no one wants this review
Starring: Kristen Bell, Adam Brody, Justin Lupe
Producer: Erin Foster
Star Rating: ★★.5
‘When I say it’s for me, I mean for us,’ is how Adam Brody’s hot Rabbi Noah reacts in a key moment with Joan (Kristen Bell). This is for both of them; Both of them have now moved beyond the hesitation of meeting each other and have decided to give their relationship a good chance. The second season of the hit Netflix show that made us fall in love with these two so easily has gone deeper and safer in taking their story forward. I’m afraid it doesn’t always succeed, and the show loses a lot of its personality in the process.
next steps
Noah and Joan’s relationship is tested as she is not ready to convert. As much as Noah wants to wait for her and take her as soon as she arrives, people around him (especially at the church), and he loses his job. Their mother, Bina Rochlov (Tovah Feldshuh), is unhappy with how this is going. Meanwhile, Joan’s sister (Jennifer Lupe) will make some questionable, unexpected, and grandiose decisions along the way that will upset the balance Joan seeks to establish with her surroundings. As she and Noah build each other up and actually try to give their love a fair chance, the drama starts to shake up a bit.
There’s a lot of potential here, and the show comes close to addressing serious concerns from both Joan and Noah’s perspective. The way this relationship has evolved over time and with changing priorities adds the necessary level of maturity. Unfortunately, the writing feels a little rushed, as the creators wanted to maintain the sweet lightheartedness of the duo and not delve too deeply into the gray areas. Let it all be colorful and sweet, and even a little obnoxious, seeing as how the character arcs don’t land until the end of the final episode and it’s shaky ending.
what doesn’t work
Created by Erin Foster and inspired by her own relationship, Nobody Wants This is trying a little harder this time. There’s a bit of an identity crisis between choosing between the big problem and 10 other convenient problems on the table. And what’s more, a lot of the actors and new additions have been wasted this season, most notably Leighton Meester, Brody’s real-life wife, who guest stars as Abby in episode 5. The interlude simply doesn’t land and feels overly undone due to the lack of nuance.
Like the first season, it’s the electric chemistry between the two leads that drives the proceedings. Here, despite the easy tricks, Bale and Brody share a wonderful, unapologetic energy on screen, which wisely informs some of the choices they make individually. I wondered if people his age (in his 30s) would really be so concerned about the conditions for seeing each other anew.
And boy, does this season depend on some ‘situations’ because it’s like a game plan here – let’s have one setup per episode to reach new questions rather than deal with what’s already in store. Valentine’s Day, baby naming ceremony and Halloween. Each one makes more anger than making intelligent jokes, because by this point, we’re not sure what’s causing it: Noah or our patience. The second season of Nobody Wants This isn’t that good because it doesn’t even try. There’s a starkness to the setting that works against making the characters unlikable – it makes them unlikable at times. It’s got a lot of dilemmas, but what it’s missing is a little heart.
The second season is available to watch on Netflix.
