Netflix's dark comedy show, Russian Doll, out now

[papermoon]

its sort of tedious. Im at episode 5 and I'm wondering when it gets good?

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I usually find time loop stories kind of tedious too. There was enough charm in the show to keep me watching an episode a day, but the time-looping was starting to wear on me a little. Then, in the last third of the show, maybe at the end of ep. 6 I can't remember exactly, they drop a hint at what might be the true nature of the loop, and I started buzzing. It got me kind of excited, and I felt more immersed in the show and the characters. So much so that - by the end - I didn't care what the actual cause of the time loop was and wasn't interested in finding out. Even though the promise of an explanation is what hooked me deeper into the show. This what they call a MacGuffin, film fiends?

Actually, I'm going back to my original comment. I don't want another season. I don't want an explanation. Because it's easy to come up with one, but it's rarely satisfying for stories like these. How? isn't important.

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Exactly how I feel.

 

[Officer Big Mac]

I felt like the conclusion was ultimately not satisfying.

Spoiler

It all plays out without any exciting twists or creative plot developments. Nadia and Alan never really get to reflect on their journey because they get shunted into different realities and never see each other again.

 

[Fairy Godmother]

This show gets absolutely mind-fuckery around the middle episodes. Great stuff!
I was hoping for Amy's cameo seeing her name in the credit, but I suppose it'd ruin immersion.

 

[astro]

Ehh, I don't like the premise. Too much like Happy Deathday.

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Too much like a generic stuck in-time film that copied others that came way before it?

 

[NameUser]

Too much like a generic stuck in-time film that copied others that came way before it?

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You should read the thread (I walked that comment back on the same page so you wouldn't have had to scroll far). Also, it's easy to see how someone would compare it to that first even though said film wasn't totally original. They both contain abrasive women who keep dying on their birthday and it's clear that they have to solve some problem/grow as a person to break the loop.

But yeah . . . that was a hot take from over a month ago, before the show had aired.

 

[Truant]

I had to turn this off after a few minutes. The dialogue was just the worst. I love Amy Poehler, so this was pretty disappointing.

 

[NameUser]

I had to turn this off after a few minutes. The dialogue was just the worst. I love Amy Poehler, so this was pretty disappointing.

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I'd give it another try. It's intentionally bad/pretentious at times.

 

[astro]

You should read the thread (I walked that comment back on the same page so you wouldn't have had to scroll far). Also, it's easy to see how someone would compare it to that first even though said film wasn't totally original. They both contain abrasive women who keep dying on their birthday and it's clear that they have to solve some problem/grow as a person to break the loop.

But yeah . . . that was a hot take from over a month ago, before the show had aired.

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It was a silly take which is why you walked it back. No need to be so defensive.

 

[Austriacus]

I felt like the conclusion was ultimately not satisfying.

Spoiler

It all plays out without any exciting twists or creative plot developments. Nadia and Alan never really get to reflect on their journey because they get shunted into different realities and never see each other again.

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I advise you to look at the last few minutes of the show again, make note of the visual markers of each that differentiate them!

 

[NameUser]

It was a silly take which is why you walked it back. No need to be so defensive.

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Oh I know. But when replying to an old thread you shouldn't just jump on the first reply when the person who made it probably said more later in the thread. So, yeah, maybe I was defensive, but what you did is also silly. People seem too concerned with coming off as snarky or having a "gotcha" moment online.

I can admit when I'm wrong, though. It was a hot take and I basically said it down the page.

All I'm saying is at least read the first page lol :P

 

[astro]

Oh I know. But when replying to an old thread you shouldn't just jump on the first reply when the person who made it probably said more later in the thread. So, yeah, maybe I was defensive, but what you did is also silly. People seem too concerned with coming off as snarky or having a "gotcha" moment online.

I can admit when I'm wrong, though. It was a hot take and I basically said it down the page.

All I'm saying is at least read the first page lol :P

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I you have me at "not reading" for sure that was dumb, but not the rest. Silly comments deserve call outs. :p

 

[Turin]

Finally checked this out. Natasha Lyonne was by far my favorite actor on OITNB(before I gave up on it) so it was awesome to see her carry a show on her own. Had a pretty good time.

 

[VideogameVices]

btw, I finished the season and it was alright. Not like OMG wow... just alright. I'd say a passable 6.5/10 for the season. good thing is was short. When they

Spoiler

split the timeline into two seperate ones

I was like yup, they wrote themselves into a hole and needed an out for the plot. It really wasn't all that interesting at that end of it all

 

[Deleted member 18514]

Ehh... I feel this is unfair. After the first couple of episodes which feel admittedly a bit purposeless, there's not a second of wasted footage: everything from then on is meaningful to the story. I can't think of anything that could be cut without being detrimental to the whole; even those first few episodes' seemingly irrelevant repetition and aimless quests are necessary to estabilish the setting, and lull the viewer into the rhythm of a conventional Groundhog Loop story so the show is able to pull the rug under them later. "Feature length" implies cutting the running time in half and I can't imagine how one could do that without mutilating the story beyond all recognition.

