Spoilers ahead for Nobody Wants Season 2.
The first season of Nobody Wants This left viewers with high hopes (especially after this epic kiss), and the second season was certainly a success.
After will be released on Netflix on October 23rd, The second season of the charming romantic comedy revisits Joanna's central problem (Kristen Bell) and Noah's (Adam Brody) relationship: will she convert to Judaism or not?
“Nobody wants this” based on the real life of writer and creator Erin Foster and the love story follows agnostic podcaster Joanna and her rabbi boyfriend Noah.
In the season one finale, Joanna decides to convert to Judaism for Noah's sake, after realizing how important his faith is to him. She soon changes her mind and decides that she needs to think it over again. Their relationship seemed to be over, but then Noah decides that he will accept Joan for who she is, even if she cannot convert.
The second season follows a couple as they discuss the topic of conversion and consider taking their relationship to the next level. How will this all end? We recap the season two finale.
Joanna and Noah disagree about her living situation
When Joanna is unexpectedly evicted from her home, she can't wait to decide where to live next. While researching real estate online in episode 9, she sees a three-bedroom apartment and mentions it to Noah. He asks what she plans to do with three bedrooms, and she says she's “thinking about the future.”
“Yeah, I mean, obviously in a perfect world we'd just move in together. But it's all about timing. But don't worry, you'll find a place you love so much you'll never want to leave,” he replies.
Noah later explains to his brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) that he doesn't think living with Joan is a “good idea” yet.
During a triple date with Morgan (Justine Lupe), Andy (Ariane Moayed), Sasha and Esther (Jackie Thon), Joanna brings up the question while they play a card game, and in turn Noah gets the following question: “What's a tough decision you've made recently?”
Noah initially cites his decision to leave his old temple, but Joanna pushes him, so Morgan brings up the topic of moving in together. Noah gets upset and says, “Because it was an easy decision.”
Later, Noah and Joanna discuss the matter privately, and Joanna expresses disappointment in her boyfriend.
“You seem to have one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake, and honestly, it reminds me of my previous relationships. Am I not reading the signs properly? Because I assumed it was a difficult decision because I thought you wanted a future with me,” she says.
Noah reassures Joanna that he “wants this” and she asks why they can't live together.
“Because we haven't addressed the conversion issue yet. Okay? And I'm scared. I'm scared that if we move in together now, that's the end of it, and we'll never address the conversion issue, because we won't have to, and I'll be miserable and maybe even resentful,” he says.
Joanna says she is “moving towards conversion” but “can't guarantee it.”
“If you can’t move in with me like I can now, I don’t know how we can move forward,” she says.
Morgan calls off his wedding to Andy
After a whirlwind romance with her former therapist, Dr. Andy, Morgan calls off their engagement in the season finale.
While attending her engagement party, Morgan opens up to Joanna and admits that she isn't as interested in Andy as she thought.
“He's weaponizing things that I told him in therapy when I thought I was opening up in a safe space,” Morgan explains, reflecting on her relationship frustrations.
Morgan asks his sister to force her to break up with him. Joanna tells Morgan several stories about Andy that “annoy her” and urges Morgan to break up with him immediately.
When Morgan tries to end the relationship, Andy convinces her to stay together. Joanna, who is going through her own drama with Noah, then reminds Morgan that she is lucky to be with someone who wants to take their relationship to the next level.
Joanna tells her parents about Morgan's mystery, and their mother Lynne (Stephanie Farasi) is inspired to give Morgan a pep talk. Lynn reminds her that she deserves “an equal partnership” and “someone who holds you accountable but sees the best in you.”
Morgan breaks up with Andy once and for all and explains why.
“You made me feel special, like you saw all the darkest sides of me and found them sweet. And I don't know, it made me ignore things that I should have been paying attention to. And if I'm really honest with myself, Joan's relationship made me throw myself into it with you, and I wanted to catch up with her. But I don't want to live my life like that,” she said.
What's next for Morgan?
In an interview with TODAY.com, Lupe expresses hope for a third season and says she'd love to see how her character grows through the breakup.
“I'm really excited to see her grow into an independent woman in the world and see what she faces because she's going to be chaotic no matter what,” she says.
