“Nobody Wants This” became an immediate sensation after its release on Netflix in September. The rom-com stars Adam Brody and Kristen Bell as the main characters. Brody plays Noah Roklov, the lovable Rabbi, and Bell plays Joanne, the co-host of a sex podcast she has with her sister, Morgan. “Nobody Wants This” is an easy and fun watch with a total of ten episodes, each being less than 30 minutes long.
The show begins with Naoh ending his relationship with Rebecca, the seemingly perfect match, according to his Jewish community’s expectations. Meanwhile, Joanne is struggling with her own love-life. Every date ends poorly, leading her to share her struggles on her podcast, “Nobody Wants This”. The pair meet unexpectedly at a dinner party their mutual friend is hosting. At the dinner, Noah and Joanne flirt and share similar sarcastic humor. They are immediately drawn to each other and continue their unlikely relationship as the show continues.
In addition to Noah and Joanne, many other characters provide the comedic lines that makes the show the popular rom-com. Noah’s brother, Sasha (Timothy Simons), and Joanne’s sister and podcast co-host, Morgan (Justine Lupe), play the self-proclaimed “loser siblings”. Sasha is married to Esther, Rebecca’s best friend. Due to her friendship with Rebecca, Esther openly shows her disdain for Joanne. Morgan and Joanne have different ideas about the direction of their podcast yet they still have a very close relationship.
While Noah and Joanne’s relationship appears to be going well, they are receiving a lot of negative opinions from Noah’s parents. His parents, immigrants from Russia, are unhappy with the pair because Joanne is not Jewish. They are adamant about their preference for Rebecca because she is Jewish. They call Joanne a “shiksa” which is a derogatory yiddish word meaning a woman who is impure. However, this does not alter Noah’s feelings for Joanne.
Since its release, “Nobody Wants This” has gotten a wide variety of reviews from the Jewish community. Some people believe that it is great to see Jewish people represented in the media in a well loved rom-com. Many people can relate to it and see themselves and their culture in the show. However, there has also been negative feedback from the Jewish community. Some see the show as portraying Jewish women in a poor light, adding to existing stereotypes. This is because the Jewish women are depicted as being unwelcoming to Joanne and controlling in their marriages.
Erin Foster, creator of the show, said that her intent for the show was to positively showcase Jewish culture from her perspective. As someone who converted to Judaism to be with her husband, Foster wanted to bring a fun story, similar to hers, to the media. Foster wanted to break the stereotypes by incorporating a young, hot, cool Rabbi. She hoped that Jewish people could connect to the story while still adding new elements to Jewish culture not typically seen in the media.
“Nobody Wants This” is a funny, lighthearted show on Netflix that everybody should watch. Adam Brody and Kristen Bell were the perfect leads for their witty and fun roles. While there is controversy regarding the show’s depiction of Jewish women, many people still love the Jewish representation. Nobody wants to miss this show!