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Oh, they could EASILY trim half the running time. Think about all the repeated times she leaves the bathroom. They replay those first few minutes over and over, and while there is a payoff to it at the very end, 2-3 repetitions would have worked as well as all 15 or whatever. Plus there are entire subplots that could have been cut out with no impact on the heart of the story. Heck, I'm pretty sure there were scenes inserted just to serve as back drop for the soundtrack. While I think the end result was pretty good, it often felt bloated and self-indulgent. It was too intricate for a weekly release (though I wonder what the conversation would have been if it was in that format) but too long for a real binge watch to keep the early details in mind towards the end.

If anything, this would be a good case for a 2 hour movie edited from the series. Let folks watch both and decide for themselves.

 

[Weltall Zero]

I felt like the conclusion was ultimately not satisfying.

Spoiler

It all plays out without any exciting twists or creative plot developments. Nadia and Alan never really get to reflect on their journey because they get shunted into different realities and never see each other again.

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Apparently, that's not what happens.

Spoiler

The timelines converge at the end. Watch the scarves / handkerchiefs.

Oh, they could EASILY trim half the running time. Think about all the repeated times she leaves the bathroom. They replay those first few minutes over and over, and while there is a payoff to it at the very end, 2-3 repetitions would have worked as well as all 15 or whatever. Plus there are entire subplots that could have been cut out with no impact on the heart of the story. Heck, I'm pretty sure there were scenes inserted just to serve as back drop for the soundtrack. While I think the end result was pretty good, it often felt bloated and self-indulgent. It was too intricate for a weekly release (though I wonder what the conversation would have been if it was in that format) but too long for a real binge watch to keep the early details in mind towards the end.

If anything, this would be a good case for a 2 hour movie edited from the series. Let folks watch both and decide for themselves.

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I dunno, I feel people just don't have the patience to let a story breathe anymore, and I find this extremely sad. It's a time loop story, complaining "the same scene repeats too many times" is weird and kind of missing the point.

 

[Hogendaz85]

I had to turn this off after a few minutes. The dialogue was just the worst. I love Amy Poehler, so this was pretty disappointing.

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Same but I did finish the first episode. It was terrible.

 

[Deleted member 7051]

Just finished it and I liked it a lot. Natasha Lyonne killed it as Nadia. I need to see more stuff she's in because she was amazing.

 

[Enduin]

It was a fun watch with some great acting by Lyonne. Really liked some of the side characters too like Maxine, I have a fire escape!?, but the ending was a bit flat and simple given everything leading up to it and it didn't really make any sense. Like shit was falling apart, they're spontaneously dying upon seeing her younger self and the resolution to that and getting back to a repaired and whole world felt unearned and random. Then the two of them saving each other felt pretty abrupt too. But besides that I liked it.

 

[Blade24070]

Show was wonderful and Natasha Lyonne is a treasure. More please!

 

[JaredTaco]

I felt like the conclusion was ultimately not satisfying.

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I thought the conclusion was great while also setting up an interesting second season. I loved the show. Only thing I wasn't entirely onboard with were the flashbacks to her youth.

 

[Galkinator]

I advise you to look at the last few minutes of the show again, make note of the visual markers of each that differentiate them!

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Spoiler

Were there any? Honestly besides the obvious two timeline differences I didn't catch on anything

Apparently, that's not what happens.

Spoiler

The timelines converge at the end. Watch the scarves / handkerchiefs.

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Spoiler

I thought it was just a visual thing, like a direction choice to show everything ends in a nice, good way? Was that supposed to be taken as a merge of the timelines? Seem a bit of stretch, unless the creators of the show said so themselves

 

[Weltall Zero]

Spoiler

Were there any? Honestly besides the obvious two timeline differences I didn't catch on anything

Spoiler

I thought it was just a visual thing, like a direction choice to show everything ends in a nice, good way? Was that supposed to be taken as a merge of the timelines? Seem a bit of stretch, unless the creators of the show said so themselves

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Sorry to repeat myself, but rewatch the scene.

Spoiler

The Nadia in Nadia-saves-Alan wears a white handkerchief over her shirt, unlike the Nadia in Alan-saves-Nadia. Conversely, Alan wears a red handkerchief in Alan-saves-Nadia, but not in Nadia-saves-Alan. When the split screen merges at the end, both Nadia and Alan are wearing their respective handkerchiefs, in the same scene / camera. There is no ambiguity to it unless you believe the show is physically, literally lying to you.

