Double Take reviews: ‘Nobody Wants This’
Is true love worth a sacrifice?
In The Gryphon’s new regular arts column, Alice Patterson and Felicity Haslin review the latest hot releases in film and television. They delve deeper than surface-level reviews of acting performances to ask how stories on screen reflect the issues of humanity in the contemporary age. How effective are they in their representations – and can these fictional plotlines reshape how we view our real lives?
The Rom-Com format is one of simplistic routine. Boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love – cut to happily ever after. The beauty of this paint-by-the-numbers genre is that its blueprint can be used as a lens with which to dissect contemporary issues – which is exactly where Nobody Wants This excels. The new Netflix series follows the romance between Joanne (Kristen Bell), a sex-empowered agnostic podcaster, and Noah (Adam Brody), an unconventional Jewish Rabbi. As the two try to decipher how to harmonise their differing lifestyles, Nobody Wants This provides a nuanced insight into modern relationships.
We sat down and binged this series in a couple of days. Rounding out the cast you have stellar performances from Veep and Marvellous Mrs Maisel alums Timothy Simons and Justine Lupe – not forgetting, of course, Tovah Feldshuh, playing (as always) the overbearing Jewish mother. With ten half-hour episodes, the series goes down pretty smoothly; you’d be forgiven for thinking it simply a light-hearted, comedic take on opposites attract. The writers utilise this take, however, to explore age-old romantic dilemmas in a fresh way, ultimately begging the all-important question: how does our sense of self change when in a relationship, versus when single?
Relationships, naturally, are a breeding ground for personal growth and development. Harmonious coexistence requires you to truly understand yourself in order to then understand what you need from your partner. The beauty of Joanne and Noah’s opposing lifestyles is that they represent two whole people coming together. Instead of two halves completing the other, each episode sees their respective personalities doubly complement and challenge the other to grow, learn, and adapt.
While Joanne imparts her philosophy of openness and acceptance, Noah introduces her to the beauty of spirituality and the community that can be found within religion. The crux of Nobody Wants This is when Noah is offered a promotion to Head Rabbi – a position that would require Joanne to convert to Judaism and become what his Temple would deem a “good example” to the community. While there is pressure on Joanne throughout the series to conform to expectations held by the majority of Noah’s familial and religious community, it is this ultimatum that truly forces the characters to look inwards.
Despite being inherently cooperative and communicative people, inevitable friction arises. Pressure from both sides sees Joanne and Noah respectively question how far they are willing to adapt to be with each other. The expectations in Noah’s career would see Joanne moulding herself to fulfil a role – which goes directly against her independent and empowered values. Like many of us, Noah has to ask himself which lifelong dream is more important to him: romance or career?
Nobody Wants This tackles these conundrums with humour and endearment. It references pop culture without bleeding into the dreaded ‘gimmicky’ territory so many Netflix shows have been guilty of (see if you can spot one particular internet meme sensation explored after they meet the in-laws!). Bell and Brody’s incredible chemistry has you rooting for the couple’s success; indeed, the critically-appraised production was snatched up for a second season before most bingers even had the chance to miss it.
The show platforms nuance at every turn, allowing us to explore the intricacies in the binary between compromise and sacrifice. How much should we change for our partners? Long-term relationships naturally involve a moulding of your life around that of your significant other’s, and see us compromise for the greater good – but where does that compromise come at the cost of our individuality? How much individuality is it okay to sacrifice – if any?
As every self-help book will preach to you, there is much to be said for getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. In spite of that, at what point does this turn from a swim in challenging water that will ultimately enlarge your sense of self, to a stumble off the cliff into toxic codependency? Ultimately, Nobody Wants This asks of us all: is it truly worth changing your identity for love?
Words by Alice Patterson and Felicity Haslin.
