Nobody Wants This is an American romantic comedy television series created by Erin Foster, starring Kristen Bell, Adam Brody, Justine Lupe, and Timothy Simons, centered on the unlikely relationship between an outspoken, agnostic woman and an unconventional rabbi. The series premiered on September 26, 2024, on Netflix to positive reviews from critics. In October 2024, the series was renewed for a second season.
Premise
Nobody Wants This follows the unexpected relationship between an irascible, loud, agnostic woman and a rogue rabbi.
Cast and characters
Main
Kristen Bell as Joanne, a sex and dating podcaster
Adam Brody as Noah Roklov, a rabbi Ashley introduces to Joanne
Justine Lupe as Morgan, Joanne's younger sister and podcast co-host
On March 1, 2023, it was announced that Netflix had greenlit a comedy series created by Erin Foster based loosely on Foster's real-life experiences. It was also announced that Kristen Bell would have a main role in the series, and Steven Levitan would serve as co-executive producer on the series along with Foster and Bell.[3][4][5]
On May 15, 2024, the series was given the title Nobody Wants This, and a release date of September 26, 2024, on Netflix.[6]
On October 10, 2024, Netflix renewed the series for a second season, with Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan as new showrunners, replacing Foster and DiGregorio, who were the first season's showrunners.[7]
Noah is a rabbi who ends his relationship with his Jewish girlfriend, Rebecca. Joanne is an agnostic woman who runs a relationship podcast with her sister Morgan. Sparks fly when the two are introduced at a dinner party hosted by Ashley, Noah's neighbor and Joanne's agent. Joanne enters Noah's synagogue to hear him give a sermon about changing the course of one's life.
2
"A Shiksa Walks Into a Temple"
Greg Mottola
Erin Foster
September 26, 2024 (2024-09-26)
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Noah attempts to speak to Joanne, but is hindered by members of the congregation. He and his brother Sasha join Morgan and Joanne for a drink. Noah and Joanne discuss privacy and uncomfortable issues, but are interrupted by the arrival of Sasha's wife, who yells about Noah's relationship with Rebecca. Noah's family confronts him about his flirtation with Joanne; Joanne and Morgan go to a meeting about their podcast acquisition. Noah invites Joanne to dinner to clarify his relationship status; despite mutually declaring they are just friends, the two kiss.
Joanne is giddy about the kiss, though she worries that Noah did not respond to her text; Morgan wonders if she and Noah are mismatched. Meanwhile, Noah arrives at the hospital to see Rebecca, who has broken her wrist, and is accosted by both their families about his relationship with Joanne. Joanne, worried she is not a good enough person to date a religious leader, stops to help a dog. She arrives home to find Noah on her doorstep.
Joanne and Noah separately prepare for their first date. During the date Morgan tasks Joanne with picking up the dildo developed by a podcast guest, and she winds up taking Noah to pick it up, but they run into a board member of Noah's temple with his mistress. Meanwhile, Sasha helps his daughter navigate a crisis with her crush. Later, Noah makes Joanne dinner. He admits that he wants a real relationship and she admits she is afraid of driving him away. The two have sex.
5
"My Friend Joanne"
Oz Rodriguez
Neel Shah & Pat Regan
September 26, 2024 (2024-09-26)
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Joanne and Noah's first trip together is derailed when Noah is asked to cover for his boss at a Jewish camp in Ojai; Joanne leaves Morgan to handle a dinner with Spotify representatives. While picking up Joanne's laptop from Noah's, Morgan and Sasha bond over being the "loser siblings". After Noah's boss Rabbi Cohen arrives, he asks Joanne to skip his Torah study so he will not be seen with a non-Jewish woman. Upset, Joanne leaves to attend the dinner, where she and Morgan charm the executives. Noah arrives, apologizes to Joanne, and asks her to be his girlfriend.
6
"The Ick"
Karen Maine
Jane Becker
September 26, 2024 (2024-09-26)
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Morgan and Ashley are concerned that Joanne's new relationship is negatively affecting their podcast. Joanne invites Noah to her and Morgan's watch party, but are unexpectedly joined by their parents and their father's new boyfriend. Noah tries too hard to impress Joanne's family, which turns her off. In the ensuing awkwardness, Noah clarifies that he would have to have a Jewish wife. Noah goes outside to assure Joanne that he is on her side and she admits that she likes him. The two discuss "the ick" on the podcast. Meanwhile, Sasha successfully asks for a higher position at his father's company.
