What I’m Watching: Trying

Trying: Season 3, Episode 2 “The Circle” (B+)

There is nothing Jason won’t do in service of his family, whether that means dressing up with Freddy to pretend to be government scientists to protect Tyler from embarrassment or figuring out a way to afford being able to stay in the flat that has only recently become a home for their two new children. Unfortunately, he’s chosen to go about it in a dishonest way, meeting Scott for some help with a risky investment that he didn’t want to tell Nikki about it, saying that it was his father who was lending him the money instead. I’m anticipating the discomfort of that moment when she does thank Vic and then she expresses legitimate, sweet confusion about why Jason would have told her something that isn’t true, whether or not it ends up paying off the way it needs to for them to not have to move. Trying to get his dad to put asbestos into the flat to lower the cost was a creative plan that was ultimately not going to be particularly effective. Nikki is dealing with her own tricky situation at the moment, enlisting her work best friend Jen in a secretive operation to help boost productivity at work only to realize that her being distracted with a special assignment solved all the problems since she’s the one who’s the weak link. Jen has always been an entertaining presence on the show, so I hope that, even if we don’t have to witness the awkward firing, we do get to see her again in some capacity.