5 Predictions for Season 2 of 'Nobody Wants This'
Plus, a recap of Season 1
Hello friends,
Welcome to the only newsletter series dedicated to discussing everything about Netflix’s Hot Rabbi Show from a Jewish perspective. Think of it as a peek into the group chat of six culture-obsessed Jewish women who just happen to be the editorial staff of Kveller and Hey Alma.
Once season two premieres on Oct. 23, this newsletter will be the place for all the hottest Jewish takes and sharpest breakdowns on “Nobody Wants This.” But first, let’s rewind to season one: He was a rabbi. She was a non-Jewish dating and sex podcaster. Can we make it any more obvious?
…Oh, what’s that? We can make it more obvious because it’s been like a year and you need a recap of season one? Fair.
Season one recap:
In the beginning, viewers meet Noah Roklov (Adam Brody), the aforementioned rabbi, and Joanne (Kristen Bell), the aforementioned dating and sex podcaster, just as they hit it off at a mutual friend’s dinner party. The two have great banter and even greater chemistry. But there’s a catch. Noah is expected by his family and entire community to marry a Jewish woman — specifically, his perfect ex Rebecca (Emily Arlook) — and Joanne is, well, not a Jewish woman. And Noah’s family makes a point to tell her that she’s a “shiksa” so, so many times. Like, arguably an antisemitic amount of times. Oh, the horror of an interfaith relationship!!
In spite of the cold shoulder from potential sister-in-law Esther (Jackie Tohn) and mother-in-law Bina (Tovah Feldshuh) and pressure from Noah’s boss Rabbi Cohen (Stephen Tobolowsky), Noah and Joanne’s romance blossoms. Joanne cheers Noah on at his Matzah Ballers basketball games, the pair go dildo shopping for Joanne’s podcast and they celebrate Shabbat together. There are a few more hiccups along the way, like Joanne feeling dissed by Noah at his old Jewish summer camp, her bringing prosciutto to brunch with Noah’s family and Noah briefly giving Joanne the ick. Still, they seem to be able to handle all of it… That is, until Noah’s niece Miriam’s (Shiloh Bearman) bat mitzvah.
At the party, Rebecca gives Joanne a whole spiel about how much work it is to be the rabbi’s wife, which scares Joanne. She immediately breaks things off with Noah, telling him that she doesn’t want to convert to Judaism, and then sullenly hops on the party bus to get back to her car. Except, who’s waiting for her at the parking lot? It’s Noah! He tells her that he wants to make it work, in spite of his family and his job, and they share another passionate kiss.
Oh, and the whole season, Noah’s brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) is a lovable goofball. At some point, he becomes friends with Joanne’s sister Morgan (Justine Lupe), much to Esther’s dismay.
And that’s what you missed on season one of “Nobody Wants This”!
Our predictions for season two:
“Esther will become the third co-host of the podcast and they’ll start selling “Whore 1” and “Whore 2” merch.” —Molly Tolsky, Hey Alma and Kveller editor
“There’s a lot of comedic potential in a plot line where Joanne decides she does actually want to convert but does it secretly because she doesn’t want Noah to think she’s changing for him.” —Evelyn Frick, Hey Alma associate editor
“They’re going to come up with a tidy backstory for why Joanne, who grew up in LA, presumably around many Jews, knows literally nothing about Judaism.” —Daci Platt, Kveller audience engagement editor
“I wonder if Bina will have a reckoning of sorts now that Noah is showing how far he is willing to go for his relationship with Joanne. It’d be interesting and I think important to try to show more nuances to her character.” —Lior Zaltzman, Kveller senior writer
“It would be fun for Joanne to have a crisis about not being able to podcast anymore now that she’s in a happy relationship and has no dating horror stories to complain about.” —Vanessa Friedman, Hey Alma and Kveller deputy editor
Read more of our predictions here!
Extra credit reading:
Jackie Tohn Made Sure Esther in ‘Nobody Wants This’ Was a Multi-Dimensional Jewish Woman (Kveller)
I’m a Rabbi in an Interfaith Marriage — Here’s What I Think About ‘Nobody Wants This’ (Hey Alma)
Should Jews Want Netflix’s ‘Nobody Wants This?’ (Kveller)
What’s Up With the Ending of ‘Nobody Wants This’ on Netflix? (Kveller)
How Accurate Is the Judaism in Netflix’s ‘Nobody Wants This?’ (Hey Alma)