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Netflix's romantic series Nobody Wants This isn’t your typical love story. It’s a raw and reflective exploration of love across boundaries in a world obsessed with differences. The series delves deeply into the heart of interfaith relationships through the budding romance between an agnostic podcaster Joanne (Kristen Bell) and a rabbi named Noah (Adam Brody), who is deeply rooted in his family and Jewish culture.
Nobody Wants This follows an epic clash between these two contrasting individuals. But when their faiths entangle, love blossoms. However, their love (like the title of the show) is unwanted and it faces many challenges in the form of witty banter, awkward family dinners and modern dating chaos. Noah's mother and sister-in-law are unapproving of their son's shiksa (a non-Jewish person) girlfriend and Joanne constantly struggles to understand Noah's Jewish culture and fit into his unwelcoming family.
Beneath these layers of love and understanding, the Netflix series peels back the layer of religion and questions how it fits into the modern dating scene.
More on this in our story.
Nobody Wants This explores modern romance through a faith-based perspective
Netflix's Nobody Wants This feels like a breath of fresh air because of its authentic portrayal of a modern relationship. While many shows are exploring the trials and tribulations of present-day romance and the murky waters of dating, only a few feature it through a faith-based perspective.
Noah and Joanne instantly connect at a friend's party. While their meet-cute is purely formulaic opposites attract, their differences run deep and quickly pivot to the unexplored territory of religion. While Joanne is a free-spirited 'agnostic podcaster' who speaks openly about intimacy, modern relationships, hookup culture and even about her personal failed dating history, Noah is an awkward and newly single rabbi, rooted in his Jewish traditions and culture.
What makes Nobody Wants This stand out from the crowd of modern shows is the protagonists' individuality and their contrasting beliefs. Noah and Joanne are not just two individuals wanting to be together but kept apart by their families (like a majority of the shows), but they truly stand by their contrasting beliefs.
This way, religion is not just a mere liability imposed by their families and society, but it transcends to a fundamental element differentiating them.
Nobody Wants This raises an important question about conversion
Noah and Joanne manage to handle the chaos created by the storm of their love and dodge every hatred-filled bullet with their mutual understanding. However, things start to spiral out of the couple's control when Noah is offered his dream job, the position of the head rabbi.
Noah and Joanne stand at the literal crossroads of religion and identity towards the end of Nobody Wants This and the question of 'What next?' haunts them. It is not the indifference of Noah's family towards his shiksa girlfriend that forces them to question the fundamentals of their relationship but their individual (and contrasting) belief systems.
When Noah realizes it's now or never, he finally asks Joanne to convert to Judaism and she agrees in a blink, no questions asked. Joanne's nonchalant acceptance of Noah's proposal is proof enough that she hasn't thought of institutions like religion and faith seriously in her life. However, the couple fails to see through this loophole and assumes they have crossed the biggest hurdle in their relationship.
It’s only after Joanne’s conversation with Noah’s ex-girlfriend in the Nobody Wants This finale that she truly grasps what converting to Judaism would mean. It's not just the faith itself, but the weight of expectations and responsibilities that come with being the wife of a head rabbi. She understands that even being agnostic was her choice and converting is a deeply and meaningful decision which she cannot take just because she loves Noah.
While it seemed that the lovers were parted for good with Joanne's decision not to convert, Nobody Wants This ended on a positive note for the couple. Noah revealed that Joanne is his priority and the couple pledged to make their relationship work.
It was certainly a glittery and hopeful ending but can their different religious beliefs stand this test? Nobody Wants This Season 2 will stem from this dilemma, as Brody told Netflix Tudum:
“In the light of day, will he still feel that way? I don’t know.''
Brody thinks Noah and Joanne have a difficult journey in Nobody Wants This Season 2:
''What should he do? What should she do? What version of sacrifice is worth it? What constitutes growth, or what constitutes dimming yourself to be with someone else? It’s a sacrifice, but ideally you grow together and you’re better for it — you don’t have to lob off a limb.”
Will Noah and Joanne's interfaith romance triumph against all odds in the upcoming season? Be sure to tune in to Nobody Wants This Season 2 on Netflix with popcorn.
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