I Do, In Fact, Want This

When I saw the thumbnail for Nobody Wants This pop up on Netflix, I was intrigued. I love Kristin Bell from The Good Place and I have a forever-crush on Adam Brody from his role on the Gilmore Girls, and that was pretty much all I needed to be sold on the show. But I was deep in Christmas movies at the time, so I waited until a cold snap in bleakest January to binge this breezy L.A. rom com. In another era, this would have been a theatrical movie that packed humor and heart into ninety minutes, ending with an HEA that has viewers leaving the theater with tears in their eyes and a smile on their face. While Nobody Wants This has plenty of humor and heart, spreading out the story over ten half-hour episodes dilutes the comedy and the season ends with only half of the story told. Bell and Brody are both great, and Nobody Wants This is worth watching, but I think this is an instance where less would have been more.

Joanne (Bell) hosts a podcast with her sister Morgan (Justine Lupe) where they candidly discuss sex and relationships. Noah (Brody) is a rabbi who just ended a relationship with a woman hand-picked by his meddling family. When Joanne and Noah meet at a dinner party, they are immediately attracted to each other, but they both know that his job is an unsurmountable obstacle. As the head of his synagogue, Noah needs a woman who can represent the faith to his temple members. Joanne isn't Jewish and she has talked publicly about her sex life. Despite the differences between them, they begin dating. His family does everything they can to break them up, and Joanne's sister feels threatened by her new relationship. And then, you know, the season just kind of ends without any of that being resolved. Which is annoying. This is also basically the exact same plot as The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan, where a former porn star-turned-producer falls in love with a progressive rabbi. The key difference is that the book delves way deeper into the appeal of Judaism and it actually has an ending that reconciles the issues between the main characters. (Also, not for nothing, the sex scenes are pretty hot).

My enjoyment of this show was definitely colored by having read a book that does the same thing, but better. I also couldn't stop thinking about hot rabbis. I have a well-documented fascination with beards, so you know I'm into the look. There's something about a man who has dedicated his life to reflection and compassion, who wants to teach and guide but not command, that feels powerfully masculine. Also, this particular hot rabbi is played by Adam Brody, who has been a great kisser since he laid one on Lane after Korean Thanksgiving. He's a great kisser in this too, but my view of him has been colored by some of his recent performances. In the past couple of years, I've seen him weaponize his charm in movies like Ready or Not, Promising Young Woman, and Jennifer's Body. Now that I know he has a predatory mode, I can't stop seeing it. Noah is, at worst, kind of a momma's boy, but I couldn't stop thinking Brody might unveil a monster within.

That tinge of untrustworthiness actually works for Nobody Wants This, because it helps the audience sympathize with Bell's trepidation over their burgeoning relationship. Joanne isn't entirely likeable. She and her sister are self-declared bitchy girls, and they seem to be living quite comfortably in L.A. doing the sort of podcast that is just two people sitting around talking shit. The L.A. of it all is also more strongly represented in her character, as she's got the sort of glossy finish that looks like an Instagram filter come to life. She's still got the exquisite comedic timing of Veronica Mars and The Good Place, but the girl-next-door awkwardness has been burnished away. Don't get me wrong, she's funny and relatable and the chemistry between her and Brody really works. But I somehow felt that I understood her less as the series went on.

Now I'm just thinking about hot rabbis. Mandy Patinkin in Yentl, for sure. Smart Hulk? I think he counts. Paul Rudd is Jewish, and I think he'd play a great rabbi. Ooh, Seth Rogan. I would let him trick me into religion with humor. I want to count Stanley Tucci, even though I don't think he's Jewish, but he's got the calming air and impressive forearms. Can you think of others? I think I may be developing a hot rabbi kink and I should explore the genre further. Let me know!