‘Nobody Wants This’ Returns to Spotlight with a New Equation in Love

Staff Report | PNN

Differences in religious beliefs, family tensions and questions of personal freedom have long been familiar themes in romantic storytelling. However, Netflix's romantic comedy series Nobody Wants This has brought these familiar subjects to audiences through a combination of humour and experiences drawn from everyday life.

Starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, the series has once again attracted attention following the release of its third season, renewing interest in the love story of two people from different religious backgrounds.

The series first premiered in 2024, focusing on the relationship between Joanne and Noah.

Joanne is a sex podcaster who has little interest in religious beliefs, while Noah is a Jewish rabbi. From the beginning of their relationship, the series has explored questions surrounding religious identity, family expectations and differences in lifestyle.

With the arrival of the third season, the story takes another turn. The focus is no longer limited to falling in love or deciding whether to stay together. Instead, the central challenge is how the couple can manage the realities of their relationship while building a future together.

In the first two seasons, the biggest question surrounding Joanne and Noah's relationship was whether their different beliefs and family circumstances would prevent them from building a life together.

Towards the end of the second season, Joanne decided to convert to Judaism. However, Noah came to realise that his love for Joanne was not dependent on that personal decision. Rather, he loved her for who she was as an individual.

In the new season, the couple begin living under the same roof. Along with the happiness of sharing a life together, they face conflicts involving everyday habits, the need for personal space and interference from family members.

As a result, the familiar romantic atmosphere of the series is now accompanied by more realistic challenges that couples often encounter in their daily lives.

The third season has received positive reactions from several critics.

The Guardian critic Jack Seale awarded the season four out of five stars. His review highlighted how the series, despite presenting a more stable relationship, still manages to recreate the excitement and joy of falling in love.

Judy Berman of Time magazine also expressed optimism about the future of Joanne and Noah's relationship. According to her assessment, the new season encourages viewers to consider the possibility of a happy ending for the couple.

However, not all critics have been equally impressed.

Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter observed that although the series has become sweeter and more balanced compared with previous seasons, some of its earlier weaknesses remain.

Meanwhile, Christina Escobar of RogerEbert.com noted in her review that the third season attempts to take Joanne and Noah's relationship to a new level.

According to the review-aggregating website Rotten Tomatoes, the season has received a 90 per cent critics' score based on 20 reviews. However, its audience score stands at 69 per cent, considerably lower than the critics' assessment.

One of the series' biggest strengths is the on-screen chemistry between its two lead performers.

Kristen Bell portrays Joanne as a confident, outspoken and emotionally expressive woman. Her performance also highlights Joanne's personal transformation as she begins reconsidering aspects of her life and decisions because of her relationship.

On the other hand, Adam Brody's portrayal of Noah combines restraint, a sense of responsibility and natural humour.

The character's attempts to balance his three identities as a rabbi, a family member and a romantic partner make him appear more realistic and relatable.

The conversations, playful exchanges, disagreements and emotional moments between the two characters add to the romantic appeal of the series.

Their natural chemistry has played an important role in keeping viewers emotionally connected to the relationship.

The third season also gives greater importance to the relationship between Joanne's sister Morgan and Noah's brother Sasha.

Hints of new feelings emerging from a long-standing friendship, personal conflicts and uncertainties surrounding relationships add another dimension to their storyline.

Justine Lupe's performance as Morgan has received particular praise. Her character comes across as more lively through a combination of confidence, jealousy, humour and uncertainty about her own life.

New professional challenges also become part of Morgan's story, adding further depth to her character.

Changes in the relationship between Sasha and Esther also feature in the new season. As a result, the storyline extends beyond the two main characters to explore the relationships and personal transformations of people around them.

The series' popularity is also reflected in Netflix's viewership figures.

Following its release on October 22, the third season attracted 6.2 million views during its first four days, securing the second position on Netflix's English-language series chart.

However, viewership declined compared with the previous season.

The second season had attracted 8.6 million views during its first four days after release. This means the opening viewership of the third season declined by approximately 28 per cent.

Despite the decline, the series recorded the biggest opening weekend among scripted comedy series returning to Netflix in 2026.

It also entered the global top 10 series lists in 56 countries and secured the number-one position in 11 countries.

Since its debut in 2024, Nobody Wants This has spent a total of 11 weeks on Netflix's global top 10 series chart.

During that period, the series has accumulated more than 120 million views, demonstrating its continued popularity among international audiences.