Next Episode
Join lifelong friends Niq and Jess as they dive into the world of television on their podcast, "Next Episode." Each week, they explore popular TV shows, from the latest binge-worthy series to timeless classics, offering insightful commentary, hilarious banter, and candid reviews. Whether you're looking for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes trivia, or just a good laugh, Niq and Jess’ dynamic chemistry and shared passion for all things TV make this podcast a must-listen for any TV enthusiast. Tune in and become part of their cozy, fun-filled conversations that feel just like chatting with your own friends.
Next Episode
Do I Want This?
Ever wondered how mid-life love stories can be both refreshing and relatable? Join us as we unpack the delightful surprise that is "Nobody Wants This," a Netflix rom-com starring the ever-charming Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. Niq reminisces about the nostalgia of 90s rom-coms while Jess shares her love for comedies with a twist. Together, we explore how the series format allows for a more realistic and grounded romantic development, making the portrayal of love in mid-life not just enjoyable but incredibly relatable. Kristen Bell's role as Joanne brings a new dimension to the genre, and we can't help but admire how the show captures the essence of well-established characters navigating love.
Our conversation takes a fascinating turn as we delve into the portrayal of relationships in a show inspired by Erin Foster's life. Kristen Bell and Justine Lupe bring their A-game, particularly in depicting the intricate bond between sisters, a dynamic that has us all talking. We ponder the portrayal of Jewish women in the series, voicing our hopes for richer character development in future episodes, especially for the intriguing character, Esther. The show's ability to weave nuanced narratives and its brilliant acting keep us coming back for more, and we eagerly anticipate what's next.
We also tackle the complex portrayal of Jewish culture in media, questioning stereotypes and the creative liberties taken in depicting Jewish traditions. From questionable food choices to cultural misunderstandings, we emphasize the importance of accurate representation that honors the diversity and richness of Jewish communities. Our reflections on these portrayals lead us to a broader conversation about the importance of cultural sensitivity and the need for media to evolve in its depiction of diverse communities. Exciting insights await as we continue to unravel the layers of storytelling in "Nobody Wants This" and beyond, promising thoughtful and entertaining discussions in our upcoming episodes.
Hi guys, welcome to next episode with Nick and Jess. Today we're really excited because we are going to be discussing the new Netflix hit Nobody Wants this starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. So before we actually start discussing the show specifically, I want to know, like what are your opinions on rom-coms?
Speaker 2:on rom-coms. I actually enjoy rom-coms. Uh, these are kind of the shows that I watch for like relief, when I don't want anything too serious or too heavy. So I I like them. I feel like they have their place. Um, however, overall I think a lot of the stuff has been overdone in rom-coms, and so I don't think that we've gotten a new interesting rom-com in a very long time.
Speaker 1:I feel like 90s was like the golden rom-com era. Um, maybe because I was like a lot younger, I was like in my teenage years that rom-coms, just so, you were still excited about love instead of being an adult and understanding it. Maybe that's what it was. It's very hard. That's what it was for me. They don't seem like lately, they don't hit the same. So, honestly, rom-coms they're not my favorite genre.
Speaker 1:Comedy in general is not my favorite genre, unless you're going to throw an alien or something in it. You know, if you want me to laugh, have a vampire telling the jokes. But you know anything, Kristen Bell, I'm going to try, you know I do.
Speaker 2:I'm a Kristen.
Speaker 1:Bell fan. You know I do, I'm a Christmas elf fan. So when you said, hey, you know what, we need a little palette cleanser after Kevin can F himself, I'm like, okay, you know, sure. And overall, talking about the series, overall as a romantic comedy, I really enjoyed it and I was very surprised, honestly, because, like I said, rom-coms are not my favorite genre and one thing that I feel like, um, I realized, is with rom-coms what I don't like they fall in love too fast in rom-coms. But with this being a series, it kind of made it seem more plausible for them to have the feelings that they had. It wasn't like a 90 minute movie where, like, they meet and all of a sudden they like they're so desperate for each other, like the pacing of the show. I feel like I really enjoyed it like.
