I think plenty of women, when we’re single and maybe a little bit immature and too entrenched in romcoms and fanfiction (hi, it’s me), convince ourselves that once we’re with the right person, we’ll finally stop obsessing over our weight or our wrinkles or the thickness of our hair—this persona loving you will make you so confident and secure that your self-esteem will go through the roof. I’d argue the writers of Nobody Wants This are aware of this unrealistic internal narrative and might be trying to put those clichéd notions to rest. In the process, they also end up highlighting the very real ways women turn to beauty in times of emotional crisis or confusion. Because, more disappointing news, falling in love doesn’t absolve you from the other inevitable stresses of life, whether they come from your family, your job, your living situation, or elsewhere.
Not even two minutes into the first episode of the season, for instance, Joanne does a literal beauty balancing act: Just as she’s settling into bed while staying at Noah’s, she precariously perches a bottle of Estée Lauder Night Repair Serum (fancy!) on top of a book that’s balanced on top a water carafe that sits on top of another book that covers the entirety of a tiny side table she’s forced to keep her things on because there’s no nightstand on her side of the bed. (Also among her things: Magnesium supplements, hand cream, her iPhone, and a rather luxurious-looking sleep mask.)
Then she slides into bed while Noah confirms some details of their first-ever co-hosting endeavor, a dinner party that would sound a lot more fun if their voices weren’t strained with the looming pressure they clearly feel to throw a perfect party and come off as the perfect couple to their friends. The entire time, Joanne is passing a jade roller back and forth across her jawline in such an absentminded way that I have to wonder why she’s going to the effort at all.