Leighton Meester joins Nobody Wants This season 2 as Abby, stirring fan reactions

Netflix revealed the season two trailer for Nobody Wants This on Thursday, introducing Leighton Meester as Abby, a mommy influencer who is Kristen Bell’s Joanne’s former middle school nemesis. The clip signals a new dynamic for the romcom-style series, which charts the evolving relationship between unconventional rabbi Noah (Adam Brody) and agnostic podcaster Joanne (Bell).

In the trailer, Abby appears in a baby blue two-piece skirt suit, exuberantly rushing to greet a former classmate at a function as she waves and laughs. Joanne, however, looks less than thrilled as Abby closes in, underscoring the tension between the characters and hinting at the kind of comedic friction Meester’s character will bring to the storyline. While fans of the show eagerly anticipate Meester’s presence, some viewers reacted with apprehension on social media, suggesting her mommy influencer persona could prove divisive or irksome to watch over the course of the season.

Season two is set to premiere on October 23 and will consist of 10 thirty-minute episodes. In addition to Meester, the season features guest stars including Miles Fowler, Alex Karpovsky, Arian Moayed, Kate Berlant and Seth Rogen. The season’s synopsis promises the central couple will navigate life after rekindled attraction—focusing not only on love but the challenge of merging two lives and their extended circles. The narrative picks up with Joanne and Noah “fully committed to merging their lives—and loved ones—together,” but notes differences remain and must be reconciled as they confront new and ongoing obstacles.

Meester’s casting comes as the series leans into its ensemble appeal. Kristen Bell has publicly praised Meester’s performance, saying she didn’t anticipate how sharp a comedic performer Meester could be and describing her as “effervescent” in the show. Bell’s remarks, shared earlier this month, underscore the collaborative energy behind the project and the anticipation around Meester’s contribution to the ensemble.

Beyond the on-screen work, Meester’s appearance aligns with a real-life chapter for her and her husband, Adam Brody. The couple, who wed in 2014, share two children and have previously weathered a high-profile home loss during January wildfires that affected the Pacific Palisades area. The fires forced mass evacuations and left a lasting impact on residents, including public figures whose homes were damaged in the Palisades and allied burn zones. The Palisades Fire burned thousands of acres, while the Eaton Fire consumed additional land, illustrating the broader context of fire season that coincided with the season two rollout.

As the premiere approaches, Netflix audiences will be watching how Abby’s presence shifts the tonal balance of Nobody Wants This, a show that has built its appeal on offbeat humor, complicated relationships and a willingness to push conventional boundaries within a rom-com framework. With a ten-episode arc of roughly half an hour each, season two aims to deliver sharper character work and more audacious interactions among an expanded guest cast, while preserving the core premise of two mismatched partners navigating love under pressure.

For fans curious about the meta-texture of the show, Abby’s dynamic with Joanne is poised to be a through-line that tests the protagonists’ trust, their friends and families, and the life choices they’ve made as their lives become increasingly intertwined. The season’s release on October 23 will mark a new chapter for a series that has grown its footprint through curious casting, brisk episodes and a willingness to lean into both romance and humor with a modern sensibility.