Around this time last year, the world fell in love with Nobody Wants This. A cozy, emotionally soothing watch about an agnostic podcast host and an unconventional rabbi choosing one another, defined by glowing chemistry and great writing, captured us all. The “I can handle you” scene has been committed to the rom-com hall of fame. Season 1 was wholly satisfying; with its love-conquers-all ending, it left the future an open question for them (and us) to imagine. It was something I personally loved about it: A happy ending with endless possibilities. I remember texting a friend, “This was so satisfying, it doesn’t really need a second season.” And—hear me out—I still think that. 

Before you grab your pitchforks, I thoroughly enjoyed season 2. It is entertaining, funny, and heartfelt, and I’m happy to spend some more time with these characters. Joanne and Noah are still the rom-com couple of the moment; they listen to one another and inspire each other to be and do better. Adam Brody and Kristen Bell have such amazing chemistry that they’ll make your heart soar even in the quiet moments. Their social circle is just as delightful to watch, if not more so, as they take on heftier story arcs this time. But one of the central conflicts of season 1—will Joanne convert to Judaism—remains, and season 2 spends the majority of its time stuck there. 

I understand it’s a huge hurdle to overcome; deciding to convert one’s faith is a massively personal commitment, especially if the reason you first began considering it is for someone else. I’m not here to argue with that—the series does a great job of exploring those nuances. The examination of different aspects and applications of Judaism through a comedic yet honest lens remains interesting and layered. The show also really shines when it explores the ups and downs of a relationship after the honeymoon phase ends and reality begins to set in. That idea of a person in your head can translate to a very different person on paper, even if those foibles resolve themselves along the way. 

And Noah and Joanne do grow this season, in some aspects. Noah makes decisions about his career that shake everyone around him. Joanne goes public with their relationship, and together they work to enmesh their lives as fully as possible. They take steps toward deepening their bond through open communication and brutally honest arguments. But when it comes to moving forward with their relationship, all I’m saying is that it feels like season 2 goes round in circles for longer than it needs to. Maybe that’s the idea; large sticking points in relationships do wind up taking on a life of their own. But the execution makes the main plot stall for too long.

Like I said, I still enjoyed this season. The other storylines fill the space left behind with long-term relationship troubles, newfound love, and fiery family showdowns. Morgan, ever the thorn in Joanne’s side, embarks on a love story of her own…with questionable decisions along the way. Justine Lupe is one of the season’s standouts, bringing a razor-sharp edge to steal each scene. Morgan’s romance with the intense yet affable Andy (Arian Moayed) holds up a mirror to Joanne and Noah’s relationship and exposes some truths neither sister wants to face. Meanwhile, Sasha (Timothy Simons) and Esther (Jackie Tohn) both feel disconnected and unheard, while still trying to fulfill family and friend expectations. Their relationship’s ebb and flow is a riptide; you don’t realize how much of a pull it has until it smacks you in the face with the truth. 

Joanne and Morgan’s parents, Lynn (Stephanie Faracy) and Henry (Michael Hitchcock), are wildly unpredictable yet endearing as they figure out new ways of communicating with their adult children, and with themselves. Noah and Sasha’s mother, Bina, is one diamond of a lady; sharp, ruthless, yet captivating, Tovah Feldshuh is her trademark sparkling self here. I could watch her forever. And the guest stars add a secret sauce to this season; in particular, Brody’s IRL wife, Leighton Meester, whose mommy influencer role is the comedic high point. 

Nobody Wants This S2 dances along these surrounding storylines to keep your interest piqued, showing the everyday life that happens in between the grand declarations of love. It’s refreshing in its realness, thanks in large part to the snappy and insightful writing from creator Erin Foster and her creative team. And it makes those poignant loved-up moments hit harder, set to songs plucked straight out of your TikTok feed, of course filled with some pop powerhouses (we see you, Chappell, Sabrina, charli — kisses xoxo).

The second half of the season is where things really start to take off, and you’ll once again become emotionally entangled in the characters’ messy interpersonal lives. However, the season doesn’t reach the satisfying payoff of season 1. S1 had such a perfectly open-ended finale that S2 can’t really top; it gave us a classic rom-com ending, while this new season asks what happens after the credits roll. Let’s be honest, many rom-com couples would never make it IRL—but this series tries to imagine what that journey would look like. Except it can’t decide what it wants. Nobody Wants This seems to be keeping its options open, so some storylines feel abandoned halfway through, while others still don’t feel fully realized. 

(L to R) Adam Brody as Noah, Kristen Bell as Joanne in Nobody Wants This (photo: Erin Simkin/Netflix © 2025)

Because of this, the way the season reaches its climax doesn’t quite have the same punch behind it. It can’t seem to meld the reality of the situation with the romance of it, leaving the show unsure of which way it wants to go. While Nobody Wants This does enjoy playing with traditional rom-com tropes, it’s hard to let go of the expectations the genre frames this story in. Perhaps those deviations will work for you, or perhaps, like me, you’ll be left wondering if a second season was truly needed.

With that said, this season feels more invested in its journey than its culmination. I think no matter what stage you’re at in life and love, you’ll take something different from it. Whether it’s knowing your worth or knowing you need to have those hard conversations in order to grow. Most of all, Nobody Wants This S2 reminds you that the relationships that stand the test of time aren’t always adorned with gold necklaces and roses; their success lies in choosing someone and fighting for that choice, every single day.