Netflix's Nobody Wants This: How a Last-Minute Ending Change Made the Show Even Better!
Nobody Wants This: The Original Ending, and Why Netflix Changed It
Let's talk about Nobody Wants This, that quirky Netflix rom-com created by Erin Foster, based on her real-life relationship with her husband. The show ended with Noah (Adam Brody) risking everything for Joanne (Kristen Bell)— a seriously intense situation that would bring huge changes, both for himself and all around him. This totally sets up the amazing potential of future plotlines. But that finale almost happened differently— and it is this alternate possibility that actually adds far more depth to its initial release. This story of love and life’s craziness almost had a way different outcome– which gets even more interesting once we see exactly what the creative process entailed behind this decision.
Foster, in a chat with The Hollywood Reporter, revealed she initially imagined Noah and Joanne getting engaged, maybe even married, in season 1! This article highlights a super critical moment: Netflix played a key role by strongly urging a change, leading to those changes affecting this show for many of those related creative reasons; ultimately improving the end product.
Here’s exactly what Foster said: “Something that ended up being special about the show, that I really have to give Netflix credit for pushing us to do, was to let the story unfold really slowly in season one. Initially, when I developed the idea, I had seen [Noah and Joanne] getting engaged or married by the finale of season one, and when we got into the writing process Netflix kept being like, “Slow it down, slow it down. We don’t want to get there too quickly.” And it ended up being really great storytelling, because it makes you feel like you’re experiencing the relationship in real time. You can watch a show and have these manufactured time jumps, where you don’t really experience the minutia of how a relationship unfolds, and so we were really able to do that.”
The Impact of Netflix's Decision: Setting the Stage for Season 2
Nobody Wants This season 2’s development gets even better after that initial success, and the show continues under new showrunners Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan! That original ending would’ve been a serious moment for Noah and Joanne—but with the Netflix suggested change, the already successful ending felt even better. The original plan however shows that even in scenarios where the overall theme appears rather simple; intense developments that require significant rewrites; and the change proposed by the producers to instead maintain a prolonged state of uncertainty shows a much larger picture.
Most rom-coms end with the couple getting together, thinking that is what constitutes as closure! Yet this subversion– especially given that several additional relationships (Sasha and Morgan, amongst others) were added later in the plot completely subverted many pre-existing tropes found commonly in romantic comedy shows and made the series as a whole far more compelling!
Our Thoughts: A Slower Burn, a Bigger Payoff
Can a rom-com, that is mainly focused on just two main characters maintain audience interest over multiple seasons? That’s questionable, especially after that first initial series, especially given those intense focus that only allowed for a certain narrative scope for each episode! This show, having several additional relationships and the overarching community-based setting of its own narrative demonstrates the immense complexity and potential for building a rich ensemble setting in what might've originally appeared simplistic on first appearance.
The changes, however made this far better. Seeing Noah and Joanne begin their relationship, showcasing all those early stages, that amazing intimacy – allows deeper development of their characters. Those early relationship moments showcase exactly what the two really valued and just what might’ve led to various other complicated conflicts. It doesn't avoid problems! It embraces that inevitable drama for even more storytelling opportunities; those added tensions create more layers and that will generate further interest in those relationships and those characters! It is clear and evident that these suggestions were made intelligently, suggesting a much bigger perspective for the series.
Conclusion: Netflix's Intervention Paid Off BIG TIME!
Netflix's decision to delay that relationship development, to show everything as more organic is a masterful creative decision! It could have been amazing but the ending worked beautifully, giving space to explore the story’s nuances – showing exactly just how much thought had gone into that creative process itself. Those additional developments involving other characters, further show just why such an intense creative approach should really be valued as much more valuable compared to those instances where audiences might expect far simpler romantic plot resolutions! Fans of this show can surely eagerly anticipate more from those characters already displayed.
