Russian Doll Season 1 Review: Dying (Over and Over) Is Fun
If you are a fan of mystery and intrigue then Netflix’s new twisted, dark comedy, Russian Doll, is right up your alley. It is created by Amy Poehler so automatically everyone knows it’s going to be good, but the added minds of Leslye Headland and Natasha Lyonne simply knock it out of the park.
In it, the protagonist, Nadia played by Orange is the New Black‘s Natasha Lyonne, is stuck in a time loop where she keeps dying and then reawakening unharmed only to die again.
From the beginning of Russian Doll Season 1, there is mystery and fun all wrapped up in a complex little package. First and foremost, Nadia’s friends and acquaintances all interest you for different reasons.
First, there are Maxine and Lizzy who seem like a unit pair, one isn’t really ever seen without the other. Both are a little on the eccentric side. After all, Maxine’s bathroom has a gun for a handle and Lizzy is the one who designed/created it. These ladies are staples in the never-ending loop of Nadia’s 36th Birthday Party, and we are forever grateful for it.
Then there is Farran, the deli worker. At first, he seems like a friend from her neighborhood. But, as the episodes move along audiences find out that he has an even bigger role in why Nadia keeps dying and coming back to life.
Finally, there is Ruth. Ruth is a kooky yet, fun-loving mother-figure to Nadia. She is like the crazy, awesome aunt we all love but still roll our eyes at.
This whole cast of characters, plus a few other side pieces (i.e. Beatrice, Mike, and John) play a pivotal role in Nadia solving the mystery of her death time loop. However, the most important piece to the puzzle is a young man named Alan, Chicago Fire‘s Charlie Barnett.
When Alan first enters the story on Russian Doll Season 1 Episode 3, “A Warm Body,” the mystery really hit into high gear. The way that he holds himself while standing next to Nadia in the elevator, even before he speaks clues everyone into how important he really is.
Then he and Nadia’s lives intersect based on their first conversation. From there the story really draws audiences in even more, which is saying something because the show already had us hooked from the first time Nadia died and came back to life.
Nadia: Didn’t you get the news? We’re about to die!
Alan: It doesn’t matter. I die all the time.
From the start, Nadia is trying to figure out what exactly about her birthday has her dying and coming back to that exact moment. Now, with Alan in the picture, and always dying at the exact same time as her, the mystery expands to include him and his role in it all.
The journey they embark on to discover the unknowns is one that I would personally watch over and over again. The even better part about it is, I would find something new with each viewing.
For example, once it is revealed that with each new resurrection something in their lives disappears it is fun to go back and see what things disappear and when. It’s fun to find even the smallest details that are little clues throughout the season.
The official disappearance of Oatmeal the cat from Nadia’s arms, the disappearance of Boba Fett the fish, the rotten fruit, moments when Alan and Nadia intersected without their knowledge are all key elements to what is plaguing these two people. All are things that may have been noticed the first time around, but not really taken in as important details.
It’s always fun when writers and creators do things like that to see just how invested their viewers are. One of the finer details that many people might have missed or simply didn’t pick up on is Ruth. While she never actually disappeared, something vital to her as a person disappeared a little at a time with each new resurrection: her mind.
In the beginning, it is clear that her mind is as sharp as a tack; she is still seeing clients at this point. By the end, Nadia has to put notes on her stove to keep her from using it because she’s gotten forgetful. To be honest, the side story of Ruth is kind of what sold me on loving this show versus simply liking it.
The intricacies of storytelling like that just astound me when done properly. And the great thing about Russian Doll is that this attention to detail is attached to all the characters, not just Ruth.
With each new time loop, Farran becomes a more complex and involved character, Mike becomes a bigger and bigger douchebag, John becomes more and more aware and saddened by the finality of his break up with Nadia.
On the first episode, every character except for Nadia seems two-dimensional and incomplete, and as the show progresses they become their own stories.
Finally, the greatest thing about Russian Doll‘s premise was that it never enters into boring or even insignificant. Each new episode adds just a bit more to the intrigue and wow factor of it all; culminating into a finale that is unlike anything really seen before. Alan and Nadia manage to find a solution to their time loop, but each “better” version is stuck in parallel universes and has to help the “original” version of the other to prevent their initial death.
Talk about an exciting end!
Through it all, the story never becomes a “love story” between Alan and Nadia, not in the romantic sense anyway. In the end, they become the exact person the other needs in order to overcome their biggest fears.
Russian Doll is a must watch for anyone who loves a show that keeps them on their toes and makes them feel good in the end. The attention to detail sets this show apart from the pack and creates an awe-inspiring final product.
Stray Thoughts:
- The difference in theme songs for Nadia and Alan speaks volumes about their characters even before the finer details are ironed out.
- The homeless man is definitely my favorite character.
- I greatly enjoyed the parallels made between Nadia and Alan the entire season, from details as small as the names of their pets to ones as big as how they organize their lives.
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What did you think of Russian Doll Season 1? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Russian Doll is streaming now on Netflix.
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Mads Misasi
Mads is a part-time entertainment journalist and full-time marketing content creator. They love any and all TV Dramas with a few sitcoms mixed in. Join in the fun talking about TV by following them on Twitter: @dorothynyc89.