# Russian Doll on Netflix (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, netflix\ **Created:** [February 1, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795 "2019-02-01T17:15:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/1 "2019-02-01T17:15:08Z")
I’m a teacher and ended up with an unusual situation. My own kids have school while I received another cold/snow day. I had zero expectation for this one, so I had…zero plans. I’ve been watching a new show that hit Netflix today called Russian Dolls. It’s like Groundhog Day. Or even more, it’s like Happy Deathday. Lady dies, repeats the same day over and over. It’s only 25 minutes long per episode, by the way. I’ll go full open spoilers in the next post, but would love to hear others thoughts as(or after) you watch. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/2 "2019-02-01T17:17:29Z")
I have seen 5 of the 8 episodes as I write this and the show has really improved by adding Alan, the guy who is also dying and repeating the same day. I kind of hated Nadia for the first couple of episodes, but she has grown on me as the episodes have gone on. It’s listed on Wikipedia as a comedy, but I don’t find it funny as much as it is interesting. Anyone else watching? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/3 "2019-02-01T17:55:28Z")
I plan on trying it. If there are two people repeating, does it borrow any influence from the Ken Grimwood novel Replay? Do you see any homages or influence from the other GHD-like films, such as 12:01? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/4 "2019-02-01T18:45:00Z")
I’ve finished it now and liked it and its ending quite a bit. Very cute and a much better show than the first 2-3 episodes indicated. > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Do you see any homages or influence from the other GHD-like films, such as 12:01? A song always plays when she restarts her day, much like Groundhog day or the Supernatural episode like this. Death triggers a restart, though it seems to be required here and wasn’t in GHD. The theme of “solving problems” or “fixing life” comes up in both. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/5 "2019-02-01T20:33:25Z")
[Moderating] Fixed typoes in title ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/6 "2019-02-02T20:09:31Z")
[How Russian Doll uses Groundhog Day to make a better—not necessarily novel—show](https://tv.avclub.com/how-russian-doll-uses-groundhog-day-to-make-a-better-no-1832229304) ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/7 "2019-02-03T15:02:40Z")
I finished watching it yesterday. Ultimately, I thought it was a longer, less funny version of “Groundhog Day”. It was interesting in parts, but I think it was only partially successful at having a greater emotional or dramatic depth. Maybe it would have had more impact if I had grown up with serious mother issues or something. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/8 "2019-02-03T16:21:40Z")
I just finished watching it, I loved it. I thought it was really funny, Nadia had a lot of great lines, Max was funny, and some of the visual things were funny, like when Nadia repeatedly fell into the open basement doors. The editing was also really great, with the knocking of each reset, and that changing as it went, and the music cues in the episode. Natasha Lyonne was great as Nadia, both hilarious and emotional. I’ve never seen the actor who played Alan before, he was very good and I can imagine him being big in the future. Also Netflix seems to have learned from some previous series, this one was the perfect length of time, enough to get into weirdness but didn’t drag it out too long. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/9 "2019-02-03T17:18:55Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I finished watching it yesterday. Ultimately, I thought it was a longer, less funny version of “Groundhog Day”. It’s definitely not standing out in my mind much a few days later. I hated Nadia the first 3 episodes. Thing is, Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day was supposed to be hated, but they set his character up in a way where we hated him, but enjoyed watching his journey through the experience. The show would have done better to star with Alan and watch him get comfortable with his routine. Then, he meets Nadia and her strong-willed personality pushes them to solve the problem. I could almost start this show with episode 4. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/10 "2019-02-04T01:16:15Z")
The dialogue and symbolism is clever enough to be entertaining, if at no point subtle (God, Schrödinger’s Cat, goldfish bowls, “the illusion of free will”, the video game, various minor characters’ rants, etc); arguably not clever-clever, and by no means original. But the number and length of episodes are short enough that it’s easy to watch without having it drag out (or are there supposed to be multiple seasons?) It did make me wonder who came up with the original Groundhog Day concept. The earliest that pops into mind is Nietzsche, but does it go as far back as classical philosophy? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/11 "2019-02-04T01:29:48Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > It did make me wonder who came up with the original Groundhog Day concept. The earliest that pops into mind is Nietzsche, but does it go as far back as classical philosophy? Christmas Every Day from 1892 is the first. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/12 "2019-02-04T02:23:16Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Christmas Every Day from 1892 is the first. According to Wikipedia, _The Gay Science_ was published by 1882, so that still does not beat Nietzsche: > [@](#): > > What if a demon crept after thee into thy loneliest loneliness some day or night, and said to thee: “This life, as thou livest it at present, and hast lived it, thou must live it once more, and also innumerable times; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and every sigh, and all the unspeakably small and great in thy life must come to thee again, and all in the same series and sequence—and similarly this spider and this moonlight among the trees, and similarly this moment, and I myself. The eternal sand-glass of existence will ever be turned once more, and thou with it, thou speck of dust!”