Good intentions: Esther Smith, Rafe Spall take 'trying' to a new level

May 22—Esther Smith and Rafe Spall are life goals.

The two actors lead the Apple TV+ series "Trying," which began its fourth season on Wednesday, May 22. The eight-part series will air a new episode each Wednesday through July 3.

"It's been really exciting to see the potential for the new season," says Smith. "This season finds us as fully fledged parents."

In the new season of "Trying," Nikki, played by Smith and Jason, played by Spall, have jumped six years since season three.

The couple are experienced adopters having built a lovely little nuclear family, enriched by an extraordinary support network.

However, as their teenage daughter, Princess, played by Scarlett Rayner, starts to yearn for a connection with her birth mother, Nikki and Jason find themselves confronted with the ultimate test of their parenting skills.

In addition to Smith and Spall, the cast includes Sian Brooke as Karen, Darren Boyd as Scott and Rayner as Princess and Cooper Turner as Tyler.

"Trying" is created, written and executive produced by Andy Wolton and executive produced by Josh Cole, Sam Pinnell and Chris Sussman. The series is produced by BBC Studios.

Smith says the time jump of six years was interesting.

"(Nikki and Jason) are parents of older children, one being a teenager. So it was nice to see what opportunities that has shown up dramatically and with great comedy," Smith says. "Princess potentially wants to find out where she's come from and there are challenges to that. For them as parents to want to look after their child who wants to find their birth mom, that's been a really interesting way for the story to go."

Spall says the series is simply about people trying to do their best.

"I think that that's very relatable and eminently identifiable for the people that are watching and I think it's why it's so comforting," Spall says. "(Nikki and Jason) try their best and they don't always succeed. They make mistakes, but they keep on trying. You know, at the end of 'Uncle Vanya,' Sonya talks about, you know, she's just been rejected after declaring her love for the doctor. She's got this beautiful speech where she says, 'The only thing that will really define us when we die isn't our successes, but how hard we tried. And as long as we try, then it's a life well lived.' And I think that's probably the central message of the show."

Over the course of the four seasons, both Smith and Spall have learned many lessons from their characters.

Smith says when the duo began with season one, they both had no idea where the story was going to take them.

"It's always a thrill each series to see what their journey is," Smith says. "I think for Nikki, she's a fairly neurotic person and she gets really tunnel visioned. She wants to control her environment so that she does the right thing. And that actually, oftentimes, gets her in quite a lot of trouble. She's not very good at surrendering. She's flourished being a parent, but she still has that element of wanting to do the right thing."

Smith says with Princess wanting to find her birth mom, Nikki had to keep an open mind.

"That's a completely valid want," Smith says. "Nikki is so empathetic and she wants to help. Her fear is that she's going to lose her child."

Spall says when a character is played for multiple seasons, there has to be an evolution.

"During the four seasons, I've evolved as a human in the same way Jason has changed," he says. "I have enjoyed successes, failures, disappointments, and losses. All of these things contribute to deepening you as a human being and making you a sort of more insightful person.

Whatever sort of tragedies may befall us in life, they're kind of the positive in the sense that you're able to then impart advice to other people going through things that you might have experienced yourself. I think the more things that happen to you and the more difficulty that you endure and survive, you become a more valuable citizen."