"In the fifth episode of the second season of the series, such a moment arrives in the most benign of places: a bowling alley. As Joanne squints and stares at her boyfriend's sister-in-law Esther (Jackie Tohn), we also squint, stare, and labor to see what's different. "I mean, are we just, like, not gonna talk about this?," a gobsmacked Joanne asks Esther, Noah (Adam Brody), and Sasha ( Timothy Simons). "You got bangs!""
"In its first season, the Erin Foster-created series was repeatedly called out for its depictions of Jewish women, including Esther who, at best, reads as abrasive. At worst? She's a damaging stereotype: a demanding shrew, a gossip, and a meddler. And it didn't help matters that she was pitted against a sassy blonde in the form of Joanne's sister, Morgan (Justin Lupe), who enjoyed a flirty friendship with Esther's husband Sasha that, quite frankly, seemed to take everyone by surprise."
Netflix rom-com Nobody Wants This centers on Joanne, whose self-awareness often contrasts with romantic missteps. In season two, episode five a bowling-alley scene has Joanne notice Esther's new bangs, which signal a major life transition. Esther is depicted as undergoing personal change that prompts other characters to react and reassess her. The series faced criticism in season one for portrayals of Jewish women, with Esther sometimes reading as abrasive and at worst embodying damaging stereotypes: a demanding shrew, a gossip, and a meddler. Creator Erin Foster resolved ambiguous sibling romantic tension and repositioned characters in season two to avoid framing Morgan as a homewrecker.
Read at IndieWire
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