'Nobody Wants This' S2 Feels Like A Retread

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit claireandemma.substack.com

The first season of “Nobody Wants This” was, fortunately for a show with that title, a smash hit. Based on the life of show creator Erin Foster, who converted to Judaism for her now-husband, the show followed the unlikely interfaith love story between unfiltered podcaster Joanne (Kristin Bell) and hot rabbi Noah (nerdy millennial women’s fantasy boyfriend Adam Brody).

Recapturing the magic of Joanne and Noah’s meet-cute is a tall order for season 2. And while the season does get a lot right — fleshing out some of the ensemble characters, exploring a flaw or two in the almost too-perfect Noah — it seems to have been too tall of an order to fulfill. “Nobody Wants This” spends the entire season taking us in what feels like a perfect circle, rehashing the same fundamental conflict between Noah and Joanne: she doesn’t want to convert, and if she doesn’t, being in a relationship with her is damaging to his rabbinical reputation.