As a long-time fan of Kristen Bell and a connoisseur of romantic comedies, I must say that her latest TV venture, “Nobody Wants This,” has been an absolute delight to watch. The show’s 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes is well deserved, in my humble opinion, even if the ending left me a tad irked by not living up to its title.
As a huge fan myself, I must admit that I almost missed Kirsten Bell’s comeback on the small screen when her 2024 TV debut, the charming romantic comedy “Nobody Wants This,” premiered quietly. It seemed to have slipped under many people’s radars, even mine, until it found a home on Netflix’s schedule. But now that it’s streaming for all to enjoy, this hidden gem has become an undeniable hit and has earned widespread acclaim.
Absolutely, even if a TV show gets a great rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it doesn’t make it immune to criticism or negative feedback from some viewers. So, let’s delve into both the positive and less-than-positive buzz surrounding the latest series from creator Erin Foster. As a gamer, I’m always ready for new challenges!
Kristen Bell’s Return To TV Is A Critically Acclaimed Hit On Rotten Tomatoes
A TV show or film receiving an outstanding rating on Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t always mean it’s the best quality, but it’s uncommon for Certified Fresh projects to be universally panned. And it’s worth noting that Nobody Wants This, at the time of this writing, has an impressive 93% score based on 29 reviews, with only two outlets giving it a negative rating.
In my view, Nobody Wants This truly earns the acclaim it receives, despite the fact that I felt the ending fell short of the title’s promise. The humor is spot-on and the romance, while requiring a slight stretch of belief, is generally well-executed, with Bell’s Joanne and Adam Brody’s character Noah becoming smitten quite swiftly.
Beyond merely focusing on the central romance, the show “Nobody Wants This” also explores intricate and generally enriching sibling bonds, particularly between Joanne and Morgan (played by Justine Lupe), and between Noah and Sasha (portrayed by Timothy Simons). For the most part, it steers clear of the cringe-worthy clichés commonly found in less sophisticated romantic comedies. However, not everyone concurred that the Netflix series completely shunned ALL stereotypes.
Creator Erin Foster Defended Nobody Wants This For Audience Complaints About Jewish Stereotypes
Showrunner and series creator Erin Foster drew inspiration for many aspects of Joanne’s journey from her own experiences. Around half a decade before the Netflix series premiered, she attended a ten-week course at the American Jewish University in West Los Angeles. During this time, she also fell in love with a man who was Jewish – her current husband Simon Tikhman – and he strongly encouraged her to embrace his religious beliefs.
In general, it’s not Joanne and Noah’s relationship that’s received criticism, but rather the Jewish women associated with Noah, who are often seen as overly judgmental, controlling, and reluctant to meet new people. This isn’t entirely unique to Jewish women, at least in my experience. Jessica Radloff from Glamour wrote a widely-shared critique of Nobody Wants This‘ portrayal of Jewish women, but Foster defended the depiction by stating that everyone’s experiences are different and creating characters devoid of stereotypes would have been criticized as inauthentic. As she said to the L.A. Times: “Everyone’s experiences are unique.
I think we need positive Jewish stories right now. I think it’s interesting when people focus on, ‘Oh, this is a stereotype of Jewish people,’ when you have a rabbi as the lead. A hot, cool, young rabbi who smokes weed. That’s the antithesis of how people view a Jewish rabbi, right? If I made the Jewish parents, like, two granola hippies on a farm, then someone would write, ‘I’ve never met a Jewish person like that before. You clearly don’t know how to write Jewish people, you don’t know what you’re doing, and that doesn’t represent us well.’
A reasonable yet imperfect explanation, as it has its flaws. Overstepping boundaries can be offensive to some people, so it’s often safer to rely on the known and use it as a foundation for further development.
From a personal perspective as a fan, I didn’t have quite the same experiences with my in-laws as Noah’s mom, Bina (Tovah Feldshuh), and his daughter-in-law Esther (Jackie Tohn) portray. My in-laws were generally more welcoming to outsiders. However, I can understand how the storytelling dynamics of television might have led to the characterization of Bina as being so strict about her son’s decisions. As the showrunner mentioned, this narrative choice was made to add depth and tension to the series.
In television productions, introducing conflict is essential. For my show, it was crucial to include Noah’s parents as immigrants because immigrant cultures often differ significantly from American Jewish cultures. Simon’s parents, who emigrated from the Soviet Union due to their Jewish background, had a unique experience distinct from someone raised in L.A., one that included exposure to antisemitism. This aspect carries more weight and emotional resonance for them. Thus, I believe their portrayal is less stereotypical. Immigrant cultures can be quite insular and wary of outsiders, which stems from valid concerns.
In terms of the narrative, this situation presented Noah and Joanne with another cultural barrier to surmount and overcome, ensuring their relationship remained robust. Interestingly, it appears as though Brody’s rabbi is willing to jeopardize his professional life and personal journey for Joanne, but we’ll have to stay tuned to find out how this unfolds in the event of a second season.
A simple way to achieve that quickly is by asking your friends who have a Netflix subscription to watch this show immediately.
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2024-10-01 19:10