Speaker 2:So I do like the pacing of the show and I do think that it slowed it down a bit from a movie, but I still feel like they fell in love pretty fast. But it doesn't bother me because, like I expect that out of a rom-com.
Speaker 1:I guess it's like four hours versus like 90 minutes.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:That's true, it felt a little bit more it to me. It just felt like oh, felt a little bit more it to me. It just felt like oh, okay, I could understand why they have feelings for each other now do I feel like they have an irrational level of love for the time that they've been together? Yes, but I agree with you. That's the point, I guess, of a rom-com but yeah as we said.
Speaker 1:Yes, kristen bell is my imaginary bestie in my head. She's been my bestie since veronica mars and I honestly think that she is perfect for this movie. I love the fact the ages of the characters that's another thing. A lot of rom-coms are people that are super young and like for these people to be more middle age. Once again, I feel like it gave it like a little more like depth, a little bit more weight. You know, like it it just made more sense because when you are a little bit older you tend to play less games and and you can get more serious faster because you kind of know what you want.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's true, because in real life, when you fall in love a little bit older, it does tend to go faster, I think, because you know yourself better, and then a lot of other stuff is established, like, while they are still both making advances in their careers, their careers are both pretty firm in the line of where their careers are going to go and their direction, and so that's not a distraction which, when you're in your twenties yeah, like you're still trying to build those blocks and then you know it makes more you have less time to focus on. Everything's up in the air when you're in your twenties.
Speaker 1:Where am I going to live? What am I going to live? What am I going to do? It's so much about finding yourself that I do like the fact that these characters are older. I think, once again, it does definitely help with the pacing and help with the story overall, because maybe it's my age. It's nice to see someone more middle-aged falling in love.
Speaker 2:Same. You know, I looked up the age of all the actors. I don't know why, but I looked up all the age of all the actors. I was like, oh, everybody is around my age and it was kind of nice. Now I don't know exactly how old they're supposed to be in the show because you know, that doesn't always line up, but I was like, oh, like, oh, no, and it is nice to see grown folks like really kind of falling in love and seeing you know, different clips of their lives and them being at different stages now here's the thing.
Speaker 1:I'm going to give you numbers, but I cannot tell you where I'm getting these numbers from. Maybe they're coming from my heart, but I thought in the show that Kristen, like Stewart's character, like Joanne, is supposed to be like around 35, 36 okay, somebody could know now, once again, I don't know where I got that number from.
Speaker 1:I don't have anything to back it up, that could just be my beating heart telling me that, but it seems like they're in their mid-30s Late 30s. So I really really enjoyed the show. Now, okay, so I will say this I watched the entire show and I really really loved it. And then I do what I always do and I start my deep dive to go and find more information oh, is there going to be a season two? What's going on? Watching press interviews, and that's when I learned about Erin Foster.
Speaker 1:So Erin Foster is actually the creator of the show and the show is loosely based on her life. She does a podcast with her sister. She met a Jewish man who's not a rabbi, but they fell in love. I'm disappointed by that. We're going to talk about his rabbihood later on, but they met and they fell in love.
Speaker 1:Um, his family were, you know, not too thrilled with the relationship, um, and I don't know if it was purely because she was jewish, but I think that was a big part. But that was also a big part for for him. You know, she said that he told her from the very beginning, like I have to marry someone who's jewish. I have to marry someone who's jewish and eventually she converts for him and now they're like very happily married and so now like knowing that there's a smidge of truth in the show, it makes me kind of look at certain things differently. I know we'll talk about that more as the show goes on, but did you, when you were watching it, did you have any inkling that it could be based on like a true story?
Speaker 2:No, I know, I watched it the whole time through the first time before I realized you told me that I didn't know. You told me who Erin Foster was and that she was a real person. Then, after that, I went on a well, I won't say a deep dive. I went on a crazy wild ride just picking up random information. I did listen to her and her sister's podcast, which I enjoyed. I did like it. Watching it through the first time time I had no clues based on a true story. So, like watching the second time, uh, with that knowledge, it is because they do so?
Speaker 1:of course it's. The show was inspired by her relationship. This this is not like a retelling of what happened, um, but it's interesting, like, when you look at it like that, the choices that they made. So, for example, I also watched her podcast with her and her sister and when I tell you, they got the relationship between the two of them spot on.
