Nobody Wants This returns for a third season with Noah and Joanne moving in together — and a new couple stealing the spotlight

The third season of Netflix's romantic comedy Nobody Wants This arrives with its central couple, rabbi Noah and podcast host Joanne, taking a step that previous seasons spent circling: they move in together, and Joanne begins Jewish conversion classes. The shift marks a departure from the circular conflict that defined the show's early run, according to reviews of the new season.

Noah, played by Adam Brody, and Joanne, played by Kristen Bell, open the season in a domestic rhythm. One review describes a montage of the pair exclaiming "We live together!" in mundane situations, while another notes the couple wake each other in the middle of the night just to repeat the phrase. The same review observes that Joanne's decision to convert removes previously insurmountable obstacles: Noah's old temple brings him back for a trial run, and his disapproving mother throws herself into preparing her possible future daughter-in-law for the role of rebbetzin.

Both reviews agree that the lowered stakes come at a narrative cost. One critic writes that "the stakes are lower and the old fizz has somewhat fizzled," noting that marriage, the usual next step for a couple, brings sensitivities that pale beside what Noah and Joanne have already overcome. The other review says the season "tones down its exploration of Judaism and Jewish culture significantly," to the point that Christmas traditions receive a more elaborate episode spotlight than any Jewish holiday. That review also notes that Joanne's conversion classes mainly function as a backdrop for undercooked tension involving guest stars Sarah Silverman as Rabbi Eden and Andrew Rannells and Keyla Monterroso Mejia as fellow students.

With less dramatic tension between the leads, the supporting cast carries more of the season. Both reviews point to the bond between Morgan, Joanne's sister, played by Justine Lupe, and Sasha, Noah's brother, played by Timothy Simons. One review describes the pair as arguably better than the central couple, writing that their radically different personalities highlight the gap the central relationship has to overcome while their shared outsider status draws them together. The other review calls the chemistry between Lupe and Simons undeniable and says it exceeds that between Bell and Brody.

The season finally sees Sasha and Esther, played by Jackie Tohn, split. One review says this leaves more time for Sasha's tender bond with Morgan to become a proper will-they-won't-they, adding that "suddenly our heads are spinning and our hearts have resumed their fluttering." The other review says the series approaches the storyline with a characteristic lack of subtlety, barreling over what should have been a poignant storyline about the very fresh separation, and notes that Tohn remains excellent and sadly underserved as Esther.

On the central performances, one review says Brody continues to excel as a romantic lead, combining the patience of a saint with the goofiness of a guy you could imagine meeting in real life, while Bell gets to soften her character's more abrasive edges. The same review says it remains slightly underwhelmed by the leads' chemistry but that this matters much less when the show is not needing to convince viewers every few episodes that their passion is fiery enough to overcome every reasonable objection. It also praises a late-season speech about purpose and meaning, performed movingly enough by Bell to make you wish she had more material like it.

The reviews diverge in emphasis on the show's flaws. One describes the season as being in "safe mode" yet still delightful, arguing the ensemble, including the parents and siblings, keeps the show engaging when little is happening with the central couple. The other calls the series "as endearing and exasperating as ever," praising its tight 30-minute episodes, postcard-pretty Los Angeles backdrops and lovable cast while criticising the treatment of Joanne's podcasting career and the show's framing of her passive-aggressive sniping at Morgan as cute sibling rivalry. That review concludes that the series can offer "good enough" but still has a ways to go before delivering something magical.

The season's cast includes Adam Brody, Kristen Bell, Justine Lupe, Timothy Simons, Jackie Tohn, Tovah Feldshuh, Paul Ben-Victor, Stephanie Faracy and Michael Hitchcock. Erin Foster is the creator, and Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan are showrunners, according to one review. The season airs Thursday, Oct. 22, on Netflix.