Russian Doll Series 2

[BracedlnEndIessJanuary]

Struggled with it this time round. Got through it, but felt more like a chore.
Some of the music was good but the final episode did not save the series as a whole for me.
Anyone else?

It definitely wasn’t as good as season one. I would have liked more Alan- not sure on the point of his story this season really. Still some good moments though and interesting bits

So disappointing!

I love Natasha Lyonne and loved the previous series but the whole storyline seemed totally pointless this time. What, in the end, did either Nadia or Glan gain from their time travels?

Alan, obviously, not Glan.

Apparently, series 2 was all about grief/coming to terms with the past and life going on. So it was only when Nadia lets go of the idea of a model mother and realises that she would not have wanted to change Ruthie's role in her upbringing - along with forgiving herself about not being there at the end - only then will she be able to move forward.
Alan's storyline --and moustache- Lord knows. Unless, it will end up being about him coming to terms with his sexuality...given he ended up falling in love with a man. I was perplexed that having saved each other in series 1, and I did not think they were necessarily soulmates, but I did think they were going to be together...in series 2 he is friendzoned, they see each other but not romantically and in episode 1 Nadia happy to get it on with conman sleazebag.

Plot also reflects some of Natasha Lyonne's family history - her parents were from Orthodox Jewish families, and she was raised Orthodox. Her mother was born to Hungarian-Jewish parents who were Holocaust survivors. Her grandmother Ella came from a large family. Only she and her two sisters and two brothers survived. Lyonne's grandfather hid in Budapest as a non-Jew working in a leather factory.
Lyonne has said she is not close to her mother and has essentially lived independently of her family since age 16.
[wiki]

But all of her travels across the decades stopped Nadia from being there at Ruth's end, which she needed to be, didn't she?

I didn't get the Alan part of it at all. Seemed to be tacked on to justify him being in the show. Agree about his moustache - ghastly!

Agree it felt like a chore. I never quite worked out what the point was or where the plot was going.

I did enjoy the music though.

But all of her travels across the decades stopped Nadia from being there at Ruth's end, which she needed to be, didn't she?
Indeed. Ruth actually dies on her 40th birthday and in the few days' interim, she is back to 1982, back to 1944 and flies to Budapest, as well as going back to the future. Moral of tale to be ever-present but why she had to go through all that and Alan having a trans moment, nope, no idea.
Two very good reviews here
www.vox.com/culture/23034073/russian-doll-season-2-trauma
www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2022/04/russian-doll-season-2-review/629648/

Thanks for those links @BracedlnEndIessJanuary .

I am somewhat cheered by the last paragraph of the Atlantic article - Lyonne has said that Russian Doll has always been designed to have a three-season arc, which is hopefully why Season 2’s final moments feel so shatteringly incomplete.

It did feel unfinished to me.

Completely agree with everything. Only 3 episodes in but really struggling to keep going with this. Just feels like ‘The Natasha Lyonne' show to me. I’m bored of the constant
meaningless monologues delivered whilst biting down on a smoking cigarette. Not enough Alan.

We’re working through season 2 but last night we had to admit we weren’t feeling it. I adore Lyonne, her swagger and aesthetic, but I think it seems self conscious/self parodying in this series. I assume Alan is realising he’s gay, but it’s all a bit of a muddle.

However, as said before, the music is fantastic. and I love Maxine.

This summarises it perfectly for me too.

Loved S1 but feel 2 has slightly disappeared up its own arse. Total style over substance.

NL is gorgeous though, and that voice! I have a slight crush on her.

I think the final episode saved the series, for me. I hope there’s a third; I’d still watch it, despite not loving S2.