Esther tells Sasha that she needs space
Throughout the season, Relationship between Esther and Sasha was a little off as they went from being nice and aloof to aloof. In the season finale, their marital problems come to a head when Esther admits that she feels something is wrong.
While attending Morgan's engagement party, Esther says their marriage is “not working.” Sasha agrees that his wife has not been herself lately.
“That’s why I’ll stay away from you,” he says. “I was trying to figure it out for us or for you, as they say, reigniting the spark.”
Esther tells her husband that he is “the best guy” and “the best father” and then thanks him for everything he has done to support her.
“I know how hard you tried, but it's not working. It's not working, and I don't know why. But what I know is that this is me right now, and I can't fix it while we're together. I can't believe I just said that,” she says.
“There are two of us,” says Sasha.
While talking to Morgan later in the episode, Sasha makes it clear that he is willing to wait for his wife.
“I mean, if she thinks she can just go there and see what life is like on the other side without me and I'll just wait and take her back, she's absolutely right. I mean, if it's for life, I should go with her,” he says.
Why did Esther make this decision?
In an interview with TODAY.com, Tone reflects on his character's journey throughout the series. The actor said that in the first season, Esther realizes that “everyone else is having a good time” and she is not.
“I think her journey in season two is really one of self-discovery. 'Are these the decisions I would have made if we hadn't gotten Miriam (Shiloh Bierman) pregnant?' And now it was as if I was riding on a high-speed train: “This is how you live life if your mother-in-law is a nag, but you cope with her.” And this, and this, and another. And we have a daughter, and she’s going to have a bat mitzvah and everything,” she explains.
In Season 2, Tone says that Esther is “taking a breath” and reflecting on her life decisions, and also admits that she “wants to have more fun.”
Noah and Joanna break up, then get back together
You can break the tension with a knife when Noah and Joanna arrive at Morgan's engagement party. They still can't agree on Joanna's living situation, and neither of them seems willing to budge. For Morgan's sake, they agree to pretend and pretend that everything is fine during the party.
When Noah suggests giving themselves six months to “enjoy each other and de-stress” and not talk about converting, Joanna gets offended and says, “I'm tired of waiting.”
While talking to Sasha, Noah realizes that relationships don't have to be so complicated and looks for Joan, seemingly ready to break things off.
“There are 100 different ways I could convince you to be with me right now, but I'm not going to do it. Nothing good happens when it's forced. I don't want to be the person who asks you to be someone else. We can't start our lives this way. You'd wake up in 20 years and hate me,” he says.
Joanna doesn't understand what Noah is trying to say and asks if he's “just giving up.”
“It doesn't mean giving up. It means accepting the truth about our situation,” he replies.
“Is this happening right now? Are we breaking up right now? she asks.
“I don't know what other choice we have. I love you, but we can't keep doing this. It's too hard,” he says.
When Joanna later runs into Esther, she receives the pep talk she needs to move forward in the relationship when Esther reminds her that she is already “essentially Jewish.”
“I feel like you have this idea of being a Jew that is much more complicated than it actually is. To me, you feel like a Jew. You're warm, cozy, you always want to talk about everything. You would be a very good help for us,” Esther says.
Fresh from a difficult conversation with Sasha, Esther repeats her advice to Joanna, saying, “I really don't know what you're waiting for. Whether it's a sign, or the water will part, or whatever. But it's all just a feeling, and enjoying all these little things is a feeling.”
At this point, Joanna finally seems to gain clarity.
“With or without Noah, you are a Jew,” says Esther.
Joanna runs away to Noah at the same time as him. At first they miss each other, but then they meet face to face.
“None of this matters. You're my soulmate. I don't care if you're Jewish. I don't care if you're not Jewish. I choose you every time,” Noah says.
“Well, you're lucky,” Joanna replies, and they kiss.
What changed Joanna's mind?
In an interview with TODAY.com, Bell reflects on what was going through Joan's head when she talked to Esther.
“Sometimes all you need is someone in your life to point out a different system, a different pair of glasses through which you can look, and suddenly everything becomes clear,” she said. “Before this scene, Joanna viewed conversion or Judaism as something completely different from what she was and as far from what she could achieve.”
After talking with Esther, Joanna was able to see “that she is much closer to who she wants to be and what she wants than she previously thought.”
