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Rachel D, Amanda Jorda Avisati, Mark Lee, Ryan Sheely, and Matthew Wrather gotta get up, gotta get out, gotta do this podcast on Netflix’s Russian Doll starring Natasha Lyonne. They discuss the characters and themes of the story—self knowledge, trauma, relationships, gentrification, spirituality, past and present, —and the unique look and feel that made the series an instant hit with critics and audiences.
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Further Reading
- Bad Bunny, Siempre
- Sneaks, Highway Hipnosos
- Bohemianism
- “The Key to ‘Russian Doll’ Might Be Tompkins Square Park” (nytimes)
- Jason Zinoman’s theory on Twitter
- TFT Podcast 182: Eat Harp Love
- Matryoshka dolls
- EMDR
- Video: Losar Cham (Lama Dance) at Namdroling Monastery
Since gentrification and pricey apartments came up, I sort of assumed that all the characters were different stereotypes of gentrifiers, and almost seems to be almost a post-colonialist attitude of appropriating the pre-franchise neighborhood. Like, clearly there’s a secret McDonald’s and probably three Starbucks in the back room of the bodega.
The one big oddity that struck me during the episode is how Alan’s temper seemed like it was going to be a big plot point, and then it…vanished in favor of some sort of obsessive-compulsive issue, maybe, that also had nothing to do with the plot? It all seemed odd for a show that was otherwise so carefully constructed that exposing the theory takes a lot of the mystery out of the show.
Either way, it’ll be interesting to see if it goes to a second season, both to see what could be done from here and also to see whether this was intended to be a complete story or something ongoing.