“What do time and morality have in common? Relativity. They’re both relative to your experience.”
The eternal question regarding what is good and bad receives an existential twist with a tinge of black comedy in Russian Doll, which is a marvellous 2019 show created by Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler; Lyonne stars as the titular character Nadia Vulvokov. One of the craziest and greatest Netflix originals of all time, the show focuses on Nadia Vulvakov who is a frenzied, reckless and self-deprecating busy software engineer who has designed a seemingly unwinnable game that somehow foreshadows the cyclical unwinnable path she is about to embark on, soon, after her 36th birthday. When her friend, Maxine, throws her a birthday party in her loft, Nadia dies shortly only to wake up again in Maxine’s bathroom which has a strange-looking vaginal shaped portal designed on the door.
Nadia discovers that every time she dies, she keeps returning to that very setting and each decision influences her ensuing actions. She meets another man named Alan who has been dumped by his girlfriend Beatrice who has been sleeping with her Professor; Alan, too, is stuck in this continuous cycle and is desperate to find an escape. As Nadia struggles with the unexplained consequences of coming back to life every time she dies and navigates through various possibilities with Alan, her relationships with her ex John, friends Lizzy and Maxine take a hit; her repressed childhood trauma comes rushing back in and her support system Ruth as well as the homeless man named Horse provide her with answers that help figure out the way to get out of this seemingly endless continuum.
After an amazing eight-episode lineup, rumour mills are abuzz with the arrival of a second season for the show. With fans growing impatient to see their favourite character get stuck in an unwinnable loop of predicaments yet again, we decided to take a look into these rumours and clear the air for you.
Here is everything that we know about the second season of Russian Doll.
Everything we know about Russian Doll season 2:
Will Russian Doll be released for a second season?
Russian Doll premiered in February 2019 and took netizens of Netflix by a storm with its unique plotline. In June 2019, the series was renewed for a second season.
One of the co-showrunners, Leslye Headland, confirmed that while pitching the series, they had a three-season-arc in mind which tells us that the second season is hopefully on the cards.
When will the second season be released?
Fans of the show have been waiting impatiently to see their favourite bushy-haired, potty-mouthed protagonist Nadia frantically run around to solve the mystery behind her death since forever. While the series was set to begin production in the spring of 2020, the dreadful pandemic stalled plans and pushed it back.
However, in January 2021, Natasha Lyonne took to Twitter to announce that the second season was to arrive soon, with rumours about production starting in May 2021 making rounds. It is expected that the second season shall be streaming on Netflix approximately towards the end of 2021.
Which cast members are making a return to Russian Doll?
According to Headland, Nadia Vulvakov was the “beating heart and soul of this show” and this confirms that we shall get to see our favourite protagonist make a bombastic return. Since she was omnipresent in the show, “being haunted by” or “haunting the narrative”, she would always be there. Fans will definitely get to see more of her substance-fuelled, reckless life since Natasha Lyonne is coming back to grace the series with her explosive presence.
However, the fate of the oh-so-loved supporting characters such as Alan, Maxine, Lizzy and Horse remains unknown. Alan and Nadia have already escaped the time loop; however, whether they shall reunite to solve another problem of similar sorts is something that only the second season can answer.
Are there any new cast members on board?
The uber-long wait for Russian Doll’s season 2 is going to bear fruition as some exciting cast members shall be joining in the fun. In March 2021, it was announced that the exquisite actress, Annie Murphy, known for her incredible performance as the spoilt and outlandish Alexis Rose in the very popular series Schitt’s Creek shall make an appearance. Her role has not been disclosed yet; however, this Emmy-winning actress is known for delivering a powerhouse performance and we cannot wait to see what she has in store for us.
The show has also tapped Carolyn Michelle Smith, known for her roles in House of Cards and Colony. Her character remains under the wraps as well; the top secrecy makes us ache in excitement and impatience.
What might happen in the second season?
Russian Doll has had a pretty intriguing storyline in the first season. The second season is unpredictable since the first season story came to a proper end. However, Lyonne has confirmed that the upcoming season will certainly be littered with “more bizarre scenarios”. According to the actress, Nadia’s addiction problems could lead to a second-season buildup, portraying what it feels to be alive once again. For someone, who has cheated death innumerable times, it should be a cakewalk.
Lyonne has also hinted at yet another complex storyline, talking about how the ambiguous ending of the first season could indicate various versions of the characters strutting about Manhattan. “It raises the question of how many versions are there altogether? That’s certainly something that was considered,” said Lyonne. “It presents a question of do they in fact just enter a whole new sort of scenario at that moment, that they kind of completed that round?”
Sounds exciting as it indicates the arrival of more seasons to continue with this video game pattern. I’m not complaining!
