Is It A Hot Take That I Wish Nobody Wants This Would Take The Bridgerton Approach?

As a fan of romance and romantic comedies, I don't know why it took me so long to finally get caught up on Nobody Wants This. I'd heard nothing but good things about Season 1, and with Season 2 arriving on the 2025 Netflix movie and TV schedule, and now streaming with a Netflix subscription, the time had come to give the show a chance, which I did. And I can't remember the last time a rom-com had me laughing out loud so frequently, and also feeling as completely charmed by the lead couple and their love story as I was throughout Season 1 of this series.

Alas, Season 2 wasn't quite as enjoyable, though I did still enjoy it. But even before I started watching Season 2, I thought the series might benefit from the Bridgerton approach to its seasons, in terms of the main couple shifting from one season to the next. Hear me out...

Do Noah And Joanne Need To Be At The Center Of Every Season?

I know it's not a hot take to say that Season 2 didn't live up to Season 1. The Rotten Tomatoes scores (both critics and audience) are evidence enough that a lot of people are quite as in love with Season 2 as they were with Season 1. But the way I see the Bridgerton approach working for Nobody Wants This would mean that Kristen Bell and Adam Brody's characters would take a back seat in the plot, and allow the show to focus on a different romantic arc. Season 2 did pay more attention to other relationships in the show, for sure. But I still think my expectation as a viewer was that this is Noah and Joanne's story first and foremost. Maybe it's a hot take, but I don't think it needs to be that way every season, and it might even be for the best if it isn't.

Admittedly, even I cringe a bit at the idea of Nobody Wants This not being primarily about Kristen Bell and Adam Brody’s characters and love story, because I love this couple so much. Their chemistry is amazing, and both actors bring so much to the roles. The issue is that, by keeping the rom-com format of the series, and keeping Joanne and Noah at the center of the plot, their relationship essentially needs to continue to be a roller coaster in order for the series to build momentum over several seasons. If there isn't conflict between the central couple of the rom-com, where's the story?

The Way It Works For Bridgerton (And Plenty Of Romance Series)

If you don’t watch Bridgerton, the romantic Netflix drama dedicates each season to a different Bridgerton family member and their love story. There are other stories going on, and many of the same characters appear in every season of the book-to-screen adaptation. Since the Bridgerton family is at the heart of the story, each season connects to the next. As a fan of romance and great rom-coms, and a frequent book-reader, I know that the Netflix series’ approach to dedicating each season to a different couple’s love story isn't novel (heh).

Some of my favorite book series are rom-coms where the sequels are more like spinoffs, focusing on a new love story for a previously introduced character who’s connected to one or both people in the original couple. In this way, the reader stays in the same world as the original couple, and even gets to check in on them and how things are going in their life together, but the central story -- complete with a whole new romantic rollercoaster -- focuses on the best friend or brother or whoever from Book 1, and their new love interest.

In the case of Nobody Wants This, the best thing the second season had going for it, in my opinion, was the return of all of these hilarious, likable characters. Which brings me to how I think Nobody Wants This could adapt this style, should Season 3 happen.

How I Think It Could Work For Nobody Wants This

In the case of Nobody Wants This, I'm not suggesting the show introduce brand new characters each season to serve spinoff stories later. As I said, the existing characters on the show are already great. But what if the focus of the series turned each season, staying within the two families at the center of the story, but highlighting a different relationship?

My first thought was to put Morgan front and center for Season 3, but I loved the train wreck that was her relationship with "Dr. Andy," and I think there's much more story to mine from her as a single woman still figuring herself out. So, I'd suggest saving her true love story for later, and maybe focusing the next season on Sasha and Esther.

I'm still new to this fandom, so I'm not sure if this is a thing, but if there's a Team "Please Don't Let Anything Romantic Happen Between Sasha and Morgan," I'm on it. I love Morgan and Sasha’s dynamic, but only as friends (or friends-with-weird-tension technically, but still platonic). And I love Esther and Sasha as a couple, though their relationship undoubtedly has room to grow (I’ll leave it at that).

There’s also Joanne and Noah’s parents, and interesting stories on both sides that could be explored as the central story in a season.

But What About Noah And Joanne?

In the scenario I'm proposing, it wouldn’t mean that we wouldn’t see Joanne and Noah regularly, or even that they couldn’t have a relatively light arc that keeps their story moving each season. But if the series is focusing its main attention on a different couple, it wouldn’t need to rely on turmoil between Joanne and Noah to maintain its momentum.

I like that there are challenges in their relationship. I don’t think there’s any reason for the show to rush Joanne’s decision about converting to Judaism, for example, so I’d love for it to continue to be part of the plot. But it doesn't need to be part of an ongoing conflict every season. I also like the idea that a final season could return its focus to Joanne and Noah as the main couple, as that would be a fitting way to close out the series – giving us one last Noah and Joanne season to resolve remaining (or developing) conflicts and give us a satisfying conclusion.

Realistically, though, I’m not getting my hopes up that this will happen. Given that Season 2 kept the focus on Noah and Joanne, I doubt the series would change its approach going forward, if it’s renewed for Season 3. I do hope it gets renewed, and from what Kristen Bell told Parade, the writers have already gotten started on the next season, in the event of a renewal.

While I do agree with some of the criticisms I’ve seen about Season 2, I loved watching it regardless and would undoubtedly return for Season 3 no matter what. But if the series were to shift its focus more onto a different love story for Season 3, even just by shifting the balance a bit, I certainly wouldn’t mind, especially if it meant giving Noah and Joanne some time to just be happy together for a bit while another couple works out their issues.