It feels like the only thing people have been talking about lately is the lack of good modern rom-coms being produced (at least the people on my side of TikTok and X). I mean, sure, we had Anyone But You this past Christmas, and we always have Hallmark movies for every single holiday ever created, but we really haven’t had a feel-good, binge-watch-until-you-have-to-eat-or-use-the-bathroom rom-com show in ages. Nobody Wants This has broken this drought.
Recommended to me via all of the people on TikTok posting about the “best first kiss scene ever,” I decided to give it a try. I’ve been in a show slump for weeks since starting back at school, but I knew I needed to break it for what was being declared the show that has brought 2000s rom-coms back.
Kristen Bell and Adam Brody star in this brand new Netflix series. They share a connection through the 2007 drama Gossip Girl, and have been friends for years. After reading the script, Bell decided that Brody was the perfect casting choice and knew she had to get him on. Brody plays lovable Rabbi Noah, who struggles with his religion and trying to stay in a relationship with Bell’s character, Joanne. Joanne is an independent woman who runs a podcast with her sister about sex, love, and dating, called Nobody Wants This, hence the title of the show.
While most romance shows these days are very much “will they? Won’t they?” shows, you know pretty much over the entire 10 episodes that they will. The on-screen chemistry was insane and bewildering and kept you wanting more than just 30-minute episodes. I’ve seen TikToks and posts saying that this show is for the millennial girls who loved Seth Cohen, Brody’s character on The O.C. back in 2003, and the girls who don’t get icks from men in books but usually do from men in movies or TV shows, but I would argue it’s just for all girls that crave a happy and special relationship; a relationship built on communication instead of toxicity. And everyone who described the first kiss scene as the ‘best first kiss scene ever’ was correct – sparks were definitely flying.
It was a refreshing love story to see in the age of going through your partner’s phone when you feel one ounce of distrust instead of just talking about whatever is going on, or breaking up with your partner when you get an ick from them that you just don’t think you can get over, especially because Nobody Wants This covered both of those topics. The side characters were incredibly realistic, like the sister who doesn’t love your boyfriend, and the ex’s best friend, who is married to your brother, disliking the new girlfriend. Whether you love an easy, predictable romance or just love a hot rabbi, this is definitely the binge-worthy show for you. Grab a friend, cook up some popcorn, and turn on Nobody Wants This. Luckily the episodes are only a half hour, making it perfect to finish in one night without staying up way past your bedtime!