The amusing paradox of Erin Foster’s Netflix series “Nobody Wants This” is that by the end of season one, everyone was eager for it – “it” being the budding romance between Kristen Bell’s Joanne and Adam Brody’s Rabbi Noah. However, at the beginning of the show, the audience had to quickly warm up to their relationship, so Foster came up with a creative way to suggest their mutual attraction when they first meet at a house party in the pilot. “This is a romantic comedy,” she explains, “and there are only so many ways you can create that initial encounter.” Here’s how Foster crafted this unique meeting scenario.
In her own experience of meeting her Jewish husband, Foster crafted the screenplay. At first, Joanne enters Ashley’s (Sherry Cola) party in a bathrobe, but one of our producers felt it portrayed her as ill. Later on, during a brainstorming session among writers, the concept of a luxurious chinchilla coat emerged. One writer suggested, “Chin-chilla,” and we found it so amusing that we decided the character had to wear a real chinchilla coat.
Foster drew inspiration from the movie ‘La La Land’ for this particular scene. He aimed to recreate a moment reminiscent of walking to a car after a house party, which is a common occurrence in Los Angeles. Foster continually strives to find unique ways to make Noah exhibit romantic gestures unexpectedly. In this scene, he used the chance for Noah to tell a small fib so he could act chivalrous by walking her to her car, only to later confess that his car was nearby.
Noah’s reaction reveals a lot about his character as he appears to be a kind, well-mannered, and honest individual who comes from a traditional background, according to Foster. Additionally, during this interaction, Foster expresses his personal views on Judaism by subtly incorporating Jewish knowledge without being overbearing. This is because these small details are what initially piqued his curiosity about Judaism. He often found himself wondering about the feelings and connections associated with Judaism, such as what one’s connection to it is, who this God they feel protected by is, and how to join in. Therefore, he expressed these thoughts through Joanne’s dialogue.
In her own words, Foster explains that it mattered greatly to her for the scene to be both romantic and subtle, almost as if it were Noah’s moment to shine. She goes on to say that they wanted to present a clear message to men about how women desire thoughtfulness, like being escorted to their car without being overtly obvious about it. Foster did not want Noah to ask for her phone number directly; instead, she preferred him to maintain an air of mystery. A kiss on their first meeting was off the table, as per Foster’s opinion, because Noah still had unresolved issues with his soon-to-be-ex Rebecca (Emily Arlook). She felt that it wouldn’t be fitting for these characters to start in such a way, fearing it would make them less relatable. Instead, she wanted Noah to exhibit self-restraint and show he was doing the right thing.
In this dialogue, Foster drew inspiration from her personal experiences as an agnostic woman marrying a Jewish man, and applied it to Joanne’s character. She confesses, “She’s afraid of developing feelings for this person, so she’s trying to preempt any potential rejection by revealing everything about herself immediately that might push him away.” As for her own actions, she says, “I’ve often shared something potentially off-putting about myself first, because I was scared of being judged. By doing this, if I bring it up, then there’s less chance of someone else bringing it up and causing me discomfort.
In crafting Joanne’s onscreen persona, Foster took great care to avoid portraying her as a stereotypical character often seen in sitcoms, such as one who stumbles out of a party at 5 a.m., bottle in hand and hungover. Instead, she emphasizes that beneath the perceived chaos and messiness lies a woman who is afraid to open up to love, especially since she’s at an age where she doesn’t want to compromise her identity. This character, loosely based on herself, has baggage from her childhood that affects her adult life, causing problems. She’s trying to let go of past patterns and learn to love a man like Noah.
Originally featured in a solo edition of The Hollywood Reporter’s magazine in June, you can now read it by subscribing here.
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2025-06-14 22:24