—Wouldst thou not throw thyself down and gnash thy teeth, and curse the demon that so spake? Or hast thou once experienced a tremendous moment in which thou wouldst answer him: “Thou art a God, and never did I hear aught more divine!” If that thought acquired power over thee, as thou art, it would transform thee, and perhaps crush thee; the question with regard to all and everything: “Dost thou want this once more, and also for innumerable times?” would lie as the heaviest burden upon thy activity! Or, how wouldst thou have to become favourably inclined to thyself and to life, so as _to long for nothing more ardently_ than for this last eternal sanctioning and sealing?— ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/13 "2019-02-04T05:34:19Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > God, Schrödinger’s Cat, goldfish bowls, “the illusion of free will”, the video game, various minor characters’ rants, etc Also the matryoshka of the title, as if that needed saying, not to mention the main character’s name (!). It’s all openly in your face. I feel like they should quit while they are ahead; the story does not need a sequel any more than did _The Matrix._ ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/14 "2019-02-04T12:22:31Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > I feel like they should quit while they are ahead; the story does not need a sequel any more than did _The Matrix._ The movie “Edge of Tomorrow” showed that it was possible to put an interesting twist on the “rebooting” idea. But I thought “Russian Doll” suffered a bit from being so similar to “Groundhog Day”. If someone told me there was a director’s cut of “Groundhog Day” with 10 minutes of comedy removed and 70 minutes of dramatic scenes added, I’m not sure I’d rush out to see it. By the way, I thought there were some very funny scenes, especially the physical comedy (like walking down stairs). But pacing seemed a bit weird when mixed with all of the more serious plot. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/15 "2019-02-04T15:09:12Z")
Thank you for the recommendation, I love films about time loops. I’ll check it out tonight after work. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/16 "2019-02-05T03:16:00Z")
I just watched all 8 episodes. What struck me was how did all these people afford such large, nice apartments in New York City? Thats probably the wrong lesson, but it reminds me of something I heard about home alone. You know you’re an adult when you watch home alone and you keep trying to figure out what Kevin McCalister’s dad did to afford such a large house. This show got much better in the middle and final episodes. I also noticed at least 3 actors from orange is the new black are in this. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/17 "2019-02-05T05:44:06Z")
In the last week I’ve watched _Groundhog Day_, _Happy Death Day_, and now all of _Russian Doll_, three similar yet quite different shows. At least Happy Death Day acknowledged Groundhog Day, and though the AV Club article referenced above talks about it, Russian Doll must be in a different universe than the rest of us, since whether intentionally or not, no one in Russian Doll is aware of the other movies. I really like Natasha Lyonne; I think that on re-viewing of _American Pie_ that she’s the best part of that movie (well, maybe the second best part). Her character her is just as smart assed, smoking and drugging up like there’s no tomorrow and like no one cares. That’s the whole point of the series: no one cared for either of the two repeating characters, and they need to find lives where someone does care for them. The music throughout was interesting, and Lyonne has a nice comic flair. For much of the timeI thought she was doing a Pamela Adlon impression. Like others have said, the first few episodes with just her doing all of the dying were pretty raw, and only when Allen shows up in episode 3 do the rough edges calm down a bit. By the end it captivated me enough to look forward to a second season. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/18 "2019-02-07T04:22:56Z")
Just finished and I loved the whole thing. While the Groundhog Day influence is obvious, to me it most of felt much more like an extended _Black Mirror_ bit. Their programming and games references were pretty solid even to her explicit stating that this is a bug in the code. Strongly disagree that “no one cared for either of the two repeating characters” - others cared deeply for each of them. They each though had aspects that were pushing others away, her more intentionally than him. Her voice mannerisms as Nadia had me thinking of Peter Falk more than anyone else though! Was I alone in hearing that? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/19 "2019-02-07T05:32:56Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Their programming and games references were pretty solid even to her explicit stating that this is a bug in the code. She quickly fixed it, though 🙂 And, when it came down to it, was willing to play her own game. > [@](#): > > Strongly disagree that “no one cared for either of the two repeating characters” - others cared deeply for each of them. They each though had aspects that were pushing others away, her more intentionally than him. The fruit was only rotten on the outside… > [@](#): > > Her voice mannerisms as Nadia had me thinking of Peter Falk more than anyone else though! Was I alone in hearing that? Well, they are both from New York. But I would love to hear about any deeper connection. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795/20 "2019-02-10T01:58:08Z")
I just watched it. Like others I thought it got much more interesting when Alan showed up. At first I found Nadia and her friends irritating and was actually on the verge of giving up and finding something else to watch, and then Alan showed up at the end of episode 3 (or was it 4?). That’s when it started to get interesting. It sounds like there’s a good chance of there being more episodes. > **[Russian Doll season 2: Cast, release date, plot and everything you need to know](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a26113700/russian-doll-season-2-cast-release-date-plot-trailer/)** > > All the news on Natasha Lyonne's groundhog of a day. > [@](#): > > You might think, having watched season one, that the story is done. How could they do another? Well, co-creator Leslye Headland told The Hollywood Reporter, “We pitched Netflix three seasons of the most bonkers, heartfelt, passionate, this-is-what-we-truly-feel-like-is-our-story-to-tell idea… And they said: ‘Great, the more of that the better.’” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-doll-on-netflix-open-spoilers/828795.md?page=2)