Speaker 2:Perfect, even the cadence of their voices, like, okay, hold on on the actress that plays the sister. What is her name? Justine? Is it Loop or Lupe? I'm not really sure, but Justine, she does, she sounds, she bodies that role do you?
Speaker 1:hear me, she sounds so much like her and like when I'm listening to the the actual sisters podcast.
Speaker 2:I cannot I. I I'm hearing them, but I'm still seeing justine in my mind because that's how good a job she did.
Speaker 1:If you, if you don't actually see the sisters podcast, you have no idea how incredibly talented the actress is that portrays her sister. Uh, because it it that blew me away. I'm like, oh my god, like she really, really embodied her. She really, she really, really did and she really did so.
Speaker 2:The one I listened to a couple of them, but, uh, episodes of their podcast. But the one of the ones I listened to was them responding to, like the show coming out, and I think the name of that particular episode is like everybody wants this or something like that, and she was like, well, everybody says she sounds like me, but I don't hear it.
Speaker 1:I'm like girl you don't know yourself. That's the third sister and it's so funny because in real life the sisters look so much alike. They look like twins. If it wasn't for the mannerisms I would get them confused. But they really look like sisters which like on the show they look like twins.
Speaker 2:They're not twins, but they look like twins.
Speaker 1:They're not actresses that do look like sisters, but when you see them in real life you're like oh, no, no, no no this is real sister energy absolutely.
Speaker 2:But I also feel like Kristen Bell and Justine captured that, like they, I loved the job they did, excellent. But also they're two actresses that I love anyway. They're like if I see them.
Speaker 1:I want to see what the project is like. So now here's my bit of controversy. Okay, knowing that they did such a great job of portraying the sisters in their relationship, right, it calls into question other creative choices that were made, right, yeah, so like so. For example and this is not a controversy that's just limited to our show A lot of people are talking about this how they kind of portrayed like the Jewish women in the show, and so it's interesting because, okay, if you did such a great job and being so spot on when you created, like, the relationship between you and your sister, what are you saying about those other characters, specifically the Jewish women in the show, because they have such a interesting point of view, like they all come off in a certain category and like they all, I feel like, are kind of painted with a harsh brush.
Speaker 1:Now, I'm saying this as someone who is not a part of the community and who, in general, I can say I have never really been in strong community with Jewish women. I don't know them, you know. I can't say that I know any of them personally, but for there to be like three yeah, three Jewish women in the show that are being portrayed and they all come from the same point of view. They all come kind of from a like a controlling, kind of harsh vibe. That just it's interesting, you know, because I'm like why would there not be some diversity in there? No woman group are all the same.
Speaker 2:No, and I think that okay. So I think, though, we're talking about two different things, in a way, like we're talking about acting versus, because there's not an actor in this film that I, or in this movie goodness Lord series that I feel like didn't do their job.
Speaker 1:I feel like everybody did.
Speaker 2:Excellent, I know, but let me go so, when we're talking about how well the sisters did, I think the actresses just have a great chemistry. They did a great job with the script. I think in the way that the Jewish women are portrayed, it's more so the writing, because I think the actresses brought what they needed to bring you know, to the roles. So some of the questionable choices, I think it's more so in the writing and maybe not more development in the characters. However, I have a little bit of hope because I feel like towards the end they started developing Esther a little bit more and I will say this Esther's my favorite. I know that's a random choice, but I love Esther and I see glimpses of where they're developing. That I'm hoping gets more development in the second season so that it doesn't feel like the Jewish women are painted with just like this, really kind of broad brush.
Speaker 1:So I do agree that, kristen, and what did you say? Her name was Jennifer.
Speaker 2:Justine, justine, see, that's my role. I'm the one who usually don't remember the names.
