Everyone wants Nobody Wants This. Audiences fell head over heels for Netflix’s rom-com series, starring Kristen Bell as sex podcaster Joanne and Adam Brody as “hot rabbi” Noah. The duo’s chemistry was undeniable, leading to critical acclaim, high ratings, and an instant Season 2 renewal.
At the end of Season 1, Joanne makes a selfless move and breaks up with Noah, as she refuses to let him turn down becoming head rabbi at his synagogue but isn’t quite ready to convert to Judaism. (His leaders said it was required if they were to ever get married.) “Don’t chase after me, okay?” she tells him.
Naturally, Noah chases after Joanne (following 10 minutes of wallowing) and makes an even more selfless move. “You were right, I can’t have both,” he says before planting a fat kiss on her in one of TV’s most romantic moments.
However, after Netflix renewed the series for a second season, it became clear that Noah and Joanne’s kiss wasn’t the end of their love story. As viewers wait for Season 2 to premiere in 2025, fans are speculating about how the next chapter in their journey will play out, and not all of them think that Noah’s choice is binding.
The Season 2 Theory
The Season 1 finale indicates that Noah plans to give up his dream job to be with Joanne. However, one Reddit fan doesn’t think he’s actually going to give up that easily. Instead, they think Noah will fight to change his synagogue’s rules and not be forced to marry a Jewish woman to serve as the head rabbi.
“I think the likely direction Season 2 will take is that the hot rabbi inspires change in the temple,” they wrote. “Why should a rabbi only marry a Jewish woman? Doesn’t have to be that way.”
Other Redditors agree, pointing to two scenes that may have inspired Noah to change some traditions without straying from his faith. Moments before going back to Joanne, he saw that his sister-in-law Esther (Jackie Tohn) bucked tradition and redid her daughter Miriam’s bat mitzvah dress to her liking — and much to his mother’s chagrin.
In Episode 5, Noah talked to a female rabbi who wisely advised him to treat Joanne like his girlfriend and not hide their relationship from his temple’s leaders, gently hinting that he can be a part of making significant change (like synagogues allowing women to become rabbis).
But one fan predicts a more traditional happy ending with Joanne eventually converting to Judaism. After all, writer and creator Erin Foster inspired the series’ premise; she converted before marrying her husband. Given that Nobody Wants This is a loose adaptation of her life, there’s still room to give Noah and Joanne their own story — and a less traditional one at that.