7
"WAGS"
Oz Rodriguez
Lindsay Golder
September 26, 2024 (2024-09-26)
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Noah hits it off with Joanne's friend group. In turn Joanne comes to Noah's basketball game, where she successfully charms his teammates but is snubbed by their wives and girlfriends, who are friends with Rebecca. Noah gives Joanne advice on how to win them over during the next game. Morgan also arrives and softens Esther with alcohol. Rebecca spots Noah and Joanne together. Later, Joanne finds some mementos of Rebecca in Noah's things.
8
"Rebecca's Box"
Hannah Fidell
Teleplay by : Ryann Werner Story by : Ryann Werner & Ron Weiner
September 26, 2024 (2024-09-26)
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Noah assures Joanne that he will return the box of Rebecca's things. Rabbi Cohen tells Noah that he wants Noah to succeed him as head rabbi, but encourages him to pursue a Jewish woman. Noah hosts a havdalah dinner with Joanne, inviting Sasha and Esther. Joanne wins favor by convincing their daughter Miriam of their parents' favored bat mitzvah theme. Meanwhile Morgan, concerned that Joanne is changing too much, strikes a conversation with Rebecca at a bar. She claims to Joanne that Noah and Rebecca have been talking behind Joanne's back. Joanne confronts Morgan about the lie and accuses her sister of being jealous of Joanne's healthy relationship. Noah asks her if she would consider converting to Judaism.
Joanne, still on the outs with Morgan, prepares to meet Noah's parents Ilan and Bina. Joanne commits a faux pas by gifting a box with prosciutto. Esther tells Sasha that Rebecca had recognized Morgan and lied to her. At brunch, Bina verbally disapproves of Joanne's podcast and lack of religion. Joanne tries to patch things up with Bina and catches her eating the prosciutto. She seemingly wins Bina over by hiding this from the others, but afterwards Bina tells Joanne she will not end up with Noah.
10
"Bat Mitzvah Crashers"
Lawrence Trilling
Craig DiGregorio
September 26, 2024 (2024-09-26)
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Joanne fakes sickness to get out of attending Miriam's bat mitzvah. Sasha calls Morgan while she is with Joanne and tells her about Rebecca's lie; the sisters make up and Morgan encourages Joanne to attend. The sisters crash the party and Joanne tells Noah that she wants to convert to Judaism. Esther realizes Sasha and Morgan have been talking. Joanne talks to Rebecca and realizes the responsibility of being wife to the head rabbi. She admits to Noah that she is not ready to convert and tries to break up with him as he cannot have both her and the head rabbi job, but he follows her. Noah agrees with her and kisses her.
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 94% approval rating with an average rating of 7.8/10, based on 48 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Contrary to its title, Nobody Wants This proves to be a welcome binge thanks to Kristen Bell and Adam Brody's irresistible chemistry and some thoughtful considerations of interfaith romance."[10]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 73 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[11]
Glamour senior editor Jessica Radloff published an essay stating that the show's Jewish characters “come off as controlling, marriage-hungry women who want to plan dinner parties and alienate anyone who doesn't share those same dreams.” She also took issue with the use of shiksa in the first episode "Pilot".[12] In response, Foster has stated “I think we need positive Jewish stories right now. I think it's interesting when people focus on, ‘Oh, this is a stereotype of Jewish people,’ when you have a rabbi as the lead. A hot, cool, young rabbi who smokes weed. That's the antithesis of how people view a Jewish rabbi, right?”[13]
The Independent’s Kate Rosseinsky gave the show a score of 4/5, claiming that although there are a “few obvious tropes” being present there are still many less predictable comedic moments that can be “sometimes hilariously, slightly relatable.”[1]
The Guardian TV critic Lucy Mangan rated the show 5/5 stars, stating “Everybody will want this”. She feels that there is real emotional stakes and that the majorly opposing cultures of the two main characters are “genuine problems” and although they are blocking paths of happiness with no clear answers, she will be with them to the bitter end.[14]
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