‘Nobody Wants This.’ Season 2 review: Kristen Bell, Adam Brody offer a tasty second round

Nobody Wants This. continues to be a misnomer for this jolly rom-com detailing the relationship between a Rabbi, Noah (Adam Brody) and a cynical dating podcaster Joanne (Kristen Bell), as this is a show everybody who enjoys romantic comedies in bite-size would want.

Season 2 starts with a major step from Noah and Joanne as they invite their friends for dinner. As often happens at mixed gatherings, an off-hand comment shows Noah and Joanne that they are not on the same page.

The beauty and fun of Nobody Wants This. is its relatability. Yes, one might be very far away from a white American couple in Los Angeles, but love, faith and trust are universal.

While Joanne and Noah love each other, there are obstacles in terms of faith and worldview. When a couple gets together, the families are naturally involved, like any good Indian will say.

Joanne and her sister and podcast co-host Morgan (Justine Lupe), share the typical mix of love, hate, admiration, and jealousy that defines most sibling relationships. Joanne feels Morgan’s new boyfriend, who was her therapist, Andy (Arian Moayed), is the personification of every red flag.

Sasha (Timothy Simons), Noah’s elder brother and his wife, the terrifyingly competent Esther (Jackie Tohn), might have seemed the strongest couple in season 1, but season 2 finds Esther questioning everything, including her marriage.

Joanne and Morgan’s mother, Lynn (Stephanie Faracy), and their father, Henry (Michael Hitchcock), who is separated after coming out as gay, are in for some fireworks when they meet Noah and Sasha’s parents — tiger mom Bina (Tovah Feldshuh) and peace-loving Ilan (Paul Ben-Victor).

Joanne and Morgan’s differences spill over into their podcast, much to the dismay of their friend and podcast agent Ashley (Sherry Cola). Noah is disappointed when his boss, Rabbi Cohen (Stephen Tobolowsky), chooses Big Noah over him for the head Rabbi post at Temple Chai.

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A bid to encourage Noah at a baby-naming ceremony turns sour for Joanne when she meets her childhood nemesis Abby-loves-smoothies (Leighton Meester) there. At the baby naming, Noah gets a lead to Temple Ahava, where he gets a warm welcome from Rabbi Neil (Seth Rogen) and his non-Jewish wife, Rabbi Cami (Kate Berlant). However, he finds Temple Ahava’s out-of-the-box thinking too radical, never mind the dedicated corner for Steven Spielberg.

There is wedding dress shopping, a Purim celebration where Lynn realises she is actually Jewish, and a grand engagement party in the finale, which sees some relationships end and others renew their vows. The episodes, at under 30 minutes, whizz by in a celebration of love, faith, and everything in between.

Nobody Wants This. is currently streaming on Netflix