Nobody Wants This is an American romantic comedy television series created by Erin Foster, starring Kristen Bell, Adam Brody, Justine Lupe, and Timothy Simons, centered on the unlikely relationship between an outspoken, agnostic woman and an unconventional rabbi. The series premiered on September 26, 2024, on Netflix to positive reviews from critics. In October 2024, the series was renewed for a second season.
| Nobody Wants This | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg) Release poster | |
| Genre | Romantic comedy |
| Created by | Erin Foster |
| Showrunners |
|
| Starring | |
| Composer | Duncan Blickenstaff |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Cinematography | Adrian Peng Correia |
| Editors |
|
| Running time | 22–31 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | September 26, 2024 |
Premise
editNobody Wants This follows the unexpected relationship between an irascible, loud, agnostic woman and a rogue rabbi.
Cast and characters
editMain
edit- Kristen Bell as Joanne, a sex and dating podcaster
- Adam Brody as Noah Roklov, a rabbi Ashley introduces to Joanne
- Justine Lupe as Morgan, Joanne's younger sister and podcast co-host
- Timothy Simons as Sasha Roklov, Noah's older brother
Recurring
edit- Stephanie Faracy as Lynn, Joanne and Morgan's mother
- Tovah Feldshuh as Bina Roklov, Noah and Sasha's mother
- Paul Ben-Victor as Ilan Roklov, Noah and Sasha's father
- Jackie Tohn as Esther Roklov, Sasha's wife
- Emily Arlook as Rebecca, Noah's Jewish almost fiancée
- Sherry Cola as Ashley, Joanne's best friend and podcast agent
- Shiloh Bearman as Miriam Roklov, Sasha and Esther's daughter
- Stephen Tobolowsky as Rabbi Cohen, the head rabbi and Noah's boss at the Temple Chai
Notable guest stars
edit- Michael Hitchcock as Henry,[1] Joanne and Morgan's father who recently came out as gay and is separated from Lynn
- D'Arcy Carden as Ryann,[2] Joanne's friend
- Ryan Hansen as Kyle, a former fling of Joanne's
- Leslie Grossman as Rabbi Shira[2]
Production
editDevelopment
editOn March 1, 2023, it was announced that Netflix had greenlit a comedy series created by Erin Foster based loosely on Foster's real-life experiences. It was also announced that Kristen Bell would have a main role in the series, and Steven Levitan would serve as co-executive producer on the series along with Foster and Bell.[3][4][5]
On May 15, 2024, the series was given the title Nobody Wants This, and a release date of September 26, 2024, on Netflix.[6]
The series is being executive-produced by Foster, Kristen Bell, Steven Levitan, Craig DiGregorio, Sara Foster, Danielle Stokdyk, Oly Obst and Josh Lieberman for 3 Arts Entertainment. Production companies involved with this series are Steven Levitan Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment, and 20th Television.[3][4]
On October 10, 2024, Netflix renewed the series for a second season, with Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan as new showrunners, replacing Foster and DiGregorio, who were the first season's showrunners.[7]
Casting
editIn the initial series announcement in March 2023, it was announced that Bell was starring in the series.[3] In April 2023, it was announced that Adam Brody would star in the series as Noah, and Bell's character would be called Joanne.[8] In January 2024, it was announced that Justine Lupe and Timothy Simons had joined the main cast as Morgan and Sasha, and Jackie Tohn, Michael Hitchcock, Paul Ben-Victor, Sherry Cola, Shiloh Bearman, Stephanie Faracy, Tania Raymonde, and Tovah Feldshuh had joined as recurring cast.[9] In May 2024, it was announced that Emily Arlook had replaced Tania Raymonde in the role of Rebecca.[6]
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Greg Mottola | Erin Foster | September 26, 2024 | 1VZN01 |
|
Noah is a rabbi who ends his relationship with his Jewish girlfriend, Rebecca. Joanne is an agnostic woman who runs a relationship podcast with her sister Morgan. Sparks fly when the two are introduced at a dinner party hosted by Ashley, Noah's neighbor and Joanne's agent. Joanne enters Noah's synagogue to hear him give a sermon about changing the course of one's life. | |||||
| 2 | "A Shiksa Walks Into a Temple" | Greg Mottola | Erin Foster | September 26, 2024 | 1VZN02 |
|
Noah attempts to speak to Joanne, but is hindered by members of the congregation. He and his brother Sasha join Morgan and Joanne for a drink. Noah and Joanne discuss privacy and uncomfortable issues, but are interrupted by the arrival of Sasha's wife, who yells about Noah's relationship with Rebecca. Noah's family confronts him about his flirtation with Joanne; Joanne and Morgan go to a meeting about their podcast acquisition. Noah invites Joanne to dinner to clarify his relationship status; despite mutually declaring they are just friends, the two kiss. | |||||
