Russian Doll

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Feb 1, 2019
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 352 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 289 out of 352
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 352
  3. Negative: 31 out of 352

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User Reviews

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  1. surfmadpig
    Feb 3, 2019
    10
    To me, perfect. Visually excellent too, almost nostalgically NY.

    Will appeal to fans of existential comedies like Adaptation, Human Nature, The Good Place etc.
  2. gillie14
    Feb 18, 2019
    1
    This is an insufferable show that only vacuous LA or New York hipsters could enjoy. We so very much wanted to like it, but it is out of touch with reality and pretentious. A loser.
  3. GrantD243
    Mar 7, 2019
    6
    Russian Doll doesn't come off as a groundbreaking show by any means. The concept isn't anything we haven't seen before, and the execution of the story leaves much to be desired. It tries to be emotional, it tries to say something about loneliness and needing people, but it fails to do really anything of note.
  4. CharlieBrown8
    Feb 19, 2019
    1
    I'm stunned by this almost universal acclaim for this useless show. I made the mistake - against my better instincts- to sit through the entire pointless eight episodes, despite being already bored to death after the first episode. Unlikable characters all around, an unattractive world, and a story that doesn't go anywhere. The hype reviews made me think the good stuff must come in laterI'm stunned by this almost universal acclaim for this useless show. I made the mistake - against my better instincts- to sit through the entire pointless eight episodes, despite being already bored to death after the first episode. Unlikable characters all around, an unattractive world, and a story that doesn't go anywhere. The hype reviews made me think the good stuff must come in later episodes, but it never did. I want these four hours of my life back!… Expand
  5. treestand
    Feb 2, 2019
    9
    Sometimes it takes the entire universe folding in on itself for people to see themselves clearly. In that same vein, Russian Dolls' otherworldly (to avoid the word magical) realism becomes an electrically charged lens through which the viewer can directly plug-in to the characters of Nadia and Alan, who work as incredibly gratifying and poetic foils to one another. One of the mostSometimes it takes the entire universe folding in on itself for people to see themselves clearly. In that same vein, Russian Dolls' otherworldly (to avoid the word magical) realism becomes an electrically charged lens through which the viewer can directly plug-in to the characters of Nadia and Alan, who work as incredibly gratifying and poetic foils to one another. One of the most fulfilling and literary Netflix binges I've had since the words Netflix and binging became synonymous. My biggest worries about this genre of show is that the innate mystery in the concept is usually torn to pieces by a need to explain the reasoning of what is an inexplicable thing, and gladly, Russian Dolls does not weigh itself down in a search for answers and focuses on the characters and their ride. A joy from beginning to end, with few narrative hiccups along the way. 6 thumbs up.… Expand
  6. AthanasiosT
    Feb 11, 2019
    1
    Sorry, but it didn't work for me. Even though the "groundhog day" concept is appealing, I got bored from the first episode. Didn't like the characters, got tired from the dialogues and did not laugh at all.
  7. AbeFroman
    Feb 17, 2019
    1
    Unbearably pretentious and trite. Not the least bit funny. and wtf is up with Poehler's weird make-up (Amy I love you but this was a huge waste of your talents)!? Terribly over-rated.
  8. Heatsink
    Feb 9, 2019
    1
    Natasha Lyonne does an impression of Mel Brooks, and that's supposed to be her character in RUSSIAN DOLL. I couldn't make it through the first few episodes because it's boring, and the characters are so unlikable and/or pretentious that I just don't care about any of it. This show is labeled a comedy, but I couldn't find anything remotely funny in what I saw.
  9. shoulderoforion
    Feb 2, 2019
    7
    Good but short of great. Glad they were 8 half hour eps rather than killing us with 10 hour longs which would have done the same thing but bored me to death. Overall interesting, amusing and entertaining. The lower east side vibe rang more true than not, though the "rules" of the overall experience weren't ever clear, and the neat tie up at the end wasn't very satisfying at all. JustGood but short of great. Glad they were 8 half hour eps rather than killing us with 10 hour longs which would have done the same thing but bored me to death. Overall interesting, amusing and entertaining. The lower east side vibe rang more true than not, though the "rules" of the overall experience weren't ever clear, and the neat tie up at the end wasn't very satisfying at all. Just want to tell Natasha to ease up on the schtick a little sometimes, it's funny/quirky for the most part, but I'd just like to see her deliver ONE character who wasn't so committed to channeling Jackie Mason 24/7.… Expand
  10. WhiskeyStories
    Apr 7, 2019
    7
    On a most basic level, I'd say that your enjoyment of Russian Doll comes down to whether you like Natasha Lyonne or not. I very much do. Her neurotic character borders on becoming a caricature at times, which can get a little overbearing for some, but rarely did it bother me. I found her dialogue and charm too irresistible for that. While she is front and centre in the show, theOn a most basic level, I'd say that your enjoyment of Russian Doll comes down to whether you like Natasha Lyonne or not. I very much do. Her neurotic character borders on becoming a caricature at times, which can get a little overbearing for some, but rarely did it bother me. I found her dialogue and charm too irresistible for that. While she is front and centre in the show, the twisty-turny mystery plot is what makes and weighs Russian Doll down a bit. I would agree that redundancy is very much present throughout some of the episodes. Many scenes felt like just a little too repetitive or simply filler, without really furthering the plot (I'd say taking it down to 6 episodes would have hit the sweet spot), and the writing feels like it's a little too up its own ass with how clever it thinks it is at times, but it's mostly fine.

