Russian Doll Series You’ll Want to Watch it Twice

Russian Doll and its cast includes the very funny chick from “Orange is the New Black“, Natasha Lyonne who was a stand-out as the lead Nadia. The Russian Doll series is so good, that I binge-watched the whole first season in one night. This is a Russian Doll episode-by-episode review. Of course, there will be spoilers but there will also be an explanation for the series for those that need one.

Can you ever have too much Happy Death Day? No, you cannot. Luckily for everyone, Netflix decided to bring us a new best series to fall in love with. Russian Doll is like a big old spoonful of Happy Death Day in bite-size series form. In addition, can you ever have too much cool dialogue, hipster lesbians, and cats called Oatmeal?

Again, no.

Netflix keeps giving us series we didn’t know we needed like You and Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, Catching a Killer, and Inventing Anna. More recently, the lighter and more upbeat TV series Baking Impossible, After Life, and Mom have been trending on the streaming platform. But no matter what sort of TV show you like best, you have to admit, that Netflix has a pretty good spread.

What is the Russian Doll Series About?

Nadia is by far not very happy about how her life has turned out. Nevertheless, her friends have thrown her a party. The narrative sees Nadia (Natasha Leone) die a horrible death and by 9 minutes 42 seconds, the Russian Doll completes one cycle. But is Nadia really dead? Thankfully, similar devices from loop movies we know and love make this delicious. Nadia is not dead and we soon realize she is stuck in a time loop that causes her to revisit how and why she needs to die over and over again. Songs are also repeated again and again and it isn’t annoying. The first task on the agenda was finding the song for you to listen to because it’s catchy AF.

Best Song From the Russian Doll Series, “Gotta Get Up”

Our new thing to adore, Nadia is shown to be a character who is fun AF and makes lots of unsavory life choices like coke, cigarettes, and lots of alcohol isn’t quite certain she’s doing a loop just yet.

Russian Doll Reaction to Season One

Fun, fun, fun. I love it.

I just adore this series. But you don’t have to believe just me, IMBd.com has the TV show sitting at a rating of 7.8/10 with more than 820000 scoring the series as excellent. I stayed up way too late watching the Russian Doll series despite constantly thinking I would only watch one more episode. Just one more. And then it was over. Easy to do when there are only 8 episodes with a runtime of 30 minutes each.

The soundtrack for Russian Doll is killer 90’s fare and the core message about life’s lessons is strong as the credits roll on the first episode.

Is This TV Series Netflix’s Best Series?

This series as a whole creeps forward a centimeter at a time. Tiny elements are changed in each restart. This is why I already think, I will probably watch this series again sometime. People, conversations, and set pieces are the props of choice to tweak each time Nadia kicks the bucket. I should mention here, that in the first half of this series, her many demises are hilarious and I could watch them on repeat all day.

Again the formula is still being used but I still don’t give rats… because the formula works and Nadia and her friends are charming and personable. In a poignant statement, Nadia proclaims;

“I think I finally figured out a little something about how this world works”

Quote by Natasha Leone in Netflix’s “The Russian Doll”

Episode three is where the finite life lessons emerge, but this type of theme always heads off this way. How can you have a do-over day without at least learning something about yourself, your friends, and others?

Watch the Full Season Online of Russian Doll

For your convenience, here is a recap of season one in a video on YouTube

Season One, Russian Doll Series Review

In any case, after the first episode, I find I’m in love with this new version of Happy Death Day encased in a series. The show opens with Nadia at a birthday party, her 36th birthday to be exact. Seen to be having a midlife crisis, she heads out to find her missing cat Oatmeal, and is hit by a taxi and dies. In episode 2 the jokes come thick and fast. If you are looking for a laugh-out-loud comedy this would have to be the episode that had me rolling on the floor. The cast for Russian Doll is full of recognizable faces too.

I’m talking Harry Nilsson, John Maus, Ariel Pink, Weyes Blood, Kat Edmonson, and more. The characters come together nicely and nothing about this series is slow or boring. Russian Doll sticks to the rudimentary 50 First Dates formula but I really don’t mind. The narrative lets you get to know each character slowly and comedically.

