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America’s favorite unorthodox couple, atheist podcaster Joanne (Kristen Bell) and Orthodox Jewish rabbi Noah (Adam Brody), are back for 10 lively if predictable episodes with Season 2 of “Nobody Wants This,” which dropped Oct. 23 on Netflix. “Nobody Wants This” lovingly embraces the cliches of the romcom genre —the season finale is cheekily titled “When Noah Met Joanne” — and the viewer is never truly in doubt as to what will happen next. The show’s complicated relationship with Judaism, which was the subject of significant online discourse during its first season, is not much improved. However, Bell and Brody’s chemistry along with delightful cameos and clever writing make the second season of “Nobody Wants This” a worthwhile watch.
Noah and Joanne’s first fight of the season — over whether Jo has fully closed the book on the idea of converting to Judaism — may give some viewers deja vu. Indeed, the show’s central relationship hasn’t changed substantially from Season 1. Noah is still the perfect boyfriend, anticipating Joanne’s every need. In a particularly romantic moment in the first episode, he buys her a nightstand so she can keep her things in his bedroom more comfortably. However, he remains immovable on the issue of conversion.
The push-and-pull dynamic between Noah and Joanne can certainly be frustrating to watch. In Episode 9, when Noah tells Joanne that she can’t move in with him until she converts, so that he doesn’t grow to “resent” her, he comes across as unfair and stubborn. In Episode 4, when Joanne forces Noah to apologize to his scorned ex-girlfriend Rebecca (Emily Arlook) for how their relationship ended, she appears manipulative and bossy. However, Bell and Brody’s on-screen chemistry is undeniable, and it comes as a relief whenever their fights end.
The show’s three main couples — Noah and Joanne, Noah’s brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) and his wife Esther (Jackie Tohn), and Joanne’s sister Morgan (Justine Lupe) and her therapist-turned-fiancee Dr. Andy (Arian Moayed) — all endure various challenges throughout the season, and the show’s writers cleverly give each couple enough screen time that audiences are truly invested in their fate. Lupe is a delightful breath of fresh air, delivering most of the show’s best punchlines, and Dr. Andy’s comical creepiness is a welcome addition to the show. The season peaks with “Abby Loves Smoothies,” an episode featuring Adam Brody’s real-life wife Leighton Meester as an influencer and Joanne’s childhood frenemy, which is a tightly plotted and delightful 30-minute saga.
The formula of the show has not changed much during the year-long break between its first and second seasons. Most episodes still contain a somewhat generic but ultimately moving sermon delivered by Brody that addresses the main conflict of the episode. The show also has a delightfully modern feel that blends classic sitcom tropes with catchy music by Ariana Grande, Chappell Roan, and other pop artists.
Unfortunately, most classic sitcoms rely on reductive and sometimes offensive tropes. Joanne’s openly gay father, Henry (Michael Hitchcock), is an especially one-dimensional character, and the less said about the Queen Esther costume he wears to the Purim party in Episode 6, the better. Fans who feel that the Jewish representation on “Nobody Wants This” is inadequate will not have their concerns allayed by Season 2.
The question of what it means to “feel Jewish” permeates the series as Joanne decides whether or not to convert. At one point, Sasha explicitly wonders whether he himself would choose the religion if given the opportunity. Unsurprisingly, that question ultimately trails off — the show is more than willing to use Judaism as a plot point, but not to make any serious statement about it. A surprising moment in episode six finds Lynn (Stephanie Faracy), Joanne’s mother, deciding to convert to Judaism herself while her daughter remains indecisive. Lynn’s decision, however, is sudden and absurd, and doesn’t provide Joanne or the viewer any clarity as to why people find fulfillment in Judaism.
Season 2 of “Nobody Wants This” largely paints Jewish women as villains — in a continuation of an issue observed by several critics in Season 1 — with Noah’s formidable mother Bina (Tovah Feldshuh) causing as much trouble for Joanne as ever. In addition, the rabbis who run Temple Ahava, the ultra-reform synagogue that Noah almost ends up at, Rabbi Neil (Seth Rogen) and Rabbi Cami (Kate Berlant), are portrayed as absurdly shallow and materialistic. However, when Noah does embrace his observant side, it is seen as an obstacle to his relationship with Joanne. In the world of “Nobody Wants This,” Jews can’t win.
Is it worth overlooking the show’s faulty representation and enjoying it for the lighthearted romcom it is meant to be? Those who want a by-the-numbers romance about a cis, straight, white couple, at least, won’t be disappointed. “Nobody Wants This” may aim low, but it unquestionably hits the mark.
