In the mood for a refreshingly romantic, funny portrayal of love? “Nobody Wants This” proves that rom-coms are alive and well.
The 2024 Netflix series follows the unlikely relationship between Joanna (Kristen Bell), an agnostic sex therapist and Noah Roklov (Adam Brody), a newly single rabbi.
After just 10 episodes, you’re left wanting more. Joanna and Noah have something special. Their chemistry is addicting, and their sweetness portrays the kind of innocence that comes with new relationships.
I first chose to watch “Nobody Wants This” because of the big names involved. I didn’t expect the story to be anything special, but thankfully, I was proven wrong.
The jokes were smooth and subtle instead of cliche. The banter was witty and fresh, with a modern feeling; it was relevant enough without pushing too hard with cringy Generation Z slang.
With an accurate 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, “Nobody Wants This” feels very real, showcasing an authentic relationship that I rooted for the entire time.
Joanna and Noah meet at a mutual friend’s dinner party and immediately hit it off. They try to be friends initially, but it doesn’t last long — they quickly become infatuated and start seeing each other. However, different lifestyles cause problems in and outside of their relationship.
Joanna co-hosts a podcast with her sister Morgan (Justine Lupe) called “Nobody Wants This,” where they give advice and crack jokes about their messy love lives and all the horror stories of being a single woman. Joanna’s miserable dating life is mainly why their podcast is so successful.
The podcast causes trouble for Joanna’s and Noah’s relationship. Up for the head rabbi job, Noah’s personal life is on display and his reputation to his temple becomes impeded. He struggles to make his career and faith coexist in their relationship.
His family sees Joanna for the first time at one of his sermons and immediately writes her off as a “shiksa,” a derogatory term for a non- Jewish woman.
Joanna is constantly referred to as a blonde Barbie, a rebound who won’t be around for long.
Before dating Joanna, Noah was briefly engaged to his girlfriend of three years, Rebecca (Emily Arlook). With loyalty to Rebecca, Noah’s family, mainly his mother and his friends’ wives, immediately dislike Joanna.
Unfortunately, her podcast doesn’t help her case and is seen as trashy and widely inappropriate. But Joanna sees her show as something more— a form of empowerment and taking control of the narrative surrounding challenging societal expectations.
It’s painful to watch Joanna do everything she can to get his family to like her, only to be met with hurtful comments and avoiding eyes.
Noah’s brother, Sasha Roklov (Timothy Simmons), is the only family member who does his best to make peace but is a problematic presence with debatable morals at times and is mostly there for comical relief.
Rom-coms are built on their leads, but their supporting cast is what makes it a classic.
The siblings of Joanna and Noah, Morgan and Sasha, transcend the show into something memorable. Even though Sasha is married with a child, he and Morgan have a chemistry-filled relationship. They bond over complaining about their siblings, dubbing themselves “loser siblings.”
Sometimes, in shows, the side characters are just extensions of the main character, often boring and one-dimensional. But Morgan and Saha are really interesting and complex. They don’t blindly follow their siblings; they act as siblings do, tease and criticize, but offer genuine support.
Honestly, their dynamic is so confusing because a part of me wants them together even though he’s married, which I shouldn’t want, especially after Sasha’s wife, Esther (Jackie Tohn), showed considerable character growth and development toward Joanna.
One of “Nobody Wants This” deepest parts is Joanna’s commitment to following through on a healthy relationship and not backsliding into bad habits.
She is open about her trust issues and reveals that she often opens up to boyfriends just to have them leave her and break her heart. She has an anxious-avoidant attachment, but with Noah, everything is different.
Even when Joanna is scared, Noah continuously shows up for her and confronts her self-sabotaging patterns.
They exhibit flaws, and neither is perfect, but their trust in each other is strong.
While watching, one thing that stuck with me was this show’s perspective. Usually, it would make sense to root against Joanna and side with Rebecca, the perfect girlfriend who spent years of her life just for a man to find love days after breaking up.
It wraps up in a will-they-won’t-they until the very end. Joanna leaves Noah because she doesn’t want to convert. She doesn’t want him to have to choose between her and his community, so she makes the choice for him.
Seemingly parting ways forever, Noah races to confront her and prove he’s not ready to lose her.
Renewed for another season in 2025, I’m not sure how this will play out. While I loved the show, this ending was a little bit of a letdown.
It’s paving the way for future resentment toward Joanna because Noah is giving up everything he’s worked for his entire life, not to mention his community of friends and family.
With an unfinished storyline, there is much to look forward to; I’m already counting the days until the next season comes out.