Speaker 1:I do agree that Jennifer and Justine are great actresses. They also had material to work with. It was written, you know, like they did a great job of cultivating what was on the page, those moments, those connections For me. Like I said once, I realized that this was kind of based on like something that happened in real life. I kind of went back and looked at the show as if it had an unreliable narrator, because I'm like, okay, this is you from the outside, meeting these women, not knowing these women, and this is what you see. That's how I took it, like the second time I watched it. I'm like you know what, like you see Esther as this kind of person. You see his mom as this kind of person. You feel like rebecca is this kind of person. I don't know if that's who these women actually are are.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's why. That's why I'm like I think the choices in are in the writing, where there's like and and. Again, I'm not saying like because I think air force is a good writer, but I'm just saying like that that's room for growth there and really developing those characters. And I hope that that gets done in the second season Because and I can also understand from your coming anytime you're coming from like a small, close-knit. You have a small anytime. You have a small close-knit community and you're coming in from the outside and it may not be a welcoming environment. Yeah, I can see how you see it like that, but there's probably also a lot of things and a lot of new ones and a lot of things that are going on within that community that you're not familiar enough with to know why you're getting the response right but honestly, this is actually like a trope that we see.
Speaker 1:Often, though, like the, the ethnic guy, whatever ethnicity he goes and he usually finds like it's usually what he finds a caucasian woman and in the him finding the caucasian woman he's portraying, like the women in his community, negatively, and why you know, they just aren't right for him, like we like. An example I gave you earlier in the week was the big sick starring. What's his name?
Speaker 1:Oh no, but you gave me his name earlier. Yes, you started with a K. Yes, it was like come on and then his last name starts with an N, but I'm not going to mess it up Like he did like kind of an autobiographical movie about how he met his wife and his wife ended up having some illness and them overcoming it, but like in the beginning of the movie, like he's a South Asian actor and he's portraying like South Asian women and like these negative stereotypes, I guess, to prove that like his wife was the right one for him. And I'm like that's not necessary. Love who you want to love, choose who you want to choose, but you don't have to negatively portray the women in your own community to do that, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and what I found interesting is like listening to and again, of course neither of us are part of this community, but listening to and again, of course neither of us are part of this community, but listening to women from this community, jewish women who, who are responding to this, and how they were portrayed. One of the things that they said was that they felt like they were portrayed as aggressive. Everybody kind of looked the same, naggy, that kind of thing, and it's just funny that, like, those are always the stereotypes for the different ethnic.
Speaker 1:I'm like, oh, wow, yes, it's always you know, as opposed to me boring. Yeah, you know, it it's so funny. We've seen it over and over again. So I, yeah, like I said, um, it's an, it was an interesting, creative choice and when I watched it for a second time, I just kind of looked at it as okay, well, we have an unreliable narrator, because I love the show and I enjoy the show, you know. But I can see how that's problematic and I want to tell you the thing that they did.
Speaker 1:That was the most problematic for me. And then, once again, this is not my community. I'm not in community with Jewish people just because I don't have proximity to them. But when they did the scene although it was hilarious with the mom eating the prosciutto out of the trash, that scene was absolutely hilarious, but it, of like, bothered me because one thing I know that most jewish people do not play about pork. They do not play. I heard like a jewish comedian one time say I have never had pork, I have tried cocaine but I've never had pork. And so considering, like his family, like they're so traditional, you know, like they're very traditional, they're very formal in the way that they do a lot of things like why would you have that woman eating prosciutto out of the trash, can it was? You know, you know how there are jokes that you laugh at, but you're like I should not be laughing at these jokes. I'm not supposed to be laughing at these jokes.
Speaker 2:That is how I felt during that scene.
Speaker 1:I'm like I am glad I am by myself because this is hilarious, but this feels so wrong. So wrong.
Speaker 2:I also was glad that I was by myself, but mainly because when she told her to throw away the box of charcuterie I had a visceral reaction. I was like, no, no, just let her take it home. Let her take it back, we love charcuterie boys, Don't do it and I'm like I get it. The point is to be mean to her right now, but the charcuterie box ain't doing nothing to me, it was beautiful.
Speaker 1:I don't know how she did not know charcuterie was a sport. Because if you know they don't sport, why would you not ask to be sure?
Speaker 2:I'm like I would have specifically said do you have a kosher board?
Speaker 1:That is actually a huge point, because you have to say kosher, because they have a, they're very specific with their dietary guidelines just saying not, pork is not good enough.
