Nobody Wants This: Love & Tradition in the time of podcasts

Turns out everybody wants to check out Nobody Wants This, a Netflix romcom about a rabbi and a podcaster (with the most liberal of views) wanting each other for better...Or for worse?

- JOANNE RAE M. RAMIREZ

Truth be told, that's putting the cart before the horse. Because no one, no one but perhaps the writers, knows if the "better" will turn to "worse." (A Season 2 is official, according to Netflix.)

The series is inspired by the life of creator Erin Foster, former star of Barely Famous, who reportedly converted to Judaism after she fell in love.

Even with Episode 1 of the 10-episode series (each episode is brief, so I was able to watch nine episodes in one day without eyestrain), the viewer already gets a feel-good vibe. The sparks between rabbi Noah (Adam Brody) and Joanne (Kristen Bell), whom some of Noah's relatives call a "shiksa," leave you melting.

At the onset, she casually asks if a rabbi can't have sex and he replies, "No, those are priests."

The central conflict is evidently the difference in their upbringing. He's a devout Jew. She's an agnostic. His life revolves around the teachings of his faith and family traditions informed by Judaism. She, on the other hand, discusses sex and vibrators in her podcast, which she co-hosts with her sister. The only tradition she celebrates is Christmas, and I doubt if she observes its religious significance.

And yet, such is love. Attraction. Chemistry. Sometimes, it is spontaneous combustion. No one really plans for sparks. It's not like wine pairing when a sommelier studies what goes well with what. Or a stylist picking the right clutch for your gown, or a tie for your suit. It's not even a matter of taste.