Trying (2020) — Character Map & Story Timeline

AI Narrative Summary

The documented story follows Jason and Nikki from adoption applicants to parents, while their romantic partnership and wider family network are repeatedly tested by responsibility, secrecy, and change.

Character Network — 10 Characters

• Jason (Rafe Spall) — protagonist Jason wants to become a parent but struggles with conceiving a child. He decides to adopt with Nikki and later deals wit...
• Nikki (Esther Smith) — protagonist Nikki wants to become a parent but struggles with conceiving a child. She decides to adopt with Jason and later deals wi...
• Erica (Ophelia Lovibond)
• Freddy (Oliver Chris)
• Princess (Scarlett Rayner)
• Tyler (Cooper Turner)
• Penny (Imelda Staunton)
• Karen (Sian Brooke)
• Kat (Charlotte Riley)
• Scott (Darren Boyd)

Key Relationships

• Jason → Nikki (Central co-protagonists) — Their parallel perspectives form the primary narrative engine.

  "The episode summaries consistently center on Jason and Nikki's adoption, work, relationship, and family decisions."

• Jason → Penny (Adoption applicant and social worker) — Penny represents the institutional process Jason must navigate to become a parent.

  "Penny oversees the adoption process involving Jason and Nikki after their approval."

• Nikki → Penny (Adoption applicant and social worker) — Penny has professional influence over Nikki's adoption journey.

  "Penny is the social worker who has a plan for Jason and Nikki's matching process in Season 2."

• Nikki → Karen (Sisters) — Karen is Nikki's recurring family confidante.

  "Season 1 explicitly identifies Karen as Nikki's sister, and Karen repeatedly shares personal news and secrets with Nikki."

• Karen → Nikki (Confidantes) — Karen relies on Nikki for emotional support and disclosure.

  "Karen repeatedly shares difficult news and a secret with Nikki across Seasons 1 through 3."

• Nikki → Tyler (Adoptive mother and son) — Nikki develops a protective but demanding maternal relationship with Tyler.

  "Nikki and Jason become parents of two children in Season 3, and Nikki works through difficult parenting choices involving Tyler and Princess."

• Nikki → Kat (Threatened family relationship) — Kat directly intensifies Nikki's secrecy and family insecurity.

  "The Season 5 fallout from Nikki's lie continues as Kat's arrival threatens the family dynamic."

• Jason → Princess (Adoptive father and daughter) — Jason's parental commitment to Princess is part of the central family arc.

  "Princess is one of the two children Jason and Nikki receive in Season 3, and Jason participates in difficult decisions about their future."

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

Season 1: Becoming Eligible

Jason and Nikki begin the adoption process and confront the insecurity of being evaluated against other applicants. Training, social pressure, and relationship doubts culminate in the adoption panel.

Season 2: Waiting To Match

After approval, Jason and Nikki face the uncertainty of matching with a child. Their search for a suitable home and their surrounding friends' relationship problems increase the emotional pressure.

Season 3: The New Family

Jason and Nikki become parents to Tyler and Princess almost overnight. Parenting, school concerns, birthdays, tough love, and the threat of losing the children transform their lives.

Season 4: Family Under Strain

The established family experiences loss, difficult celebrations, unexpected decisions, and escalating personal pressure. Jason and Nikki try to preserve stability while the wider social group reaches moments of truth.

Season 5: Truth And Consequences

The fallout from Nikki's lie becomes central when Kat arrives and threatens the family's balance. Disasters, secrets, suspicion, travel, and a final festival push hidden truths toward exposure.