The Romcom Renaissance maintains momentum with Netflix’s newest series, Nobody Wants This! The ten-episode series stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody in the lead roles with support from Tovah Feldshuh, Justine Lupe, and Timothy Simons. Created by writer, actress and podcaster Erin Foster, Nobody Wants This is loosely based on Erin’s own life and interfaith relationship with her husband, music executive Simon Tikhman.
Joanne (Kristen Bell) is somewhat famous. As a co-host of the sex and dating podcast called Nobody Wants This, Joanne has built a career off airing all the trials and tribulations of her failed dating life with her younger sister Morgan. Noah, on the other hand, is a long-term relationship type. A young, up-and-coming rabbi at a local temple, Noah ends his 7-year relationship with Rebecca when he realises that though they are on the same path, their hearts are in very different places. When Noah and Joanne meet at a mutual friend’s party, the sparks are instantaneous and against both their better judgements, and those of everyone around them, they decide to pursue a relationship.
Where Joanne is blissfully atheist, Noah’s whole life is his faith. The picture-perfect Jewish boy, Noah is not only devout and loved by his congregation, but he is also gunning for the spot of Head Rabbi at his temple; a position that comes with its own hurdles and expectations. Joanne’s outspoken nature and lack of faith immediately puts her at odds with Noah’s family, but her determination to make the relationship work eventually drives a wedge through her relationship with Morgan too, putting the future success of their podcast on shaky ground; it quickly becomes clear that Noah and Joanne have more to contend with than just their difference in religion.
If you’re a millennial-aged woman like me, you were more than likely a fan of the iconic series The O.C. and therefore madly in love with Adam Brody. Real fans know he didn’t just disappear after The O.C. wrapped up, appearing in films like Jennifer’s Body, Shazam! and its sequel, and Ready Or Not, but it’s been a little while since he’s been front and centre as a romantic interest.
Kristen Bell, who gained fame around the same time as the title character in teen drama Veronica Mars and was most recently seen in Netflix’s comedy series The Good Place. Despite her previous romcom roles mostly consisting of background parts, save for the somewhat successful When in Rome, Bell fits into the role of Joanne perfectly. The chemistry between the two is unquestionably the biggest strength of Nobody Wants This; the looks are full of longing, the banter is overflowing with wit, and every touch is electric.
Outside of the pure magnetism of Noah and Joanne’s relationship, Nobody Wants This contains some solid gold side characters. Tovah Feldshuh is pure gold as Noah’s mum Bina, who is unapologetically disapproving of Joanne and entirely too involved in Noah’s personal life. Noah’s brother Sasha and Joanne’s sister Morgan, played by Timothy Simons and Justine Lupe respectively, are an incredible counterbalance to the loved-up mania of Noah and Joanne’s relationship. Calling themselves the “loser siblings”, Morgan and Sasha often find themselves dealing with the fallout of Noah and Joanne’s relationship, caught in the middle to handle the highs and lows. Simons and Lupe are both incredibly hilarious, playing off each other and their co-stars beautifully.
Netflix has pumped out some banger content over the years, though typically their romcoms are poorly received (not by me, personally, I LOVE a corny romance drama with absolutely no stakes), so my initial expectations for Nobody Wants This were somewhat low. Consider this my formal apology to Netflix and all involved in making this series, because it absolutely hits from start to finish. If you haven’t already watched the series (come on, seriously?), now is as good a time as any. The show immediately landed itself in Netflix’s Top 10 and has already been greenlit for a second season. Even now, weeks after release, Nobody Wants This holds steady as the 2nd most popular show in Australia, only just recently being overtaken by the new season of Outer Banks.
While there are moments where the show’s characterisation of its Jewish characters, specifically Bina, lean towards a caricature, Nobody Wants This is still a solid gold romantic comedy that also succeeds in being incredibly relatable, balancing the levity with moments of reality as Noah and Joanne learn to navigate their differences and what it means for their future together. The end result is a deliciously binge-worthy show that you can return to again and again.
Season 1 of Nobody Wants This is streaming now on Netflix.