My husband and I have had a busy wedding season this fall, watching some of our nearest and dearest say “I do.” And after nearly a decade of our own marriage, it’s easy to look back on this period of newlywed bliss with a real sense of longing for going back to that time. We’re currently in the trenches of life with a toddler and a newborn, when our real “together time” is getting to watch approximately half an episode of the latest Netflix show before doubtlessly getting pulled away by a child. I had a similar feeling of FOMO watching season 2 of Nobody Wants This.
While watching the latest season of the popular Netflix show, I found myself diving back into the romanticism of Joanne and Noah’s relationship unfolding (though certainly they were coming out of the honeymoon phase this season). However, as much as I loved watching the chemistry and genuine affection between Joanne and Noah this season, my attention was really drawn in by a different couple’s journey: Esther and Sasha.
Noah’s brother and sister-in-law are in a very different period in their lives. They’ve been together for over a decade and are parents to a teenage daughter. Their journey over 10 episodes was about rediscovering their spark, both as a couple and as individuals. While it may have been the B-story, taking a backseat to the main couple, theirs was the one that I most resonated with this season.
Editor’s Note: Esther and Sasha spoilers from Season 2 of ‘Nobody Wants This’ ahead.
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Why people love Noah and Joanne
Think back to your very favorite romantic comedies. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Notting Hill, The Holiday (this list could go on forever). The majority of successful romantic films are stories about how a couple meets or their early days.
In most cases, I’d say it’s fair to classify most of the movies as taking place in the honeymoon phase of a relationship. Sure, they may have plenty of bumps along the way, but they’re all different from the rough patches that come further down the road.
The honeymoon phase is cinematic by nature—it’s all momentum and chemistry. Joanne and Noah in Nobody Wants This are a classic case of this. Who didn’t swoon in season 1 when Noah told Joanne he could handle her? Watching them stumble through the chaos of new love feels electric and relatable in its own way.
They’re the embodiment of that heady, early chapter we all remember: before shared calendars, before career compromises, before the rhythm of real life sets in. Obviously, they have issues to overcome (their differing faiths are the main theme of the show), but the length of time they’ve been together isn’t one of them.
What makes Esther and Sasha so underrated
Which brings me to Esther and Sasha. Season 1 introduced Sasha, played by Timothy Simon, as Noah’s older brother, married to Esther (played by actress Jackie Tohn), and father to teenage daughter Miriam. While season 1 didn’t explore Esther and Sasha’s relationship too much (in fact, the lack of scenes with Esther occasionally portrayed her as a bit of a nag, which I didn’t love), season 2 of Nobody Wants This did a better job exploring what connected the two—and the realities of what a longer relationship looks like.
In one very real and relatable moment in episode 2, the couple shares a few edibles and commiserates over how hard marriage can be. It sounded very much like any conversation my husband and I have had about our own marriage, or about having kids.
A later episode points out that the two only married because Esther got pregnant. This is a theme that comes back again and again as Esther tries to contend with who she is without Sasha, while Sasha tries to bring the “spark” back into their relationship through all the wrong methods (like having a second kid that Esther clearly does not want).
One of the most heartwarming moments between the two this season also exemplifies this point. Sasha learns a dance routine to Seven Rings. Esther is (rightly) taken aback, yet impressed. The dance is as sweet, fun, and a really nice surprise (fun fact: the reaction from Jackie Tohn was real, she didn’t get a preview of the dance routine before shooting). But, it’s not a magic fix for complicated problems in their long-term relationship. The moment showed that it’s true you can have these cute, sweet, romantic moments, but still need to deal with the underlying issues.
Not a fairytale ending, but a realistic one
How Esther and Sasha leave off in season 2 isn’t romantic, but it is realistic. Namely, Esther shares all the things she loves about Sasha, but in the same breath says she needs to fix something within herself—without him.
While we’ll have to wait until season 3 (c’mon, Netflix!) to see what happens. The last episode suggests there’s still hope for the couple—but the foundation needs fixing. That’s exactly what actor Timothy Simon, who plays Sasha, took to be his character’s storyline this season. “I think he was trying to deal with things without fixing the foundation,” Simons told People of Sasha’s failed attempts to mend the relationship. “It just seems like wherever it goes, that’s something that needs to happen to really see what the root problems in their relationship are.”
That’s emphasized in Sasha’s ending conversation with Morgan. He says that if Esther thinks she can just find out what life is like without him and he’ll wait around—she’s right, he will.
At the end of the day, this is a feel-good TV show, so I’m hoping these two will come back to each other eventually. But I appreciate that their story is a little messy—it feels more realistic.
Final thoughts on Esther and Sasha in ‘Nobody Wants This’
While I’m grateful to say my husband and I haven’t been through the exact same circumstances, I think everyone who has been in a long-term relationship, with or without kids, has to learn who they are as an individual outside of their relationship. Like we see with Esther and Sasha’s marriage, it can be all too easy to lose yourself in a label as a parent or a spouse and partner, forgetting who you are as an individual. Real life is not always as pretty or romantic as your typical as-seen-on-TV romantic couple, which is why Esther and Sasha feel refreshing. I bet many viewers (myself included) see themselves in their partnership, too.
Morgan Flaherty, Contributing Writer
Morgan is full-time writer, editor, and mom. She lives in Florida with her husband, daughter, and one very sassy cat. Along with her work as a contributing writer for The Everymom, her writing has appeared in Well + Good, InStyle, Scary Mommy, Byrdie, and Baby Chick.
