When season one of Nobody Wants This aired last year, it ended up being something of a revelation. A sitcom about a sex podcaster falling in love with a rabbi? Fuelled by a witty podcast and a standout cast – not just Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as Joanne and Noah, but Justine Lupe and Timothy Simons as their exasperated relatives – it was ratings gold.
Turns out we did want more of it – a lot more, in fact – and soon enough, the fans got what they wished for: a whole new season featuring our faves. Plus, you know, their massive and messy extended families.
Season one ended, of course, with Joanne (Bell) attempting to break up with Noah (Brady) because she was getting in the way of his career, and him following her out onto the street to declare that love conquered all and he wanted to be with her anyway. So far, so romantic.
Unfortunately, real life tends to happen after the Hollywood ending. In season two, they’re back together and trying, once more, to make it work as a modern “interfaith” couple. Only, Noah and Joanne both have different ideas about what that actually means: for Noah, it means Joanne converting to Judaism; for Joanne, it means… enjoying a “a big, beautiful, healthy relationship with a real-life adult man.”
The first series’ question – can two people of such differing backgrounds make it work – has been answered
It’s a recipe for friction. “The honeymoon phase is over,” Morgan tells ominously Joanne at one point. “Now the real relationship starts.”
You would think. The problem is, that in terms of creating plotlines, there isn’t really anywhere new for their relationship to go. The first series’ question – can two people of such differing backgrounds make it work – has been answered. Attempts to go back to the well (Noah, for instance, finds himself struggling between his love for Joanne and his ambition to be made head rabbi) feel tired.
At a loss for what to do next, season two attempts to shift the drama from the central pairing onto their families. To that end, Morgan gets some unexpected character development in the form of a relationship with her therapist Dr Andy (Arian Moayed).
Though Lupe does her best to sell it, this does feel rushed and confusing. At the same time, Sasha’s attempts to work things out with Esther (Jackie Tohn) in the wake of his non-flirtation with Morgan easily end up being some of the series’ most boring moments, even if it’s nice to see Tohn get to flex her muscles and add a bit of depth to Esther (you know, beyond acid-tongued shrew).
There is still joy here. Mainly, it’s in Noah and Joanne (though an episode in which Brody’s real-life wife Leighton Meester makes an appearance as Joanne’s Jewish childhood frenemy Abby is a giddy highlight). Creator Erin Foster excels at writing snappy dialogue for the pair; their banter remains sparkly and fizzy and makes the 20-minute episode runtimes fly by.
Honestly, sometimes it feels like the show would have worked better as a good old-fashioned feature-length film. Or, you know, just stopped at season one. It’s nice to see them for the encore, but maybe there’s a reason we never go beyond the Hollywood ending.
Nobody Wants This Season 2 is streaming now on Netflix
