Russian Doll - Repeating and Reflecting
I'm fascinated by the current state of Modern TV, we are in the Golden Age of Television and that is mostly thanks to the sheer amount of opportunity provided by the growing number of streaming services available. There is just so much good TV available and it is almost intimidating to scroll through Netflix and see the sheer amount of original content being pumped out. However I do worry a bit, a lot of shows tend to get hidden away and creative voices are hidden under a wave of terrible shows like 'Riverdale' and '13 Reasons Why', there's a worry of over-saturation and as a result of it I struggle to take a punt at a new show due to how much rubbish floats to surface of the streaming sites. The other day I took a punt at something I did not regret at all, 'Russian Doll' was a show that came out last year to a lot of critical acclaim but somehow I never managed to really give it a go, It has quickly become one of my favourite small little shows from the last few years, any scepticism I had going in was completely blown into the water and I absolutely fell in love with the show and everything in it.
Who would have thought that 'Groundhog Day' would become a genre? There's a lot of baggage to come with taking something as high concept like this and making it work, often when you have a high concept idea that people are familiar with there is this expectation to do something rigid with it. Often we rush into the high concept and there's far too much time dedicated to teasing the audience with what the clever reasoning behind the 'why' and the 'how' of this situation. The substance is thrown out of the window because the idea of this purgatory is enough to create an 'It's a Wonderful Life'-esque message and wipe your hands from having to say much more than that. 'Russian Doll' has a very specific perspective that it wants to get through and discuss, the high concept framing device is nothing more than that,, a framing device to tell the thematic story of the lives of Nadia and Alan. It's such an admirable trait of the show, as it manages to confidently say what it wants to say without throwing away the potential of its central appealing trait. Like many people, the only thing I knew about this show was that it was about someone who keeps dying and reliving the same night, that might have been why I was originally sceptical about the whole thing, there wasn't much grabbing me about a remake of this idea but there's something fascinating refreshing about what exactly this show manages to do.
Nadia is a kind of a mess of a person, she is this brilliant character that manages to be entertainingly unlikable and sympathetically lovable. We begin with her in a difficult place, bordering on a midlife crisis at the age of 36 and living a destructive life due to this kind of disregard for consequence or savouring. The first episode shows Nadia throw her life away, her first 'death' comes from her making a stupid mistake after choosing to ditch her own birthday party to go sleep with an absolute dirtbag of a person. It's really kind of depressing to watch her anarchic ways take her down a dark path, I love how honest they are with Nadia's shortcomings and the dangers of living her dismissive life, it becomes more clear as the series goes on that the show has a real perspective on pessimism. There's a comfort in looking at life like Nadia does, there's a real cultural wave that is surrounded by this idea that it's cool and comforting to revel in how bad the hand you are dealt is. She faces life with this sneering dismissal, her quick wit is entertaining but ultimately a result of her outlook at life, the show becomes more and more about focusing on how valuable life is and what a delight it is to live through it. We are introduced to her at her own party, where she is surrounded by these really cool artistic people, she is clearly not suffering financially and all she seems to be focused on is self-destruction.
The first few episodes are by far the weakest in the series, they take a more conventional route to this concept as they portray Nadia taking several leads and dying several times in order to try and work out what is happening to her. I love how we see this dark dark perspective on this concept, Nadia's deaths are brutal and at times depressing, she goes through every single route of disregard and it is brilliant. There's almost a freeing feeling to what Nadia is trapped in, that life of no consequence is basically what she was living anyway and now she gets to realise that and delve into the chaotic potential of living a practically invulnerable life. However, the show starts to unravel itself in the reveal that perhaps there is a consequence to this freeing sense of disregard and once that is established 'Russian Doll quickly succeeds any expectations I had for it and absolutely blows me away. At the end of 'A Warm Body,' we are left on this reveal that there is someone else who is also stuck in a 'loop' of sorts and it opens this door to what the show can truly do. 'Russian Doll' is a show about helping other people and the importance of living life with care and optimism, its about connections and the growing risk of being isolated in your own life.