    I did love all the little easter eggs in the background though, and found the overall story intriguing and the way structure is tackled quite unique. There are some grade A performances: Lyonne is great, Barnett is fantastic (a real scene-stealer), Elizabeth Ashley as Ruth is wonderful, and I LOVED some of the side characters as well (Greta Lee, Rebecca Henderson, Jeremy Bobb).

    So all in all, it's a good show and I would definitely recommend it (with a few asterisks).    … Expand
  11. EFRAM
    Mar 14, 2019
    4
    So, I watched this series after seeing and hearing a lot of hype, and when I finally turned it on, hype was pretty much all I got. What was supposed to be the most interesting aspect of the series, i.e. the repeat of each moment to a further understanding of character and plot, became so unusually boring to me, that I dropped out in mid season. Groundhog day it is not, nor is it insightfulSo, I watched this series after seeing and hearing a lot of hype, and when I finally turned it on, hype was pretty much all I got. What was supposed to be the most interesting aspect of the series, i.e. the repeat of each moment to a further understanding of character and plot, became so unusually boring to me, that I dropped out in mid season. Groundhog day it is not, nor is it insightful to point of being more interesting than any other fare that Netflix throws against the wall.… Expand
  12. deadbank
    Mar 23, 2019
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There's very little in this show with actual substance that is fully explored. Constantly, the characters are finding things out like that they're dying at the same time, or that time is behaving differently, or that the dude's first death was his killing himself, when ultimately they don't matter even a little bit. Why were they in the time loop (which is used in a totally unoriginal way here) to begin with? Why doesn't it at least try to answer that question?
    The cinematography, acting, etc are all perfectly fine, but everything else beyond that leaves much to be desired.    … Expand
  13. salatyel
    Jul 23, 2019
    10
    Natasha Lyonne is amazing in this show. They have succeeded in transforming a well-known premise of 'temporal prison' (as we can see in Groundhog Day) in something new, nice to watch. The cinematography is also amazing. One of the best series of the decade.
  14. d3adbeat
    Feb 18, 2019
    0
    I tried, I really did. But even after two episodes I still couldn't find a single reason to watch someone being dumb enough to kill herself 4 times walking down the stairs, insulting everyone around and generally being an absolutely intolerable ****. Not funny at all, just stupid and pretentious.
  15. Skeletor71
    Feb 3, 2019
    9
    I hadn't checked out any trailers. I just went on the title and a picture of the redhead from Orange is the New Black. Ended up binging it in one sitting. Worth checking out for the pretentious soundtrack alone. ;-)
  16. ifritforce
    Feb 2, 2019
    10
    A pesar que no es una idea original, vivir el mismo de forma recurrente, es una serie muy entretenida y gran personajes, el hecho que no sea pelicula y si serie deja desarollar mas la trama y el aue es vivir lo mismo siempre
  17. im_so_meta