Speaker 2:You're right, she definitely should have asked for kosher and she didn't say not pork, she did not know. She thought prosciutto was beef. But I'm like, if you know charcuterie and maybe I just do a little too much with charcuterie- it is it, it's a pork-heavy environment. It's a pork-heavy thing. That's why I was like, if that's what I was going to do, I'd go into the shop like, do you have a kosher option? Can you make this kosher?
Speaker 1:And if the answer is no, we're doing something else, Because I'm like you already got one strike against you, but also, I thought that it was kind of like the way that they treated Jewishness in this movie was to me very strange, because they made it seem like so otherworldly, like I don't know. Like maybe to me, like being Jewish is very, very normal, you know, and to me, like they gave it like a lot more otherness than I feel like the average person thinks of when they think of like Jewish people. Like it's like oh, you're Jewish, okay, it's kind of like being Muslim, like your religion has like dietary restrictions, but like so do seven-day Adventists you know what I'm saying? Like I don't know. I thought that it was interesting how like they made being Jewish seem like it was so strange and new and I'm like like we've had Jewish people in this country for so long. Why are you acting as if you've never heard of this before?
Speaker 2:Right, I don't know that I felt like they portrayed it like it was strange and new. But I felt like they portrayed like this because, like there's so much variety, of course, in every expression of every religion, you know what I mean. So, like, of the few Jewish people I've known, I don't think I've known anyone who's practiced like seriously or traditionally, and I think this was like no, this is a traditional, close-knit Jewish community and that's kind of off to the like. They interact with them, not that they don't interact with other people, but they're very into their community, more so than they were other.
Speaker 1:I don't know. I don't know because, just like the sister when she made the comment, like oh, he doesn't look jewish at all, and I'm just like what does that mean? And I know they made it and I know it was a joke and stuff like that, but I'm like it's, it's not, it's, i't know. I just felt like they made it seem way more different than it actually was.
Speaker 2:You know what I think maybe it's because we're Black. You know what I mean. Let me tell you why I say that. It's because I've had conversations with white people and they're like, oh well, this person is Jewish or whatever. And I'm like, how do you know? Looking at somebody, I think it's a bigger deal to them, cause that makes sense, like they see more, like you know, like more of a difference, and I'm like I can't tell you unless you tell me you are Jewish. Yeah, you look white, right, I mean you know what I mean. Like you seem like another white person. I, I can do it, but like they know, and they are much more aware, I think, than we, just it's not not necessarily as aware. Yeah, one.
Speaker 1:I agree that Jewish people run the gamut as far as looks. Now, there are some people who have look at as quintessential, like if you see people like the dark curly hair, there's a certain I don't know. There are certain features that you that make you think, oh, more than likely this person is Jewish. But I agree that, as black people, being Jewish is just not that big a deal. It's like, oh, you're Jewish, okay, you're Italian, okay, you're Irish, it's just a different right.
Speaker 2:Like like I would say, like when I've had conversations with like white people and they brought up that they thought someone might be, or that they were, or what have you. I'm like, why are you studying it that hard, like you know what I mean, why do you even you know, and the differences that they point out, I didn't see.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I guess that, like differences that they point out I didn't see, yeah, and I guess that, like I think, all being a minority, you look at other minorities differently. It's just not different. It's not a big deal. We're all minority. There's like you know what I mean. We're all minorities over here, so it's not like that big a deal. But yeah, I don't know, it's some of the ways when she was like visiting like the camp and stuff, I don't know, there was definitely like to me, like, oh, is it OK if I do this or that? I don't know. It just felt like she was like. It felt like I don't know. It did feel to me like she was like acting as if someone had like dropped her in a foreign country and I'm Well, I mean like you are dropped into a world within a world.
Speaker 2:That's what. That's what I saw, and not necessarily from her, from her, but just in general. I was like, oh, wow, a camp, uh, like the most I've heard people talk about is like going to hebrew school or something like that. But I'm like no, there's camps, there's there's all these different um things that are part of the community and I'm just like wow, but from the outside and you are kind of dropped into another world, but not like these people are strange other world, but it's just like there's all these things surrounded, incorporating this that you never had access to or never knew existed.
