There’s nothing quite like a good theme. (See: a Christmas-centric episode late in the third season of Netflix‘s darling rom-com, “Nobody Wants This.”) Before the Erin Foster-created series rolled out its latest 10 episodes, the show’s team was firmly aligned behind an overall concept: This is the champagne season. It’s bubbly and fun! Celebratory and bright! And while that is mostly true — especially as it applies to the romance of our leads Joanne (Kristen Bell) and Noah (Adam Brody) — there’s another, darker theme lurking just underneath.
Self-sabotage.
So, no, not nearly as bubbly or bright. And yet, after a disappointing second season that trafficked in flimsy retread (beyond this critic’s favorite subplot, which we will return to soon), a hearty dose of “well, that’s real life for ya” is welcome. So, too, is the champagne of it all.
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First things first, after two seasons of (light, destined to be cleared up) back-and-forth, Joanne and Noah have moved in together. “We live together” the duo dreamily and repeatedly huff at each other in the premiere, and thank goodness they’re so damn cute, because that would wear thin with any other couple. (Another treat: their gorgeous new home, which seems to have been dropped, fully formed and decorated, right into their laps.)
Elsewhere, housing is a real problem. Sasha (Timothy Simons) and Esther (Jackie Tohn) have agreed to try the “nesting” approach to their separation, with each of them switching out of the family home, all the better to leave their daughter, Miriam (Shiloh Bearman), feeling secure in their love. Morgan (Justine Lupe), meanwhile, has moved back in with her and Joanne’s mother, Lynn (Stephanie Faracy), who is just delighted when Sasha starts spending his non-nesting time there, too.
Alas! Joanne and Noah’s domestic bliss is not quite what it seems, as they struggle to marry their different approaches (to morning routines, to cleaning, etc.). Also a problem: their new neighbor, Travis (Avan Jogia), who is revealed to be Joanne’s ex, and whose reappearance in her life almost immediately reactivates lots of old wounds. (This particular subplot mostly rankles, at least until that second-half Christmas episode, which adds in some very necessary flashbacks and context.)
Old wounds are Joanne’s speciality, and they’re really activated by her conversion work. Rabbi Eden (a wonderfully low-key Sarah Silverman) might be open to Joanne’s foray into Judaism, but the rest of her conversion class isn’t sold on her and her “drama” (especially Andrew Rannells, who is on hand mostly to, well, be Andrew Rannells). Even worse? As Joanne’s self-regard takes a hit, Noah’s inflates, especially when it becomes clear to him that he might have a place at his old temple after all. (Consider his Season 2 work subplot officially non-essential.)
And while Joanne is busy with all these parts of her new life, Morgan finds her own professional horizons also increasing. Once linked and bonded by their podcast, Morgan goes viral during a one-off episode (co-starring, of all people, Sasha) in which she somewhat accidentally creates her own, deeply Morgan-esque life philosophy: “Make them.” Screw “let them”! Morgan is going to turn this whole thing into her own cottage industry, even if it requires her to write a book (?) which is, to put it kindly, not where her skills lie, even if a proposed chapter on “lip glosses that are too sticky” sounds like a banger. (Esther also takes on a new gig as a realtor, while Sasha uses “make them” on his own father to startling effect.)
Ah, Sasha and Morgan. While the series has been up and down and back and forth on the bond (fine, I’ll say it, the flirtation) between the second-class siblings, Season 3 finally addresses their spark head-on. And self-sabotage? Yes, that’s indeed on the menu. While Sasha attempts to get back into the dating pool — the shock that Esther is also on the apps is one of the great eye-poppers of the season — he can’t fight that the one person he most wants to spend time with is Morgan. And as the Roklov and Williams families grow still more entangled, the possibility of their own match feels, if not inevitable, at least on the table.
No, no, no, I understand this concept might be a non-starter for many fans. For awhile there, it was even a non-starter for the show, which faced backlash for Season 1’s treatment of it and wildly course-corrected in Season 2. And even for this critic, who remains truly devoted to Esther and Sasha, talking about this development in a positive fashion just feels wrong.
But life (and love) are messy, an idea that “Nobody Wants This” is re-embracing, even as its central couple grows closer than ever. Joanne and Noah’s happily-ever-after feels more secure than ever this season — what a concept! — but that means some of the usual drama needs to be shifted to other love stories. Morgan and Sasha are the right place for it. Champagne? Maybe not, but as much pleasure as a settled Joanne and Noah bring, a flirty and lightly terrified Sasha and Morgan add some real fizz.
Season 3 includes a number of episodes with one-off settings or situations: a dizzy housewarming party that brings everyone together, a sweaty heatwave that turns into a raucous pool party, a fake-out wedding that helps clarify for Joanne just how good she’s got it right now (with a twist we won’t spoil here, it’s just too darling to unveil), but it’s Episode 7 that most stands out. That’s the one that pulls Sasha and Morgan out of their comfort zone (and literal time zone), removes Joanne and Noah from the picture (it’s the sabbath, so they can’t be on their phones), and makes a choice about their relationship that no one can take back.
What follows is not just self-sabotage, but the crackling possibility of real self-reinvention, something both Joanne and Noah have already embraced. But that kind of growth opportunity is not only hard-won, but just plain hard. Is Sasha the love of Morgan’s life? Or is he just in her life to teach her what it really feels like to be loved? “Nobody Wants This” has asked this question before. It will probably ask this question again. But it’s meaningful, gorgeous query to ponder. Now, can everyone get out of their own way, and keep up that kind of deep-thinking momentum into Season 4 and beyond?
No more sabotage. It’s time to take a drink of what life is really offering you. Careful, it’s fizzy.
Grade: B+
“Nobody Wants This” Season 3 premiered Thursday, October 22 on Netflix. All 10 episodes were released at once.