Russian Doll
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Thepenultimate episodeofRussian Dollwas titled The Way Out and I thought they were talking about Nadias mom.
That means they must finally find a way forward from whats emotionally and metaphysically holding them back.
I realized all of this becausethe season finale ofRussian Dollis titled Ariadne.
In Greek mythology, Ariadne helped Theseus survive the Minotaurs labyrinth.
Nadia and Alan arent just stuck in loops; theyre stuck in a maze.
Each time theyve reset, its because theyve hit a (literal) dead end.
Each time you run into a dead end, you take a stab at find a new way out.
Its Alan and Nadias self-loathing, and in Nadias case perhaps also her self-centeredness, thats rendered them stuck.
Life was too painful or they were too fragile.
Until one night, something miraculous happened.
They made it through alive.
We are seemingly back to the original timeline, so perhaps the way out has already been found?
Nadia and Alan seem eager as ever to track each other down.
Is that so they can confirm with the other that the loops are gone?
Or is because they still need to rewrite their original interaction?
(Also, why didnt these two ever exchange phone numbers?
This could all be so easy!)
Either way, these resets oh, fuck; oh, fuck somehow go awry.
The Originals have no idea who the Loopers are.
scarf he received from Lizzys ladyfriend, while Looping Nadia changes into a white (Alans color!)
pirate shirt after Max throws a drink at her.
If youre not the Nadia who remembers me, you could die permanently, Looping Alan tells Original Nadia.
Clues fucking abound that dying permanently is what Nadia subconsciously wanted.
Look at you now, chasing down death on every corner, Ruth said to her in episode 7.
(Nadias first death took place at the corner of East 7th and Avenue B.)
(Remember Mike dispassionately discussing the AIDS crisis in episode 5?)
Suicidal Alans death wish, on the other hand, is literal and conscious.
The opening bathroom scene shows their bathroom mirrors back to back as they face one another.
Their lives have merged into one.
They have become each others mirror, each others reflection.
Theyre each others constants!
And what a pure celebration of friendship this episode is.
Original Nadia vehemently rejected full-on attachment to another being, preferring the live-and-let-live (live-and-let-die?)
rapport she enjoyed with Oatmeal, who only sort-of belonged to her.
They rewrite the code.
Its a smooth ride.
and likewise prevents her original death by pulling her back onto the sidewalk as a taxi whizzes past.
(Horse wears a wedding dress, which is funny considering Alan proposed to him earlier.
He also wears adeermask, which is going to drive me bonkers for eternity.
Is it supposed to be a bull mask and hes the minotaur?
Its Looping Nadia, our-timeline Nadia.
She is bewildered and beatific.
An ecstatic Alan is by her side.
The song that plays is called Alone Again Or.
Its by a band called Love.
