Russian Doll
Feb. 3rd, 2019 10:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatSo, based on two social media recs...one on FB and one on DW, I decided to try Russian Doll on Netflix. I'm on episode 6. It's hilarious in places, and I think I've figured it out. Also cleverly plays with the Groundhog Day or Eternal Time Loop Trope that is very popular with television shows.
Apparently Alan and Nadia died at the same time on the first night. Nadia could have prevented Alan's death but was pulled away from doing so by Mike, who we later learn is sleeping with Alan's girlfriend. (Why Alan's girlfriend is cheating on him with Mike is beyond me. The man is the sort of guy that you would cross the room to avoid at a party, not fuck. He's just gross. But okay.)
Anyhow, Nadia takes Mike home with her and on the way they stop in a bodega of sorts. She sees a guy in a gray hooded sweatshirt fall on the floor with a mess of stuff. Two dudes go to help him up. She asks if he is alright, his friend tells her not to worry about it -- and Mike, impatient drags her out of the store. While the guy in the hoodie is carried out by his friends.
This is important -- because Alan is the guy in the gray hoodie. They are connected by two things -- Mike, who seems to be the human equivalent of a sexual black hole (his words not mine), and Alan's friend who runs the bodega. Nadia even asks the bodega guy about whether his friend is okay -- and the bodega guy has no idea what she's talking about, because it didn't happen. Alan and Nadia died at the same time causing some sort of temporal loop.
Now Nadia and Alan and everyone else are doomed to repeat the day over and over until Nadia and Alan, the only one's aware of the loop, figure out a way to end it.
There's a problem with this -- while Nadia and Alan are healed perfectly as if nothing happened, everything else isn't. The fruit on Ruth's table is going rotten -- it was fine the first time we saw it. Also Ruth is getting more scattered. The flowers at the party are dying. So too is Alan's fish. Every thing is moving on - except they are also reliving that night, while Alan and Nadia's physical forms are reset.
Interesting. Usually when they do the loop trope, where a character has to keep repeating the day until they do something that fixes the loop -- no one else ages or is affected. Something I always wondered about. Is everyone stuck in the loop too?
But just not aware? Mere pawns? This series appears to be questioning that in a way.
Also, the two characters can live past one day...they keep going until they die, then it reverts back to that night, which may be one or two days ago.
The way to fix it is to somehow have both characters relive the events of the first night near exact, except for one thing -- have Nadia help Alan in the store, and escort him out.
If you already know the answer, don't tell me. I want to just speculate for a bit longer.
Apparently Alan and Nadia died at the same time on the first night. Nadia could have prevented Alan's death but was pulled away from doing so by Mike, who we later learn is sleeping with Alan's girlfriend. (Why Alan's girlfriend is cheating on him with Mike is beyond me. The man is the sort of guy that you would cross the room to avoid at a party, not fuck. He's just gross. But okay.)
Anyhow, Nadia takes Mike home with her and on the way they stop in a bodega of sorts. She sees a guy in a gray hooded sweatshirt fall on the floor with a mess of stuff. Two dudes go to help him up. She asks if he is alright, his friend tells her not to worry about it -- and Mike, impatient drags her out of the store. While the guy in the hoodie is carried out by his friends.
This is important -- because Alan is the guy in the gray hoodie. They are connected by two things -- Mike, who seems to be the human equivalent of a sexual black hole (his words not mine), and Alan's friend who runs the bodega. Nadia even asks the bodega guy about whether his friend is okay -- and the bodega guy has no idea what she's talking about, because it didn't happen. Alan and Nadia died at the same time causing some sort of temporal loop.
Now Nadia and Alan and everyone else are doomed to repeat the day over and over until Nadia and Alan, the only one's aware of the loop, figure out a way to end it.
There's a problem with this -- while Nadia and Alan are healed perfectly as if nothing happened, everything else isn't. The fruit on Ruth's table is going rotten -- it was fine the first time we saw it. Also Ruth is getting more scattered. The flowers at the party are dying. So too is Alan's fish. Every thing is moving on - except they are also reliving that night, while Alan and Nadia's physical forms are reset.
Interesting. Usually when they do the loop trope, where a character has to keep repeating the day until they do something that fixes the loop -- no one else ages or is affected. Something I always wondered about. Is everyone stuck in the loop too?
But just not aware? Mere pawns? This series appears to be questioning that in a way.
Also, the two characters can live past one day...they keep going until they die, then it reverts back to that night, which may be one or two days ago.
The way to fix it is to somehow have both characters relive the events of the first night near exact, except for one thing -- have Nadia help Alan in the store, and escort him out.
If you already know the answer, don't tell me. I want to just speculate for a bit longer.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-04 03:04 pm (UTC)If I were conducting a writing class, and someone handed in a partial story like this, I'd say to the writer there is only one way this can end...
In case, I'm right I won't spoil it.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-04 06:08 pm (UTC)So far -- yeah, it feels a bit like that, but more Twilight Zone meets Groundhog Day, by way of Amy Poehler (comedy writer) . And there are only two ways it can end. (Keep in mind, it's a tv show -- and to date not that logical with a few odd plot holes.)
no subject
Date: 2019-02-05 02:15 am (UTC)Which is?
The two people have to save each other the first night when the time-loop happens. The bug was that they didn't and were supposed to. The universe put they in line to save each other, when they didn't it threw off the time line or pattern of events...and the time began to collapse in on itself -- because that one strand was pulled. Sort of like pulling a thread in a tapestry or piece of knitting -- the whole thing unravels. To set it right -- they had let go of their egos and what was holding them back and genuinely save someone outside of themselves.
I don't why people found it mind-blowing. I thought is was pretty obvious, although comforting..definitely comforting.