Nobody Wants ThisEnding Explained: Here's Where Noah and Joanne Leave Off — And What It Means for a Potential Season 2

Mar. 15, 2025

Adam Brody stars as Noah and Kristen Bell stars as Joanne in episode 110 of Nobody Wants This.Photo:SAEED ADYANI/NETFLIX

SAEED ADYANI/NETFLIX

Warning:Nobody Wants Thisspoilers ahead!

Netflix’sNobody Wants Thisis a love story nobody saw coming, but that everyone’s rooting for — except the majority of their friends and family.

“I really do think this is the kind of show where you want to give the audience what they want,” Foster toldTheWrapin September 2024. “I’m not trying to make some artistic choice that strips the audience of the happy ending that they want. But you also don’t want to clean it up too much where there’s nowhere to go.”

As Foster wished, there is much more to be explored, especially with a big cliffhanger question: Howdoesa relationship between Joanne and Noah work?

Here’s everything to know about theNobody Wants Thisseason 1 ending, from where Joanne and Noah’s whirlwind romance stands to what it means for them going forward.

How doesNobody Wants Thisseason 1 end?

Kristen Bell as Joanne in episode 110 of Nobody Wants This.SAEED ADYANI/NETFLIX

Throughout the series, a big obstacle stands in the way of Joanne and Noah’s romance: his lifelong dream of becoming head rabbi means he has to be with someone Jewish.

In the final episode, Joanne shows up toMiriam’s Bat Mitzvahand tells Noah that she has decided to convert. But after a conversation with Noah’s wannabe-Mrs. Head Rabbi ex-girlfriend, Joanne has a change of heart.

Rather than make Noah choose between his role as a religious leader and his relationship with her, Joanne ends things with Noah, telling him that running after her will only make the split more difficult.

She added, “We just played with different levels and took a vote and ended up where we are,” which resulted in the final scene of Noah running after Joanne to be there when she gets off the bus, offering viewers what might’ve been thesecond-bestkiss of the seasonandquestions how the couple will make it work.

“I fully understand some people who make the artistic choice to not give the audience what they want, but I don’t think this is that kind of show,” Foster toldIndieWirein September 2024. “I don’t want people walking away frustrated or annoyed. I think this is the kind of show where you want to get the thing you’re there to get and I wanted to give people that moment of, ‘We choose each other, but everyone knows we’re giving up a lot to choose each other, so how are we gonna do it?’ And that, to me, felt like a realistic but still satisfying ending still with conflict, so you have somewhere to go.”

As they both pointed out throughout the final episode, Noah can’t have both.

Why doesn’t Joanne convert to Judaism?

Kristen Bell as Joanne, Justine Lupe as Morgan in episode 104 of Nobody Wants This.Hopper Stone/Netflix

Hopper Stone/Netflix

Joanne was open to converting to Judaism after Noah asked. After all, she doesn’t belong to a faith or stand for any strong beliefs — religiously speaking, that is. However, as her friend Ashley reminded her, she strongly believes in “refusing to pay on dates."

Butconverting to Judaismisa big deal, and as Noah said, “It’s important that [she] really thought about this.” Thus, although Joanne did “some research” about the spiritual journey, she ultimately realized she wasn’t doing it for the right reasons.

“I’m just not ready and in so many ways, I wanna be. But if I’m being honest, I was only doing it for you. And there’s so many beautiful things about Judaism, and I’m just not there yet and I don’t know if I ever will be,” Joanne told Noah in the final episode.

“All of a sudden she realizes the importance of what she’s doing and that this might be the real adult decision she’s ever had to make,” Bell said. “The fact that she pulls back is the most important because she’s finally being true and authentic.”

Does Noah become head rabbi?

Adam Brody as Noah in episode 101 of Nobody Wants This.Stefania Rosini/Netflix

Stefania Rosini/Netflix

Noah’s lifelong dream of becoming head rabbi comes into question when Rabbi Cohen suggests he can’t have a non-Jewish girlfriend — or as the current head rabbi says, a “crabcake” — and represent the congregation.

When Noah had thought Joanne was converting, he told Cohen that he was in for the job, should the temple’s board have him. Noah was thrilled to give Joanne the update until she came bearing other news of her switched decision.

When Noah goes after Joanne in the final scene, it teases the possibility that he chose her over his dream. However, the ending remains ambiguous, leaving viewers wondering if he fully shuts the door on that opportunity.

Where do Joanne and Noah stand?

Kristen Bell as Joanne, Adam Brody as Noah in episode 102 of Nobody Wants This.Stefania Rosini/Netflix

Given the kiss in the final scene, it seems like Noah and Joanne are nowhere near ready to give up on their relationship, but the big elephant in the room remains: they have completely incompatible lifestyles.

In September 2024, Brody toldTudumthat Noah was telling Joanne, “I put you first. Everything else will work itself out, but I’m saying that you are my priority.”

Plus, Noah still has an overbearing mother determined to keep Joanne away from her son.

Will there be aNobody Wants Thisseason 2?

Elise Greene as Leah, Jackie Tohn as Esther, Kristen Bell as Joanne, Justine Lupe as Morgan in episode 107 of Nobody Wants This.Adam Rose/Netflix

Adam Rose/Netflix

Foster echoed that sentiment to TheWrap in September 2024, saying she would “love to do a season 2.”

She added, “There’s so much more story to tell so if people like the show, then I would be really excited to keep telling it.”

The series has not been officially renewed at Netflix for another season. But with a spot onNetflix’s Top 10in the days following its premiere and a nearly perfect score onRotten Tomatoes, the cast and crew are hopeful.

“We’re getting a really positive response,” Foster told IndieWire in September 2024. “And so I think the conversations have definitely started to happen about a potential season 2. … I mean, I want my show to be on the air as long as possible!”

“The excitement with a season 2 is like, Where is it gonna go? Are they going to let the factors of the world affect what they feel between them, and isn’t that kind of a topic everybody thinks about once in a while? Like, ‘Do I want what I want or do I want what society wants for me?’ ” she said.

There are still many more questions unanswered among the tribe, too: Did Morgan and Joanne get a podcast deal with Spotify? Will Miriam hang out with Caleb? What’s going on between “the loser siblings”? How will Esther confront Sasha after learning he betrayed her trust?

Time will tell, Bubbelehs.

source: people.com