Three seasons in, it’s been established that the two people at the center of this story do, in fact, want this, even if they’ve had to overcome a number of obstacles to their relationship happiness. Audiences have become invested in the romantic journey of an agnostic podcaster and a hot rabbi who are fighting hard to find ways not to be with each other to take the easy route rather than put in the work to make it a permanent thing. Nobody Wants This has become a TV fixture, and those who are still watching will find more of the same in an entertaining third season.
Noah (Adam Brody) and Joanne (Kristen Bell) have taken two big steps that cement the possibility of a future together while also presenting new challenges. They’re living together, revealing new issues that hadn’t previously come up while offering them the chance to build a shared home. Joanne is in conversion classes, on her way to becoming a Jew, which will satisfy Noah’s professional concerns as well as those of his family, namely his mother Bina (Tovah Feldshuh). At the same time, Noah’s brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) and Esther (Jackie Tohn) navigate what it means to be separated while Joanne’s sister Morgan (Justine Lupe) explores a new career move.
This show continues to explore a narrative that’s been building and at times meandering since its first episode, and those who are still paying attention won’t be too surprised by any of its developments. Its pacing is unpredictable, offering a surprise development midseason that moves the plot in a new direction while inviting familiar problems along with it. But it’s generally an expected course that finds plenty of things to nitpick about this relationship and, more often than not, the personality differences that feel more threatening than the religious landmines that they have to make sure to sidestep.
It’s not likely that anyone watching is still hoping to go deep on Judaism in a meaningful way since this show has never really done that, and this season is no exception. Its depiction of “shul politics,” or the inner workings of synagogue and clergy life, is surface-level as Noah considers the next phase of his career and worries that his peer Rabbi Eden (Sarah Silverman), who teaches Joanne’s conversion class, doesn’t like him. There are still fun moments and references, particularly as Joanne tries to claim the role of teacher’s pet in her rapid digestion and regurgitation of Jewish facts and traditions, and it’s always worthwhile to see Noah shining in the rabbinic spotlight instead of finding ways to distance himself from something that is clearly meaningful to him.
Noah and Joanne are endearing and Brody and Bell continue to have great chemistry, but they can also be grating, both individually and as a couple. Fortunately, as in season two, the real stars of the show are their onscreen siblings, whose friendship continues to progress as they evolve from accepting their loser-sibling status to taking back control of their lives. Sasha’s flailing dating attempts are quite awkward and entertaining, while Morgan’s embrace of a half-baked catchphrase as her new mantra cements her status as someone who isn’t even sure herself whether she sounds intelligent but is determined to make other people arrive at her way of thinking rather than the other way around. Tohn is terrific as always in a reduced role, and it’s nice to see Esther grow, now cozying up to Joanne as a legitimate friend after previously refusing to even look at her out of loyalty to her best friend who also happened to be Noah’s ex.
Like Noah and Joanne’s own future, the destiny of Nobody Wants This remains unknown. At a certain point, there won’t be much story left to tell, and its main characters may have even achieved a state of boring bliss that mirrors the crisis Joanne undergoes in this season when she fears that she’s no longer interesting because she’s actually happy. It’s not always spectacular or all that layered, but when things click, this show demonstrates that it still has a spark of what served as its initial hook. When it takes itself just seriously enough to have fun, it’s at its best, a fun watch that doesn’t need to be overanalyzed for depth or meaning but simply enjoyed for what it is.
Season Rating: 7/10
