‘Nobody Wants This’ Netflix Series Review - Kristen Bell, Adam Brody and a Lovely Romantic Comedy

Imagine naming your show Nobody Wants This at a time when trolls, in an attempt to be "funny," criticize your work harshly online. Creator Erin Foster surely must have had extreme confidence in her series. If that's the case, then after watching Nobody Wants This, you feel like telling her, "Well, you were absolutely right." With Nobody Wants This, Foster endows the genre of romantic comedy with fresh air that's lovely, charming, and rib-tickling. What's so exciting about this series is that it merges the lightness of a sitcom with the rough edges of a serious story - it's a wonderful dramedy. The tone is balanced beautifully. The comedy doesn't deflate the drama, and the drama doesn't undermine the comedy. This is not easy to pull off - it's an impressive feat. Nobody Wants This focuses on relatable situations by cranking the crazy meter up a little. We all have sent silly text messages to appear cool or funny, only to overthink our actions after not receiving an immediate reply. And we have all been embarrassed in public by that one person who calls attention to themselves as well as to us by being noisy. Such moments come across as both real and exaggerated in Nobody Wants This. The show's fiction is quite close to reality.

Foster enlivens her rom-com by infusing it with personal feelings. You cannot be merely influenced by other shows and films to write scenes like the one where Morgan (Justine Lupe) gets irritated by her sister, Joanne (Kristen Bell), because she takes a leave from professional duties by going on a trip. Morgan is annoyed because, in the past, she wasn't given a break when she was facing some health-related problem. The pleasure arises not merely through this situation but also through the way the characters act during this situation. Morgan and Joanne's sisterly love, arguments, and bickering are devoid of TV sentimentality. They are able to push each other's buttons because they are really familiar with each other's routines and habits. Bell and Lupe seem to be having a lot of fun. Their characters run a podcast where they talk about sex, though the main attraction is the bitter remarks they dispense while having discussions. Their fans enjoy listening to the harsh, dirty words as they come out with a playful rhythm. The podcast is acquired by a big company, which means Morgan and Joanne will no longer have to worry about receiving free stuff. I wish the show had concentrated a little more on the sisters' work. At one point, we learn that the downloads are getting low, and people are leaving nasty comments. Does this not put some doubt in the minds of the men in suits who show faith in the podcast? Do they not talk to the sisters about this problem? Later, when Morgan and Joanne start resenting each other, we don't see them doing a podcast together until that moment when all the doubts between them are resolved through a phone call. Before this scene, didn't they even once sit down to do their jobs?

I ask these questions because Joanne's profession, after a while, seems insignificant when compared to that of Noah's (Adam Brody). He is a rabbi and Joanne's boyfriend. His job becomes one of the biggest hurdles in their relationship. Noah wants to be the head rabbi - a position that comes with specific rules, such as your spouse needs to be a Jew. Will Joanne convert? If not, will Noah choose the girl of his dreams or his dream job? What's so interesting about Nobody Wants This is that it doesn't treat love as some kind of magical band-aid that fixes everything. It considers both the personal and professional lives to be important. Love alone cannot satisfy all your desires and can certainly not pay your bills. It's so nice to meet lovers who passionately talk about their work and do not merely indulge in lovey-dovey yappings. Noah and Joanne's romance shines through gestures both grand and subtle. Notice how inside a sex shop, Joanne says that this incident can one day be narrated as a funny story to their...well, she is about to say kids but then replaces the k-word with "friends." Noah and Joanne want to be together, but they are constantly driven apart by other people. Noah's mother, Bina (Tovah Feldshuh), doesn't like Joanne. Esther (Jackie Tohn) shares the same sentiments, mainly because she is Rebecca's (Emily Arlook) best friend. Who is Rebecca? Noah's ex. When the other characters are not busy cursing Joanne and Noah's relationship, Noah tries to sabotage his bond by prioritizing his rabbi duties. At a religious camp, for instance, he hides Joanne inside a cabin when a senior arrives at the gathering. Some teenagers mock Joanne, and when they support her after some time, their actions feel jarring. We don't get a scene informing us how these girls end up taking Joanne's side.

The people and the circumstances can be against the main couple, but Joanne knows how to turn the tide in her favor. She wins over WAGS (wives and girlfriends), impresses Noah's male friends, and strikes a friendship with Bina, which is eventually revealed to be a sham (it's one of the best scenes in this series). But I have to admit how delightful it is to see characters who are so smart they shatter unoriginality. When Joanne notices the Rebecca box or hears about a "not so serious relationship" remark, she directly confronts Noah instead of keeping her thoughts suppressed and giving rise to unnecessary complications. This has to be my favorite thing about Nobody Wants This. I can't even begin to tell you how mad I become when I see characters preferring silence over solving their issues through face-to-face conversations, thus turning their life more miserable. Nobody Wants This, thankfully, avoids taking such a terrible step. The show does so many things right that you are underwhelmed by the climax. I wish Foster had allowed us to be as uncertain as the characters. That final kiss feels like a happy assurance - a soft cushion that doesn't want to hurt the audience. You can almost hear a voice saying, "Let's not disturb the viewers. Let's leave them with a smile." I wanted to stand up and reply, "Please, trust your instincts and be as uninhibited as Joanne."

Final Score- [8/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times