If you’re looking forward to spending more time with the characters in “Nobody Wants This” without worrying whether Joanne (Kristen Bell) will convert or whether Noah (Adam Brody) will love her regardless, I have bad news for you. The will-she-or-won’t-she become Jewish question powers season two, and as in the first season, it’s a stagnant problem that’s not particularly engrossing.
And if you’re hoping for more of that electric connection the two shared in their pre-get-together episodes, I have more bad news for you. There’s nothing quite like that first dinner party or their first kiss in season two of “Nobody Wants This” (the closest we get is a flashback montage). There’s a reason so many love stories are about the initial courtship—it makes for good drama in a way the work of making relationships function just doesn’t.
But the show can carry on without that initial heat, giving us a look into the (mostly) grown-up lives of two beautiful people, while tweaking its formula for the better. This season, there’s less of Joanne asking inane questions about Judaism, like she’s never so much as heard of it before (even though she grew up in Los Angeles, and as we learn this season, had Jewish girls in her circle as a kid). Instead, she’s more immersed in the culture, so we get a more in-depth look at Jewish holidays and rituals like Purim, with less explanation around them.
In the first season, it was clear why Joanne wants to be with Noah—she’s not just tired of dating, but also of having no guiding moral force. He invites her into a more purposeful existence, and she eats it up. Now in season two, we finally get to see some of why he values their relationship so much. Part of it is certainly her freedom; opposites do attract after all. But it’s more than that.
Noah is stuck performing goodness—good manors, adherence to customs, and respectability. In season two, we see how that’s not serving him, how his act misled his past romantic partners, and how it’s now keeping him from dealing with the problems at hand. Joanne, with her lack of shame and lack of the ensuing need to hide or bury emotions, offers Noah a meaningful alternative. And this window into how she helps him grow is a very satisfying aspect of season two.
The show also gives us plenty of Justine Lupe’s Morgan, who continues to crackle on screen, a bolt of chaos and humor. This season, she’s tired of being jealous of Joanne’s relationship, so the taller sister goes and starts her own (with a slyly funny Arian Moayed as Dr. Andy). Their arc is both hilarious and insightful, reminding us that “Nobody Wants This” is at its best when it’s using humor to nudge its wonderfully flawed characters towards growth.
Fans of loser siblings should also rejoice because season two gives Sasha (Timothy Sans giving us heartfelt goof) plenty to do, opposite wife Esther (Jackie Thon, saddled with bangs). He’s just as charming as ever, while Esther moves beyond simply being an impediment to Joanne and Noah’s happiness. She becomes a full person, wrestling with her own problems even as she stays true to the prickly if fiercely loyal woman we met in season one.
The parents also continue to delight. As Sasha and Noah’s mom, Bina (Tovah Feldshuh), is a force of traditional Jewish culture and values. Her costuming is particularly evocative this season, reminding us of her generation’s values. While Joanne and Morgan’s mother, Lynn (Stephanie Faracy), is hardly the family rock, she still delivers beats both comedic and sincere.
Further rounding out the show’s universe, Leighton Meester, Seth Rogen, and Kate Berlant all make strong guest appearances, playing to their strengths.
Such a stacked supporting cast gives Joanne and Noah perhaps a little too much leeway to be boring. Yes, the central couple does some work on their communication and themselves, but they remain largely stuck. The final episode does promise a reset, but so did the finale of season one. Still, I’m hopeful about season three finally delivering what fans of this show have been waiting for.
In terms of plot and purpose, this installment is essentially a placeholder. But hanging out with these two families is still mostly fun, if sometimes a bit frustrating. And as long as you’re tuning in just to be with these people, to perhaps laugh at their escapades, to maybe learn a bit about Judaism if you’re a goy, then you’ll be satisfied. In its second season, “Nobody Wants This” remains a pleasure, if a flawed one, much like the characters it follows. Maybe that’s what it’s going for.
Season two is currently streaming on Netflix.
