Russian Doll

Stylistically and philosophically consistent with its predecessor, it’s different enough to not feel like a calculating retread; as before, it’s admirable in its ingenuity, a little radical and deeply felt in ways that are not radical at all.

What Russian Doll has is heart--but heart without cheap sentiment or bosh. ... It is matter-of-fact in acknowledging modern failure and disillusion, without ever trying to nail it down, avoiding the tones of hectoring obviousness that mars recent items-in-vogue like “BlackKkKlansman” and the bratty jabber of Aaron Sorkin scripts. In a soothing, down-to-earth way that doesn’t have all the answers, Lyonne and company show us how to deal with the deaths, literal and figurative, we face every day.

Russian Doll is a two-hander, and when it gets to that portion of the series--around Episode 4--the whole thing elevates even further, both emotionally and logistically. Russian Doll is a tightly plotted, high-concept puzzle-TV comedy.

Season 2 offers a more conventionally enjoyable (and more surreal) yarn, hopping decades, continents and bodies. It’s messier than its predecessor but less insular and claustrophobic, too.

Russian Doll ultimately has an uplifting message about life, death and the importance of human connection. Fans of Brooker-style contrarian technophobia will be underwhelmed. Everyone will be too busy having their cockles warmed to notice.

There are a whole lot of ideas here--a few thrown against the wall to see if they'll stick--but the real pleasure of this four-hour head trip are the performances. Lyonne is outstanding.

Season two is bigger, in terms of time, geography, riddles, and mechanisms. But there’s a perverse backward effect to all that new roominess. Russian Doll wants to be more sprawling, leaving its emotional resonance smaller and emptier. Nadia’s frantic attempts to make her life right again start to feel myopic, and meanwhile there is not nearly enough Alan.

In such a short time this series discusses such a difficult matters. And it does the work perfectly. Through outstanding actors and narrative it perfectly makes its work - it makes you think.

Russian Doll is still a sweet show. Natasha Lyonne is a fantastic actress. She's running the show alone. The transitions between the times and the characters were enjoyable. But I watched it, and yes, I enjoyed it, but it wasn't as meaningful as the first one.

This series started wonderfully. But after a while it couldn't come up with an interesting plot, it became boring, unfunny..., something went really astray with this one.

Sur le principe d’un jour sans fin, cette série propose une variante : la protagoniste concernée est la victime régulière de morts absurdes avant de revivre la même soirée, puis la même journée indéfiniment : bouge, meurs, ressuscite en somme… ou plutôt bavarde avec des cons, des métrosexuels, des agendas ambulants de diversité et justice sociale de mes deux, métrosexuels LGBT et j’en passe… Sans compter les névroses de cette galerie de bobos et/ou de trous de balle new-yorkais à la petite semaine… Pourtant l’actrice principale est sympathique, volontiers cynique et désabusée… alcoolique et fumeuse invétérée, y compris de drogues plus ou moins illégales… Mais franchement, malgré une durée plus que limitée (8 épisodes de 25 à 30 mn pour la première saison par exemple), on n’est jamais surpris ou si rarement que l’ennui prend vite le dessus. Ce n’est pas drôle et ça reste très superficiel, au ras du plancher d’une sitcom de bas étage avec la psychologie de comptoir qui l’accompagne : une bonne idée de départ décidément très mal développée !

Just don't, don't watch this show