Nobody Wants This Season 2’s Ending Was Emotional, And I Had To Ask About How Esther Played Into Noah And Joanne’s Choice

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Just a heads-up for my fellow film fans: I’m about to dive into some spoilers for Season 2 of Nobody Wants This! If you haven’t watched it yet, I highly recommend you do – it’s on Netflix – before reading on, because I’m going to be discussing some major plot points.

Season 2 of Nobody Wants This saw my worries from the first season start to come true – with a twist. This season, Adam Brody’s Noah and Kristen Bell’s Joanne directly confronted the question of whether Joanne would convert to Judaism. After deciding to stay together, this issue was bound to come up, and it nearly tore them apart. However, they ultimately decided to remain a couple, and a conversation Joanne had with Esther played a key role in that decision.

I recently interviewed Jackie Tohn before her show came out on Netflix in 2025, and I was eager to ask her about how important her character, Esther, was to Noah and Joanne’s relationship.

What Esther Told Joanne At The End Of Nobody Wants This Season 2

To quickly summarize the season finale, Joanne and Noah split up after a major disagreement about her potentially converting to Judaism. While in the bathroom, Joanne unexpectedly encounters Esther and begins to reflect on everything she’d lose if she left the faith. This prompts Jackie Tohn’s character to respond with:

Joanne, I really mean this. I think you’re overthinking what it means to be Jewish. To me, you already feel Jewish – you’re friendly, comforting, and always up for a good conversation. We’d really welcome you into the community.

Esther continued by playfully pointing out that Joanne’s funny personality and habit of sharing a lot were very Jewish traits. She affectionately called Joanne a “true kibitzer” and “yenta,” and listed other things that felt distinctly Jewish about her, like how much she cared about family and her eagerness to eat challah. It was a heartwarming moment, and suddenly everything clicked into place.

Joanne was beginning to understand something important, as Esther had pointed out: her Jewish identity wasn’t dependent on Noah. This realization – that she was prepared to formally convert to Judaism – was actually what brought her back to him.

What Jackie Tohn Told TopMob About Esther And Joanne’s Scene And Her Personal Connection To It

Esther played a significant role in Joanne’s decision to embrace Judaism. In fact, she helped bring Noah and Joanne back together. When I spoke with Jackie Tohn for TopMob, I asked her what this meant to Esther, and she shared:

It likely resonated more with Jackie than with Esther, as Esther was very focused on her connection with Sasha at the time. However, Esther was simply being honest with Joanne, sharing her genuine perspective. Esther is known for her directness, but it’s delivered with kindness and sincerity, leaving no room for doubt. You always know she’s telling the truth, and she would never say something just to spare someone’s feelings.

Esther is known for being honest, and although she and Joanne had a more peaceful relationship this season, they aren’t truly close friends. That’s why it meant so much when Esther casually told Bell’s character that she’d connected with Judaism through finding joy in small things, especially while dealing with her difficult breakup with Sasha.

This wasn’t just about the story being told on screen; it held deep personal significance for Tohn as well. Having been friends with Kristen Bell for many years, sharing this message with her meant a great deal. As Tohn explained why it was so important to her:

For me, playing Jackie was incredibly fun because I got to be a playful observer and a bit of a gossip, someone who really loves Jewish food, and share scenes with my close friend. It was surreal – like something I never even imagined happening. It felt amazing, like I needed to share the script with my mom immediately because she’d be absolutely thrilled, and she was!

That was really kind of you! It’s lovely to be able to share such a meaningful message with a close friend, and Jackie Tohn definitely recognized that.

I’m really interested to see how this ending affects the relationships between Joanne and Noah, and Joanne and Esther. We’ll have to wait and find out, though! For now, I’m just enjoying this lovely scene that brought the two main characters in Nobody Wants This back together.

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2025-10-26 15:39