I really love a good Netflix rom-com. Even when Netflix original movies and shows are bad, they’re still good. So, when the newest Netflix original show Nobody Wants This came out on the streaming platform, I immediately began my binge watch. The show stars Kristen Bell as Joanne (an agnostic, sex and relationship podcast host with her sister) and Adam Brody as Noah (a newly single rabbi who is dedicated to becoming head rabbi). It’s the perfect combination of a will-they-won’t-they romance with awkward, but funny moments mixed in. It’s a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story–two people who can not seem to stay away from each other, but whose families try to discourage them because the relationship could never possibly work in their eyes.Â
As someone who studies relationships of all types, sometimes rom-coms are just too painful to watch; the miscommunication is often unbearable and the romance is too unrealistic and glamorized. Yet, Nobody Wants This rises above these painful genre tropes and portrays relationships for what they really are–something that takes work. Watching this show with my knowledge of relationships and just my experience being a girl in her twenties who has watched a lot of tv shows, I think that this show has some really magical elements. From here on out, there will be spoilers for all episodes of Nobody Wants This.Â
I mean, I think the most attractive part of this relationship is that they actually communicate with each other. With every single obstacle Joanne and Noah face, there’s an apology or conversation at the end. Noah actually apologizes (yes, the bar is that low) to Joanne in episode five after he pretends like they are just friends because he is embarrassed of being with a non-Jewish woman. On the other hand, when Joanne gets “the ick” from Noah in episode six, they have a conversation where they both admit fault. Overall, these two make sure there is no room for miscommunication and actually have healthy conversations with each other about their relationship and expectations.Â
The show really does a great job of making complex characters as well. There were moments where characters made some not great choices, and I did feel the need to yell “Why would you do that!? Please don’t do that!” at my screen; however, this is a reflection of real life as well. I have made decisions in my life where I’ve thought the same thing about my own situation. I wonder why I did what I did and wish I could go back and change those things. Yet, I never really felt any of these characters were “bad.” I think that there’s justification for their actions despite not all characters making the best choices. It’s refreshing though, to watch characters who screw up and make mistakes. Joanne spends a whole episode wondering if she is actually a good person and going through that journey with her was such a human thing.Â
Don’t even get me started on the sibling relationships that are portrayed in the show. Those are equally as well done. Joanne and Morgan are catty to each other, but they do it because they want to protect each other. Noah and Sasha root for each other, despite the secrets they may keep. Additionally, Morgan and Sasha’s “loser sibling” bond adds another element to the sibling and family relationships as well as being a relatable feeling in adulthood.Â
So, while I do think that sometimes the show falls into some cringy tropes and I have read about the criticisms that the show has received over the portrayal of Jewish women, I think that this show is refreshing overall. It is generally low-medium stakes for each episode, the storylines are interesting, the characters actually have chemistry, and the episodes are well-paced. The show was renewed for season two less than a month after the first season was released for a reason; because it is just that good. I definitely recommend making this show your next watch. Trust me, you’ll want to finish all ten episodes in one sitting and think, “Actually, I do want this.”