f13.net

Netflix. You need to watch it. Don't think from the first ep or two that you know what it is doing, because you don't.   It's only eight eps of around 25 minutes each and it is really, really dense when you fully get what it is all about. Going to watch it again at least once more.

Haven't felt the need to re-watch so soon after watching it since Barry (which you should also watch, why haven't you watched Barry?).

How much rye have you drank this evening, sir?  :drillf:

My rye consumption is irrelevant to how excellent Russian Doll is, thank you very much.

It's bad and pointless.

Not as bad as Nightflyers, but it's bad.

And Pointless.

No Sir, I didn't like it.

I really enjoyed it. I can see why someone wouldn’t though. There was a lot going on that I caught watching it all in one session.

You may not have liked it (personal taste and all), but it has a very definitive point.

I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Worth watching just for the snappy dialogue and characterizations alone, but there's quite a bit more to it than that. Before watching the final episode I re-watched the first one.

Alas, not to me, unless we count trite bullshit in a sea of harsh and unlikeable people as a 'point'.  But, by all means, crack on and let me know what it meant to you.

You do have to bear in mind that I'm that guy that didn't like Seinfeld.  Sometimes the whole New York Bullshit scene just doesn't work for me.  See also, Friends.

It didn't necessarily "mean" anything to me, but I think it has a very specific message and point that is carried off well and in an entertaining way.  Maybe we are interpreting your use of "pointless" differently.  If you mean it didn't do anything for you, then that is part of the first part of my statement regarding people's personal tastes.  Particularly if that type of setting grates on you in general.  You have to get past the late X/early millennial hipster bullshit.
I am half way through the re-watch and while I am catching different things that are peripheral in the start that become central later, it is isn't having the same impact overall.  Who knows, maybe I was just in the right head space for the two nights I watched it through the first time.

Yeah, alas, it didn't do anything for me.  
Also, I hated Sex and the City.  I think it's just me.  

Honestly, for a show with a Groundhog Conceit, I just didn't see the point.
Yeah, it's me, isn't it.  I'm just too angry for the message it was putting out.
   :heartbreak:

Shit, I should spoiler this shit before Americans wake up.

The characters in Russian Doll are what they are supposed to be, they're not characters in The Good Place. What you wanted one of the characters to do is not an unintended effect. You should also spoiler the "conceit" phrase, I was lucky enough to watch it without knowing anything.

That isn't even the message I got out of it and if that is what the commentators are going with I think it is a very shallow reading of it.

EDIT: I'm not being cagey here, I think it is a much different message she was going for (its kinda right there in the name), but my full theory on it is only about 3/4th baked right now. When I am done with the full re-watch I will lay it all out so everyone can call me a dope.

I found this show different and interesting. I wouldn't watch it again, but it was worth watching once.

I like this less and less in hindsight, but I really enjoyed it on the first viewing.

My thoughts on this are still forming up,  but a lot of it comes down to this being a show that has nothing whatsoever to do with interpersonal stuff or "connection" or "redemption" but instead being about trauma, the effects thereof, and the ability of therapy/analysis to dig out of it.  There are aspects of classic Fruedianism and psychodynamic theory all over this thing.  I don't even think I am reading into it or diving into subtext, it is pretty much all there.

Unless I get distracted/give into laziness, I will write a big long post on it.

This is good. People should watch this.

For her character it most certainly is. Not so much for Alan unless I missed something. I think the Haunting of Hill House dealt with trauma and such better. I think this show was excellent and I do think Trauma and how it impacts people was a theme of the show but it wasn't the theme. It was more about how people get locked into cycles they aren't brave enough to break out of. The whole reason they were looping was because both of them just couldn't change on their own and were both very self destructive.

Pretty much covers it.

I was espeicially surprised that it had a satisfying ending.

I was surprised to learn that this was pitched as having 3 seasons.

Second season is out. And is not grabbing me. It still has moments, but it's leaning too much into character and a rather boring plot compared to the first. Not sure if I'll see it out.

Someone tell me if it gets better?

Yeah, they aren't pulling off Quantum Leap/Back to the Future nearly as well as they did Groundhog Day.  The main character's nihilism worked well in the first season when part of the premise was that she was effectively immortal, but her inability to take anything seriously as she's doing stuff that might easily cause her to never be born is hindering my suspension of disbelief.

 I ended up finishing it; it gets better at the end of episode 4, but that's more than halfway through the season.  If you're already three episodes in, maybe it's worth finishing the next episode to see if it grabs you.  If you haven't started season 2, I think season 1 stands pretty well on its own and you can just pretend it ended there.

(edit) Reading back over this thread, I'm curious to read whatever Ab was writing up.   :awesome_for_real:  The theme of generational trauma was covered pretty heavily in season 2, and that aspect of it was good, I just thought it took too long to get where it was going.

I liked season 2 more than season 1. I actually didn't know there was a season 2, I happened to open netflix one night and binged through both in two days.

Both seasons, as far as I'm concerned, were utter gibberish and not actually good tv but Natasha is extremely good at her job but the settings and soundtrack of season 2 were simply more interesting than season 1, except for brown bunny as a mom. Sevigny sucks and more of her was not a bonus.

As an aside, this show was pretty much exactly what I expected (in regards to Ab's post which I had not read until now). I appreciated them just fuckin going for it in season 2 but besides that, eh. 6/10 across the board.


This is probably correct, now that I'm reading the thread.

It certainly has a point but it meanders so much to make it as to blunt any possible impact of it. Happy Death Day did more and said more in 90 minutes than this did in like eleventeen hours.

I don't actually remember writing that (soon afterwards I was a dad) but I still feel exactly the same about the show and it stands in the way of engaging with season 2.

The second season isn't as good.

I loved watching the first but suspect it wasn't because of any underlying meaning, just it was fun.

Season 2 is less fun.