With four words, Nobody Wants This has healed millennial women.

Netflix's new rom-com Nobody Wants This is doing things to millennials.

The groundbreaking series stars Kristen Bell as Joanne, an agnostic dating and sex podcaster, and Adam Brody as Noah, a hot rabbi. It's the Veronica Mars and The O.C. mash-up we always deserved.

Created by Erin Foster, the show is partly inspired by her own experience of converting to Judaism for her husband.

The series has received widespread praise, particularly for bringing the teen heartthrob Brody back where he belongs: on our TV being a sweetie.

Watch the trailer for Nobody Wants This. Post continued after video.

There's too much to like about this show. I could honestly yap about it all day. Between the electric chemistry between Bell and Brody (Leighton Meester would like to have a stern word), the hilarious dialogue, and the heartwarming love story, Nobody Wants This is an unexpected triumph.

But there's one line in particular that has got the girlies good. In the space of four words, Brody's Noah has uttered what every woman longs to hear from their partner: "I can handle you."

A post on X (Twitter) about the line has garnered more than 50k likes. It's a cultural reset in rom-com core, know that!

Adam Brody healed all the girls who have ever been told they were “too much” when he said this. I cried actually. pic.twitter.com/Q8ReIynKBt

— Meech (@MediumSizeMeech) September 29, 2024

The moment springs from episode six, where Joanne introduces Noah to her family but quickly starts to try and find 'icks' in her new boyfriend so she has a way out of their relationship.

From his sports coat to the way he pronounced the word 'prego' with an Italian affliction — what she seeks, Joanne can easily find.

She jokes with her sister Morgan that she can't move beyond an ick, remembering the time an ick was activated when she saw an ex chasing a ping pong ball across a room.

"You can't unsee something like that," she says.

It's a hilarious comment but viewers can immediately clock this behaviour: she wants to dump him before she gets in too deep and gets hurt.

And Noah knows it too. Pulling her aside for acting, to be clear, rather unhinged, he accuses her of 'self-sabotaging'.

Noah tells Joanne the most reassuring thing he could say.

"Joanne, I'm on your side. I can handle you," he says.

"Here's what matters: I really like you, like a lot! Okay, and you like me too, so stop pretending that you don't," Noah firmly states.

"Fine, I do… I do like you," she responds.

there are celeb crushes and then there’s whatever the hell i feel about adam brody

— spooky ford 🎃 (@lucyj_ford) September 26, 2024

The four words "I can handle you," immediately disarmed Joanne in this scene. I know what you're thinking: is that all men need to say to impress women?

Yes, yes it is.

Sadly, in today's dating climate of ghosting and gaslighting, women's standards have never been lower.

But the comment also speaks to a lot of women's deep-seated insecurity: we're just a bit much.

We should talk less.

We should be more reserved.

We should be smaller.

We should be less dramatic.

We should be manageable.

In the millennial masterpiece that is Lorde's 2017 ballad 'Liability', the Kiwi singer most succinctly captured this specific feeling of being an inconvenience in a relationship.

"They say, 'You're a little much for me. You're a liability. You're a little much for me'," she sings. "I'm a little much for everyone."

The scene is also something particularly spiritually healing for millennials who grew up as teens alongside the 'teens' of The O.C., and likely developed a parasocial attachment to Seth Cohen.

Adam Brody’s rizz in this show is off the charts. It’s like Seth Cohen grew a beard and realized how fine he was and sent an entire generation of O.C. girls into heat pic.twitter.com/JwyAmM58ip

— Emily Bernstein (@emilybern) September 29, 2024

Brody's Seth was the internet's boyfriend before there was such a thing as the internet's boyfriend, but to be perfectly frank, his behaviour in his relationships in the series left a lot to be desired.

At times, it was very hard to be on Seth Cohen's team, as he played constant mind games with Anna (Samaire Armstrong) and his insecurities and selfish tendencies were on full display during his on/off relationship with Summer (Rachel Bilson).

When it comes to emotional maturity, Brody's Noah is light years ahead of Seth. In his relationship with Joanne, Noah is the more thoughtful, empathetic and mature person; a full circle moment compared to the toxic dynamic at play between Summer and Seth.

There's something about witnessing Brody finally fulfill his potential by playing the ultimate dream man that just feels so damn good.

Millennials are healed and we have Nobody Wants This to thank.

Feature image: Netflix.