‘Trying’ Recap: ‘Feelings Are the Worst’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 306 of ‘Trying’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One particularly tough lesson that every new parent picks up on quickly, is that being a parent is hard. Because regardless of how many books are out there on the subject and how much advice one can receive regarding what to do when a baby arrives… there is no real manual or guidance available. There’s simply the school of hard knocks and mistakes abound and that’s tough to swallow. Because parents are held in amazingly high regard in this life and judged harshly if rearing doesn’t work out according to plan and that’s what is wild. It never does. For parents are human too and will make the wrong decision in the name of the right idea and well… all they can do is recover and try again until they get it right.
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But what we don’t talk about enough, is that those same standards and judgements are infinitely more intense for people that wish to adopt or do adopt. Because the welfare system expects them to be flawless and spotless in every way imaginable and any scrutiny that comes their way or any flashes of the flaws, we all carry as humans, can ruin their chances in a New York Minute. If anything, those difficulties were put on full display in the next episode of Trying on Apple TV+. A feat made possible in ‘Feelings Are the Worst’, courtesy of the discovery that Nikki made at the end of the last episode. For it turned out that the sweet old lady named Bev, that Nikki met and discovered was in a family picture, was Princess and Tyler’s grandmother, and she… began to make her presence known. 

In fact, she wanted a sit down with Nikki and Jason, and that led to all kinds of nerves from this duo. To the point where mistakes were being made out of the panic of potentially losing the kids. But eventually, nerves were cooled and the strange meeting in question took place. One that really didn’t indicate that anything bad was going to happen. In fact, Jason had so little worry on the matter, that he resumed trying to buy the flat and scolded Scott for messing with his money via an intense phone conversation and after that call… one that was supremely realistic and relatable, he sat down with Bev to just chat. Thinking full well that such kindness and conversation would quell any further concerns on Nikki’s part, and perhaps bring a new family member into the fold, one that could visit with the kids if all went well. 

But things took quite the downward turn after that. In large part because an offer on the flat was accepted, putting the family out of a home in a couple of months at a critical time. Not to mention, Bev was not as sweet as she seemed. For she heard that conversation between Jason and Scott and saw that as a moment of failure and weakness and called in a complaint about them. Putting the stability of this family in jeopardy and hammering home… just how high the bar is set for parents that wish to adopt. Because you don’t see the state immediately stepping in and informing a parent of trouble when they lose their job or their house with their natural kids. Just with hopeful parents, because they must be perfect, even though no one is. 

If anything, this was just… a powerful episode when all is said and done. Because just like that, there’s a real crisis surrounding this loving couple. One that could bring forth real trouble for certain. Because Bev has painted them into a dark corner, one that not only puts the kids in jeopardy of going back into the foster system… but also puts Nikki and Jason’s relationship at risk. Because Jason’s attempts to keep things going without worrying his love, have failed and the truth is out in the open, and well… that is going to make the wait for next week’s episode as painful as it gets. For now, we are all dying to know what kind of damage Bev has done in the name of impossible perfection and whether or not Nikki and Jason can weather the storm that is about to unleash its fury upon them. Until next time.

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