| 3 | "Either Aura" | Karen Maine | Jane Becker & Lindsay Golder | September 26, 2024 | 1VZN03 |
|
Joanne is giddy about the kiss, though she worries that Noah did not respond to her text; Morgan wonders if she and Noah are mismatched. Meanwhile, Noah arrives at the hospital to see Rebecca, who has broken her wrist, and is accosted by both their families about his relationship with Joanne. Joanne, worried she is not a good enough person to date a religious leader, stops to help a dog. She arrives home to find Noah on her doorstep. | |||||
| 4 | "Obliterated" | Hannah Fidell | Teleplay by : Ron Weiner Story by : Ron Weiner & Noelle Valdivia | September 26, 2024 | 1VZN06 |
|
Joanne and Noah separately prepare for their first date. During the date Morgan tasks Joanne with picking up the dildo developed by a podcast guest, and she winds up taking Noah to pick it up, but they run into a board member of Noah's temple with his mistress. Meanwhile, Sasha helps his daughter navigate a crisis with her crush. Later, Noah makes Joanne dinner. He admits that he wants a real relationship and she admits she is afraid of driving him away. The two have sex. | |||||
| 5 | "My Friend Joanne" | Oz Rodriguez | Neel Shah & Pat Regan | September 26, 2024 | 1VZN05 |
|
Joanne and Noah's first trip together is derailed when Noah is asked to cover for his boss at a Jewish camp in Ojai; Joanne leaves Morgan to handle a dinner with Spotify representatives. While picking up Joanne's laptop from Noah's, Morgan and Sasha bond over being the "loser siblings". After Noah's boss Rabbi Cohen arrives, he asks Joanne to skip his Torah study so he will not be seen with a non-Jewish woman. Upset, Joanne leaves to attend the dinner, where she and Morgan charm the executives. Noah arrives, apologizes to Joanne, and asks her to be his girlfriend. | |||||
| 6 | "The Ick" | Karen Maine | Jane Becker | September 26, 2024 | 1VZN04 |
|
Morgan and Ashley are concerned that Joanne's new relationship is negatively affecting their podcast. Joanne invites Noah to her and Morgan's watch party, but are unexpectedly joined by their parents and their father's new boyfriend. Noah tries too hard to impress Joanne's family, which turns her off. In the ensuing awkwardness, Noah clarifies that he would have to have a Jewish wife. Noah goes outside to assure Joanne that he is on her side and she admits that she likes him. The two discuss "the ick" on the podcast. Meanwhile, Sasha successfully asks for a higher position at his father's company. | |||||
| 7 | "WAGS" | Oz Rodriguez | Lindsay Golder | September 26, 2024 | 1VZN07 |
|
Noah hits it off with Joanne's friend group. In turn Joanne comes to Noah's basketball game, where she successfully charms his teammates but is snubbed by their wives and girlfriends, who are friends with Rebecca. Noah gives Joanne advice on how to win them over during the next game. Morgan also arrives and softens Esther with alcohol. Rebecca spots Noah and Joanne together. Later, Joanne finds some mementos of Rebecca in Noah's things. | |||||
| 8 | "Rebecca's Box" | Hannah Fidell | Teleplay by : Ryann Werner Story by : Ryann Werner & Ron Weiner | September 26, 2024 | 1VZN08 |
|
Noah assures Joanne that he will return the box of Rebecca's things. Rabbi Cohen tells Noah that he wants Noah to succeed him as head rabbi, but encourages him to pursue a Jewish woman. Noah hosts a havdalah dinner with Joanne, inviting Sasha and Esther. Joanne wins favor by convincing their daughter Miriam of their parents' favored bat mitzvah theme. Meanwhile Morgan, concerned that Joanne is changing too much, strikes a conversation with Rebecca at a bar. She claims to Joanne that Noah and Rebecca have been talking behind Joanne's back. Joanne confronts Morgan about the lie and accuses her sister of being jealous of Joanne's healthy relationship. Noah asks her if she would consider converting to Judaism. | |||||
| 9 | "My Girl Bina" | Lawrence Trilling | Barbie Adler & Niki Schwartz-Wright | September 26, 2024 | 1VZN09 |
|
Joanne, still on the outs with Morgan, prepares to meet Noah's parents Ilan and Bina. Joanne commits a faux pas by gifting a box with prosciutto. Esther tells Sasha that Rebecca had recognized Morgan and lied to her. At brunch, Bina verbally disapproves of Joanne's podcast and lack of religion. Joanne tries to patch things up with Bina and catches her eating the prosciutto. She seemingly wins Bina over by hiding this from the others, but afterwards Bina tells Joanne she will not end up with Noah. | |||||
| 10 | "Bat Mitzvah Crashers" | Lawrence Trilling | Craig DiGregorio | September 26, 2024 | 1VZN10 |
