Nobody Wants This (Season One) is a smart Netflix rom-com series that’s worthy of binging (94% on Rotten Tomatoes), if simply to serve as a distraction. Its ten episodes, by the way, are short and breezy.
The lead characters in brief: non-Jewish Joanne (Kristen Bell) is a “bad picker” when it comes to dating; Noah (Adam Brody) is a cool young rabbi who recently ended an almost-marriage to Rebecca, also Jewish.
David Bianculli, NPR: “The show’s title…refers to the name of a podcast Joanne records with her sister where they talk about all things outrageous, personal and especially sexual. But the title also refers to the reaction by everyone around Joanne and Noah – friends, colleagues and especially family – as they begin stepping into each other’s worlds. This is where ‘Nobody Wants This’ gets increasingly thorny and complicated. But thanks to a top-notch supporting cast, it’s also where the show gets increasingly, endearingly hilarious.”
Joanne’s sister Morgan (Justine Lupe) reminded me of Brianna (June Diane Raphael) on Grace and Frankie. Appealingly snarky. Noah’s brother, Sasha (Timothy Simons), is also likable despite his flaws. Revered actress Tovah Feldshuh plays Noah’s mom; many describe her character, though, as too stereotypical.
And it’s not just Mom who reeks of stereotyping. There’s Noah’s recent ex and her friends, who include Sasha’s controlling wife, Esther—women who are portrayed in unflattering ways and as newfound enemies of “shiksa” Joanne. “Joanne and Morgan are allowed to be misguided but lovable. Their opponents are simply mean,” states Esther Zuckerman, Time, regarding these Jewish female characterizations.
Adds Nandini Balial, rogerebert.com: “The Jewish women…spend 100% of their waking hours judging, scheming, and guilt-tripping. Their treatment of Joanne is hostile, bordering on abusive.”
This view may of course deter some from watching, but series creator Erin Foster, who “converted to Judaism after falling in love with her husband” (Deadline), defends the story. She also points to Noah, the “hot, cool, young rabbi who smokes weed” as an obvious non-stereotype. Many Jewish viewers, moreover, have reportedly loved the series, recognizing it as a comedy that is allowed to have all kinds of caricatures.
Selected Reviews
Kelly Lawler, USA Today: “It’s possible a story that relies on stereotypes and cultural truisms could have turned into something soapy and insensitive, but propelled by its leads and keen sense of modern comedy, ‘Nobody’ adds up its disparate parts into something delightful and delicious.”
Emily Zemler, Observer: “Nobody Wants This stumbles a bit early on, perhaps because not a lot of depth is offered to the characters, but after a few episodes it’s hard to press ‘stop’ on the remote.”
Judy Berman, Time: “Romantic comedies work best when viewers adore both halves of the central couple, and though this interfaith love story doesn’t always ring true, it’s impossible not to fall for a pair of unlikely soulmates played by Kristen Bell and Adam Brody.”
