Ahead of the premiere of Nobody Wants Season 2, TODAY went behind the scenes with the cast on set.
The hit Netflix series about agnostic podcaster Joanna (Kristen Bell) which falls in love with a rabbi named Noah (Adam Brody), received 26.2 million views in its first days of release. The show returns for its second season on October 23.
“When there's so much attention, it makes you proud, but also happy that people might have wanted to see a love story,” Bell told TODAY's Jacob Soboroff.
At the end of season 1, Bella's character decided to convert to Judaism for Brody's character, but then backed down after realizing she needed to think a little more about the big decision. Their relationship seemed to be over, but then Noah decided he was okay with Joanna not converting.
Ahead of season two, Bell said viewers can expect more of the comedic and romantic moments they enjoyed last season.
“You'll see some fun wrestling mixed with comedy and then you'll see a really satisfying outcome,” she said.
“Nobody wants this” based on the real life of writer and creator Erin Foster and a love story. Foster calls the series “Fairness for healthy relationships is the most romantic,” a sentiment that resonates with both Bell and Brody.
“I love it,” Bell said.
“Having support, being as selfless as possible for your partner is very romantic,” Brody added.
In an interview with Soboroff, Foster explained why she thinks viewers like the series so much.
“It's really about two people getting into a relationship in their mid-30s, when you've already fully formed your worldview. I was just trying to think small and concrete. And I think that's maybe what makes it connect,” she said.
Writer Jenni Konner is joining the second season as showrunner and told Soboroff that she thinks audiences connect with the characters because they “feel very, very real and very, very flawed in a lot of ways.”
“And I think people are like, 'Oh, these are real people,'” she said.
Characters Sasha (Tim Simons), Morgan (Justine Lupe) and Esther (Jackie Thon) also return for season two.
Speaking to Soboroff, Simons said he wasn't surprised the show took off. “I always assumed it would be popular because it was a show where Kristen Bell and Adam Brody would kiss. So people would be like, 'Oh yeah. Hell yeah.’ Like I would watch that,” he said, laughing.
Lupe also said that she enjoys watching “emotionally intelligent people experience a classic romantic comedy in a way we don't usually see.”
Meanwhile, Thon described the experience of being on the series as “the feeling that I once had in my career.”
Behind the scenes of season 2
During a behind-the-scenes tour of the set, Thon and Soboroff witnessed Bell taking a break from filming to devote herself to one of her hobbies: knitting.
“This woman is knitting. Look at her! she said.
Tone also took Soboroff to watch a key scene that piqued his curiosity.
“It feels like it could be a bar mitzvah, it could be a wedding,” he said after seeing a giant heart structure on set.
“It could be a ceremony, it could be a wedding, it could be any party where the heart is involved,” she said.
The second season will feature guest appearances from several stars, including Seth Rogan and Brody Leighton Meester's wife.
“It's fun to watch her work. And driving a car is fun too,” Brody noted.
While the cast didn't reveal any spoilers for season two, Brody did give fans a little teaser.
“They made a choice to be together, but you know what now?” – he said.
“How are they going to do this?” – said Bell.
