Pop Culture Happy Hour – "Nobody Wants This"

Date: October 23, 2025
Host: Linda Holmes
Guest: Sarah Ventri (NPR Religion & Spirituality Producer)
Episode Theme:
A deep dive into Netflix's romantic comedy series Nobody Wants This, starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. The hosts discuss its approach to religion, romantic compatibility, representation of Judaism, and the realities (and unreality) of podcasting.

Episode Overview

Linda Holmes and guest Sarah Ventri analyze Nobody Wants This, a romcom series about an interfaith relationship between a non-religious relationship podcaster (Kristen Bell as Joanne) and a Jewish rabbi (Adam Brody as Noah). The conversation explores the show's take on love, faith, representation, character development, and how well it captures both Jewish culture and the reality of running a podcast.

Key Discussion Points

1. Chemistry and the Classic Romcom Setup

• Casting & Chemistry: Both Holmes and Ventri praise the charisma and chemistry of leads Kristen Bell and Adam Brody.
  • "I'm a fan of both of these performers... I think they have terrific chemistry." — Linda (05:05)
• Premise: The central conflict is the relationship between a rabbi deeply committed to his Jewish faith and identity, and a non-Jewish woman with a podcast about relationships.
• Meet Cute & Banter: Holmes enjoys the playful back-and-forth and classic romantic comedy structure.
  • "I'm a sucker for a banter." — Linda (05:05)

Memorable Quote:

"You're a real-life rabbi. It's hot, right?" (Linda Holmes summarizing the dynamic, 03:40)

2. Religion, Faith, and Compatibility

• Real Stakes: The show is commended for taking the religious conflict seriously, not just as an "odd couple" trope.
  • "It's not presented like... love conquers all... it's treated more seriously than that and I did appreciate... that part." — Linda (06:31)
• Depiction of Judaism: The show addresses different denominations and practices of Judaism, presenting a more liberal reform perspective.
  • "It's a much more kind of liberal reform Judaism that we don't see as much of." — Sarah (07:43)

Conversion Conversation

• Inaccuracy Noted: Ventri takes issue with how the topic of conversion is handled, noting it doesn’t align with Jewish tradition.
  • "If you wanna convert to Judaism, the rabbi is supposed to deny you three times... so the idea that a rabbi...would be the one trying to do it... was quite striking to me." — Sarah (07:43)
  • Linda suggests writing may simplify the issue to forward the plot but agrees nuance is a challenge here (08:47).

Memorable Quote:

"Anything you do for love is noble, right? And I do think this show gets as far as to say that's not really true." — Linda (08:47)

3. Main Character Critiques and Personal Growth

• Protagonist’s Flaws: Joanne is described as inconsiderate and selfish, adding friction to the romance.
  • "She routinely ghosts people... she's super selfish and self-absorbed." — Sarah (12:01)
• Change Through Relationship: Joanne begins to recognize the importance of respecting Noah’s beliefs and grapples with her lack of spiritual and moral grounding.
  • "She ultimately realizes like oh... I can't disrespect his religious beliefs in this way and I can't... sacrifice my own compass to please somebody else." — Linda (10:52)

Discussion of "None" Identity

• Terminology: The show touches on the "none" (N-O-N-E) demographic — people with no religious affiliation.
  • "She is somewhere on the spectrum of atheist or agnostic or spiritual but not religious..." — Sarah (09:47)
• The nuances of belief, non-belief, and how they function as fundamental identities and points of conflict in relationships are explored.

4. Representation of Judaism

• Cultural Details:
  • Kosher Confusion: There’s humor and critique over a scene where Joanne brings a non-kosher charcuterie plate (with pork and mixed dairy/meat) to Noah's parents.
    • "Even if it had been beef and not pork so there's like another kosher problem there..." — Sarah (13:21)
  • Havdala Scene: Shows some mix of accuracy and inaccuracy regarding Jewish practice knowledge.
    • "There's a scene where he tells his brother Sasha, I wanna do havdala... Sasha doesn't even know what havdala is and that... felt incongruous to me." — Sarah (13:21)
• West Coast Vibes: The depiction is seen as a true-to-life version of liberal West Coast Judaism, with less focus on Orthodoxy.
• Comparisons:
  • Ramy (Hulu): Holmes and Ventri compare the show to Ramy for faith-based millennial storytelling, but note Nobody Wants This keeps faith more in the background while Ramy puts it at the center.

Notable Quote:

"It was there were things about it that did feel true to me as a representation of kind of liberal reform Judaism particularly like they're on the West Coast." — Sarah (14:44)

5. Character Interactions & Supporting Cast

• Sibling Dynamics:
  • Noah's brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) brings comedic relief and sibling tension, paralleled in Joanne’s relationship with her sister (Justine Lupe as Morgan).
  • Their storylines offer a fun subplot as “the loser siblings” find rapport.
• Exes and Expectations:
  • Insightful scene between Joanne and Noah’s ex-girlfriend, who embodies traditional expectations for a rabbi’s spouse.
    • "He represents the temple, so you represent the temple – people look to you as an example..." (11:45)
• Alternate Relationship Theories:
  • Sarah jokes about side characters ending up together, highlighting the show’s playful elements.

6. Meta-Podcasting Critique

• Podcast Realism: Both hosts find the depiction of Joanne and Morgan’s podcast highly unrealistic.
  • "How the hell does this podcast A) exist, B) have a huge listenership..." — Sarah (18:53)
  • The sisters' lack of technical skill and editing ability is a running gag for the podcasters who host the review.
    • "If these people don't know how to edit out their own bathroom breaks..." — Sarah (19:34)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On romantic comedy tropes:
  • "I'm a sucker for a banter." — Linda Holmes (05:05)
• On the romantic conflict:
  • "It's not presented like... love conquers all... it's treated more seriously than that and I did appreciate... that part." — Linda Holmes (06:31)
• On conversion and Jewish tradition:
  • "If you wanna convert to Judaism, the rabbi is supposed to deny you three times..." — Sarah Ventri (07:43)
• On character flaws & growth:
  • "She routinely ghosts people... she's super selfish and self-absorbed." — Sarah Ventri (12:01)
  • "She ultimately realizes... I can't disrespect his religious beliefs in this way and I can't... sacrifice my own compass to please somebody else." — Linda Holmes (10:52)
• On the podcast subplot:
  • "How the hell does this podcast A) exist, B) have a huge listenership, [and] C) get monetized?" — Sarah Ventri (18:53)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:06 | Series premise & character introductions | | 05:05 | Chemistry and romcom structure discussion | | 06:31 | Handling of faith and compatibility issues | | 07:43 | Conversion conversation and Jewish tradition critique | | 09:47 | Discussion of the “none” (no religion) identity | | 10:52 | Joanne’s personal growth and relationship conflicts | | 13:21 | Kosher plate & Havdala scene analysis | | 15:28 | Comparison to Ramy and deeper discussion of faith representation| | 17:12 | Noah’s explanation of why he became a rabbi | | 18:53 | Critique of the sisters’ (unrealistic) podcast success |

Final Thoughts

The episode offers a nuanced and entertaining analysis for pop-culture fans and those interested in the intersection of romance, faith, and representation.

• The hosts are divided on their enthusiasm for the show: Linda enjoys its classic rom-com elements and chemistry, while Sarah is more critical, craving more discomfort and sharper depiction of religious nuance.
• Both agree the show tries to engage with questions of faith and compatibility more seriously than many in its genre, but sometimes struggles with accuracy and depth.
• Listeners are invited to join the conversation and share their own takeaways about Nobody Wants This.