It’s important that I start this review by providing some context of my television tastes. I will be first to admit that I have a bit of an oddball taste in TV and movies; I’m a horror movie junkie and a rom-com expert, but I generally dislike period pieces and anything that feels like I’m supposed to cry. For further reference, I didn’t like Outer Banks (sorry) but found myself genuinely surprised when I liked “The Summer I Turned Pretty” (chalking it up to my own emotional teen romance story). I love “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Solar Opposites,” “Parks and Recreation,” “The Hangover” and “Dirty Grandpa.” Hopefully that gives you some insight.
I had just finished watching “Silicon Valley” on HBO Max, which did make it onto my favorites list, and I sat in bed feeling distraught over my sudden lack of an emotional support comedy series. So, I called my mom to get the Netflix password and found myself watching the trailer of Nobody Wants This. It initially attracted me just by the objectively gorgeous graphic design and my love of Kristen Bell. The trailer ended up making me giggle, leaving me wanting to know more about where a love story between a rabbi and a sex podcaster could possibly go. Would she flounder for him throughout the season and try to make him leave Judaism? Would he convert her? Would they find some middle ground? I genuinely was unsure, though I was leaning toward my former option. I needed to find out immediately.
Within the first few minutes, I was hooked. Before I get into the show, let me take a moment to appreciate the intro scene. It was gorgeous; I looked forward to it in every episode. It gave me a strangely familiar feeling that I got when I watched Bojack Horseman – art and emotional depth disguised in irreverent comedy. I think that’s a great way to lead into this review.
“Nobody Wants This” main character Joanne, played by the talented Kristen Bell, had a lot of emotional depth that we got to see. My expectation was that her character would lean into this trashy trope, but she really surprised me. The writers did an incredible job showing her internal conflict in many different situations and showing her struggles with relationships. We can see it carried down as a result of her family and past relationships, and it’s all in ways that logically connect. Never once did I find myself going, “OK, how does that relate to her parents being separated?” or “Why would she do that if she changed?” All of her actions made sense for her; if they didn’t, they would be cleared up.
As for Bell’s co-star Adam Brody, who played Noah, I was equally impressed by his emotional depth. I think they actually had this understanding of religion that was incredibly interesting to see on screen. While I’m Christian, not Jewish, a few of the struggles Noah and his family faced are things that many modern religious people struggle through. They touched on following social norms that religious people should follow, spiritual warfare, traditions and the interconnection of one’s spiritual and personal life. I do wish that they had expanded on his relationship with Rebecca more. We got a glimpse of it when he was counseling a couple, but I would love to see more of that and how it shaped him in the upcoming season.
I found myself relating to Joanne very heavily. Her friends and family making fun of her poor taste, her self-sabotage, her missteps as she tries to mature, her eagerness to please. Personally, I think my favorite moment that any girl can relate to is in episode six, titled The Ick. As you can imagine, this is the episode in which Joanne gets the ick from Noah. I don’t think they could have captured that feeling in a better way, and the examples of past icks that Joanne and her sister exchanged had me giggling.
There are also moments for relatability in other characters. Even Esther, whom we aren’t supposed to like – how could I not laugh when she said her husband had 10 seconds before she ran him over? And in Rebecca, whom we don’t even know much about – when we got quick shots of the sadness on her face at seeing Noah and Joanne together, I felt incredibly understood.
I found myself gushing over all of the characters at various moments. There are certainly scenes in the show that err on the irreverent comedic side, but there’s plenty of scenes that are genuinely deep and allow the audience to feel emotionally connected.
OK, I’m going to go call my mom and analyze the show with her before I spoil anything. It’s good. Just watch it.