Nobody Wants This Review – Kristen Bell and Adam Brody’s chemistry is electric | television

TIt’s known that the course of true love is not smooth, but for Noah and Joan – the protagonists of the charming Los Angeles-set romance, “Nobody Wants This” – it was especially difficult. The problem? Noah is a religious leader and Joan is an atheist sex broadcaster. the TRUE problem? Noah is a rabbi and Joan is – in the words of his disapproving mother – a “shiksa”. Otherwise known as Not a Jew.

Is this a deal breaker? Season 1 seems to indicate that. After finally reuniting with Noah (Adam Brody), Joan (Kristen Bell) vows to convert to Judaism. But then she changed her mind, and realized that adopting the faith for logistical reasons wasn’t the most morally upright thing to do. So she gave him up. This was also a great decision from an ethical standpoint; Joan didn’t want to force Noah to choose between her and his life’s calling.

However, true love is also difficult to justify. The last time we saw the duo, Noah had just taken off after a depressed Joan and admitted that it was true, he couldn’t have it both ways – before leaning into a big old ego. Not only was this a classic romcom climax, it was also suspenseful. The couple has just agreed that their relationship has no future; Could this be Netflix’s most nihilistic romantic comedy yet? If not, how would the show get itself out of this impasse?

By largely ignoring it. As we reunite with Joan and Noah in Season 2, you’d be forgiven for assuming that none of it matters at all. Instead, we’re treated to a dream of young love (Brody and Bale are both 45, and although their characters’ ages aren’t explicitly revealed, they look like they’re in their late 30s). Their most pressing concerns range from the everyday (Will their first joint dinner party be a success?) to the venue (Should Joan discuss Noah’s elegant bedside water jugs on her podcast?). Granted, their relationship has real-world repercussions when Noah is overlooked for his dream job as chief rabbi. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be a rabbi at all, and he soon takes a new position at a more progressive temple (led by the mysterious comic dream team of Seth Rogen and Kate Berlant).

However, the question of transformation still hovers over Joan and Noah’s romantic bliss. Nobody Wants This is inspired by creator Erin Foster’s experience converting to Judaism after falling in love with a Jewish man, so we can broadly assume where things are going. But how do you get there? Joan hopes to gradually become enthusiastic about religion, but unlike her mother—who suddenly developed a surprising attachment to religion during a Purim party—she is (relatively) skeptical of the idea of ​​suddenly converting to a new religion. sense Jewish.

However, a more realistic approach may also seem contradictory. At one point, Esther, Noah’s sister-in-law, promotes Judaism as something like the religious equivalent of hygge, telling Joan that it is “warm and cozy” and therefore “fundamentally Jewish.” She is “funny” (“That’s a Jew!”), “always getting into everyone’s business” and “loving”.[s] “To share” as well – things that also make it well-suited to religion. Equating compassionate Jewish models (which are ultimately simple human models) with religion itself – a model for it completely A lot of the rules (especially if you’re marrying a rabbi) – seem pretty superficial.

Fortunately, no one wants this to remain remarkably strong in other areas. The chemistry between Brody — who still manages to tap into the throbbing state he acquired two decades ago playing sweet nerd Seth Cohen on The OC — and Bale, who specializes in great acid fellatio, is still smoldering. The rawness and barely disguised fragility of Joan’s younger sister and podcast co-host Morgan (Succession’s Justine Loeb) make her one of the finest comedic creations currently on our screens. This time, she gets a proper love interest — though unfortunately it’s love-bombing therapist Dr. Andy (Succession’s Ariane Moayed). It’s a story that lends itself to both dumb jokes and emotional depth, as does a subplot involving Morgan’s friendship with Noah’s older brother Sasha (Veep’s Timothy Simmons), a goofy advice source grappling with his own marital strife.

With a respectable joke score — though we’re talking about smile-inducing shenanigans rather than oriental laughter — and a steady stream of carefully observed details (Joan’s obvious joy in getting the religious Noah right; Noah’s nice-guy credentials crumble a bit when Joan finds out how he’s treated previous partners), no one wants this easy to buy into and easy to like. Especially if you – like the show itself – don’t think much about the complex theological dilemma at its core.