After watching the first few episodes of season two of the Netflix romantic comedy series “Nobody Wants This,” I felt the season had drawn-out and unconnected storylines. However, once I reached the last episode, the satisfying ending made the series worth the watch.
The second season of “Nobody Wants This” was released on Oct. 23, just over a year after the release of the first season. It is rated TV-MA and has 10 episodes ranging from 21 to 31 minutes. All of the main characters returned for this season, and a few new characters were added.
The previous season ends after Noah, a Rabbi played by Adam Brody, chases after his non-Jewish love interest Joanne, played by Kristen Bell, to tell her that he wants to be with her. However, Joanne doesn’t decide if she will convert to Judaism to be with Noah, who is making this a condition of their relationship, ending the season on a cliff-hanger.
This season introduces new cast member Leighton Meester, Brody’s wife, as Abby, a Jewish influencer whose arrival rekindles childhood tensions with Joanne and her sister, Morgan, Joanne’s sister played by Justine Lupe. Additionally, Alex Karpovsky joins the cast as another Rabbi named Noah, nicknamed Big Noah, and Arian Moayed plays Morgan’s new love interest, Dr. Andy.
Some of the funniest characters in the season were Abby during her daughter’s baby naming in “Abby Loves Smoothies,” and scenes with Bina, Noah’s mother played by the effortlessly humorous Tovah Feldshuh. Additionally, I enjoyed watching all of the scenes with Morgan and Sasha, Noah’s brother, played by Timothy Simons, especially in the episode “A Better Rabbi.”
I appreciated that the second season moved away from depicting negative Jewish stereotypes, which was a major problem of season one. Bina’s hatred of Joanne, in part because she is not Jewish, is resolved early in the second season, and Noah’s portrayal of Judaism is more authentic than in season one, which is notably shown in “A Better Rabbi”.
The warm use of color in the cinematography, which made the show visually appealing, and its stellar soundtrack full of original music by artists such as Selena Gomez, Finneas and Kacey Musgraves, made the show very enjoyable.
Although I recommend watching this season, it still had a few issues. The season’s main problem is the unnecessary amount of filler storylines and the lack of cohesiveness between them. It seemed like each episode depicted an unoriginal conflict and resolution that added little to the main storyline.
I felt this especially in the episode “A Better Rabbi” because nothing important to the main plot was added, making it feel as though it was a filler episode. Although many of the scenes were very funny, they were wholly unnecessary to the main plot.
Another issue I had with the season is the excessive amount of advertisements that range from Dunkin’ cups with the label clearly visible for minutes at a time, to the superfluous descriptions of the rules to the card game “Go Deep”.
Despite these issues, the satisfying ending makes the season worth watching because it leaves the characters and their relationships at a solid point. This includes Morgan and Esther, Sasha’s wife, who both go through significant character changes, and Joanne, who makes a major decision concerning her religion.
Overall, “Nobody Wants This” season two is an enjoyable binge for those who like plenty of comedy, romance and enjoy satisfying endings.
