Is ‘Nobody Wants This’ The Perfect Rom-Com?

When a new show on Netflix quickly rises to the #1 spot on the most-watched list, I take note. And if it’s a rom-com with snackable episodes like Nobody Wants This, I’m hitting that play button immediately. The new Netflix series stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, and it’s totally going viral right now for being the realistic romance that none of us knew we needed.

In Nobody Wants This, Bell plays Joanne, a podcast host, and Brody plays Noah, a Rabbi. The two meet at a friend’s party and immediately feel a spark. Noah just got out of a long-term relationship, while Joanne is chronically single. Her podcast, which she hosts with her sister, is about dating and sex and is getting more attention. At the same time, Noah is on track to become the head rabbi in his community. Nobody Wants This may be a rom-com, but it doesn’t always fit the mold. In fact, there are many ways in which it challenges the classic romance genre altogether. Here’s what I thought of the show that’s on everyone’s lips right now:

In ‘Nobody Wants This,’ healthy relationships are hot

We’ve all seen major stars paired together in a rom-com, and the chemistry falls flat on screen. That was not the case with Bell and Brody in Nobody Wants This. Joanne and Noah had something special, especially during their first kiss and in the final episode. For a rom-com to work, that chemistry has to be believable, and it certainly was with these two. Bell and Brody did an excellent job portraying the kind of sweetness that can often come in a new relationship. Sometimes, in rom-coms, toxic relationship behavior blends with electric chemistry (think Chuck and Blair), but not in this show. Joanne and Noah’s relationship is mature and balanced, and they’re genuinely trying to be good partners—and the chemistry still works on screen.

Is Nobody Wants This on my top five shows with the best chemistry? Not exactly. Fleabag, One Day, and Bridgerton, which show challenging and occasionally unhealthy relationships, top that list. Nobody Wants This proved that healthy relationships on screen in rom-coms can also be hot—just maybe not quite as hot as Bridgerton.

The supporting characters are the best part

Even when they’re not on-screen, the supporting characters in Nobody Wants This upped the stakes of Joanne and Noah’s relationship. I especially loved Rebecca, Noah’s ex-girlfriend, played by Emily Arlook. We see her character in the pilot and in later episodes, but as Noah’s ex, she is a constant player in his relationship with Joanne. It was fun to root for Joanne and Noah as a couple, but I also found myself rooting for Rebecca to find her own footing.

I also really loved Noah’s brother Sasha, played by Timothy Simons, Noah’s sister-in-law Esther, played by Jackie Tohn, and the scenes in their home with their adorable kid. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Joanne’s sister Morgan, played by Succession’s Justine Lupe. All of the side characters made me more invested in the well-being of the main characters, adding a depth that many classic rom-coms have missed. Seeing other relationships in addition to Joanne and Noah’s made the plotlines more fun and relatable—after all, your significant other isn’t the only person in your life.

The show is tackling a healthy relationship in conflict

Usually, I spend my time shouting at the screen when two characters I want to get together are not on the same page in a rom-com. Not with this show. There is conflict between Joanne, Noah, and each of their families in Nobody Wants This, but the relationship conflicts are talked out in a low-key, realistic way. Noah and Joanne are listening to each other, communicating honestly, and actually resolving their problems right before our eyes—which is incredibly refreshing.

In her podcast, Joanne makes multiple comments about her past unhealthy relationships. We see her character genuinely trying to do something different. Instead of the central plot being driven by “Will they or won’t they,” the show revolves around the question “How will they make this work together?” While their relationship isn’t perfect by any means, I do think the character development is a step in a great new direction, proving that romance shows can be successful even if the main characters aren’t in near-breakup territory all the time.

I was expecting a dramatic twist at the end

Before I finished Nobody Wants This, I had a few friends tell me that the ending was dramatic, and they didn’t want to spoil it for me. Because of this, I was expecting a huge twist at the end. I had wild guesses as to what the ending might be, and instead, the ending felt pretty in line with the typical rom-com plot. This isn’t a bad thing. The ending made me feel like I watched a consistent, cohesive series that wasn’t trying to be flashy. It knew what it was, and it delivered a beautiful ending that left us not entirely sure what would happen. It didn’t make me gasp, but I liked it all the same.

One of the recent rom-coms I watched on Netflix, which was also very much a drama but had funny moments, was One Day. I fully sobbed in the last episodes of that show due to a shocking twist, and it moved me more than any other show had in a long time. That being said, I don’t need a rom-com to make me sob for it to be relatable or to make me feel something, and that’s what I like about Nobody Wants This. It’s a slow burn in many ways, with relatable scenes that add up to a very human moment at the end. The conflict was sprinkled throughout the season, but it all added up to a big decision for Joanne and Noah. For that reason, I would love to see more of this series and its characters.

‘Nobody Wants This’ sidesteps rom-com tropes

Here’s what I’ll say about the rom-com genre. I absolutely adore it, but I also get incredibly annoyed watching rom-coms that I loved growing up because it’s often glaringly obvious how so many of the plots and characters were not great examples of relationships or life goals. But Nobody Wants This breaks out of that mold and still keeps us engaged. There’s no talk of finding “the one.” There are also single characters who are not even trying to be in a relationship (love this so much—more of this, please). 

While marriage is talked about in the context of Noah wanting to marry a Jewish woman, marriage isn’t the end goal in Nobody Wants This. I found this to be so much more relatable in today’s world. It’s like the creators weren’t even trying to make a rom-com, which is the ultimate power move. Nobody Wants This completely ignored every rom-com trope and was absolutely better for it.