We just finished watching the second season of “Nobody Wants This.” The first season was great, and I didn’t think the second season quite lived up to the first. I love the cast, and there were a lot of great moments. So what was missing from season two?
To me, the first season worked because the story arc was built off of a big question: Can these two characters (played by Kristen Bell and Adam Brody) make it? It worked as a hook and kept us interested throughout the season. I wanted to know how they’d answer that question.
But the second season’s question (“Will Kristen Bell’s character convert to Judaism?”) didn’t resonate with me in the same way — I just didn’t really care either way — and it affected the rest of the season. Without the big arc, it’s tough to stay invested in a show in the long run.
Had they been asking a different question, my reaction to the season is probably a lot different. (Weirdly, rewatching the trailer, I think they got the big question right there! It just didn’t quite come through in the actual show.)
I see versions of this in my work. I’ll talk with people who’ve built what looks to be a great newsletter — the design is good, they’ve put a lot of work into the content — but they’re not asking the right question. They don’t really understand what their audience wants — or maybe even who their audience is — and as a result, the newsletter doesn’t have clear value.
So when something falls flat, I try to steer back to those big questions. Who is this for? What do we do to serve them? And how do we clearly explain this value to them?
Getting back to those answers can help get the work back on track.