Probably one of the best TV shows of the year...

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

2019 Image via Netflix/Universal Television/Paper Kite Productions/Jax Media/3 Arts Entertainment (Pictured: Natasha Lyonne as Nadia Vulvokov)

WARNING: Contains minor spoilers about the first season of Russian Doll

AWARDS UPDATE: Now nominated for 7 Primetime Emmys (2019) including Oustanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series





Natasha Lyonne shines in this half-hour comedy-drama series, Russian Doll on Netflix, with creator, writer and executive producer credits for Lyonne (Orange is the New Black), Amy Poehler (Sisters, Parks and Recreation) and Leslye Headland (Bachelorette). The plot in itself focuses on Lyonne's character Nadia consistently repeating her death sequence over and over again during her 36th birthday party in an extravagent New York apartment. Combating some sort of resolution. With most critics comparing it to the movie Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray. And that song by Harry Nilsson called "Gotta Get Up" is definitely in my head after binge-watching the series.





As the plot thickens, we understand that another character has a similar yet distinct situation to Nadia's repetitive deaths triggered by childhood memories and recapping each death. The slightly anxious Alan, played by Charlie Barnett (Chicago Fire) who is stuck in the same time loop as Nadia. This revelation takes them both on a perilous journey which at some point feels like there will be no end. Both characters are so flawed that we learn more their backgrounds, with Alan's proposal to his girlfriend who cheats on him with a guy Nadia hooks up with. I know messed up.





Although, I do have to admit each episode kind of got on my nerves due to the repetitiveness, but strangely enough I thoroughly enjoyed it as the plot continued to make more sense in each episode. I love the fact that Nadia is a software engineer, a predominantly male field, but she serves it with the most badass excellence she has and delivers a priceless performance.





Every time Nadia wakes up again and again to experience those endless deaths, somehow she realises she has a task on her hands to try to figure out when she’ll die next and what people she needs to interact with. The range of character interactions is off the scale, she meets with her ex-boyfriend a few times, John, played by Yul Vazquez, who is actually married and trying to get a divorce. To be honest their relationship is so odd that I didn't see the point in it.





When we’re introduced to a homeless character, Horse played by Brendon Sexton III caught Nadia’s eye in the rarest of circumstances where she seemed to help him. Giving her a hair cut was relatively funny since she’d be waking up the same in that bathroom, repeating the day for the millionth time. These different character interactions in every simulation, shall we say, manifests Nadia and Alan’s journey to find answers to have some sort of clue as to why they’ve been drawn together.



Evidently, after all of those simulations with Alan and his girlfriend Beatrice, played by Dascha Polanco (Orange is the New Black), and Nadia’s endless venture into death with THAT bathroom and THAT song we learn something very important. The final episode highlights the strange taboo of death and mental health issues in a smart but comedic outlook. When Nadia recognises Alan and he doesn’t recognise her, vice versa, in these supposed final two simulations, where they both find ways to avoid their imminent death. Alan’s mental health shines the stigma on what can draw someone to suicide. And when Nadia successfully prevents it and Alan making Nadia see sense, I really had goosebumps. Episode 8, Ariadne, directed and written by Lyonne herself, is probably one of the best episodes of television I have seen in recent years. I mean that colourful night MARCH though.





There is a need for more episodes, but where would Russian Doll go from this epic conclusion in Ariadne?



As of June 2019, Netflix has renewed Russian Doll for a second season, so get ready to die all over again and again.





Russian Doll is now streaming on Netflix , released 1st February 2019.