Russian Doll: Die Until You Get It Right

Last week, the Twittersphere was blowing up about Russian Doll and multiple people were telling me to watch it. Therefore, my friend Peggy and I sat down on Sunday morning to watch the first episode with a cup of tea. Three hours later, we emerged from our cocoon, thoroughly glad that this was how we had chosen to spend our day.

This show is the perfect binge watch: eight episodes, all shorter than 30 minutes. More importantly, it's a perfect watch because it stars Natasha Lyonne and was created by her, Leslye Headland, and Amy Poehler. With names like that in the mix, you know it has to be good. I was under the impression that this was a drama, but it's actually an incredibly funny show for the most part until you get to the second half when we get to the meat. But at that point, you're hooked, and if your laughter turns a little teary, so be it.

The show is about Nadia, a software engineer who is at her 36th birthday party. The show opens with her in the bathroom. Remember this moment, you're gonna be seeing a lot of it. Because as the night proceeds, Nadia keeps dying in various ways, only to wake up at that bathroom sink all over again. She can remember everything that happened to her, but no one else around her does, and she spends the first few episodes investigating all the drugs she's taking to see if this is all a very bad trip. Eventually though, it becomes clear that there are deeper philosophical, psychological, and existential conundrums to work through. Things get heavy, but any time things are getting too dark, you're guaranteed an ignominious death and reboot at the bathroom sink to lighten things up.

This show has everything I love - intricate plotting and plenty of supporting characters who come and go in interesting ways and start to get interlinked as the eight episodes progress until you realize the point of them all. But anchoring it all is that central performance by Lyonne, a fast-talking, red-headed sorceress who you can't take your eyes off. It's so clear that she has a huge role in writing this show because everyone talks a bit like her and things get very New York (aka stressful, dirty, and unnecessarily complicated). Is the premise essentially Groundhog Day? Sure. But is it so much more than that? You bet.

Obviously I can't give away any details, as Russian Doll is all about the details. There's a fabulous twist at the halfway point (which is where all twists should be if you're a clever showrunner who wants to ensure your premise doesn't get stale), and the final resolution is sweet and perfect. This shows starts strong and finishes stronger. I hope it's only meant to be one season, because this is certainly a perfect story perfectly told, and anything further would bloat it beyond compare. Instead, Netflix, please give Lyonne more money to make a new season of something completely different. I'll cancel all my weekend plans.