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In case youre not aware,Russian Dollis reminiscent ofGroundhog Day.
Oh, youve heard that comparison?
Of course you have, because if youve readanythingaboutRussian Doll, then youve alsoread at least a littleaboutGroundhog Day.
(In this one, the magic number is ten.)
So, both stories arebuilt around time loopsand share themes of growth and rebirth.
But how does the actual experience of Lyonnes Nadia Vulvokov compare to that of Murrays Phil Connors?
How similar is the time loop inRussian Dollto the time loop inGroundhog Day?
How do the rules and logic of the former stack up against the latter?
InRussian Doll, death is a must.
Its true for everyone, but especially true for Nadia.
Thats not the case inGroundhog Day.
Russian Dolls time loop doesnt run like clockwork.
(Those things really are a menace.)
Nadia isnt alone in her loop.
For most ofGroundhog Day, Phil Connors doesnt have a true confidant.
Theres no one else in Punxsutawney whos aware of the time loop.
A few episodes intoRussian Doll, though, Nadia realizes shes got a counterpart.
As soon as he dies, hes immediately alive again and back in his bathroom.
But theres a twist: When Alan dies, Nadia dies, and vice versa.
So when he has a bike accident, shes suddenly a victim of another gas explosion.
Their fates are intertwined.
EveryRussian Dollreset is (maybe) its own little universe.
This rule is a little less clear, but its worth considering.
Fifteen times Ruth has grieved for me, Nadia tells Alan.
In 15 universes, shes alone.
Nadia and Alans world starts to literally fall apart.
Every morning inGroundhog Dayis a clean reset.
Phils personal purgatory hums along nicely, with no interruptions.
By the end of the season, the recurring gag of Nadia tumbling down the stairs is long gone.
The only way out of a time loop is self-improvement.
Now we get to the strongest similarity betweenRussian Dolls time-loop premise andGroundhog Days.
Hes someone who looks down on the small-town life of Punxsutawney and sees all of the locals as yokels.
When hes finally free of the loop, he says he wants to live in Punxsutawney permanently.