Episode by Episode Guide for the Russian Doll Series

Episode 4 sees the series reach the halfway point and the storyline kicks it up a notch. Just in time if you were beginning to get bored (I wasn’t) you will re-engage here. You might even sit up in your comfy chair and say ‘oooooh!” In episode 3, Nadia meets Adam so by episode 4, she is in full swing on her journey to finally find answers. Adam is definitely the key to everything because he is stuck in a time loop too.

A handy tip for watching this though is don’t lose your place. Don’t rush off to the loo and think you’ve paused it when you haven’t because trying to locate where you’re up to in a loop sequence is not a fun time.

In episode 4 – the score for Russian Doll completely changes. Like any story about releasing your demons, at this point, Nadia hasn’t quite come to the point that she is killing herself mentally and physically. And we all know that means Nadia has more to learn. The Rabi imparts some wisdom about surrendering to find the truth. He also suggests that buildings and places are never haunted. It’s the people that are haunted.

Episode 5

I can say, episode 5 is twice as fun. Not only is it now shedding its previous similarities to all these films I’ve mentioned but it spins into something new. Somewhat how like Triangle movie is surprising by being the same but also being clever and unique.

The dots begin to connect and the super-sleuthing from Nadia and Alan as she tries to figure out how and why continues. I love that Nadia’s job is computer game programming. I’d of loved to have seen more of her going to work at this point too. Alas, the story heads off away from that. Instead of sinking into a Bandersnatch realm, it chases mysticism and destiny.

The series proclaims;

“No one can do anything on their own.”

Quote from the series Russain Doll

By this point in the series, the deaths have a rhythmic unity to them but the comedic accents are a total hoot.

Episode 6

The lowest point of the series comes in episode 6. In episode 6, the series gets into a few do-overs. You know the ones, where the characters fix their errors. Much like in Predestination (2014) where it’s all about rewrites. Nadia describes it as fixing the bugs in the good code because I need more deaths. They remind me of Wiley Coyote if Death were controlling the strings. By episode 7, I knew there were only 8 installments. There are a lot of elements in play and the backstories are only just emerging for each of the core characters. This part of the show feels rushed but I discover I want a cat to name and I begin wondering what other cereals would suit one.

Russian Doll Season One Explained

For those that are confused about the timeline for Russian Doll, in season one there are plenty of small details you might have missed. Significantly, Nadia reliving her death on her 36th birthday carries significance, because her own mother died at the same age. Her journey becomes one about understanding her parental relationship and not just figuring out why her life is such a mess. There is an insight into why we as humans are trapped and the experience is likened to being haunted. Going back to the root of where your pain stems from seems to always be where these stories hammer home and the Russian Doll series is no different. Alan and Nadia teach each other about what their pain means and how they can confront it. Together.

For Adam, his guilt lies in not being able to face his feelings and for Nadia, her guilt lies in a choice she made as a child. Her mother killed herself after she chose to live with a relative instead of her. When they both open up about their deepest fears and tipping point in the series is finally reached. The series then continues giving both Nadia and Adam a chance to fix everything that came before. Now in different timelines, they need to save each other.

I give the Russian Doll series

4 watermelons won’t make you fat out of 5

Movies Like the Russian Doll Series? Watch These

• Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
• Happy Death Day (2017)
• Arq (2016)
• Predestination (2014)
• Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
• Looper (2012)
• Source Code (2011)
• Repeaters (2010)
• Triangle (2009)
• Timecrimes (2007)
• 50 First Dates (2004)
• The Butterfly Effect (2004)
• Groundhog Day (1993)

Russian Doll Series, Season 2 Trailer

Season 2 announcement came early in 2019. But now the series has a release date and will drop on the Netflix streaming platform on April 20th, 2022. Check out the Russian Doll Season 2 trailer and head over to the Mother of Movies’ Facebook page, like us, and tell us what you think!