Russian Doll Season 1 Recap

March 18, 2019

Netflix’s Russian Doll season 1 followed Nadia as she relived her death over and over again. Alan was also reliving his death, and they were connected. While those around her and Alan appeared unaffected by the time loops, they emerged changed, possibly for the better. To close out our season 1 recaps, we are reviewing the impact the time loops had on Nadia and Alan.

Nadia’s Apathy

At the beginning of the season, Nadia appeared to go through life as if she didn’t care what happened to her or anyone outside of her friends. Constantly dying and facing her own mortality gave Nadia a new appreciation for her own life. She also went out of her way to try and save others, like Horse, Ruth, and Alan, with the knowledge she gained through the loops.

Nadia and Her Past

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Nadia’s mother, Lenora, killed herself when Nadia was young. Nadia felt she had betrayed her mother by going to live with Ruth. This feeling that she was messed up had affected her relationship with John and drove her refusal to meet his daughter, Lucy. Through the loops, she was forced to confront her younger self and the memories of instability from when her mother was alive. Nadia finally met Lucy and gave Lucy her favorite book.

Alan and Letting Go

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Alan was extremely buttoned-up, and it affected his relationship with Beatrice. She had cheated on him with Mike, and it made him depressed and bitter. He confronted Mike at Nadia’s party, but the realization that his loop started with killing himself was devastating for him. With Nadia’s help, he accepted his break-up with Beatrice and was able to move on. Nadia and the loops shook him out of his need for constant perfection in his life.

If you’ve missed a recap or want to revisit the entire first season of Russian Doll, check out our full list of recaps below.