 

[Officer Big Mac]

Apparently, that's not what happens.

Spoiler

The timelines converge at the end. Watch the scarves / handkerchiefs.

I dunno, I feel people just don't have the patience to let a story breathe anymore, and I find this extremely sad. It's a time loop story, complaining "the same scene repeats too many times" is weird and kind of missing the point.

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Oh, well that was subtle. Cool beans.

 

[ArtVandelay]

Cockroach! Man, I love Lyonne's tough-guy New York accent.

 

[Terrell]

This show wholly confirms the need for more woman-driven content in media. All-woman writer's room, all-woman production leads, 98% Rotten Tomatoes, early Emmy contender, positive viewer feedback.

 

[The_Land]

Good little show! However fuck that song that plays every time they both "wake up". Wanted to stab my ears by the end.

 

[Kevers]

Good little show! However fuck that song that plays every time they both "wake up". Wanted to stab my ears by the end.

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Leave Harry Nilsson alone.

 

[FreezePeach]

I really enjoyed this. Well made and well acted. On the ending though

Spoiler

What does the end mean? I get people talking about timelines getting merged, but what's the deal with the weird day of the dead parade happening? Like the homeless dude wore a horse head and there was a bunch of that in the parade. Seemed needlessly obtuse.

 

[chrominance]

I really enjoyed this. Well made and well acted. On the ending though

Spoiler

What does the end mean? I get people talking about timelines getting merged, but what's the deal with the weird day of the dead parade happening? Like the homeless dude wore a horse head and there was a bunch of that in the parade. Seemed needlessly obtuse.

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It's apparently a reference to

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the Bread and Puppet Theater that did these kinds of parades in NYC back in the day. Leslye Headland also noted it's a sort of curtain call for the show.

 

[Dirtyshubb]

Finally got round to finishing the last two episodes, what a fantastic and amazing show it is.

Spoiler

the reveal of them fixing the loop ut being in separate timeliness was a gut punch but them managing to save each other and them merge them back was really heartwarming and a great way to end the season.

Not sure how they would continue it after this season but I would just be happy to see the characters back together.

 

[Deleted member 31817]

Ok ome thing, it's not a comedy. Not really at all. Disappointed on that.

Then everyone hyped it up so much and it took like 6 episodes to get going and when it finally did it ended in two weird relationships where one person knows too much about them but not actually them on both sides like Oblivion with Tom Cruise where it's supposed to be sappy as the intent but just comes across as creepy.

Edit: also the lead guy being annoying as hell doesnt hurt

 

[Dreezy]

I really liked it! But I love stories about two souls finding each other across multiple dimensions or whatever.

 

[Dirtyshubb]

Ok ome thing, it's not a comedy. Not really at all. Disappointed on that.

Then everyone hyped it up so much and it took like 6 episodes to get going and when it finally did it ended in two weird relationships where one person knows too much about them but not actually them on both sides like Oblivion with Tom Cruise where it's supposed to be sappy as the intent but just comes across as creepy.

Edit: also the lead guy being annoying as hell doesnt hurt

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I don't think you understand the actual conclusion to the show at all, judging from this comment.

And while it's very sombre and dramatic at times, there is a lot of comedy too.

 

[XenodudeX]

This show wholly confirms the need for more woman-driven content in media. All-woman writer's room, all-woman production leads, 98% Rotten Tomatoes, early Emmy contender, positive viewer feedback.

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Yeah i really liked Nadia. She seems like cool chick to hang with.

 

[beelulzebub]

That was one of the first things that struck me about the show. The HDR implementation and color grading in this show was AMAZING. Whoever was responsible for it should get hired on WAAAY MORE projects. Wish more films had this quality implementation of HDR. So many movies have such a conservative HDR master.

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Yes! As a colorist myself I was also in awe of the work the colorist and DP accomplished here. Hats off to them both; very rarely when I watch anything anymore do I feel like I need to know how they did it (and take a peek at their DaVinci Resolve project or whatever program they used to finish) but I'd love an opportunity to pick their brains about it. Hopefully by the time I'm ready for a rewatch ahead of season 2 I'll be able to watch it in HDR. And even though I'm geeking out about the color work, I loved everything else about this season just as much. Looking forward to seeing where this goes next.

 

[Joeku]

Yes! As a colorist myself I was also in awe of the work the colorist and DP accomplished here. Hats off to them both; very rarely when I watch anything anymore do I feel like I need to know how they did it (and take a peek at their DaVinci Resolve project or whatever program they used to finish) but I'd love an opportunity to pick their brains about it. Hopefully by the time I'm ready for a rewatch ahead of season 2 I'll be able to watch it in HDR. And even though I'm geeking out about the color work, I loved everything else about this season just as much. Looking forward to seeing where this goes next.

