‘Trying’: Esther Smith Teases Nikki’s Challenges as a Mother in Season 5

Apple TV’s charming British import, Trying, is making a Season 5 comeback after a cliffhanger brought the biological mother of Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason’s (Rafe Spall) kids to their front door.

But what does life for the family look like with Princess (Scarlett Rayner) and Tyler’s (Cooper Turner) absentee mom, Kat (Charlotte Riley), in the picture after Nikki and Jason spent the past several years raising them as their own? As viewers may recall, in Season 4, Nikki had pursued Kat on a quest and inadvertently led the woman back to their home in London, and Princess uncovered that Nikki had lied about it.

“It’s interesting because we don’t get to see the initial direct fallout of what that circumstance is,” Smith teases to TV Insider. “I imagine [it was] lots of arguments, a very heartbroken, angry Princess…” Meanwhile, at the beginning of Season 5, Smith shares, “Nikki is trying to do a bit of damage control because ultimately, Kat’s there because Nikki searched for her.”

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In other words, Nikki helped spark the chaos she faces in Season 5, which puts her in a precarious position with her kids, influences her approach to her new job, and plants plenty of seeds of doubt. “That’s a complicated dynamic and thing for Nikki to get around because initially she doesn’t want this person around; she feels so fiercely protective of Princess and Tyler, but particularly Princess ’cause she wants to engage in a relationship with her birth mum, which is her right to,” Smith continues.

For Nikki, her daughter Princess’s desire to reconnect with Kat ignites something within her. As Smith puts it, “I think her inferiority feelings come up. There’s jealousy there, there’s confusion there, there’s anger.” Reflecting on the uphill battle Nikki faces under the circumstances, Smith can’t help but wonder if the roles were reversed for Nikki and Jason as she adds, “Wouldn’t it be interesting to see if their birth father had turned up, whether Jason would react in that way…”

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'Trying' Season 5 Trailer Teases New Challenges for Nikki & Jason

Smith’s imaginary scenario for Jason isn’t applicable here, though, as she notes that there’s “something specific about it being mum on mum,” regarding Season 5 tensions. Tune in to see how the action unfolds and catch Trying when it returns for more heartwarming and comedic moments this summer. Plus, watch an exclusive clip of the premiere above.

Trying, Season 5 Premiere, Wednesday, July 8, Apple TV