Some episodes sneak up on you. “Ick” looks like classic “Trying” comfort — awkward workplace moments, family bickering, low-stakes chaos — until it quietly turns into one of the season’s most emotionally loaded hours. By the end, both Nikki and Jason are forced to stop coasting and actually confront what’s going on in their lives.
After a season that’s largely eased off the high-stakes anxiety of earlier chapters, “Ick” pulls the emotional thread that’s been simmering since the premiere: Nikki’s growing closeness with her charming new coworker, Kerry, played by Colin Morgan. What started as easy office chemistry — the kind built on small kindnesses and mutual encouragement — edges into something Nikki has to sit with honestly, especially given how her own relationship with Jason first began.
What Happens in Trying Season 5: Overview
| Storyline | What Unfolds |
|---|---|
| Nikki and Kerry | Their friendship reaches a tipping point, forcing Nikki to confront feelings she’s been avoiding |
| Jason’s reality check | He’s pushed to face his own uncertainties head-on, stepping outside the show’s usual comic deflection |
| Vic’s arc | Jason’s dad struggles under the unexpected pressure of his handyman business succeeding |
| Guest appearance | Celia Imrie joins the cast, adding a fresh dynamic to the episode’s ensemble scenes |
What makes this episode land is the show’s refusal to make Nikki’s situation feel like a cheap dramatic device. “Trying” has always treated its characters’ flaws with empathy rather than judgment, and “Ick” continues that tradition — Nikki isn’t painted as villainous for enjoying Kerry’s attention, but the episode does ask her, and the audience, to reckon with where that closeness could lead.
Meanwhile, Vic’s storyline offers a lighter counterbalance, exploring how success can rattle someone just as much as failure — a theme that fits neatly into the show’s ongoing meditation on adulthood, much like classic explorations of the family sitcom genre balancing humor with genuine emotional stakes.
With three episodes left in the season, “Ick” sets up real consequences without abandoning the show’s trademark warmth. It’s a reminder that even in its gentler, more settled fifth season, “Trying” still knows how to make its characters — and its audience — squirm a little.
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