Just as you and your true love can’t have a second first date or another first kiss, romantic comedies can never go back. Nothing replaces the dizzy thrill of a movie’s opening act or a TV show’s first season. Sure, there can be some joy and fulfilment in a fictional relationship settling down, but really we want the spark of chemistry, the excitement of a brand-new connection.
Nobody Wants This is now in its third season, so it has had to leave behind the days when it ran entirely on the incredible on-screen chemistry between Adam Brody as Noah—a rabbi who balances devotion to his faith with the mischievous instincts of a regular thirtysomething guy—and Kristen Bell as Joanne, the atheist co-host of a frank sex-and-relationships podcast who is not as cynical or shallow as people think, or as she pretends to be.
Season one flew by in a whirl of meet-cute, kiss-cute, date-cute, and continue-their-romance-despite-a-supposedly-unresolvable-cultural-divide-cute. While Brody and Bell traded snappy screwball one-liners as fluently as any screen couple ever has, the question of whether Noah’s place in his synagogue and his family could ever be compatible with his love for a woman outside the community gave the story weight. If he and Joanne were destined not to be together, it would be for reasons more substantial than the usual romcom misunderstandings.
The second season leaned into what had become an unusually deep and nuanced portrayal of what it means to be a Jewish American in the 21st century. The ongoing tension over whether Joanne would convert to Judaism let Nobody Wants This repeat the trick of having them split up in the finale, then reconcile in a last scene where one or both of them runs through the rain to say they made a mistake. It certainly can’t get away with that a third time.
So we rejoin Noah and Joanne as they move in together, opening with a gorgeous montage of them exclaiming “We live together!” in mundane domestic situations that have taken on new magic. The relationship comedy settles into a comfortable rhythm, as Noah is thrown off by Joanne leaving the fridge door open and turning the dishwasher into a treacherous hellscape of upturned knife blades, while she chafes at his desire to take her for a dawn stroll instead of respecting the ancient, sacred morning ritual of drinking coffee and checking celebrity gossip online.
The stakes are lower and the old fizz has somewhat fizzled: the next step for a couple is usually marriage, which brings its own difficult sensitivities, but nothing compared to what Noah and Joanne have already overcome. One or two episodes in the middle of season three don’t really contain a significant event, and the new environment Joanne is thrown into—attending classes at temple to educate non-Jews who are about to marry into the faith—is funny without bringing much edge.
However, Nobody Wants This in safe mode still delights. The ensemble around the central couple keeps it from being a problem if nothing much is going on with them: we can just hang out with their parents, whose cartoonish eccentricity still has plenty of comic juice, and especially their siblings.
If Brody and Bell are a classic romcom couple, Timothy Simons and Justine Lupe are arguably even better as Sasha (Noah’s brother) and Morgan (Joanne’s sister)—whose radically different personalities highlight the gap the central relationship has to overcome, but who share outsider status, which gives them something in common, which draws them together …
Simons and Lupe have long been the show’s real stars as gangly manchild Sasha and self-absorbed fashionista Morgan, each ill-equipped for the adult world in their own way. Up to now Morgan has been a spectre haunting the jagged marriage of Sasha and Esther (Jackie Tohn), a couple who disagThey fundamentally disagree on how seriously to take life. Morgan’s dedication to consequence-free fun is a temptation Sasha cannot resist, while his refusal to judge her life choices and his total lack of preening self-regard—in contrast to the men Morgan normally picks—makes him a safe place for her to run towards. Season three finally sees Sasha and Esther split, which leaves more time for his tender bond with Morgan to become a proper will-they-won’t-they. Suddenly our heads are spinning and our hearts have resumed their fluttering. It may have put down roots, but Nobody Wants This knows how to make us fall in love with it all over again. Nobody Wants This is on Netflix now.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs Nobody Wants This Review Get Ready to Fall in Love Again with a Different Couple
1 What is Nobody Wants This about
Its a Netflix romantic comedy series about Joanne an outspoken sex podcaster and Noah a rabbi who fall for each other despite their very different worlds
2 Who stars in the show
Kristen Bell plays Joanne and Adam Brody plays Noah The cast also includes Justine Lupe Timothy Simons and Jackie Tohn
3 Why does the review say fall in love again with a different couple
Because the show makes you root for a new onscreen pair Joanne and Noah the way you did for other beloved romcom couples Their chemistry is the main draw
4 Is it based on a true story
No its a fictional series created by Erin Foster Some elements are loosely inspired by her own experiences but the story is scripted
5 How many episodes are there
Season 1 has 10 episodes each about 2530 minutes long easy to binge in a day or two
6 What makes the show worth watching
The lead actors chemistry sharp writing humor and a fresh take on the opposites attract romance Its warm funny and easy to watch
7 Do I need to know anything about Judaism to enjoy it
Not at all The show touches on Jewish culture and interfaith dating but it explains things through the characters so beginners can follow along easily
8 What are the main conflicts in the show
Joanne and Noah clash over their different lifestyles and beliefs plus pressure from his family and community and interference from their siblings
9 Is it appropriate for all ages
Its aimed at adults Theres frank talk about sex some strong language and mature relationship themes
10 Is it funny or more of a drama
Its primarily a romantic comedy though it has some heartfelt dramatic moments
11 What are common criticisms of the show
Some viewers find the side characters underdeveloped the Jewish community portrayal a bit stereotyped and the plot predictable in places
12 Will there be a Season 2
Yes Netflix renewed it
