There is no denying the cultural phenomenon of the romantic comedy, despite the fact that the common opinion shared by most chronically-online 20-something year-olds is that ‘they don’t make them like they used to’. To this niche audience, I am truly excited to discuss the recent release of the Netflix Original Series Nobody Wants This, starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as Joanne, an ‘agnostic sex podcaster’ and Noah, a ‘newly single rabbi’ (Netflix). Though the internet always seems to be clamouring for its new rom-com obsession, Nobody Wants This seems to have slipped through the cracks of the never-ending Netflix release cycle. Even though the show has sustained its place in the top 10 most-watched series’ on Netflix since its release in September, when I blabbed about it to my friends, no-one had heard of it. So, I decided I wanted to give this show the flowers it deserves.
For most of our generation, it’s not our first time yearning after Adam Brody on screen – he is an icon of the 2000s teen drama, playing everyone’s favourite Gilmore Girls boyfriend Dave Rygalski (he read the Bible in one night so Lane’s mother would let him take her to the prom, in case anyone forgot), and The O.C.’s loveable nerd, Seth Cohen. In Nobody Wants This, Brody builds on his legacy of a timeless heartthrob, bringing a maturity and levelheadedness to a rom-com’s leading man that we haven’t seen in a while.
It also helps that his chemistry with Kristen Bell manages to transcend the screen, of course.
There’s also something about a rom-com written for series format rather than the 2-hour duration of a film that allows the audience to fully connect with the characters, and understand why Joanne and Noah are compatible despite their cultural differences – which the show handles with nuance. I can think of so many examples of rom-coms (particularly current) that leave me confused as to why the main couple decide to be together other than the fact that they are both young and conventionally attractive – a notion that, for me, derives from the ‘love at first sight’ trope, often arising because a film’s runtime is not long enough to convince me that the couple clearly belong together.
However, not a word of this rings true in Nobody Wants This, as in 10 episodes of roughly half an hour each, the show’s writer, Lindsay Golder, manages to craft a genuine relationship arc between Joanne and Noah’s first meeting and their ultimate (yet also unconventional) happily ever after. Through the series format we are able to see months of their relationship development rather than simply the meet-cute, then ‘problem and solution’ formula of most romantic comedy films. It allows for a more genuine and realistic depiction of modern-day relationships on screen; though still full of obviously exaggerated romantic meetings and comedic slip ups, Nobody Wants This takes us through the mundane yet vulnerable ups and downs of Joanne and Noah’s relationship, and sees them overcome their own insecurities and self-destructive tendencies to build a relationship simply because they want to make it work.
The success of this show (despite also being underrated, in my opinion) has been solidified by its recent renewal for a season two, which leads me to worry whether the limited series style of the show can be as effective if added onto by a second season. As we know, too much of a good thing has often been the downfall of successful shows across multiple streaming platforms, and seeing as the first season’s ending is perfectly capable of standing on its own, I question the necessity of producing more of the same.
Yet, at the same time, I don’t entirely reject seeing much more of Kristen Bell, Adam Brody and their fervent dynamic gracing my screen.
My love of Nobody Wants This makes me wonder whether the romantic comedy is a genre better suited to a serial medium? Even though there have been plenty of rom-coms released recently that I have enjoyed – Anyone But You (on Sony), Prom Pact (Disney) or Upgraded (Amazon) to name a few – none have managed to cover the range of themes and relationship dynamics as Nobody Wants This. With the extra time afforded by a series, they are able to explore in depth, not just the focal relationship, but also Joanne’s relationship with her sister, Morgan, and extensively, Morgan’s relationship with Noah’s married best friend, Sasha – which I would definitely like to see further scrutinised in a second season, which hopefully lives up to the high standard they have set for themselves.
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