The actor and comedian returns as Robyn in the CBC comedy that’s opening up conversations around menopause.
By Stephan Petar
It might have the word ‘small’ in its title, but CBC’s Small Achievable Goals is having a big impact. The comedy, from the minds of Baroness von Sketch Show alum Jennifer Whalen and Meredith MacNeill, follows two very different women both facing the chaos of menopause.
The series doesn’t hold back from the realities of this midlife change. It’s been praised for its funny and honest portrayal, as well as dealing with topics such as ageism and sexism. Those behind the production hope it will help erase stigma and spark important conversations about women’s bodies.
This season Julie Muldoon (Whalen) and Kris Fine (MacNeill) face the hormonal hurricane of menopause while trying to keep their new podcast and sanity intact. Their dream job quickly becomes a nightmare as they struggle to make an honest, raw and real show about menopause while attempting to navigate the change themselves.
“They do some pretty vulnerable stuff this season that’s also funny, different, insightful and relatable,” Tricia Black (she/they) tells 29Secrets over Zoom.
Black returns as Robyn, the big-hearted, polyamorous, non-binary true crime podcast producer of It Could Happen to You. In season two, Robyn, and podcast host Chelsey (Georgie Murphy), must find a way to avoid cancellation and make murder ‘relatable.’
The actor and comedian is no stranger to working with Whalen and MacNeill. They’ve starred alongside the pair on Baroness von Sketch Show and Pretty Hard Cases. Audiences may also recognize the New Brunswick-born performer from their role alongside Mae Martin and Toni Collette in the hit Netflix series Wayward.
We spoke to the three-time Canadian Screen Awards winner about playing Robyn, what they’re most excited about for the sophomore season and working on crime-related content.
29Secrets: What drew you to the character of Robyn in Small Achievable Goals?
Tricia Black: Robyn’s fun and laid back…Robyn is a fun character that is grounded, but also has their own anxieties and their own stuff going on. The show in general is what drew me in. Getting to work with Meredith and Jennifer again. I think they’re brilliant, and getting to work with Sphere Media [the producers] for the second time was huge.
Do you see similarities with Robyn and yourself?
Anytime I act a little bit of me comes out in the characters. I do think a bit of Robyn’s anxieties are the same as mine. Robyn is not a people pleaser in that they want to make everyone happy, but are there to have a good time. This season Robyn gets some stuff that is out of their comfort zone, which is fun for the character.
I’m not as confident as Robyn. Robyn’s definitely a very confident character in who they are, but also has these moments. I think back to season one, to the cowboy episode [Making Work Friends]…my character and Evan (Alexander Nunez) have this moment where we were bullied when we were younger, which was a nice moment for two queer characters to have. It felt very relatable.
You seem very confident! But I have to ask then, are there any traits or mindsets you’d want to embody from Robyn in 2026?
I think the confidence. I know I’m a confident person. I am in this kind of situation [interviews], but internally I struggle. There’s something Robyn has. They live this polyamorous life and every time they talk about something in their life they’re very confident about it. I think that’s something I would strive to have a little bit more of…that internal confidence.
Did you work with the writers to shape Robyn’s personality or quirks in season two?
I wasn’t in the writer’s room, but find there’s a lot of collaboration once you’re on set, which is what is so nice about this show, this team and this creative. If you have an idea or want to bring something to the table, it’s very open. In that sense I did. I would talk to our directors, onset writers or Jennifer and Meredith about something and they were very open to it. We had a conversation at the beginning of the year about where we saw characters going or how we felt about our characters. I definitely had a little bit of say in my performance.
You teased that Robyn is getting out of their comfort zone and are under pressure to keep that podcast from being canceled. What can viewers expect from that journey?
I can’t say too much because I don’t wanna spoil it, but in the first episode this season we get the understanding they need to make murder a bit more relatable, which is nuts because how do you do that? There’s pressure trying to keep their podcast on the air and keep their job…Robyn gets put in that position of what do you do and how far do you go to keep something you care about alive.
You’re a podcast producer on the show, so if you could launch a podcast with any cast member, not their character, who would it be and why?
That’s tough. I could start a podcast with anyone on that show and they would all be very different. Alexander Nunez and I would have a fun time doing a podcast together. We get along really well. Our characters don’t get to mingle too much this season, but when we do, we always have this really good chemistry. He and I would be able to just talk about whatever. Alex and I would have a lot of fun, but Georgie and I would have a lot of fun too. If I could have any kind of podcast, I would want to have one like Amy Poehler’s Good Hang.
Are there any other storylines you’re really excited for people to see this season?
Meredith and Jennifer are incredibly vulnerable this season in very different ways. Watching the premiere, Jennifer has a moment and she kind of shows her whole self. I think that’s so brave and I’m excited for people to see those sides of the two of them. I’m excited for people to see where their characters’ journeys go. It was really fun to watch on set.
What conversations do you hope the show sparks this season?
There’s a lot of conversation about anxiety and body image. The whole point of this show, which I think is why people enjoy it and why it feels relatable, is that we’re talking about it out in the open…out loud. Everything’s out there, it’s put on the table and there’s no fear or shame around these conversations about women and about our bodies and about our health. I think that’s incredibly important, especially in a world where it seems everybody wants to have a say in women’s health. Even though they shouldn’t. It’s coming from real women who are going through this specific thing.
The show started out about menopause, and it is about menopause, but it’s also about people going through different types of change, and that’s the heart of it. I hope that allows people to have conversations where they don’t feel ashamed to talk about things and to advocate for themselves and their health. That’s what I hope people continue to talk about.
Let’s pivot to your career because I’m seeing a trend. You were a detective in Pretty Hard Cases, Wayward was crime related and now you’re focused on murder in Small Achievable Goals. What is this crime connection? Is it a coincidence or a sign we might see you in future crime comedy or detective shows?
Those types of characters I play…I describe them, especially in Pretty Hard Cases or Wayward, as these people who think they’re high status characters, but they’re really low status characters…These characters think they’re so good, but they’re such buffoons. I think that’s what I’m good at in comedy…playing these high fake, high status buffoons, which I’m happy to play.
I love crime shows. I love thrillers. People are always like, ‘What do you watch? You must watch a lot of comedies?’ and I actually don’t, which is sad. I do watch them and try to watch everything that’s popular, but I find I hover towards thriller and horror.
So we won’t be seeing you on Law and Order Toronto then?
You never know. Not as of now.
You can watch ‘Small Achievable Goals’ every Tuesday on CBC and CBC Gem.
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