Netflix’s highly popular romantic comedy Nobody Wants This almost had a very different season 1 ending, and I’m so glad the show changed directions. Nobody Wants This’ cast and characters include stars of the show Kristen Bell (Joanne) and Adam Brody (Noah). The show explores the complex nature of Joanne and Noah’s relationship, with a particular focus on how the couple navigates their differing careers, religious ideologies, and family dynamics. Nobody Wants This has faced backlash, but it has primarily received high praise and continues to be popular following its release several weeks ago.

This popularity no doubt influenced Netflix’s decision to announce Nobody Wants This season 2 already. The story for season 2 hasn’t yet been revealed, but it seems likely Joanne and Noah are headed for some major relationship milestones. While I’m excited to see those developments in season 2, Netflix’s decision to hold off on these plot points throughout season 1 made the show so much better.

Nobody Wants This’ Original Ending Plan & What Changed Explained

Throughout Nobody Wants This, it was uncertain whether Joanne and Noah would end up together. From the beginning, the couple faced a number of challenges. One of the most pressing involved Noah’s very recent split with his ex, Rebecca, which put many of his friends and family members—especially his sister-in-law, Esther—on the defensive when they met Joanne. Noah’s job as a rabbi also seemed directly at odds with Joanne’s career as a relationships podcast host (who tended to get fairly explicit), which at times created tension.

Joanne and Noah had a nearly on-again-off-again dynamic.

Because of these obstacles, Joanne and Noah had a nearly on-again-off-again dynamic, wherein they cycled between being clearly in love and seeming on the rocks and close to breaking up. This continued up until the Nobody Wants This ending. It wasn’t clear until the final moments of the show that Noah intended to choose Joanne over his career and be with her even if it meant not landing the head rabbi job he had sought for so long. However, the season 1 arc almost looked completely different, particularly regarding this uncertainty.

The initial plan was for Nobody Wants This season 1 to end with Joanne and Noah either engaged or getting married, but Netflix encouraged the show’s creator, Erin Foster, to slow down the pacing considerably. This original conclusion would have meant a major change to season 1’s arc. In fact, even with Noah running after Joanne in the end, there wasn’t a real finality to the last episode. The couple still has several issues that haven’t been addressed, and it remains uncertain whether they will work long-term—this would have done away with that.

Nobody Wants This’ Actual Ending Is A Much More Satisfying Story

I thoroughly enjoyed Nobody Wants This, and a huge part of that was the push and pull of Noah and Joanne’s relationship. All too often, the trajectory of romantic comedies is predictable or follows familiar beats too closely; Nobody Wants This wasn’t like that. This show felt as though it authentically represented the complexity of a relationship that brings together different backgrounds, identities, and personalities. If season 1 had ended with Joanne and Noah engaged or married, it wouldn’t have felt as nuanced or compelling.

For one, that conclusion would have felt rushed. It’s difficult to imagine how an engagement, let alone a wedding, would have fit into the timeline of season 1. This presumably would have required the show to cut out quite a bit of their relationship development on screen, and that was what made the relationship in Nobody Wants This feel so unique when compared with other rom-coms.

Joanne and Noah felt like a real couple because their relationship wasn’t straightforward.

This also may have meant taking the challenges the couple faced less seriously or at least giving them less screen time, which would have been a major shame. Joanne and Noah felt like a real couple because their relationship wasn’t straightforward. They had feelings for one another immediately, but that didn’t stop outside forces from nearly causing them to call it quits. Tying the season together with an engagement or a wedding would have undercut that narrative.

Nobody Wants This’ Changed Ending Better Sets Up Season 2

The ending Netflix ultimately went with also meant that there was plenty of story left to tell in Nobody Wants This season 2. It seems safe to assume, given the original plan, that Noah and Joanne may get engaged and/or married in this upcoming season, but if they do, it will feel much more earned and satisfying than if it had come at the end of season 1. This is particularly true in light of the loose ends that season 1 left behind.

With Noah deciding Joanne is worth more to him than becoming head rabbi, there will be plenty of fallout, particularly with Noah’s family. In season 2, the couple will have to navigate that before moving on to an engagement or wedding, which will mean adding even more depth to the characters and their relationship. This is also just one plot line of many that season 2 can explore, suggesting how much more nuanced this story can become. Thankfully, the ending of Nobody Wants This season 1 was changed, which will undoubtedly mean an even better story for season 2.