    Feb 2, 2019
    9
    Great quirky take on the Groundhog day trope.
    The story has heart with good pacing, twists and turns, brilliant acting, and an excellent soundtrack.
    At only 4 hours for the whole series, its definitely worth a watch!
  18. PeterTroie
    Feb 9, 2019
    10
    Unbelievable great performance. Great script. Maybe the best Netflix production until now.
  19. dispencer187
    Feb 6, 2019
    8
    Definitely worth watching. I would say 7.5 instead of 8. The characters are shallow and narcissistic, but that makes the whole plot that much better. Kind of reminds me of a MA rated The Good Place.
  20. wantedtolikebut
    Feb 16, 2019
    1
    I turned it off at "cock-a-roach." "Russian Doll" is a pretentious, over-written, trite, badly-cast, cliche-ridden Groundhog Day clone. Unsympathetic lead actress with a phony Brooklyn accent, and a bad clone of a Maria Schneider, Last Tango in Paris hairstyle. I HATED this. One of the worst things I've ever seen on Netflix. Yes, I turned it off early. But it's THAT bad. Ugh!
  21. OlivierPiel
    Feb 3, 2019
    0
    All pretense and no real core. A totally inept rummaging on "life" in New Yawk. To draw characters to especially and desperately avoid clichés is itself the most clichéd thing i(Look,so cool, the "Russian" main character who is a master coder can speak Arabic an her drug dealer is Sikh)....maybe those writers should watch Woody Allen movies to avoid delivering some superficial New YawkAll pretense and no real core. A totally inept rummaging on "life" in New Yawk. To draw characters to especially and desperately avoid clichés is itself the most clichéd thing i(Look,so cool, the "Russian" main character who is a master coder can speak Arabic an her drug dealer is Sikh)....maybe those writers should watch Woody Allen movies to avoid delivering some superficial New Yawk life scene and find some heart and soul. Maybe this will impress teenagers in the Mid-West though....besides critics (who used to be teenagers in the Mid-West)… Expand
  22. TalulaGrey
    Feb 4, 2019
    3
    This is the summary here on Metacritic --> "Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) goes to a party as the guest of honor and ends up dead, only to awakens the next day and doing it all over again in this comedy co-created by Lyonne, Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland."

    How does someone, "only to awakens the next day"? No, not my kind of show. I didn't care for the atmosphere and that same awful song,    This is the summary here on Metacritic --> "Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) goes to a party as the guest of honor and ends up dead, only to awakens the next day and doing it all over again in this comedy co-created by Lyonne, Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland."

    How does someone, "only to awakens the next day"?

    No, not my kind of show. I didn't care for the atmosphere and that same awful song, lol. The chain-smoking ridiculousness of the main character was so completely over the top. Do people from New York really behave that way? Do they go to crappy parties with artsy, fartsy people? What a $hit $how. It's supposed to be a comedy but I never laughed. Not. One. Time.

