‘Nobody Wants This’ is Messy, Dysfunctional, and Far Too Ambitious — and it Still Kinda Rocks

It’s safe to say that “Nobody Wants This,” Netflix’s newest romantic comedy that premiered on Sep. 26, is a mixed bag. The show stars Jo (Kristen Bell), an unlucky-in-love sex podcaster who suddenly falls in love with Noah (Adam Brody), a charming nice-Jewish-boy who just so happens to be a successful Rabbi. A great looking couple with palpable chemistry, a tricky cultural divide they must navigate, a whole host of comic-relief side characters — Have we seen it before? Of course we have. Will we see it again? Of course we will.

“Nobody Wants this” explores Jo and Noah’s unlikely romance as they confront issues of love, faith, and personal growth. The two meet at a party, after Noah has just broken up with his long-term, perfect Jewish girlfriend Rebecca (Emily Arlook). Sparks fly immediately, and while the two attempt to be friends, an intense kiss on their first date derails this effort, thrusting them into an immediate intimacy.

From the outset, the couple’s interfaith relationship faces resistance. Noah’s close-knit Jewish family and community where he serves as a leader are skeptical of Jo, viewing her agnostic background as incompatible with their traditions. As Noah attempts to balance his duties as rabbi with his growing feelings for Jo, tensions arise and force him to question his values and the expectations his community has placed on him.

For Jo, navigating her identity as an outsider in Noah’s religious world becomes the central challenge. As she seeks acceptance within his community, she confronts the need to understand Judaism and struggles to balance the demands of her work with the emotional toll of her relationship. The show explores how love can bridge cultural and religious divides, but also highlights the sacrifices that come with it.

At its best, the show shines with moments of comedic brilliance. The jokes land flawlessly. From the crude, yet hilarious one liners— “there’s not a Jewish bone in her body. Unless you put one in her” — to laugh-out-loud moments like the bluetooth debacle — where Jo’s snarky sister, Morgan (Justine Lupe)’s phone connects to the car’s bluetooth system and it reads her private, insulting text messages out loud to both Noah and his brother Sasha (Timothy Simons).

“Nobody Wants This” is highly entertaining; not solely because of the strength of its writing, but also because of its exceptional cast. The foundation of the rom-com is, quite simply, human interaction. The show contains great chemistry. The sexual tension between Jo and Noah is evident and it is easy to root for the unconventional pair.

There is also a strong bond between Jo and her sister, Morgan, as they clash over the future direction of their podcast, and try to reconcile with the sudden diverging of their life paths. The flirty friendship between Sasha and Morgan adds significant entertainment value to the show, and also works to make the side characters more like main characters, complete with their respective goals, ambitions, and fears.

Most importantly, Jo and Noah stand as pretty good role models. Both self-driven individuals, dedicated to their careers and invested in their journeys of self-actualization, however messy they may be. They both find purpose in their lives through different avenues: Noah through spirituality, religion, and community, and Jo through sisterhood and friendship. Thus, “Nobody Wants This” teaches us an essential lesson: real love and relationships require respect and support of another’s dreams and goals, and often necessitate mutual sacrifice.

However, the show significantly stumbles in several critical areas. The initial stages of Jo and Noah’s romance feels contrived, reading like a plot convenience rather than a natural progression. “You're an unfiltered, complicated, vulnerable, beautiful woman,” Noah declares to Jo in the first episode after only knowing her for a few hours. Furthermore, the show sometimes relies too heavily on the cultural quirkiness and mismatch of their relationship as a crutch, rather than using these elements to generate fresh creativity in the plot. Several characters exhibit excessive stereotyping: the neurotic Jewish mother (Tovah Feldshuh) and the demanding Jewish wife (Jackie Tohn) — tropes that feel overdone and outdated. These cliches diminish the originality of the narrative and weigh down the potential for deeper exploration of the cultural dynamics at play.

While the show excels at entertaining scenarios, these moments are overshadowed by a monotone approach to more thought provoking themes. Jo’s potential conversion is treated superficially, marking a missed opportunity to explore the spiritual depth of such a journey.

On the whole, the show’s treatment of Judaism is shallow. The focus remains largely on rituals and routines, neglecting the beauty of community and the connection to the higher self. “Nobody Wants This” paints organized religion in a slightly negative way. The show’s Jewish characters, with the exception of Noah, behave problematically — gossiping, criticizing, and sabotaging — ultimately giving an unsatisfying representation of Jewish life and glossing over the intricacies of the faith.

“Nobody Wants This” has the makings of an incredible show, but feels unfinished. In its topical ambitiousness, the show takes on more than it can handle. Themes like cultural divides, feminism, love, and the storytelling itself are not in perfect harmony throughout the episodes and seemed packed in without being fully fleshed out. If one is searching for light, bingeable entertainment with some thought-provoking moments, it’s worth a watch — but don’t expect too much depth or cohesion.

—Staff writer Caroline J. Rubin can be reached at caroline.rubin@thecrimson.com.