Nobody Wants This‘s second season continues its streak of hilarious and heartfelt episodes with “Unethical Therapist.” The episode starts with the Shabbat dinner teased in the last episode—the one where Bina Roklov was plotting to take down Joanne—and ends with a sermon to Noah Roklov’s congregation. 

Be warned: spoilers ahead.

The Roklov Shabbat dinner is full of uncomfortable conversation, leaning into the show’s comedic strengths. Joanne notes how crazy it is that Noah has dinner with his family every Friday, and Noah reminds her how important family is to him and to the Jewish religion. Bina and Joanne clash over table etiquette, like where Joanne should sit and whether or not Joanne should have her phone on her. We learn that it’s Joanne’s mother’s birthday in a few days, and Joanne hadn’t planned to do anything. This is unheard of in the Roklov home, and Noah convinces Joanne to celebrate her mother’s birthday with a big event.

After the title card, Joanne and Morgan walk together, talking about their upcoming birthday celebration. Morgan is confused about why they’re celebrating, since they haven’t had a big birthday like this in a long time. Joanne wants to do it to impress Noah. Noah is still jealous of Big Noah getting the senior rabbi position at the temple.

On Joanne and Morgan’s podcast, Joanne tries to tiptoe around personal details of her and Noah’s relationship as per Noah’s request. This proves problematic because their podcast centers on their own love lives. Joanne asks Morgan whether she has been seeing anyone, and Morgan says no. Because neither of them can add anything about their own lives to the podcast, they move on to listener questions. Noah overhears this segment and begins to jump in with his own comments, much to Morgan’s chagrin.

Esther and Sasha’s evening is interrupted by Bina entering unannounced. She asks to speak with Sasha alone. She urges Sasha to have another child with Esther because she can’t count on Morgan to “come to his senses” with Joanne. Sasha and Esther talk about it, and both agree they don’t need any more children, especially since they are soon-to-be empty nesters.

Joanne’s attempt to keep the day focused on her mother, Lynn, played by Stephanie Faracy, is interrupted because Morgan brings over a new boyfriend, “Dr. Andy. This comes as a complete surprise to Joanne, because earlier in their podcast, she had declined to discuss any news about her love life. Immediately, Joanne is suspect. Joanne grills Morgan about her new boyfriend, but Morgan doesn’t give up much information. Joanne asks Noah to get some information about Dr. Andy while she asks her mother if she’s heard anything about Morgan’s new boyfriend. Dr. Andy reveals to Noah that he was Morgan’s therapist and that they met last week. Noah quickly reports back to Joanne and Joanne’s parents. The four of them get caught conspiring by Morgan, and Morgan yells at Joanne for not caring enough about her or her life.

Morgan leaves the birthday celebration after yelling at Joanne, and Lynn retires to her room because she doesn’t want to start her new year off that way. Defeated, Joanne lies in bed with her mother. Lynn watches a movie as Noah consoles Joanne. Noah says that she should try to support Morgan’s life more than she does now. Joanne agrees and meets Morgan for lunch. Joanne lists her concerns with Morgan’s relationship. Morgan shoots back, saying she wants her fairytale relationship, too. Joanne agrees to give Dr. Andy a chance.

The episode ends with a dramatic sermon from Noah to his congregation, intercut with a conversation between Noah and his old boss, Rabbi Cohen. Cohen and Noah talk about how his old boss is doing in retirement, a time Cohen was very anxious about because of its unknowns. Cohen ensures Noah that he’s doing well. Noah’s sermon continues as he talks about the unknown, and eventually announces that he’s leaving Temple Chai. Then, the credits roll.

This episode fully embraced the awkward, confrontational humor that made the first season so funny. The collision of worlds between the Jewish people and the Gentiles, particularly over the Shabbat dinner, had quite a few laugh-out-loud moments. The overarching theme of how the two groups approach tradition also generated some hysterical situational comedy. The importance of tradition in the Jewish faith has been ongoing for generations, even before it became well known in Fiddler On The Roof‘s famously cheery number titled “Tradition.” This episode felt like a modernized version of that song, showing the importance of the Roklovs’ Shabbat dinner, and its dichotomy between the disjointed Lynn birthday celebration. The episode’s ending was a dramatic shift in tone and led to a decision that many fans of the show felt was coming —Noah’s departure from Temple Chai. Though inevitable after Noah lossed the big promotion, this feels like a turning point in the show. Will Noah become a rabbi again? Will he join a different profession? What does it mean for Bina and Joanne? There’s a lot to be answered in the rest of the season.

Rating: 8/10