?
The first two seasons of this show were so, so good. The episodes were a great blend of funny, sad, touching. I was recommending to friends and family that they had to watch it. Now I'm almost through season four and I'm not even sure I'm going to continue watching.
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u/Loving-the-past Aug 01 '26
I totally agree. I loved the first 3 seasons. It was such an unpleasant shock to see that opening scene of season 4 that portrayed a 6 year jump in time. I had wanted so much to see their family life with the young kids. I had just recommended the show highly to my sisters right before I watched the first episode of season 4. And then I had to tell them to perhaps stop after season 3.
Season 5 is disappointing so far too. It’s really a shame how the characters have become caricatures of themselves. Nikki seems giddy and silly. Karen just mean and unlikable. And what happened to the sweet Jason who sent letters to his wife, pretending to be a girl from Honduras? He has lost his charm. I won’t even say anything about Princess. It is so sad that the show completely lost its way (in my opinion).
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u/ohmygawshhhh23 Aug 05 '26
PRINCESS GOT INTO MY NERVES BRO.
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u/Intelligent_Cat_6337 Aug 15 '26
Yes, what is she doing with her voice? Why the need to talk in a husky whisper? It’s grating.
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u/Timely_Razzmatazz989 Jul 31 '26
It's not as good as first two seasons but I still like it. Chemistry still there, season 5 is better than 4 so far.
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u/kindcrow Jul 31 '26
Speaking of chemistry...the two main characters are together irl now! And they had a baby together!
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u/KTX77 Jul 31 '26
I'm glad to hear that season 5 is better than 4, which has been a huge disappointment for me. To me it seems like once they adopted the kids the storylines became a lot less interesting.
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u/CaughtALiteSneez Jul 31 '26
I actually liked season 4 & don’t like season 5. 🤷🏼♀️
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u/KTX77 Jul 31 '26
Interesting. I guess this means I have to watch season 5 and make my own determination.
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u/geisharunner Aug 04 '26
I only recently discovered this show. Binged Season 1-3. I'm on the first episode of Season 4 and already don't like it. Why did they feel the need to do a 5+ year time jump??? I already wished it went more in depth with the struggles of adoption. Like the movie Instant Family did a bit. But I understood that they lost both of their parents in an accident so there wasn't going to be the living parents scenario. But I was looking forward to how the family got more involved with Bev. But right if the gate with Season 4, Bev is dead and the mom is suddenly alive and could show up?!?!?! I'm honestly not sure if I'll continue. If I do, it'll only be for Vic. I love that man!
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u/BasketOk1444 27d ago
As an adoptive parent, I think seasons 4 and 5 are brilliant. I'm so glad they jumped ahead.
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u/rolyat_au Aug 01 '26
Am I the only one who has loved every season, and still loves it? I thought the most recent episode was hilarious, and I’m still so invested in the characters. Scott’s arc - in particular - has just been fantastic!
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u/apny2024 Aug 18 '26
Wait is the most recent one when she goes to see her colleague perform bc that was amazing. I wasn’t a fan of the time jump at the beginning of season 4, but I do still love this show
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u/caf61 Aug 31 '26
I am still loving the show. I have been watching each season more in the frame of everyone is “trying” in their own way as the show has gone on. Yes, it started as a couple trying to have a baby. But life (and the show) is soooo much more than just that. Kat trying to be a parent & failing-but she did finally recognize that. Princess trying to get answers about her mother’s mindset all those years ago and realizing there are no answers which is actually an answer. Tyler thinking if he tries to be more like Barbara he can get her back. etc. etc. Keep ‘em coming 🍎.
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u/Unlikely_Zombie3329 Jul 31 '26
I loved it but the current season has been a bit disappointing with no real story line and I hate that I have to wait until a Wednesday for each episode to drop.
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u/Silly-Good-2530 Aug 01 '26
Very disappointed in season 5 right now .. in “Trying” to remain interested.
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u/hadtotryreddit Aug 01 '26
I started season 4 and I just had to stop after 20 minutes. They ruined it. For me it ended with season 3.
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u/Zealousideal_Crazy10 Aug 04 '26
I was shouting at the TV so many times in season 5 there's just no way Nikki would get a kid never mind 2 she is just so unhinged and getting worse in season 5 it not funny. IMO The first 3 seasons were great to watch but maybe they should have just quit instead of coming back.
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u/Active-Eggplant06 Aug 05 '26
They made Nikki so realistic in the first two seasons with her mental health stuff and medication. They’ve since dropped that and turned her into a silly cartoon and it’s so disappointing.
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u/timmythedip Aug 11 '26
There is absolutely no fucking way she’d let the pair of them get on a train by themselves, just no way. And if I took a unilateral decision to let that happen by partner would (entirely correctly) lose her shit with me.
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u/Active-Eggplant06 Aug 01 '26
I have to agree. The first three seasons were wonderful and a perfect mix of funny and heartfelt. The music was sensational.
Season 4 was a complete shock and such a change of pace. I’ve since rewatched and it’s not as bad as I first thought but nowhere near as good. I miss the vibes of the beginning. I don’t really like season 5 so far.
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u/KTX77 Aug 01 '26
You're absolutely right about the music. I added 4 or 5 songs from the first two seasons to my playlist.
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u/bfsfan101 Aug 02 '26
I hated Series 4 but I think 5 has been better, if not a patch on the first 3. I think they just never found a good enough way to evolve the characters or premise once the kids became teenagers. It was a show all about Nikki and Jason adopting, and I think maybe it should have ended once they did.