|
Joanne fakes sickness to get out of attending Miriam's bat mitzvah. Sasha calls Morgan while she is with Joanne and tells her about Rebecca's lie; the sisters make up and Morgan encourages Joanne to attend. The sisters crash the party and Joanne tells Noah that she wants to convert to Judaism. Esther realizes Sasha and Morgan have been talking. Joanne talks to Rebecca and realizes the responsibility of being wife to the head rabbi. She admits to Noah that she is not ready to convert and tries to break up with him as he cannot have both her and the head rabbi job, but he follows her. Noah agrees with her and kisses her. | |||||
Reception
editThe review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 94% approval rating with an average rating of 7.8/10, based on 48 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Contrary to its title, Nobody Wants This proves to be a welcome binge thanks to Kristen Bell and Adam Brody's irresistible chemistry and some thoughtful considerations of interfaith romance."[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 73 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[11]
Glamour senior editor Jessica Radloff published an essay stating that the show's Jewish characters “come off as controlling, marriage-hungry women who want to plan dinner parties and alienate anyone who doesn't share those same dreams.” She also took issue with the use of shiksa in the first episode "Pilot".[12] In response, Foster has stated “I think we need positive Jewish stories right now. I think it's interesting when people focus on, ‘Oh, this is a stereotype of Jewish people,’ when you have a rabbi as the lead. A hot, cool, young rabbi who smokes weed. That's the antithesis of how people view a Jewish rabbi, right?”[13]
The Independent’s Kate Rosseinsky gave the show a score of 4/5, claiming that although there is a “few obvious tropes” being present there is still many less predictable comedic moments that can be “sometimes hilariously, slightly relatable.”[1]
The Guardian TV critic Lucy Mangan rated the show 5/5 stars, stating “Everybody will want this”. She feels that there is real emotional stakes and that the majorly opposing cultures of the two main characters are “genuine problems” and although they are blocking paths of happiness with no clear answers, she will be with them to the bitter end.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b LeGardy, Quinci (September 30, 2024). "The Cast of 'Nobody Wants This': Who Plays Who in the Netflix Rom-Com Series". Marie Claire. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Esquibias, Liza (September 30, 2024). "Yes, There's a 'The Good Place' Reunion in Kristen Bell's New Netflix Series 'Nobody Wants This'". People. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (March 1, 2023). "Kristen Bell Stars In Erin Foster Comedy Series Ordered By Netflix With Steve Levitan As EP & 20th TV As Studio". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Otterson, Joe (March 1, 2023). "Netflix Orders Comedy Series Starring Kristen Bell From Erin Foster, Steven Levitan". Variety. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ Porter, Rick (March 1, 2023). "Kristen Bell to Star in Netflix Comedy Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Petski, Denise (May 15, 2024). "Kristen Bell-Adam Brody Netflix Comedy Gets Title, Premiere Date & First-Look Photo". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 10, 2024). "'Nobody Wants This' Renewed For Season 2 By Netflix With Jenni Konner & Bruce Eric Kaplan As New Showrunners". Dealine Hollywood. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ Petski, Denise (April 27, 2023). "Adam Brody Joins Kristen Bell In Erin Foster's Netflix Comedy Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (January 22, 2024). "'Succession' Alum Justine Lupe, 'Veep's' Timothy Simons Among 10 Cast in Erin Foster Netflix Comedy Series (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^ "Nobody Wants This: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ "Nobody Wants This: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ Radloff, Jessica (September 27, 2024). "Netflix's Nobody Wants This and the Persistent Jewish Stereotype". Glamour. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (October 1, 2024). "'Nobody Wants This' Criticized for 'Stereotypical' and 'Mean-Spirited' Jewish Characters; Creator Says Netflix Series Aims to 'Shed Positive Light on Jewish Culture'". Variety. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ Romano, Evan (September 26, 2024). "'Nobody Wants This' Is Connected to This Cult Favorite Sitcom". Men's Health. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
