LOS ANGELES (AP) — The debut season of Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This”, which premiered last year, has taken the streaming platform by storm, achieving a level of popularity that its creator and cast never anticipated. The series not only captured the attention of audiences but also dominated Netflix’s Global English Top 10 TV List for an impressive six weeks, accumulating a staggering 57 million views within just three months, as reported by the streaming giant. Kristen Bell, the series' star and executive producer, remarked, “I think we just kind of won the lottery with how ready people were for this kind of story,” as fans eagerly await the release of Season 2 on Thursday.
This captivating romantic comedy centers around the evolving relationship between Noah (played by Adam Brody), a trendy yet deeply committed Reform rabbi, and Joanne (portrayed by Bell), an agnostic woman who hosts a podcast focused on dating and sexuality. The show has sparked significant internet buzz, particularly over Brody’s portrayal of a "hot rabbi." However, it has also faced pressing criticisms and a flurry of think pieces analyzing its potential reinforcement of antisemitic tropes, particularly regarding the depiction of Jewish women.
Characters such as Noah’s sister-in-law, Esther, and his mother, Bina, have drawn criticism for being portrayed as bitter and controlling, starkly contrasting with Joanne and her sister, Morgan (played by Justine Lupe). Rabbi Elan Babchuck, executive vice president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, expressed discomfort upon watching the first episode. “There’s a lot that I would want to change about it,” he noted, mentioning the show’s portrayal of Judaism as a “test to pass rather than a tradition to pass on,” and criticizing the use of the term “shiksa,” which is a derogatory reference to non-Jewish women. However, after watching the entire season, Babchuck had a change of heart, stating, “I celebrate the show. I think representation matters across the board, even when it’s in flawed form.”
Following its renewal for a second season, Netflix announced that Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan, both alumni of HBO’s “Girls,” would take over as showrunners. Erin Foster, the show's creator who loosely based the storyline on her own experiences and conversion to Judaism, remains involved as an executive producer. “We love the show. It’s Erin’s voice. It’s Erin's story,” Konner explained. “Our job is literally to protect her voice and to show her stuff she may not know because she hasn’t done this job before.”
As the relationship between Joanne and Noah deepens in the first season, they face complex questions regarding conversion, family dynamics, and Noah's professional aspirations. The upcoming season tackles the aftermath of Noah being overlooked for the head rabbi position at his temple due to Joanne's hesitance to convert. Notably, Season 2 also delves deeper into Bina’s character and explores Esther’s narrative, a storyline Foster asserts was always intended. “If you are a Jewish woman who has felt like you didn’t like how you’re portrayed in the world or how people view you, I can understand the sensitivity,” Foster acknowledged. “Definitely it was never the intention.”
Despite the criticism, Foster and the cast are largely taking the feedback in stride. “Not everyone should be allowed to put their opinion publicly everywhere,” she remarked. Brody added, “Obviously, one show or group of characters can’t stand in for a whole civilization.” Jackie Tohn, who portrays Esther, expressed surprise at some of the backlash, asserting, “The two craziest characters on this show are undoubtedly Joanne and Morgan,” and highlighted that the Jewish women characters are more grounded.
Foster has emphasized her commitment to accurately representing Jewish culture throughout the series, noting that they engaged a rabbi consultant who reviewed every script and participated actively in the writers' room. Rabbi Nicole Guzik of Sinai Temple, where parts of “Nobody Wants This” were filmed, praised Brody for his dedication, recalling how he asked her to assist with his Hebrew pronunciations, demonstrating his genuine care for authenticity in his role.
While “Nobody Wants This” intricately explores the themes of Judaism and the potential for Joanne to embrace it, Foster insists that the religious aspects serve as a “backdrop” to the central love story rather than as the main focus. “There is no intention for it to feel heavy-handed. I think that people really grabbed onto the right amounts of religion in the show,” she remarked. For some viewers, the series’ engagement with Judaism and conversion is what makes it both unique and appealing. Rabbi Guzik reflected, “To have a Netflix series be so popular and be around conversations of what it means to be Jewish in an uplifting way, in a curious way, I don’t see how we can be critical.”
She added, “I know that there are going to be different pieces of a Jewish narrative that I may not necessarily ascribe to or align with. But that’s also the Jewish story, right? We are widely diverse.”
