The last time we mused about NOBODY WANTS THIS it had just premiered, somewhat inexplicably on Netflix, at least in my mind, It’s a 20th Television Production, which meant at some point Hulu likely had first dibs. It’s populated by veterans of HBO MAX and Prime Video originals, meaning that those platforms would have been alogorhythmically amplified for sampling. As those with the ability to click and/or remember already know, I raved about those first 10 episodes, actually finding a way to binge just like the young, progressive coastal and anything-but-evangelical demographic it’s clearly aimed at. And I didn’t even need to order a whole bunch of Thai food and White Claws to help me do that.
But I was worried–justifiably–about its chances for renewal. Reviews were tepid at best and the subject matter–“hot rabbi” falls for gorgeous, quirky shiksa (indeed, the OG title for the show just happened to be that “term of endearment” for a non-Jewish woman)–surprisingly polarizing even among its ostensible target. A particularly uppity NEW YORK TIMES op-ed by Jessica Grose apparently threw enough cold water on what should have been a lay-up renewal based on initial Netflix numbers which had it coming out of the box as a bona fide hit–frankly, something it could have never achieved had it wound up on a less popular platform. For a change, numbers won the argument, which made this fan of both research and shiksas quite happy.
Now here we are a year-ish later, finally blessed with another 10-episode season that dropped Thursday which doubled down on those connections to hit streaming series– especially among the coveted upscale cord-nevers. The new showrunners, Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan, are veterans of HBO’s decade-defining GIRLS, and they’ve brought along with them from that show both a reinforcement of the snarky style that defined its female relationsips and a new antagonist for Seth Cohen’s Rabbi Noah in Alex Karpovsky , who is cattily also a Rabbi Noah (“Big Noah”, as we learn they have a past from Jewish summer camps). And there’s other familiar faces from recent popular binge-worthy shows that have joined the already buzzy cast, including the Apple-verse’s Seth Rogen as an oddball rabbi who ultimately provides Cohen’s Noah with a lifeline, and SUCCESSION’s Arian Moayed, playing an unconventional beau for his one-time and now current co-star Justine Lupe, giving her Morgan character the opportunity to evolve beyond the limitations of the freer spirit sister and podcast co-host for Kristen Bell’s Joanne, the aforementioned gorgeous, quirky shiksa that Cohen/Noah falls head over heels in love with.
And she’s not the only one that has taken steps forward. If Season 1 was about infatuation and flirtation, Season 2 is about reality checks and commitment. These were points not lost on ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY’s Kristen Baldwin:
After their swoony kiss in the season 1 finale, Noah and Joanne are now enjoying a “big, beautiful, healthy relationship.” They’re having regular sleepovers, hosting their first dinner party, and generally being loved up and “psychotically annoying,” as…Morgan…, describes it. But their bubble of bliss pops when Joanne learns that Noah still believes she will convert to Judaism eventually — which is something she’s still not ready to promise.
LIFE AND STYLE WEEKLY’s Erin Simkin picked up on a few more:
(T)he relationship between Joanne and…Morgan (Justine Lupe) continues to be strained. Still clearly jealous over her sister’s healthy relationship, in typical Morgan fashion, she begins dating her therapist “Dr. Andy,”… Clearly Morgan is acting out, and hasn’t exactly thought things through.
Lupe, an absolutely comedic force who steals every scene she’s in, is once again the MVP of the season. Her interactions with Noah’s brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) are particularly great, though things are initially strained between the pair following the drama from last season. Sasha’s wife is still decidedly not a fan of Morgan, although she does grow on her over the course of the season.
On that front, Sasha and Esther (Jackie Tohn) are also not in a great place. While Esther is still grappling with Sasha’s friendship with Morgan, he decides that he’d like to have another kid, despite the fact that the couple are only a few years away from becoming empty nesters. Coming to terms with her feelings about having another child opens up an entire existential door for Esther, leaving her to question whether this marriage even still serves her.
VARIETY’s Alison Herman weighed in with a few more sobering ones:
Noah was at first an idealized fantasy. Now, his people-pleasing tendencies are developed into a full-on character flaw, one that presents both challenges and opportunities for growth. Joanne learns Noah has a history of making grand romantic gestures regardless of how he actually feels about who he’s dating, because it’s what he thinks boyfriends are supposed to do – a conflict with far more heft than the garden-variety miscommunication that tends to generate plot on these kinds of shows. In the professional sphere, Noah finally stands up for himself when he’s passed over for the head rabbi job at his longtime employer Temple Chai, quitting rather than agreeing to play second fiddle to a man who, adding insult to injury, is also Rabbi Noah.
You’re probably picking up that I’m more of an outlier than this stratified sample of under-40 female writers who are at best only a tad more favorable than they were last year about the show as a whole. Indeed, the early returns at least per ROTTEN TOMATOES aren’t overwhelming: as of this writing, the 76% Tomatometer and 68% Popcornmeter scores fall clearly into the “meh” category. And, of course, Netflix is taking its time in announcing a pickup because, unlike their more emotional and budget-sensitive competitors, they wait for the hard data to kick in–as they eventually did with Season 1.
Herman seemed to at least offer up support, albeit underwhelming, for the Season 3 pickup that I’m at least salivating over:
The same issues that keep “Nobody Wants This” from being a nuanced, meaningful story are also the ones that keep it airy enough to gobble up like popcorn. You’ll never be emotionally overcome enough to need to take a beat between chapters, which keeps the engagement metrics right where Netflix likes them. Bell and Brody are pros who can make cutesy banter in their sleep; with Konner and Kaplan at the helm, they’re now supported by fellow veterans savvy enough to keep out of their leads’ way. “Nobody Wants This” is a more refined version of itself in Season 2.
You go, Alison. Because I’m gonna wave a few flags and pennants at clamoring for more as a steadfast representative of those who aren’t necessarily the Netflix or romcom sweet spot. But I am a Jewish man who has extremely deep feelings for a gorgeous shiksa–albeit one that I haven’t seen in more than three years. My obstacles aren’t quite as faith-centered or trivial as those facing NOBODY WANTS THIS’ star-crossed lovers. More like geography and financial woes. And yes, I acknowledge that’s to many an old story that hasn’t progressed as quickly as many might otherwise want it to. I suspect those who feel that way are more sympatico with the way Herman and Baldwin are feeling about the series.
I’m far more emotional and arguably irrational–almost inexplicably resembling the impulsiveness and at times foolish choices that we see so often in the show. So yep, I totally identify with who’s on the screen that those that are passing judgement watching them. And I’m doing that crying at almost every scene where the arguments and dissonance wind up with some sort of reconcilation and romantic nod because that’s how badly I miss the gorgeous shiksa in my life.
Bad enough that I’m motivated to trot out yet again another familiar clickable link. All the more amplified because we’re at the end of a calendar month, and those more familiar readers know darn well what my bank account–or lack thereof–looks like at those points in time.
Maybe those of you in a position to actually do something might be willing to offer something toward my burning desire to spend the holidays with my bestie and her family. The invitation is there; the ability to give me a place to sleep isn’t possible. So I need enough for gas and a couple of nights at a rural hotel. Plus a little bit so I can treat her to a meal that’s nowhere near as extravagant or costly as what Noah and Joanne indulged in for their dinner party.
At this point, much like the show’s characters, I’ve become grounded enough to realize that this is more about putting it out there into the universe than expecting anything–though I pray every waking minute to be surprised to the contrary. So if nothing else, at least give NOBODY WANTS THIS a sampling to increase the chances of that third season. Again, much like the show’s characters, the ultimate goal is progress, not perfection.
Until next time…