‘Nobody Wants This’ Season 2 revisits interfaith dilemmas, lacks chemistry
The second season of “Nobody Wants This” recycles the same conflicts from the first season without any new energy, our columnist writes. Relationships between side characters took the spotlight over the original love story. Khloe Scalise | Contributing Illustrator
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When the romantic comedy series “Nobody Wants This” first premiered on Netflix last fall, it instantly climbed the charts due to the limited selection of innovative shows available at the time.
The second season of “Nobody Wants This” came out last week. Once Season 2 began, it was clear it missed the magic and natural sparks that flew in the first season. The plot tries to follow the same formula without any new development.
This lack of relationship development between main characters Joanne (Kristen Bell) and Rabbi Noah (Adam Brody) is partially why the couple’s interactions feel frustrating. It feels like they were just circling the same topic throughout the season. The series struggles overall to balance its comedy, romance and commentary on interfaith relationships, leading me to be disappointed in Joanne and Noah in Season 2.
The series follows Joanne, a podcast host, and Noah as they form an unexpected romance and navigate being from two very separate worlds. The show also follows the relationship dynamics of Noah’s brother, Sasha (Timothy Simons) and his wife Esther (Jackie Tohn) as well as Joanne’s sister, Morgan (Justine Lupe). This adds another layer of drama.
Joanne constantly faces hostility from Noah’s family for not being Jewish, and Noah struggles with whether his relationship with Joanne is worth sacrificing his lifelong dream of being head rabbi. This causes an emotional back and forth while highlighting the challenges of religious differences in relationships, keeping viewers invested.
Viewers liked Season 1 due to the natural chemistry between Joanne and Noah and how they responded to their challenges and disagreements together. It ended with the two of them in a seemingly good position in their relationship, but Joanne still grappled with the idea of converting to Judaism. Her lingering uncertainty caused a strain in their connection.
The new season ends with a similar “I choose you no matter what” moment. Joanne still doesn’t want to convert to Judaism, and the couple attempts to push it under the rug. Producers revived this issue to stir up major conflict between the two. I honestly thought if they broke up by the end of the show, it would make more sense.
Joanne’s journey toward self-discovery also felt like it wasn’t handled as carefully and thoroughly as it should’ve been. At the end of the season, Joanne’s supposed realization that she’s closer to Judaism than she thinks feels like a rushed way to get her back with Noah. This causes Joanne and Noah’s relationship to feel forced, reducing the intensity of their attraction.
Zoey Grimes | Design Editor
Surprisingly, some of the season’s strongest moments don’t have to do with Joanne and Noah’s relationship. Morgan and Sasha’s relationship has more sparks flying, despite never becoming an actual romantic couple in the series. Their friendship and banter is more entertaining to watch than Joanne and Noah’s drawn-out arguments. With Sasha and Esther deciding to take a break in the finale, I wonder if the show will ever explore Morgan and Sasha’s chemistry in the future.
Another highlight of the new season is the portrayal of sisterhood between Joanne and Morgan. Their relationship captures the competitive and complex dynamic of sibling bonds. They fight and sabotage each other, but they value each other’s opinions in the end and need each other in their corner.
The sisters’ arguments produce a humorous element, like when Morgan hints to Joanne’s landlord about what Joanne said on her podcast about him, leading Joanne to get evicted from her home. Morgan does this because she’s upset Joanne isn’t supportive of her relationship with her therapist.
The funniest part of the situation is that this makes their feud “even,” and Joanne is less panicked than one would think when being kicked out of their home. Their dynamic keeps the show lighthearted and unpredictable.
Season 2 also introduces a new character, Abby (Leighton Meester). Meester also happens to be Brody’s wife in real life. Watching the two share the screen creates an interesting comparison between their relationship and Noah and Joanne’s. One of my favorite parts of this season is when Noah first meets Abby and tells Joanne afterward that Abby is “not his type.” It felt like an inside joke to people who are familiar with Brody and Meester’s background.
Since I love the comedic timing of the actors and their charm, I will most likely be continuing to watch “Nobody Wants This” if it returns. I want future seasons to work on building back Joanne and Noah’s connection and resolving their conflicts. Joanne wants her and Noah to be a “we” so badly, so hopefully she gets her wish in a way that restores the energy the show began with.
