Nobody Wants This was such a likable hit in its first season on Netflix that a second season came just a year later— an unusually fast turnaround for a streaming series (just ask Stranger Things fans). Season 1 featured its fair share of “if you know, you know” jokes. The title is tongue-in-cheek, especially when, say, typed into Google as “Nobody Wants This Netflix Show.” Star Kristen Bell‘s former cast mates — Ryan Hansen of Veronica Mars, as well as D’Arcy Carden and Leslie Grossman of The Good Place — appear in small roles, and several names and lines of dialogue reference Bell’s and Adam Brody‘s previous work.
Season 2 ups the ante in terms of casting, callbacks, and ironic little asides. While the story of Joanne and Noah’s interfaith relationship (which is based on show creator Erin Foster’s own marriage) is as sweet and earnest as can be, the cast and crew have planted plenty of irreverent Easter eggs for audiences to enjoy. This is what Netflix viewers might have missed as they binged their way through Nobody Wants This Season 2.
Brody’s Real-Life Wife Has a Guest Star Spot
Casual fans who stumbled upon Nobody Wants This while scrolling through Netflix thumbnails may not know enough about the personal lives of its stars to have caught onto the show’s biggest in-joke this season. In Episode 5, “Abby Loves Smoothies,” Leighton Meester plays the titular Abby, an obnoxious content creator who fakes her family’s happiness for money and attention. When Noah is asked to officiate Abby’s baby-naming ceremony, Joanne realizes the influencer is her former middle school rival.
In real life, Brody and Meester have been married since 2014 and have two children. The show has fun with the fact that its star and guest star are a longstanding couple. Noah and Abby share a winking “nice to meet you” moment, after which she — livestreaming to her followers — calls the rabbi “cute.” But Meester’s Abby is the worst, and generally speaking, she’s completely dismissive of Brody’s Noah. When Joanne admits that Abby’s pretty, Noah groans and says, “Not my type.”
Seth Rogen Name-Drops Steven Spielberg
Meester isn’t the only high-profile newcomer to Season 2 of Nobody Wants This. Seth Rogen has a recurring role as Rabbi Neil, founder of Temple Ahava… a decidedly more progressive congregation than Noah’s old employer, Temple Chai. In Episode 7, “When You Know, You Know,” Rabbi Neil says to Noah, “Let me tell you a story about a little Jewish fellow named Steven Spielberg.” He goes on to explain that Spielberg, who is a congregant of Temple Ahava in the world of the show, doesn’t show up to set with a plan.
Rogen famously starred in a story about young Spielberg, and would know what he was like as a director. In 2022’s The Fabelmans, Rogen plays a fictionalized version of the man who broke up the marriage of Spielberg’s parents. The Fabelmans also depicts the legendary director wrestling with his identity as a Jewish kid in postwar California and discovering his love of film. Contrary to Rabbi Neil’s claims, Spielberg’s directing style is well-known to be extremely and carefully pre-orchestrated.
A Purim Costume Has a Double Meaning
In Episode 6, “Anything Can Happen,” Noah’s and Joanne’s parents meet for the first time during a celebration for the Jewish holiday of Purim. At least on the show, participants are invited to dress either as a favorite character from the Book of Esther or as a character that represents their hidden self. Noah’s a vampire. Joanne’s Cinderella. That she’s a Disney Princess is a sly joke, as Bell voiced Princess Anna in the uber-popular Frozen. Joanne’s narcissistic father goes as Queen Esther, and her free-spirited mother, Lynn, goes as Madonna in her iconic Jean Paul Gaultier outfit.
During the party, flighty Lynn has an epiphany and decides to convert to Judaism. This could be seen as a nod to the fact that, for a time, Madonna became interested in Kabbalah. But this cone-shaped Easter egg has additional layers of meaning. Stephanie Faracy, who plays Lynn, can also be seen in the 1993 Halloween classic, Hocus Pocus, wearing the very same costume as Jenny Dennison, Max and Dani’s mother.
There’s More to Product Placement Than Meets the Eye
The relationship woes in Nobody Wants This might be relatable, but the lifestyles? Not so much. Especially in its second season, the show has left itself open to criticism for how it depicts its characters and their financial situations, as real Americans face a period of great economic uncertainty. These podcasters, influencers, and rabbis live in impossibly stylish homes, drive pricey cars, and attend over-the-top events on the regular. That’s because their real-life counterparts are the children of bigwigs like famed music producer David Foster.
Viewers may also have noticed an uptick in product placement in Season 2. Besides (clumsily) highlighting Estée Lauder, Dunkin Donuts, Spindrift, and Airbnb Experiences, Nobody Wants This works a somewhat self-deprecating ad for Jennifer Meyer jewelry into the plot. In Episode 4, “Valentine’s Day,” Noah believes he’s given Joanne a thoughtful gift when he presents her with a nameplate necklace.
She immediately recognizes it as the same style his ex, Rebecca, wore and realizes he must bestow this generic gesture on all his girlfriends. Not only can the necklace be purchased (for $1550), but designer Jennifer Meyer is actually a close friend of show creator Erin Foster and a frequent guest on the podcast that inspired Nobody Wants This. Nobody Wants This is streaming now on Netflix.
- Release Date
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September 26, 2024
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Jenni Konner, Bruce Eric Kaplan
- Directors
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Greg Mottola, Lawrence Trilling, Oz Rodriguez, Hannah Fidell
- Writers
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Lindsay Golder, Jane Becker, Barbie Adler, Neel Shah, Niki Schwartz-Wright
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
