Nobody wants this

[EachandEveryone]

I can’t wait that’s tonight’s tv sorted. https://amp.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/sep/26/nobody-wants-this-review-kristen-bell-and-adam-brodys-joyous-romcom-is-as-funny-as-when-harry-met-sally

I'm halfway through and so far it's too..... American! It's also not very funny. Joanne is just so shallow - are we supposed to believe women are actually like this? The rabbi is great, and there's a much better programme struggling to get out, about the difficulty of blending two cultures.
I'll probably watch to the end, just in the hope that it improves.

Plus Joanna is so selfish and shallow, does she even understand how important his faith is to him? Just don’t buy it, he wouldn’t walk away from everything for her.

I cringed at Joanne and Morgan dancing at the Bat Mitvah.

It was generic and there wasn’t much chemistry between Adam Brody and Kristen Bell. The most watchable and relatable character was Joanne, who I thought was played wonderfully by Justine Lupe. I also loved the Sasha character. There’s something wrong with a TV show when the supporting characters are more interesting than the lead ones.

I’m really enjoying it! It’s warm and funny, great script and chemistry. I’m trying not to think too deeply as it’s clearly not realistic but still a lovely rom com. I like the sister and the brother - all funny characters.

I didn’t recognise the lead as Seth from the OC .. he’s so much better looking now!

I really really loved it to be honest and so did my 15 year old daughters 😁

My teens love Adam Brody in The OC and Gilmore Girls while I am obsessed with him in this tv show!!

I thought it was really sweet and haven't seen a good romcom tv show for a while

I have only watched episode one so far it's ok. I agree with what others have said about Kristen's face. I don't know what Hollywood actresses are doing to their top lip, filler or botox, but it's frozen, and their philtrums are flattened out. Also from the side their top lip protudes out more than normal. It hugely affects acting range especially when they smile. It's sad that they feel pressured to do these things. It's affecting their acting and I find it super distracting whenever they talk. Screw Hollywood and it's ridiculous beauty standards for aging women.

I know she's very petite and naturally thin, but her face is unnaturally thin, it has no softness to it. I was distracted by the coldness of her face a lot.

Someone said earlier a decent story is trying to get out, despite the annoyances and I agree. I really enjoyed it but never warmed to Joanne properly. She seemed a bit of a dope for her age!

Yes, I agree there was a decent story wanting to emerge. As it was it just felt like yet another cookie-cutter romcom series.

this is often a result of having (too much) botox. I can think of several other actresses who have this cold, frozen, expressionless look because of overdoing the botox.

I watched it all so must have enjoyed it, but it didn't quite sit right with me.

One reason is it felt too derivative. It was weird seeing Bell play a character whose whole thing is "I'm too trash for this responsible sensitive guy" when that's exactly what happens to her character in the Good Place.

But really I don't like this trope of portraying a perfectly normal woman as just "too much" or "too crazy" or "too much of a bad person". Joanne owns her own home, runs her own business, has friends and a family that she involved with. She isn't a total fuck up like Fleabag (let's face it, obviously a massive inspiration), and she isn't a really bad person. So why are we being told that only some holy patient man of god could ever handle her?

I didn't buy that Noah would be so into her, or what he wouldn't consider the Rabbi thing before dating her. I guess if the chemistry has been crazy we'd just accept it, but there wasn't much of that. Again to compare to Fleabag, Noah isn't a mess like Hot Priest, so it was hard to square.

But still, it was very nice to watch a non toxic, genuine romance. It's been a while!

I finished it yesterday. It was an okay watch, but borrowed quite a bit from Crazy Ex Girlfriend, even thew in the "it's a bit more nuanced" line. When Tovah Feldshuh appeared I was expecting her to launch into a song like she does in crazy Ex Girlfriend 😅

Not anti-Semitic in my view, no. But it does portray the Jewish women as awful.

Is anyone else wondering where the storyline is going between the sister and his brother?

They seem to have set it up for something to happen between them (her sexy dream and their 'friendship') but now I quite like the wife and daughter!

I liked that scene. And why health and safety, bars have candles where I live.

Aw im really enjoying it but what has kristen Bell done to her face?

Agree with PP a few posts up, I didn't like the constant refrain that she was 'too much' when she was just perfectly ordinary. I didn't see what Noah would find so attractive about her that he would risk his career etc.

I've seen them all, I did enjoy it, it's funny in places but Adam Brody is what lifts it up. He is gorgeous and delivers his lines well.

Even my DH asked what was up with her face and he never notices Botox normally. (I don’t have it anymore but he never clocked when I did). She must have really overdone it. Agree that too much causes a cold, expressionless look. Kind of dead behind the eyes.

Anyway, I mostly enjoyed especially the brother and the dynamic/ friendship with her sister.

I really don't think she looks all that different to her Veronica Mars days, her face has always been thin? I've just looked at a few side by side pictures as well and I can't see that there have been drastic changes.

I believe she was cast first and wanted Adam Brody to do it. I vaguely remember hearing that on the Armchair Expert pod.

It's not how her face looks in a picture so much as how it moves. Once she starts trying to have expressions it's really obvious parts of her face are frozen in a way they didn't used to be.

It’s not about her face being thin. It’s about the lack of expression and movement. In photos I’m sure she looks good.

Also just finished. I thought it was a poorer version of "When harry met Sally". For a rabbi, he was remarkably prone to eating and drinking in non-kosher restaurants on Friday nights. I appreciate LA is a world of its own but would have liked to see one incident where he said that he couldn't do something because he was Jewish.

I should have said it was a cross between When harry met sally and Sex in the City, with SJP's column in magazine replaced by a podcast on very similar subject

I really liked this. The glamour article linked upthread was quite critical of how Esther was portrayed, but I thought she came across as a well rounded character - married a long time and a bit impatient/exasperated by her slightly useless husband. I didn't get the impression she disliked him - I thought there was affection there but it was a very real depiction of how romance can seep out of a marriage and the normal frustrations of the long time married. I liked that she was a loyal friend, still had her own life and friends and was balancing that Ruth a difficult mil and bring a mum herself.

Didn't find Joanne shallow - she's a single woman with few responsibilities. It's also realistic that a woman with no religious beliefs might not get how serious being a rabbi is. I think they balanced well the conflict Noah felt between relationship and career. And I do think most men would struggle with her career choice and find that very full on, if not in the same industry as her.

I thought there was chemistry - I also liked the setting up of Sasha and Morgan for an affair, without demonising either the wife or Morgan. Nice to see both women as properly drawn characters, not one dimensional .

Agreed with all this. Esther is surely one of the best characters: real, tough, good parent and realistic portrait of a 10+ years wife. I've seen films/series where the wife clearly hates the husband, and that's not it. Also Rebecca has a chance to show her good side.

Don't find Joanne that problematic either. I was expecting way worse (maybe traumatised by Veronica Mars lol), instead what I loved the most about the series is how refreshing it is to watch a relationship going through a few minor set-backs and fixing them properly instead of dragging the drama to unreal extents.

I think nothing will happen between Sasha and Morgan, but Morgan will probably mature. Also, I don't agree either with Noah's final decision, but I have a feeling he won't and Joanne won't and basically something will happen!

I really liked it! Was nice to see a romance between slightly older people (by the usual standards) and Adam Brody was just lovely.

Is it me or do they all just drink and drive there though?