    Lyonne, Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland, you guys suck and so does your show.    … Expand
  23. dogboy
    Feb 21, 2019
    0
    People giving this positive reviews must have very low standards for tv shows. I found this show painful to watch. The main character is extremely unlikeable and seems to be made of glass considering how easily she dies over and over. The show just doesn't go anywhere and is boring. Couldn't make it through the first season.
  24. EludiumQ36
    Mar 5, 2019
    6
    There's a certain conceit, a plot mechanism to Russian Doll that I'll try to disguise here, but other reviewers aren't so coy about it. It's interesting in ep1 but quickly tires in ep2 and I was like "are you serious?!" into ep3 but it finally expanded the storyline a bit. In fact, Nadia, our protagonist, finds another in a similar predicament so they try to figure things out. The next fewThere's a certain conceit, a plot mechanism to Russian Doll that I'll try to disguise here, but other reviewers aren't so coy about it. It's interesting in ep1 but quickly tires in ep2 and I was like "are you serious?!" into ep3 but it finally expanded the storyline a bit. In fact, Nadia, our protagonist, finds another in a similar predicament so they try to figure things out. The next few eps are mostly about meaningless encounters but some of it does tie to the end so don't dismiss it so quickly. Towards the end, things get really confusing since you're tossed into a blender of parallel lives and timelines like the Twilight Zone and the Outer Limits on steroids. And the very last scene of the final episode is like what?! I don't know about you but after I watch the conclusion of a series, I want to have a feeling of satisfaction and completion, not one of head-scratching and frustration.… Expand
  25. capt_morgan
    Feb 5, 2019
    8
    I love shows with quick and quirky dialogue but here at times it tends to be a bit over the top with the insults and rudeness. Three episodes in and comes true nature of the story, neurotic person(s) trying to find their humanity and way in morally corrupt world. Because of the quick pace and short length of the story telling makes the show very watchable.
  26. Maan
    Feb 12, 2019
    8
    The series is short, straightforward and fun to watch. You just want to watch it all at once. I really liked that it's short, because sometimes things get boring and tedious. Acting was great, also is the environment and not to forget, it's different! Worth a try. The ending was just a bit too blurry for me tho.. I want to give it a 7,5 if I could.
  27. Scoffingskeptic
    Feb 16, 2019
    9
    The show is a blatant rip-off of Groundhogs Day...until it's not.

    What saves and elevates Russian Doll from it's derivative concept is it's smart, funny writing, a good twist, and Natasha Lyonne's brilliant performance. Genuinely funny and interesting show that didn't overstay its welcome (only eight half-hour episodes.)
  28. TheGiorgiaShow
    Feb 3, 2019
    10
    This series has what it takes to be the best Netflix series of 2019. The story-line is pretty clear, the two main characters Nadia Volvokov (Natasha Lyonne) and Alan Zaveri (Charlie Barnett) work perfectly together and every single shot is visually pleasing. The show is the perfect union of comedy and drama, along with some mystery.
    A hundred thumbs up!
  29. Deadheadbill
    Feb 7, 2019
    0
    OMG the pretension in this show. I guess if you actually are a uptight, pretentious NY hipster then you may like this. I would rather stick needles in my eyes myself.
  30. matthewmirliani
    Feb 13, 2019
    8
    Russian Doll exists in a sweet spot between Black Mirror and The Good Place. It’s smart, genuinely funny, and surprising. Natasha Lyonne is superb in an Emmy-worthy performance, and the supporting cast is phenomenal as well.
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Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best TV Season of 2019
11
#11 Most Discussed TV Season of 2019
22
#22 Most Shared TV Season of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Universal acclaim - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. The Telegraph
    Reviewed by: Ed Power
    Jan 3, 2020
    80
    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.
    Read full review
  2. The Guardian
    Reviewed by: Lucy Mangan
    Dec 3, 2019
    80
    Russian Doll is an acquired taste. But do persist: there is such a fine, idiosyncratic, impressive show nested within.
    Read full review
  3. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Michael Haigis
    Feb 4, 2019
    75
    While the resolution of her predicament is somewhat vague, it remains sweetly fulfilling, because, while the series deals in opaque supernaturalism, its protagonist is easy to root for as she fumbles toward happiness.
    Read full review
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