Speaker 1:And also I think like there's also like a lot of intermarriage, and so I think what made this series interesting was the fact that he was a rabbi, Because I'm like, if he is not a rabbi, I just feel like the whole oh my gosh, he's Jewish thing kind of loses some of its seriousness. It's hard to buy into the tension if he's not a rabbi.
Speaker 2:I personally feel like in 2024- well, I think that's why, like he is a rabbi, to like add to the increase, because because then, like, okay, it's not just like, like I said, because there's there's there's a lot of variety in how serious someone or how much a religion plays a part into somebody's life, even if you identify with it as a particular religion. So it's like no, not just that he's Jewish, but he's Jewish and this is like he's all in, and I think he says that directly. He's like I'm all in. You know what I mean? Like this is a big part of his life. This is not just something that he happens to be.
Speaker 1:I love a show with layers and I did not. I, honestly, when you said this show is going to be a palette cleanser, um, I did not expect to be able to find any depth in the show and so I really, I really really like the show and I know I've like, have my like, my critiques about different things, but those, the things that you know, the kind of you know, the kind of you know missteps that they did, you know, does make the show interesting and I agree with you, it does create room and space for it to grow Because, honestly, if they would have probably knocked everything out of the park, what would they have done?
Speaker 1:season two so I guess, you know, it's not my place to be offended for other people, um, but I I I want you know. I understand what they're saying because I saw it too saw it, experienced it and all the things.
Speaker 2:But but I do, like I said, I think, whether or not this was intentional, there's pockets and openings for Room to Grow because, while, yes, there's this tension between good Lord why am I blanking on her name, joanne?
Speaker 2:There's tension between Joanne and all of the Jewish women. There's also room to grow and develop those characters which I would be excited to see. And if, honestly, we look at the structure of a lot of shows, like it does focus on the main two characters in the first season and then you get the, you get a lot more depth than the other characters in the second and third. You know so and so, off season, like I said, I like there's a few humanizing moments with Esther, like where she's sitting on the floor with her daughter in the bathroom at the bar and like she's like, okay, why am I doing all this crap to my daughter that she doesn't want to do? And you know, and at first I thought she was, you know, it seems like she's really mean to Sasha, but then, as you see a little bit more, a little bit more of their relationship, you're like I don of their relationship.
Speaker 2:That's part of their banter that's what they do that's how they talk to each other and he loves her and she loves him, and so it's okay for that to look differently and have a different expression of that. I told you she's my favorite, as you can see.
Speaker 1:I would defend Esther with my last dime. What you not going to? If Esther has no Friends or fans, I am dead.
Speaker 2:But um, so I'm like okay, I see the cracks, I see the little. You know the beginnings and openings. I don't feel like she needs to become friends with Joanne For that to happen either. I just want to put that out there. It's not realistic to me, but I still feel like she needs to become friends with Joanne for that to happen either. I just want to put that out there. It's not realistic to me, but I still feel like we could see more of her.
Speaker 1:I agree she doesn't have to become friends with Joanne, but honestly I just feel like that's an eventuality, Because if they're going to be in close proximity to each other over a long time you know what I mean like at some point they're going to have some sort of relationship and they secretly like each other yeah, some sort you know, like that's the thing.
Speaker 1:like they, they secretly like each other as they, the more that they get to know each other, like they have like these little glimpses, you know where they're like. Oh, if the situation were different, you and I would be friends. No, but the situation is not different. It's not. This is what it is. Well, that's what happens when you start dating someone new five seconds after you break up with your long-term girlfriend, who was completely integrated with your family. But, honestly, that conversation is for I know.
Speaker 2:That's why I'm like I'm not trying to get too deep into it as to why I love Estesel, but because I'm like I know we're going to talk about it.
Speaker 1:I think this is a good place to stop this episode, because I think we did like a really good overview of kind of like the show. You know rom-coms and you know where the show is taking it and the controversies associated with the show, and so I would love, on the next episode, for us to like start taking a deep dive into some of the characters. What do you think? All right guys. So join us for the next episode where we'll be talking about all of the characters in Nobody Wants this.