Ever since Groundhog Day, movies, television, and pop culture alike have been obsessed with the idea of reliving the same day over and over. The formula of a character realizing that they’re in a time loop and subsequently trying to get out is almost always a wicked ride, and new twists have been added to the concept for years. Video games like 12 Minutes force players to dig deep into characters’ pasts with every loop, and movies like Happy Death Day add an element of horror to the mix. In 2019, Netflix staked its claim in the genre with Russian Doll, a Groundhog Day-inspired series with time loops that don't disappoint in the wow factor.
The show follows Nadia, played by Natasha Lyonne, who is a woman stuck in a time loop on her 36th birthday. Trapped at a party in New York City, Nadia dies repeatedly and soon begins hunting for a way out. Not long into the series, she meets Alan, a man stuck in a similar time loop. The show is inventive and fun, widely praised by critics and (thankfully) has a second season coming April 20. With a new slew of puzzling episodes right around the corner, here’s a look at some of the best moments from Season 1 of Russian Doll.
7 “Sweet Birthday Baby”
Every time Nadia returns to her birthday party, she's greeted by her beloved bestie Maxine, who comes out with a line that is now permanently etched into our brains: "Sweet birthday babaay!" It's a cute little greeting saved exclusively for Nadia, and actress Greta Lee manages to keep it fresh and fun despite repeating it numerous times. Nadia's reactions to hearing it get collectively funnier as the show progresses, too, especially in her most fed-up moments.
6 “For My Birthday, Tell Me If I Am A Bad Person”
In an inebriated fit over her situation, Nadia takes the opportunity to address everyone at her birthday party with an unusual request: "For my birthday, tell me if I am a bad person, okay?" She asks everyone to approach her if they feel she's committed "serious misdeeds" or just thinks she's bad in general, and her audience's reaction is on par with what you would expect. It's hard not to feel just as baffled as Nadia does, leading to a moment of utter (and hilarious) disregard for social norms.
5 Following Nadia’s Bender
In the second episode, Nadia despondently goes on a heavy bender of drugs and booze as she navigates her party. The camera is fixed directly in front of her face, and we're treated to some of Lyonne's best physical acting. The whole scene is nonverbal and dubbed over with Anika's 'I Go To Sleep', so Nadia only communicates through body language, expressions, and gestures. Her internal sense of defeat gradually surfaces with every shot and bump of cocaine; by the end of the ordeal, she wakes up on her couch alone, caps things off with a cigarette, and spits out the word "Mondays," like snake venom. It's jarring and helps viewers understand just how stressed and empty she feels.
4 Nadia Talks Alan Out of Suicide
As we learn more about Nadia and Alan, the latter eventually opens up to the former about his first death in the loop: a suicide attempt. He'd finally had enough and jumped from the roof of a building, and he doesn't shy away from showing how deeply he regrets the decision. In the final episode, Nadia finds Alan pre-loop, just about to jump, and she convinces him not to go through with it. When he asks if he'll be happy, Nadia can't promise that. Instead, she promises that Alan will never be alone again, and her words are enough to keep him from ending his life.
3 The Stairs of Doom
As Nadia begins to realize that she's repeating her birthday, she tests the waters on what would be a perfectly normal flight of stairs — if only she didn't die every time she tried to use them. After falling and breaking her neck the first time, she insists on going back and trying the stairs again. Her harsh outburst of "Get away from me, I'm coming down the stairs!" is enough to put you in stitches, especially when she's accidentally knocked over the handrail. As she tepidly attempts to set a single foot on the stairs for the last time, she chickens out and rushes off to some other imminent doom.
2 Nadia’s Childhood
Around episode 7, Nadia begins seeing specters of her childhood self wherever she goes, and this only adds to her time loop dilemma. As the story unravels, we realize that the time loop occurring on her 36th birthday is no accident. On this day, she's officially the same age as her mother when she passed away, and the ghost of her childhood self appears in brief flashbacks to put it all together. Later we learn that the ghost represents her guilt over choosing to live with a family friend, as she feels this choice is what lead her mother to commit suicide. Young Nadia is equal parts adorable, charming and sad, and Brooke Timber does an incredible job of showing us a kid in an unstable home.
1 The Final Death
Once Nadia opens up to Ruth about her childhood guilt, she dies one last time. This death is far different from all the rest — as she lays bleeding on the ground of a restaurant, her ghost appears and quietly informs her that this is the day they free themselves. Her last death is gruesome and pivotal, as it segues back to reality on the night of her party. She's got one more chance, but what follows is a mind-boggling sequence wherein Nadia and Alan realize they're in separate time loops. They never met in their respective realities, and the other party doesn't remember the time loop. Regardless, they realize the other person needs their help: Nadia must talk Alan out of suicide on the roof, and Alan needs to pull a drunk Nadia out of the path of an oncoming car. To finally get payoff after trying to unravel the mystery for 8 episodes...it's unlike anything else.