Last night I watched the first two episodes of 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 with 800 NY Jews (and Adam Brody)
The night also featured an impromptu Fran Fine impression and lots of discussion around Brody's beard.
Yesterday I drove from Suburban New Jersey to be amongst my people — specifically, 800 Jewish New Yorkers who paid good money to get an early preview of the first two episodes of the new season of “Nobody Wants This.” We congregated at the Jewish New York bastion that is 92NY (or as you previously knew it, the 92nd Street Y).
It was a wild night, and it helped me see the show in a new light (oh look I rhymed), so I thought it might be fun for you to enjoy my observations, too. You’re welcome!
The Vibes
Was blessed to sit next to a lozenge-chewing lady who, when the conflict around Joanne’s conversion first came up during episode one, loudly uttered “uh oh” and later told Noah and Joanne to “just break up.”
“She just doesn’t want to be Jewish,” she sassily told the screen (and all the other audience members in ear shot) at one point. I’m obsessed, please never change, Lozenge Lady.
Can confirm Tovah Feldshuh got the biggest cheers during her episode two entry, as she should, on her home turf. She also looked so badass in the episode — 10/10 styling (for the whole show, but also for this particular moment).
Episode one got a lot of laughs until the first conversion conflict between Joanne and Rabbi Noah; episode two got slightly fewer laughs. People were generally so happy to be there, and many of them said they loved it out loud. Even though Lozenge Lady seemed less enthused, based on the crowd reaction, I feel like this season will get those streaming numbers?!
The screening was followed by a star-studded Q&A for an episode of Josh Horowitz’s podcast, “Happy, Sad, Confused.”
Here was the roster: S2 showrunners Bruce Eric Kaplan and Jenni Konner, show creator and inspiration for Joanne Erin Foster, and stars Kristen Bell (who is also EP), hot rabbi Adam Brody, Timothy Simmons (Sasha), Jackie Tohn (Esther) and Justine Lupe (Morgan).
The Q&A was truly unhinged (there was a lot of talk about a “urine prank”) and I do recommend listening when it goes live on Horowitz’s podcast. But I’ve put together some key moments to tide you over until then. First, here’s a blurry picture:
The Highlights:
Jackie Tohn is the friggin’ best and she gave us so much more evidence for this:
She introduced herself as “big Jew here.”
When Josh said he never got bar mitzvah-ed, Jackie told him that that doesn’t matter, being Jewish is “in the kishkes.”
Also Timothy’s hair was bleached blond and Jackie called him “Mr. Marylin Monroe” (who was Jewish, BTW.) Their rapport is 100/10 and I need that Sasha/Esther spinoff ASAP.
When mentioning the criticism around Esther and the portrayal of Jewish women, she was like, of course, the Jews had to say something, we’re the Jews — this got what I believe were the biggest cheers of the Q&A portion, as it should’ve. Jackie knows her crowd.
She also said that she loved that all the loud-opinionated badass Jewish women were like “We’re not like that!” We contain multitudes, Jackie!
When the cast and crew were kvelling about Leighton Meester (Brody’s wife) and her cameo in the show, and musing about her replacing someone in the main cast, Jackie was like “Thank G-d she doesn’t play Jewish, I’m safe.”
She also called a bar mitzvah a mitz.
She improvised the best Fran Drescher impression I’ve ever seen. (Rachel Bloom & Fran, please keep Jackie in mind for the Broadway Nanny revival!!!!)
Justine Lupe confirmed the question that she gets asked the most about the show is if Adam Brody is hot — and her answer is obvi, yes.
Lots of talk about Adam Brody’s beard:
Does Adam have control over his facial hair, is a question Josh Horowitz asked, and they joked that if he shaved he would be fired.
Jackie was like, let’s go full rebbe.
The consensus is that they want more beard — agree/disagree, let us know in the comments!
Erin Foster answered the question of whether she prefers dogs or cats with “I’m not a pet person.”
Adam Brody will read the season two reviews, but he does not know how to watch the TikToks.
Adam Brody confirmed that he gets called “Adrien” Brody more than “Adam.”
I actually find Noah’s brother and his wife Esther the most fun and entertaining. Joanne has been a dating ‘red flag’ from the get go.
No, the little lady with the lozenges sitting next to you was NOT me, BUT, weirdly, I've had a cold and been sucking on lozenges like crazy! I am still on the fence. But I do love Tovah Feldshuh and Timothy Simmons is such a goof ball. He's like a giant and I just love how he towers over everybody, lol.
I cannot binge - the episodes get me so riled up, gotta take 'em one at a time. <g>