“Happy Birthday Baby!” Talk about Russian Doll on Netflix

I got all the cameos immediately and thought, in an inside voice, "is Natasha Lyonne trying to middle-finger Blue States Lose and all the people who made fun of electroclash or something" but I missed that it was Alan was stubbing his toes on ramen in the first episode

Headland and Lyonne, meantime, agreed in comments after this thread that this interpretation of it all is kinda key.

Loved Russian Doll, superb story/style, funny performances, go watch it. Since it’s a puzzle piece drama with magical realistic touches, it invites crazy grand unified theories – and I have one! Spoilers and a loooooong thread ahead. Feel free to mute. 1/

— Jason Zinoman (@zinoman) February 4, 2019

i love this theory

that's good thinkin' there

That theory reminds me of some of our discussion on this thread: Teju Cole: Open City (ILX Book Club #3, starts 27 June)

“Kate was sharper on the uptake than I -- she clocked it was Alan in the deli from episode 1 after his character was more properly introduced later, and noticed people disappearing from the party earlier on”

Yeah I knew it was him as soon as he met up with the deli owner buddy to talk about the breakup.

This is better than Groundhog Day because it explored past trauma and it was only after the two of them were able to confront and deal with their own traumas (NL and her realizing she blamed herself for her mom’s death and Alan realizing his part in his bad relationship and forgiving B) that they were truly about to save themselves and break the loop.

I definitely found A weird and a bit alienating.

Oooooh that theory!

Absolutely agreed it's better than Groundhog Day.

Couple of new things here -- Headland called attention to this Twitter thread just now, observing that the same three actors who are the drunk bodega bros also play the EMT crew.

https://www.reddit.com/r/RussianDoll/comments/amq6ys/same_characters_in_different_rolls/?st=JRTINXV4&sh=71311e6f

General reflections piece at The Atlantic, some good points (and indirectly references Zinoman's theory).

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/02/many-layers-russian-doll-netflix/581971/

nothing is better than groundhog day

Also: the final two episodes are called "The Way Out" and "Ariadne." The latter surely refers to the Greek mythological character of the same name, who assists Theseus in killing the Minotaur and quite literally finding 'the way out' of the labyrinth. So: selflessness, assistance, escape from a trap. One thing to note, though, especially if this is supposed to be a three season story (even though I think it could simply stand alone): there's no one story on what happens TO Ariadne after that moment. This link has more on those variants:

https://www.greekmythology.com/.../Ariadne/ariadne.html

yeah Ariadne uh does not get a happy ending

Anyway, until the hopefully inevitable screencap/subtitle Twitter fan account, this for now:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DyvmxbrUYAELgkz.jpg:large

Ned, I can't remember, was it Alan that misstated her thesis?

That reads kind of differently after all of his issues with control and intimacy are kind of laid bare. He's not really a dude who could pull off joking about not remembering his girlfriend's work

Ned, I can't remember, was it Alan that misstated her thesis?

yes he thought it was about philip roth

dude's so busy trying to keep the appearance of a healthy relationship and tidy home he forgot to do the actual relationship

can i just say that maxine is an incredible character

just a very accurately and entertainingly-drawn new york archetype

i feel like i know five people who would become her if you combined them

Very good read on the fashion choices.

https://fashionista.com/2019/02/netflix-russian-doll-costumes-outfits

Reading that Twitter theory re: gentrification, it made Lizzy's appearance at the end as Horse's friend somewhat more meaningful-- a LES fixture for years displaced to upstate several years back by rising cost of living

A friend of me thinks that both Nadia (and possibly also Alan) are dead throughout the entire series. I disagree, but I'm trying to understand the smoking (beyond being another signifier for a previous time, I've never seen people smoke in a contemporary environment the way they did in this series. At first I thought it might be another signifier for "the Bohemian 80s" but idk

I assumed that Lyonne just smokes so much still that it had to be included in the show

tbh a lot of it comes down to how much you care about the setting, colors, and Natasha Lyonne. If you're ambivalent, then hey. It's just a well worn concept. However, if all those things are *very* you, this series is way elevated.

I fall into the latter group.

― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 5 February 2019 18:55 (two days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

ambivalent vote here but herself loved it. i had ironing to do anyways.

rhian johnson movies are good

nothing better than groundhog day

manaic was good

thats my catchup with thread carry on

I assumed that Lyonne just smokes so much still that it had to be included in the show

wow I just assumed she was committed to the part

lol you don’t get that awesome gravelly speaking voice as a 36yo without a longstanding smoking habit

Extremely good interview with her here

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-features/natasha-lyonne-russian-doll-interview-785346/

her references & source materials are so varied & interesting! i have read interviews with her in the past & she always seemed like a walking compendium of cool movies & books <3

and i like the idea that the journey of the show is somewhat a mirror of an addict’s journey like she mentions

I just screened The Long Goodbye for some friends of mine this past weekend, 28 hours after I binged this, so that's a bit spooky

*48 lol

Couple of good further pieces here -- the second one is also an interview with the show's designer, many good tidbits.

https://www.vulture.com/2019/02/russian-doll-easter-eggs-hidden-references.html

https://www.vulture.com/2019/02/russian-doll-bathroom-set-production-design.html

Best possible answer to this enduring question

This was one of those things we did for real and in the aftermath realized would’ve been easy to fake. But also it was the right thing to do bc I wanted to feel like Rocky. https://t.co/KTeM3HcHVU

— natasha lyonne (@nlyonne) February 7, 2019

watched the whole thing tonight, liked it a lot

also i want alex in nyc to see it

halfway thru this and so much good about it. loving it. and great music throughout. i'll read this thread more thoroughly when i'm done.

one detail i can't help think was intentional: the air conditioner unit that falls on them is a goodman. it flashes so quickly when it falls, but that's what ours is at home and i recognized it in that flash. considering the theme of the episode, it's gotta be intentional. i've joked on it too. posted a pic of it on instagram with a "hey, i found one!" joek.

am i crazy or does the bathroom at the birthday party change around ep 5? it's getting bigger? mirror orientation different?

the bathroom changes multiple times!

the second of Ned's links goes into that

Wait, why should I see this, specifically?

set in LES, has a distinct 80's/90's sensibility

So you can blog about it and give it a thumbs up or thumbs down as to whether it jibes with your NYC experience as the original UES punk.

Only a few episodes in so far but everyone in this show is that impossibly hip person I'll see and wonder how they seem to effortlessly surround themselves with perfectly cool and unique fashion/decor/music. Her character is so unconventional too; based on her style and way of speaking I was convinced the show was set in the 80s until someone mentioned twitter or something about a minute into the first episode. Trying to ignore past posts in this thread due to potential spoilers.

interesting take; i found every single person on the show to be the sort of person i go out of my way to completely avoid. Everyone is self-involved and/or self-destructive; kinda thought that malaise was the point!

except maybe her stepmother, but she's mostly a mess too!

i should finish, take it all in, and then check out the links, apparently. xp

I'm talking more about their style and homes etc. not their personalities- agree they're all a bit screwy in that regard. Again only a few eps in.

Or sorry maybe you were responding to a post above mine? Trying not to read too much here yet afraid to ruin something for myself

i myself go to fabulous nyc parties like this all the time, but never on a sunday night. was there a reason for this beyond, like, having the code review meeting or ruth taking appointments the very next day?

it's her birthday!

We watched the first episode, it's a little too NEW YORK!!!!!! but we liked it and will watch more.

yeah but you hold the party on saturday and celebrate at midnight