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I wonder how much of that can be contributed to the fact that aside from the external settings most of the show takes place in a very few places at the very few times of day. The apartments are such lovingly detailed sets that are either the dead of night or 8 am-ish.

Not trying to downplay it, cuz I agree; the colour space of the show is fantastic and says a lot about the prople occupying these spaces. Just that the concept allows them a lot more time to figure out exactly how to build, light, and shoot in some spaces so they can really hone in on it.

 

[Deleted member 31817]

I don't think you understand the actual conclusion to the show at all, judging from this comment.

And while it's very sombre and dramatic at times, there is a lot of comedy too.

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How so?

 

[Dirtyshubb]

How so?

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Spoiler: Ending spoiler

the way the season ended, because they had saved each other they merged the timelines, you can tell by the clothes they are wearing. So next season they should remember each other and not be about one not knowing the other.

 

[SymbiantXenos]

Really hope there is a second season of this. There's a lot they could do.

 

[Deleted member 31817]

Spoiler: Ending spoiler

the way the season ended, because they had saved each other they merged the timelines, you can tell by the clothes they are wearing. So next season they should remember each other and not be about one not knowing the other.

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That's partially what I thought when the side by sides were merging

Neat

 

[beelulzebub]

I wonder how much of that can be contributed to the fact that aside from the external settings most of the show takes place in a very few places at the very few times of day. The apartments are such lovingly detailed sets that are either the dead of night or 8 am-ish.

Not trying to downplay it, cuz I agree; the colour space of the show is fantastic and says a lot about the prople occupying these spaces. Just that the concept allows them a lot more time to figure out exactly how to build, light, and shoot in some spaces so they can really hone in on it.

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Sure, most of the show is shot in controlled environments, but I wouldn't want to undersell just how bold the DP was in how they painted the room with swatches of color. A less thoughtful, precise placement of colored lights would come off as distracting and confusing to the viewer. Or on the colorist side, if it isn't shot well or lit well, pushing saturation as far as this show does (which is very far) often causes the overall composition to fall apart if it doesn't also become distracting and confusing to look at too. I've worked on more than my fair share of projects where I had to back off an overall color palette I or the director had in mind for the above mentioned reasons.

And this is all DP/Colorist 101, but a show with as bold a palette as this one has many more potential points of failure. If neither did their job right, the viewer wouldn't know where to look because any one of the many sources and colors of light they use could draw eyes away from whoever or whatever's supposed to be the subject of the shot. They utilized their sets very well from a blocking, lighting, and color perspective, and it's hard to understate (and clearly communicate) how tight a creative tightrope it is that they set out to walk.

 

[Creamium]

I hereby declare 'are you going back to the fuck pile?' to be the best tv quote in 2019

Loved this show. They did so much in only four hours.

 

[Deleted member 15240]

Wow, by the end this turned from a very funny comedy into one of the best shows I've ever seen.

 

[Zomba13]

Just finished it and loved it.

Curious if they do go for more seasons (with it being pitched as 3 seasons) but I feel it ended really nicely so if there isn't more I'm satisfied.

That song though. Don't know how it's by or if it's popular but fucking heard it today when out with friends and it fucking got me. Had to double check I wasn't in a loop.

 

[Androidsleeps]

I liked it. I didn't think I would with the first episode but I found it interesting and funny, even if the idea has been done before.
I'm in if there's a second season.

 

[Kevers]

Just finished it and loved it.

Curious if they do go for more seasons (with it being pitched as 3 seasons) but I feel it ended really nicely so if there isn't more I'm satisfied.

That song though. Don't know how it's by or if it's popular but fucking heard it today when out with friends and it fucking got me. Had to double check I wasn't in a loop.

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Harry Nilsson album called Nilsson Schmilsson, it's pretty famous I'm sure you'll recognize a few more songs off it if you looked it up.

 

[Spikematic]

Just finished it. This show turned out to be a wonderful surprise. I found it fantastic and loved everything about it. Will definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a new show to binge.

 

[Davey Cakes]

I'm working through it but I'm pleasantly surprised. Just finished the episode where she died by

Spoiler

freezing outside with the homeless guy.

They're getting creative. I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

 

[JABEE]

Harry Nilsson getting play is always good.

I thought it was an interesting show.

 

[Ravelle]

Just finished the show and loved it. I hope if they're gonna do a another season it's gonna be two different people with different stuff to work through.

And that song that plays is now stuck in my head.

Gotta get up,
gotta get out,
gotta get home before the mooooorning comes