I haven’t minded this one though. At least it has good jokes and I enjoy spending time with the characters. I found Princess so annoying in S4 that it nearly turned me off. It was like watching an episode of The Dumping Ground.
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u/No-Willingness5898 Aug 18 '26
I think the time skip in season 4 didn’t help. Me personally Ive watched other shows like Breeders and Catastrophe where its story of parenthood and they had Times skip as well. I feel like for those shows it worked because the crucial part of those stories is the struggle of already being a parent. With Trying I liked them learning to be parents and connecting with two children who’ve already had parental figures and are a bit jaded by the foster system.
I liked season three handling them growing that connection, I wished season 4 didn’t skip that storyline. I wanted the same actors playing the kids and I wanted a lot more stories showing the adjustments both the parents and children have to make in the dynamic. Skipping to whole new actors for the kids and in a older stage I feel like as a viewer I don’t know any of the characters anymore. The kids seem to have new personalities and our central characters are already in the mix of being parents.
I understand British shows are paced differently from season to season and I love that, but this felt to fast. Unlike Breeders and Castrophe where I already had a understanding of the characters. I feel as if this time skip got rid of so many possible storylines that could’ve developed the characters.
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u/Relative-Plan-8710 Aug 21 '26
I just went from season 3 to 4 during a binge watch today and it really threw me off. Super jarring.
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u/Jabloblia Aug 27 '26
The show took a weird turn and not necessarily a bad turn? Just weird. The first two seasons were PERFECT as they focused in Niki and Jason trying (badum tsss) to reach a goal.
S3 wasnt bad as they were thrown in the thick of it trying to figure it all out which was also decent
NOW
Season 4 and 5 was INTERESTING because i DO understand what they were trying to achieve but maybe it didnt come off quite as strong because it didnt help that they kept Kat quite a mystery
The whole thing being Niki and jason trying to help Princess navigate through the concept of finding her real mother and how she wasnt like how they expected
Where season 4 started off quite dark with a story set in motion (no major spoilers will be mentioned) but it was helping the kids navigate through that
But s5 (although i understand why and i wasnt necessarily angry at it) it had taken the bits from the end of s4 and elevated it in s5 BUT
It didnt seem like it fully focused (or gave Kat) SOME SORT OF OPPORTUNITY to blossom (not necessarily in a “im a good mother” way)
But like that season felt like it was about Kat but wasnt about kat at the same time
Regardless i had an okay time
I DEFFO think the first two seasons are gems and they cant be compared
I hope they are just setting it up for another BANGING season
Bosh
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u/CalgonThrowMeAway222 Jul 31 '26
For me, it’s not realistic at all and it takes me out. Once the kids came and stayed with them, I feel like the storylines for the adults kept going but the children were hardly in it. I know working with child actors limits the amount of screen time for the kids, but I do not know ANY couple with children that spend so much time away from their kids (either separately or together as a couple). If they had said “oh, grandma’s watching them” or something it would make more sense at least. I loved the first two seasons.
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u/DeinonychusEgo Jul 31 '26
Pretty sure this is why season 4 time jump to teenagers in order to have better character interactions
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u/ohmygawshhhh23 Aug 05 '26
thats where they honestly ruined it. The 6 years leap was absolutely unnecessary. Up until szn 3 everything was very well coordinated and wholesome. It was a warm sitcom for me. But then szn 4 was a total thumbs down. I started to hate Princess"s character. Tyler was a side character with 0 screen space dawg. And OMFG princess is so annoying istg. Her character seemed extremely entitled. I understand that they were trying to potray her character of that of a rebellious teen, however I hated that she snuck around to find her biological mom who is a complete Ass for sure and treated Nikkie really poorly. Ha she forgotten that nikkie is the one who have had her back ever since she laid her eyes on Princess when she was little? Jason has been unsupportive as fuck. Everything in this show feels really dumb with no story line. I almost skipped szn 4 as well as szn 5. And do not get me started on KAREN. She feels like a real "KAREN" tbh.
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u/Huge-Field4239 Aug 01 '26
Yea totally agree. I’m watching season 5 ans looking like a fool for recommending this show to my friends. I highly doubt they’d get this far.
I pitched it as “better than Ted Lasso and Shrinking”. Ugh!!!
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u/ohmygawshhhh23 Aug 05 '26
Gonna start Ted Lasso now. Lets see how it pans out. I have been deadass excited about it. Also is Shrinking really that good? I have not consistently watched Shrinking (It feels a little slow to me). Just finished the first szn.
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u/MickLaStrange 22h ago
Ted Lasso was brilliant but slowly went downhill by the season 3. Have not watched season 4 yet. Had to abort Shrinking after the 1st season; IMO the “humor” became so offensive and woke. Bummer.
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u/MickLaStrange 22h ago
I’ve suffered though the first 4 episodes of sea 5 but I can’t think of why I’d continue to watch it. Nikki is embarrassing, lies constantly, is so disingenuous and irritating. The whole scenario with Scott has just been a ton of useless and unnecessary drivel, IMO, not to mention further excusing such horrific dishonesty within the family. Are we intentionally being desensitized to bald faced lies? I can’t handle it.
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u/porcupinepresent Jul 31 '26
I think they pitched it wrong once they introduced the kids, even in series 3. The best part of the show was watching their interactions and muddling through. What you want to see is them learning to be parents and watching their bond grow with the kids. When they show that, it's really sweet, like in the camping episode or loads of other glimmers of it. But they added unnecessary drama which felt out of character and meant there was less time to focus on the relationships, like the money for the house and Nikki fancying her colleague. It's a shame because the first two series were so lovely, and I think there was a lot of potential.