Alan is introduced to us as this kind of skittish man forced to relive the worst day of his life over and over again, he is at the point of routine, he goes through the motions of his breakup to the point where he is almost completely desensitized to everything. His connection with Nadia comes from a joint destructive attitude, that overwhelming feeling that the world is against you is something we can all sympathise with and here is a show about facing that feeling together and helping others in hope that they would help you. In the penultimate episode, we learn a bit more about Nadia's past and her troubled relationship with her mother that we have been hinted at throughout the show. In a really dark turn of events, the reveal that she chose to leave her mother is absolutely heartbreaking and is something she has been running from for so long, I love the idea that this was when Nadia took responsibility for her own happiness at the cost of someone else, explaining her jaded and destructive attitude to life. I also really appreciate how her and Alan's story aren't about discovering the 'dark' secret of your life and confronting it, but instead about taking a mature and reflective look at back at your life. Alan comes to terms with his relationship with Beatrice and says goodbye whilst Nadia overcomes her guilt and comes to realise that what she did isn't anything to be ashamed of, it's just how she handled the cards she was dealt.
The finale is my favourite episode of the show by far, I was expecting a nice neat package after 'The Way Out' gave us the emotional catharsis for the series, but instead it is a bookmark on the nuanced thematic perspective that the show wants to make. In a wonderful twist, the two of them are returned to their normal mortal lives but are both took in opposite timelines where they are witnessing the other one making the dangerous decisions in their lives that led to them to die in the first half. I love how the series is dedicated to Nadia and Alan coming to terms with their own lives and learning to live a more honest and accepting life in a positive message and then the finale extends that to explore how important it is to help those around you in need. Maybe it is quite frustrating as it doesn't offer as many cosy answers as you would expect, but emotionally it is so ridiculously strong and powerful that it works perfectly for what it is. Those closing moments as we see Alan and Nadia helping the other Alan and Nadia to not throw their life away are some of my favourite scenes of dialogue throughout and the emotional catharsis of seeing the two of them join the parade is something a show hasn't made me feel in a long time. Going from continually hearing 'Gotta Get Up' by Harry Nillson and finishing on 'Alone Again Or' by Love is such a triumphant beautiful message of growth and love.
There is so much to love in this show, and so much I didn't expect to love as well which I always appreciate. The soundtrack is incredible, the kind of artsy collection of songs that play throughout Nadia's party is brilliant and the select use of songs in special moments is beautiful, I love simply juxtaposing Alan and Nadia through their music choices when they wake up. I love the really clever little details and constant use of repeating motifs and ideas throughout, I don't have time to get into the fascinating layers that the writers put into every scene but it as a delight to rewatch and notice. I also was surprised at how dark and surreal the show can get at times, the final few episodes especially are drenched in these beautiful moments of surrealist imagery and unsettling visual ideas that I absolutely adore. Lyonne herself is incredible, I admit that I have absolutely no connection to her as an actor before this but my god does she do an amazing job as this character. I was slightly sceptical that she might just play sneering millennial for the first few episodes but she brings so much to this character to make her feel relatable and hilarious. Charlie Barnett is a surprise star in the whole series, a character I did not expect to get as much focus is done brilliantly and Barnett brings a lot of really emotional sophistication to the character, I really appreciate having a prominent male character that can show a lot of emotional vulnerability.
I absolutely adored my time with 'Russian Doll' so much that I am terrified to see what they are going to continue the series with, I think it offers such a satisfying emotional message that is concise and well thought out in a small amount of time. I have faith in whatever more this group of people want to do to be honest, Poehler and Lyonne blew me away with the first series and perhaps even with the high expectations I have for them they might do it again. It's not often we get a show that is so creatively and thematically refreshing, a female-led production telling a diverse and compelling story about growth and love is something that would never have been made 10 years ago. I really appreciate everything 'Russian Doll' had to say and loved every second I got to spend with it.
Thanks for reading!