Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Netflix series ‘Nobody Wants This’ ended its season one with leads Rabbi Noah Roklov (Adam Brody) and the atheist/agnostic podcaster Joanne (Kristen Bell) sharing a romantic kiss and deciding to give themselves a serious shot, despite all the complications. Except, apparently their was a misunderstanding on both sides about what they really said to each other. So season 2 of the series follows the ‘very in love’ couple working through familiar issues, while in closer contact with each other’s friends and family.
Also Read: Nobody Wants This Season 1 Review – A RomCom We Need
Episode one gets the cat out of the bag immediately: Noah and Joanne host their first intimate party together and realize their great big miscommunication – he thinks she will convert eventually and she thought that she doesn’t have to. He thought they had ‘tabled it for later’, and she thought ‘it was off the table forever’.
Joanne remains unsure about converting to Judaism or about winning over Noah’s impossible-to-please mother, Bina (Tovah Feldshuh). Meanwhile, Noah risks his career as a rabbi by continuing his relationship with a non-Jew. Sound familiar? The once-fresh premise of the “hot rabbi” dating an atheist podcast host has clearly lost its spark.
When the show first dropped, Joanne and Noah’s blooming romance was definitely the highlight of ‘Nobody Wants This’. However, they turn out to be the most boring ingredients of the second season, and I found myself wanting to skip their parts, even though I didn’t. But one of the most surprising changes this time around is how Joanne’s personality seems to get progressively annoying and unlikable. For instance, she shows up to a wedding party in a white dress, blatantly upstaging the bride like an attention-hungry teenager.
Instead, it’s more entertaining to watch Joanne’s sister Morgan bumble through her dating life, while Noah’s brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) and sister-in-law Esther (Jackie Tohn) begin to face their own domestic troubles. In-fact, there’s some significant sibling rivalry and tension between Joanne and Morgan this season of ‘Nobody Wants This’, which is a lot more fun to watch.
This season of ‘Nobody Wants This’ features a handful of amusing cameos, including two new rabbis, one of whom completely steals Noah’s thunder at his own synagogue. Adam Brody continues to deliver an earnest performance as a man torn between love and religious duty, but his character development remains minimal. In fact, at times Noah even comes across as slightly suspect, especially when plot twists reveal he treats every woman he dates in almost the same way. This naturally fuels some insecurity in Joanne too.
The emotional payoff in the ten episodes of the new season is low, especially since a lot of twists feel forced, including Joanne’s free-spirited mum Lynn (Stephanie Faracy) having a Jewish awakening. To Stephanie Faracy’s credit, she makes Lynn’s eccentricities and epiphanies a little more believable than they really are.
In the climactic episode, we’re served some extremely contrived relationship drama, with almost three break-ups taking place at the same party. Co-incidence too much? (The grammatically wrong phrasing is deliberate. Apologies if you’re a grammar Nazi. Also, English isn’t my first language anyway) And then in a very cliched scene, an older adult gives the sisters (Morgan and Joanne) some sagely advice on love, and self-love.
The ending is total déjà vu from the previous season finale, and honestly feels like a lazy rehash. Will Joanne say “I Jew” or not? That remains the big question of the show. Or will Noah take Joanne even if she says “I Jew not”? That’s the bigger question. Just like season one. Minus all the excitement of their first ‘meet cute’ encounter and the follow-up butterflies. This time around, some of their romantic interaction bordered on being cringe-y and the onscreen chemistry felt off.
Overall, “Nobody Wants This” remains a decent one-time watch, but is nowhere as satisfying as its first season.
Rating: 6 on 10. Stream ‘Nobody Wants This’ on Netflix.
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