r/netflix • u/CowsAreCool87 • 14h ago
Review Nobody Wants This…
If you’ve been watching and feeling a total disconnect between who Joanne actually is and how the narrative forces us to view her, I just want to say that you aren't imagining things.
The show repeatedly asks us to view Joanne as a flawed, charming, slightly immature heroine who is fundamentally "the best person in the world" (as Noah claims). In reality, her behavior on screen comes across as deeply self-absorbed, toxic,and overall unlikeable. The issue isn't just that she's flawed, it's that the narrative completely lacks the self-awareness to realize just how unlikeable she is.
This disconnect makes a lot more sense when you look at the show's origins. Created by Erin Foster (David Foster’s daughter), the series is heavily based on her life and experiences. When creators write a show about themselves without strong outside pushback, their own real-world blind spots become the character’s blind spots.
If you want to see more of what I mean, you should check out Erin and Sara (the “Morgan” sister) Foster’s social media. I had a quick look today and watched an interview in which they explained their high-level Hollywood access and generational privilege not as an unearned advantage or a safety net, but as an opportunity that simply makes a person "more savvy” than everyone else. That mindset directly bleeds into the show's writing, which often involves outlandish elite LA privilege framed as “relatable.”
If you see Joanne as a bit flawed but also funny, authentic, refreshing, and someone who generally means well, you're watching the show the way it is intended, and that’s OK! I’m not knocking anyone who enjoys a show the way it is intended to be enjoyed. BUT, if you are have been feeling like something is deeply off with her character, as in “omg this person is psychotic and toxic AF,” you are not crazy! You are seeing through the cracks to the core flaw of the show…A story that is fundamentally incapable of seeing its own protagonist clearly or holding her accountable.
This take won't be for everyone, but for anyone who felt like they were being gaslit by the show's framing of Joanne, the disconnect you're seeing in the character writing is very real. Don’t gaslight yourself!
Ps - no shade to Kristen Bell! IMO if Joanne has any charm, it’s thanks to her.
